"To win five, you first have to win four" - Tadej Pogacar and UAE will not get ahead of themselves thinking of Tour de France record
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar has dominated the Tour de France last year after two editions beaten by Jonas Vingegaard, and now has three titles. He comes closer and closer to the record of five triumphs, but UAE Team Emirates - XRG are working to keep that pressure off the shoulders of the Slovenian, as said by team manager Joxean Matxin.
"Right now, to win five, you first have to win four. In mathematics, I was taught that 4 precedes 5. To say that you are going to win the fifth when you have not won the fourth is too Basque," he jokes in conversation with EsCiclismo. As it stands, the World Champion should be the man to beat for this year's race, having confirmed his presence.
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Most likely he will then also race the Vuelta a España, with Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates leading the team at the Giro d'Italia. It's still being questioned which other Grand Tour Pogacar will race, but Matxin hints that we may exclude the Giro from the list soon: "Out of respect, we are going to wait three days for the presentation of the Giro d'Italia to know the route, but the decision was made internally and we are clear about it".
Matxin was also asked quite a bit about Itzulia Basque Country, and expressed his love for the race: "The Tour of the Basque Country is always a priority goal for my heart, for my affinities and because it is one of the most prestigious races in the world. A victory in the Tour of the Basque Country is not a normal victory, it is a victory with a pedigree. Having the Tour of the Basque Country in the list of achievements is something that all the cyclists in the world would like," he concluded.
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Happy New Year from everyone at UAE Team Emirates - XRG! 🎉
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) December 31, 2024
✨ 2025 ✨ #WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/yB2LgIsCDm

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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- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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