Joxean Matxin does not grade Pogacar & UAE's 2024 an A despite vast success: "That would be if you had achieved excellence and perfection. And we haven't achieved that yet"

Tadej Pogacar had arguably the greatest individual season of any rider in the history of the sport in 2024. UAE Team Emirates boss Joxean Matxin is seemingly a hard man to please though, with the Spaniard refusing to grade 2024 as an A, insisting the Slovenian and his teammates have room to improve.

"I would give our season a B+," Matxin remarkably tells Eurosport, slightly harsh with his grading system. "You can't give this season an A. That would be if you had achieved excellence and perfection. And we haven't achieved that yet," he adds in explanation.

In total, UAE Team Emirates took 81 victories across the 2024 season, with not only Pogacar, but the likes of Marc Hirschi, Joao Almeida, Adam Yates, Tim Wellens and Juan Ayuso among others all taking notable victories. Using Jumbo-Visma in 2023 as a reference point though, Matxin isn't fully content with his side's vast successes over the last twelve months.

"Win the Giro, Tour and Vuelta," Matxin says when asked how things could be improved further in 2025. "We have great riders, so why shouldn't we be able to fight for the Vuelta? We brought great riders to us, but we still didn't make it. If we win 81 races, we want 82. If we are the best team in the world, we want to be that again. If we win with 20 different drivers, we want to win with 21 different drivers. We always want to improve."

One thing unlikely to change though, is the fact that Pogacar is set to continue leading the UAE Team Emirates charge. "I think Tadej is a gift for everyone who loves cycling. All of us who are living in this moment will look back in a few years and say: 'I experienced it and saw Tadej Pogacar win,'" concludes the 53-year-old Spaniard.