Tadej Pogacar struggling with popularity at Giro d'Italia: "The selfies sometimes get too much for me"
Cycling
Despite being an "easy" day on paper at the Giro d'Italia, it was far from that in the peloton. The 179 kilometers on the menu were at times exposed to strong crosswinds and it definitely proved a difficulty for some. Tadej Pogacar escaped the day safely, but he does admit he faces difficulties also outside the bike.
"Everyone is impressed by Jonathan [Milan]. Jonathan is a fantastic sprinter and his team is also very strong and big, they can all fight for their positions," Pogacar told reporters at a press conference following the stage. “Something happens every day. It was completely flat, but then suddenly there was a wind and INEOS tried something. They were trying to screw someone, so you never know. They also have the team for it, I would have done it in their place. Maybe I was in trouble and then I lost a lot of time."
Pogacar is well aware that the Giro can be decided away from the mountains, and that every day can be crucial for the overall classification. Many experienced figures of the Giro have said this over the past weeks; to the debutant who is thus far ruling over the pink jersey. INEOS Grenadiers put on the hurt in the flat roads, but UAE Team Emirates were a strong match.
"With my strong team and the pink jersey it is easier, so I have to thank the team for that. It saves me a lot of stress. About four years ago I would have been a lot more nervous and that would have cost me a lot more energy;" he continues. "That is mainly due to the team and we can cross off another day." At the end of the day, Pogacar arrived safely in the peloton and will ride into the second time-trial of the race in pink.
"I'm looking forward to the time trial and I have more confidence after the previous time trial. Let's hope I have good legs and can get a result. For me it is not the best course, but I still think I can do well," he says of the key GC day. In the previous time-trial, he took a dominant win because of the final ascent. However this time around he will not have that privilege. "I want to ride my pace and finish well, but on Sunday we have the queen stage. I'm looking forward to that too."
Pogacar also talked about the fans who have been constantly swarming him around the team busses, and actually admits something which he is having an issue with: "I am grateful to every fan I have, but also to cycling as a whole. It gets really crazy sometimes, with the smartphones and all, it sometimes gets too much for me. They come to me with a timer for their selfie. A signature is then a bit easier, which is always a pleasure for me," he tells.
"The selfies sometimes get too much for me, but that's also part of the craziness. I'm especially happy that I have a lot of fans, as long as they don't do anything crazy towards us. The Giro is not the Tour, but it is becoming increasingly popular and there are many people on the sidelines. That's nice to see, so far I see it as a great experience."
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
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😍 even the phone case is pink, what did we do to deserve this man #GirodItalia
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