"Honestly, I don't really see myself in Pantani and I'd prefer he called me by my name" - Tadej Pogacar's joke nickname for Decathlon rider caused him to be teased
Cycling
Nicolas Prodhomme has responded to Tadej Pogacar labelling him 'Pantani' after the Decathlon CMA CGM rider repeatedly accelerated and pulled hard at the front of the peloton for short intervals during the final mountain stages of the 2026 Tour de France.
Pogacar came out to media in the aftermath, joking that he and his teammates dubbed the Decathlon rider the legendary climber Marco Pantani in their team bus chats, due to his strong pulling deep into the Grand Tour.
The Frenchman had repeatedly accelerated at the foot of climbs while working for teenage team leader Paul Seixas, producing the same sharp burst once more on the Col de Sarenne, the race's final major climb on stage 20.
As a result, Pogacar rode alongside him and stared across for several seconds, creating one of the most widely shared images from the Tour’s final weekend.
“We’d been joking about it in the team before, calling him ‘Pantani’, because he always found the strength for the final sprint,” Pogacar said on the Val 202 podcast. “He’d always accelerate, stretching out the group for those first 500 metres of the climb. We didn’t really like that in the team.”
Prodhomme reflects on Tour de France
As the dust settles on the 2026 edition of the Tour, Prodhomme has reflected on those moments, citing radio issues as reasons for the often short and intense pulls at the front, leading to miscommunication and changed plans on the climb.
He told Velofute: "It was mainly a communication problem with the team car. I needed to push the pace, but not exactly at that moment. The earpieces weren't working perfectly, so I accelerated very hard for a short period when the planned action was supposed to happen a few kilometers later
"I think he simply wondered why I was doing that. At the time, I didn't even notice his gaze: I was focused on the radio and my timer. There's no problem between us. We've already discussed positioning in the peloton, there's mutual respect, and he even congratulated me after the Markstein stage where I had pushed the pace."
Prodhomme at the Tour de France
Prodhomme teased over 'Pantani' nickname
On the Pantani comparison from his UAE Team Emirates - XRG rivals, Prodhomme said he would prefer if they didn't come but insisted he's in on the joke - laughing off the comparisons now that the Tour is in the books.
He added: "I do get teased quite a bit by my teammates about it, actually. Honestly, I don't really see myself in Pantani and I'd prefer he called me by my name.
"Then, when I read the explanation of this nickname, it's actually a nice compliment. So I take it with humor and in a positive light."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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