“Tadej gave me some advice when I had to choose between Quick-Step and AG2R” – New Slovenian starlet taken under Pogacar’s wing

As Tadej Pogacar continues to redefine the modern era of Grand Tour racing, a new generation of Slovenian riders is emerging in his considerable slipstream — not just inspired by his achievements, but in some cases, guided by his words. One such rider is 17-year-old Gal Stare, a promising junior now riding for Soudal - Quick-Step’s development squad and living just a stone’s throw from the Pogacar family home in Komenda.

Stare’s story, though only in its early chapters, reflects a deeper truth about the state of Slovenian cycling today: not only is it thriving, it is growing in a direction shaped by the very champions who put it on the map.

“Tadej gave me some advice last year when I had to choose between the junior teams of Soudal - Quick-Step and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team,” Stare explains in conversation with Wieler Revue. “He recommended Quick-Step. He said it’s a good team for developing talents, and that AG2R might come with a bit more pressure.”

That kind of direct influence from a Tour de France winner is unheard of in most countries. But in Slovenia — a nation that has, over the last decade, punched far above its weight in world cycling — it’s starting to become part of the culture.

Tadej Pogacar, Primoz Roglic, Matej Mohoric: the names roll off the tongue with the ease of continental dominance. But behind them is a swelling tide of juniors and U23 riders making their way through the ranks, many of them growing up not just inspired by Slovenian greatness, but quite literally next door to it.

Gal Stare grew up in Komenda, the same town where Pogacar was raised. “I live just a few houses down from his family. His parents are amazing neighbours — just lovely people,” Stare says. “Tadej isn’t home much these days, of course. I only really see him at Christmas.”

Yet when he is back, the locals notice. There’s a quiet kind of pilgrimage taking place in Komenda, as Stare notes with a smile: “I’ve started seeing a bit of ‘Pogacar tourism’—Slovenians coming from other regions just to ride here and see the places associated with him. Even some Italians. It’s pretty cool.”

Slovenia’s ascent in the sport is as cultural as it is competitive. Cycling is now deeply rooted in its youth system, with clubs expanding and talent pathways becoming more clearly defined — something Pogacar himself is proud of. “Slovenian cycling is developing really well, which is best seen in the youngest,” he recently told S.Sportal. “More and more of them are joining clubs, competing and showing interest. And the more a child is in cycling, the greater the chance that one of them will be stubborn and persistent enough to reach the senior level and succeed.”

Gal Stare is one of those children. He was on a bike by the age of four, and began training seriously around ten or eleven, inspired by his father, Matej, a cyclist himself for a decade. Now at 17, he’s already received the kind of personal mentorship most young riders only dream of.

Not that training with a four-time Tour de France winner is easy. “If I’m in his slipstream, I can manage,” Stare admits with a laugh. “But if he starts doing intervals, it’s over for me. I’ve tried it once or twice, but it didn’t last long!”

The pipeline from Slovenia is full, but not overcrowded. What sets it apart is not just the calibre of its elite riders, but their willingness to invest in the future — not in grandiose national academies or press-friendly foundations, but through authentic, human relationships.

Pogacar doesn’t have to mentor the kid next door. But he does, quietly, thoughtfully. In doing so, he’s helping to shape the next chapter of Slovenian cycling — not through dominance, but through continuity.

If Gal Stare and others like him are any indication, the road ahead is already being paved — not by coincidence, but by design. And Pogacar’s wheel is still a very good one to follow.