Is this Tadej Pogacar's key to constant development? "I can’t just sit at home on the couch and do nothing"
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar is a special cyclist for many different reasons. However it is a combination of all of them that makes him stand apart from the rest. In a recent interview where he was more relaxed and open about details of his surrounding staff and lifestyle, it is possible to understand more about the Slovenian's mentality.
“I can’t just sit at home on the couch and do nothing. I love cycling and racing; I’ve been doing it since I was nine. Adrenaline is part of my lifestyle," Pogacar said in words to Gazzetta dello Sport. Pogacar is a rider that has a lot of passion for cycling and is known in the Monaco area to be a quality training partner with several riders who have had career rebirths in recent years due to the time spent with him. Tim Wellens and Michael Matthews for example who continue to perform at their top level well into their 30's.
"But there is one thing that motivates me more than anything else. Seeing how far I can push myself to improve. Training, racing, everything. Finding new ways to move forward, to stay on top. In short: remaining the best version of myself.”
Effectively, Pogacar has succeeded in doing this, having his two best seasons to date and looking completely unstoppable in all races where climbs have a significant influence. In 2026 he will be aiming for Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, two monuments he hasn't yet conquered, whilst then having the Tour de France and World Championships as big goals for the second half of the season, where he should be the man to beat for both if everything remains the same.
But in UAE the Slovenian is fully set, not only perfectly happy with his teammate and work conditions, but also the staff that surrounds him. “We speak to Javier (Sola, his coach, ed.) every day; he’s an incredible guide and we have a perfect connection." On the nutrition side he counts on Gorka Pireto, whom he also compliments dearly in this interview:
"As for Gorka, he’s one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever seen. He creates individual nutrition plans, all different, for 30 riders. The nutrition is almost perfect now. Until a few years ago, I found it difficult to stick to it, but now I understand how important it is. How much difference it can make in performance.”
Words on Iñigo San Millán
He also believes he has the right balance at home, even though he hasn't followed the advice that was given to him at a younger age. "Indeed. My former coach [San Millán], for example, pointed out to me that footballers often have a private chef, someone who does the shopping, someone who takes care of the house... Well, that's not for me, for Urska (Zigart, his partner, ed.) and me."
"Sometimes it's not easy, with a messy house and suitcases everywhere, but we prefer to manage things ourselves," he admits. "I like to go to the supermarket and buy what I need myself. Or I clean the room, the windows. Or I just go for a walk. I'm not a superhero, I'm just a regular guy."
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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- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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