"To all the people booing: know that it gives my teammates a boost" - Pogacar responds to UAE riders facing boos at Tour de France
Cycling
The Tadej Pogacar show rolled on once again at the Tour de France on Tuesday as the UAE Team Emirates - XRG took another commanding stage win. Dominating the finale of stage 10 on the roads of Massif Central, it was a Bastille Day party for the Slovenian - but not everyone welcomed him with open arms.
Pogacar took off on the penultimate climb of the stage as he left Jonas Vingegaard and the other podium contenders in his wake. Amid the Slovenian's dominance of the Tour, some have voiced their displeasure online about the contrast between Pogacar and the rest of the field.
It's not only Pogacar who faced criticism. His UAE team have also been blasted for their aggressive control of stages that traditionally would be contested by attackers in the breakaway.
Pogacar and his squad are now experiencing criticism of a different form: roadside booing from fans. After the stage 10 triumph, Pogacar touched on how boos have a motivating influence on him and his team.
"I certainly have haters, and haters gonna hate," he said in a later interview with media.
Pogacar downplays booing issue in cycling
"It is always like that, even though it is not such a big deal in cycling. In tennis or football, there is much more booing, and people go against a team much more."
Likening the experience to tennis, Pogacar said fan hate reminds him of Novak Djokovic - who faced considerable criticism during his domination of the sport during his Grand Slam success that saw him win 24 titles.
"In tennis, it's one against the other, so naturally it's 50/50. I always think of Djokovic, of what a great mentality he has. I think he has one of the best careers in that, including the booing. That isn't necessarily hate, because he is the greatest."
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Booing gives UAE riders a boost
Pogacar doesn't see booing as an overwhelming negative in cycling. Noting that he sees children supporting multiple teams, he sees the beauty of the fandom.
He continued: "If someone boos, I always think of Djokovic. It is what it is. I also have to say that it isn't a big deal in cycling. 99% of people cheer for everyone. If you see children from a family, one is wearing Visma, another Groupama, and yet another UAE. You can see that they have favorites, even within a family, but it is very beautiful to see all the cycling fans."
Pogacar had a message for fans who boo him or UAE teammates: "I think they are the best of all sports, so I think we should be grateful for that. To all the people booing: know that it gives my teammates a boost. That is just adding fuel to the fire," he added.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- disagreed. in this year's tdf he was unable to ride away from the young guns in the stages before his crash. there were several riders at least close to, if not on, his level in the second week: seixas, remco, del toro, lipo. next year jonas is a year older and the younger riders gained a year of experience and strength. if you then try to skip part of the high altitude training ... i doubt that jonas will make the podium at tdf 27. for sure he is not the favourite for runner up. he will be in the mix, yes. but not THE favourite for 2nd place.Ketterechts15-11-2026
- That means you're Austrian, like Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was born close to Gradc, very close to Maribor. We used to do a lot of shopping in Gradc in the 70's and 80's, when Slovenia was still a part of communist Yugoslavia. Today we have good relationships with the Austrians. Many Slovenians are working there.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
- headline criticism agreed. but otherwise he certainly has a point. you can negotiate extra perks if you are way above he rest ... however, these times have long gone ...Ketterechts15-11-2026
- WTF is Pogi's hater Zonneveld talking about??? He was against Pogi waving to Slovenian fans from an organisation car as fans caught a glimpse of Pogi at the European Championships in Slovenia. The S.O.B. couldn't resist poking fun at his attention-grabbing appearance. What Zonneveld says has no relevance.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
- ❤️Lozza15-11-2026
- The greatest ever is a crazy claim. But in discussions about sport in our local media, among people with no particular interest in cycling, he has been the first person they've thought of when giving examples of exceptional athletes.Hills3315-11-2026
- Urska may be less keen on a cafe if keeping it afloat will fall to her, so maybe just a nice dream!Hills3315-11-2026
- Raise thine hand if the money you have made for retirement slips away on poor investments.Most of us will outlive our financial comforts because we don't have the financial acumen to ensure a comfortable lifelong retirement and that is a statistical fact not my opinion.Many millionaires have pissed their money away or had it taken away by so called conniving "financial advisors".The world of wealth is a dangerous place that most of us will never experience nor appreciate.
Brucegel15-11-2026 - You are interested in Pogi for one reason only, you feel like you are somehow related because you share some vague geographical identity. Other than that you have very little interest in cycling as all your posts show, if it can’t be connected to Pogi you have nothing to post. That said, recent activity here shows we are attracting quite a crowd from his region.Jumpyjohn15-11-2026
- From knowing past cycling stars with shops I can only say, think it through. Not only is it mundane after a while but it really doesn’t take you out of the limelight, in the end you’ll be trying to stay away from the place yourself whilst all your fans keep coming for you.Jumpyjohn15-11-2026
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