"I don't think Wout van Aert will ever ask Mathieu van der Poel for sunglasses" - Pogacar and Van Aert moment had deeper meaning for one rider
CyclingWednesday, 26 August 2026 at 10:15
Tadej Pogacar's role in cycling transcends the possibility for a rivalry, with some riders accepting the fact that the Slovenian is levels above the rest. As the UAE Team Emirates - XRG put almost three minutes into the general classification field at the Vuelta a Espana on stage 4, the debate around his dominance has once again come to the forefront.
Pogacar similarly put on an exhibition on stage 6 of the Tour de France last month on his way to a fifth Tour de France, and with a similar show of strength humbling the GC field this week, current Decathlon CMA CGM rider Oliver Naesen offered an explanation as to what riders' attitude towards his overwhelming dominance.
"It is difficult to explain, because it is incredible, you have to feel it yourself to understand it, but that guy is so much better than the second best in our sport," Naesen told Het Laatste Nieuws.
"Everyone in the peloton respects that. Everyone realizes how exceptional his talent is."
Peloton don't view Pogacar as an opponent anymore
Wout van Aert graciously exchanged pleasantries with Pogacar after stage 2, asking him for a bottle for his son before Pogacar obliged by giving his sunglasses. Despite doing battle at the front of the Tour de France and monuments in recent seasons, the pair seem to enjoy a cordial relationship.
For Naesen, there's realities now accepted in the bunch, with usual pressure to follow attacks subsiding and a mass acceptance of his strength as he described belief that you can match him as 'stupidity'.
"But perhaps that is also due to Pogacar's strength: he is so good that he is no longer seen as an opponent. No one is looked at askance if he hasn't been able to parry an attack. Nothing is even said anymore if you haven't tried. It is stupidity to still believe that you can be as good as him."
"He is super friendly. If I run into him and congratulate him on his umpteenth victory, he immediately steers the conversation in a different direction. Then he asks how I am doing. I would chat about it for hours if I won a race like he did."
Pogacar's teammate, Belgian champion Rune Herregodts, compared the current era to that of Eddy Merckx as even his greatest rivals showed their respect for his dominance.
"I think that even in Eddy Merckx's time, they realized how exceptional such a rider is. Roger De Vlaeminck named his son after Merckx; that seems to me the ultimate expression of respect. I wonder if Mathieu van der Poel is going to name his son Tadej later on."
Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
Would Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel have such a moment?
Van Aert is one of the few riders to definitively defeat Pogacar over the past year, besting him in the final stage of the 2025 Tour de France and Paris Roubaix in April. Terrain on both occasions, however, suited Van Aert more than the Slovenian, levelling the playing field for the Belgian.
However, implying that Van Aert's interchange with Pogacar suggested that even the Visma rider has accepted that he can't rival him, he wondered if cycling fans would ever witness such a moment between eternal rivals Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel.
"If you feel that you can still compete with someone, you don't ask for an autograph or anything like that. I don't think Wout van Aert will ever ask Mathieu van der Poel for sunglasses. They do that with Pogacar, because Tadej is no longer seen as a competitor. He is above that."
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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- You all know what's scary? Pogi at end of this Vuelta will be much better than he was at beginning of this Vuelta. He hasn't been in red once in these 4 days. The only red on him is his jersey. Yesterday was a combination of zone 4...two times 20 min and the rest was a combination of zones 2 and 3.PogiSloFans26-08-2026
- No, you americans live with a Trump shrine and worship him 24/7... despite he's going to start WW3.PogiSloFans26-08-2026
- This shitt happens only in cycling. Only in cycling you have to gift races, or stay behind so someone else can win. The French were booing Pogi this year at the Tour, just because he was winning too much???PogiSloFans26-08-2026
- “With that madman you don’t even know what the time limit is going to be,” Romeo joked, referring to the Slovenian’s pace. LOL!MajorPayne26-08-2026
- Yeah, but Roger de Vlaeminck is an utter fool. He has stirred public opinion with foolish comments about modern cycling stars such as Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, and Remco Evenepoel. No one takes the S.O.B seriously.PogiSloFans26-08-2026
- Yeah there's no doubt about that, but why would he do that? Why would he go to the Vuelta just to lose?PogiSloFans26-08-2026
- Being penalized for superior genetics is wild.
Front24226-08-2026 - From 2027 and on, when Pogi competes in the Vuelta, he should have a handicap of 10 minutes ... 8 minutes in the Giro and 5 minutes in the Tour, so that races are interesting for the spectators throughout all 21 stages. There is no other way for those who seek uncertainty... for those who say Pogi is "boring"... for those cry babies, complaining and whining when they do not get their own wayPogiSloFans26-08-2026
- Er, it could just be that Renz is not a fan of Pogi and he can't stand his dominance.PogiSloFans26-08-2026
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