Sjoerd Bax shares insights into teammate Tadej Pogacar's racing mindset - "For every race he is just excited, he still sees it a bit as a junior"

Sjoerd Bax's cycling profession has witnessed substantial progress in recent times, having secured full-time employment as a rider for UAE-Team Emirates, and now having the chance to ride with Tadej Pogacar, widely considered one of the top talents in the peloton.

In his conversation with LndeLeiderstrui, he provided an account of what he has learned about his teammate thus far. “For every race he is just excited, he still sees it a bit as a junior. Every race is a chance for him to win and have fun racing. He also just likes to race offensively.”

He continues, “Flanders is like a playground for him. You don't notice any nerves in him. That is nice for me, for example, because you are nervous enough before such a race. If someone then starts acting really stressed, that might be a bit too much. He just sees every race the same because it's just fun for him. And he wants to win every race once.”

Providing insight into his upcoming responsibilities this Sunday, “I think the presence of Tadej creates some extra pressure, because we will have to check faster and take responsibility. I am now more the man for the start of the race. Two years ago I would not have dared to dream or think that I would start in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, I am that realistic,” concluded the Dutch rider.