Having now raced alongside Tadej Pogacar instead of against him, Tim Wellens was left speechless by the Slovenian's incredible attack that saw him win the Clasica Jaén Paraiso Interior.
“It was a bit like playing PlayStation. Tadej perfectly executed the tactics we had devised beforehand," Wellens reveals to Het Nieuwsblad. "It was foreseen that he would attack at exactly that spot. The fact that we also decorate a few places of honour shows that the entire team is riding around with great legs."
When asked to describe how different it felt to be racing alongside Pogacar as a teammate instead of against him as an opponent, Wellens said "Do you know what the nice thing is: with someone like Tadej in the team you are almost eighty percent sure of winning!"
"In addition, he pushes everyone to a higher level with his presence," Wellens continued. "When I was still riding at Lotto, I had to respond to his failures. The chance that you can pick up is always small. Now I was brought to the finish as a teammate of his in a seat. That is an undeniable advantage."