INTERVIEW | "He is a champion in every way" - António Morgado on Tadej Pogacar, incredible neo-pro season and Tour of Flanders' shocking Top5

António Morgado is one of the great figures of Portuguese cycling and he will have another compatriot at World Tour level this year. The 'Flying Moustache' has talked about his incredibly surprising Tour of Flanders debut, plans for 2025 and Tadej Pogacar amongst others to CyclingUpToDate.

"It was a good season with ups and downs but I considered it a good season," he told us at UAE Team Emirates' media day. "I think we always have to improve in our weak points but let's see how it goes". He does not know yet whether he will fully focus on a specialty in cycling, and that he still has time to develop a lot as a rider. 

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Morgado, who struggled with positioning, was a shocking revelation at the Tour of Flanders, as he was repeatedly dropped, only to then find himself in the group fighting for second place behind Mathieu van der Poel. An impressive result for a rider of only 20 years of age, specially one from a country with no tradition in the classics and no previous experience in such a race.

"I didn't expect to finish fifth but I don't feel the pressure. It's a one-day race, I found myself well, and I'm happy for having finished fifth but it doesn't pressure me to have to improve," he tells. "I was always behind, always alone the whole race, but I knew I was good, I didn't give up. I think if I was well positioned, if we had passed through the Koppenberg without dismounting that the race would've been completely different but it is what it is".

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But we do not know whether the Flandrien monument will again be on his schedule - specially as Tadej Pogacar will aim for the win this upcoming spring. "I'll do less one-day races but I'll give my best in all of them".

Although he initially said there were no calendar choices yet, he has hinted that he should team up with compatriot João Almeida and both will be men to watch in the duo of early-season Portuguese races. "I'll try to help João in the [Volta ao] Algarve and Figueira [Champions Classic] and I hope to be good".

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On Tadej Pogacar, Morgado has nothing but praise: "He's a normal guy, specially to the younger people who are less known and I think he is a champion in every way". UAE Team Emirates is a team packed with stars, with new ones coming every year. But this does not put pressure on the 20-year old's shoulders: "It's the best team in the world, everyone wants to come here and everyone who's good deserves to come here and I'm happy because they're good teammates". 

However, Morgado will not yet do a Grand Tour this year, this will have to wait until at least 2026: "I don't think I'm ready yet to do a Grand Tour, I have to prepare better and do one-week races. When I go to a Grand Tour I want to be prepared, I want to be good, I don't want to be dropped everyday".

Lastly, the Portuguese crowd have another rider joining the World Tour ranks, a surprising addition in Afonso Eulálio who was a rare instance of a rider moving from the Portuguese scene straight to the World Tour. "We've raced together, a five-star guy and if he did well in Portugal he can also do well here," Morgado said of the now Bahrain-Victorious rider.

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