The story of Tadej Pogacar's mysterious bicep device from Strade Bianche reaches a conclusion
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar and Strade Bianche is a combination that keeps on delivering. For a third year in a row, the Slovenian left no room for doubts about who's the king of Italian sterrato roads with a 79-kilometer solo, just a tiny bit shorter than in 2024. His dominance was without question; however, speculations arose as a mysterious device was spotted on Pogacar's biceps, hidden under the white jersey, as the UAE Team Emirates - XRG superstar raised his hand to the air after crossing the finish line.
The podcast panel from Het Nieuwsblad joined many TV viewers who were wondering about the noticeable black box under Pogacar’s dusty rainbow skinsuit. Yet the tension did not last too long.
Following Whoop's Instagram post regarding Pogacar's power data from Saturday's race, it made analysts wonder how his heart rate, fatigue, and sleep quality were measured without the typical wrist Whoop wearable visible on the Slovenian's arm next to the $300,000 Richard Mille watch.
As coincidences are scarce, the two pieces of information inevitably correlated with the solution to this mystery, turning out to be rather simple. UAE Team Emirates - XRG have confirmed to Velo that it was indeed a less-spread version of the Whoop device bicep alternative for users who don’t get on with clutter at their cuffs, or were struggling with unreliable readings. Still, most riders wear the tracker on their wrist, including Pogacar's rival Mathieu van der Poel.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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