"I love being his teammate" - UAE Team Emirates' Giro block with nothing but praise over Tadej Pogacar
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates have a tight hold of the overall classification at the Giro d'Italia and they face a hard challenge today on the 15th stage with a lot of climbing meters, altitude and famous ascents. However, Tadej Pogacar's teammates do not have too much to worry
"Tadej is always quite relaxed. It is very impressive how he handles the pressure," Felix Grossschartner said in words to In de Leiderstrui. "It’s not just about the pressure he puts on himself to win races, but also about how everyone expects him to do that. He is one of the best ever on the bike, and off the bike, his personality is amazing. I love being his teammate."
The Dutch news outlet collected words from Pogacar's key teammates following the time-trial, after they attempted to recover as much as possible on the day- The team has spent long days in the head of the peloton over the past two weeks and have been rewarded with three stage wins and a race lead that looks unlikely to be dethroned.
Rafal Majka has often been the last man standing in the mountains. "We just need to live in the moment, see how everyone feels, and if there's a chance to gain time, he will do it," the Pole says, without giving any insight to the team's true intentions. Howver, today's stage 15 is certainly one where the team may ultimately give their all to win in pink once again: "He is very ambitious, but also very smart. It will be a special day, the queen stage of this Giro. And if you're the best rider in the race, you want to win a stage like that."
"I feel okay and I'm optimistic," Domen Novak, who kept up with Pogacar throughout the whole year, added. "The past few days were a bit easier, but the last week will be tough. For me, these are perfect days because the course goes uphill, which is better. You'll see if Tadej makes a move... I hope everyone has good legs, then we'll do our best."
"Sunday will be a battle. All teams will try to beat us, but they will also have to think about their own positions. We can stay calm, we're already more than three minutes ahead. The goal is to keep the jersey. We take it as it comes,"
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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💗 The man of the hour 👀 #GirodItalia
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