"You realise they’re just like normal guys" – Finn Fisher-Black's unique insight on life as a teammate of Pogacar, Vingegaard & soon Evenepoel

Few riders in the modern peloton can say they have shared the road — and the team bus — with the three defining champions of this generation. At just 23 years old, Finn Fisher-Black is one of them. The New Zealander has already lined up alongside both Jonas Vingegaard at Jumbo-Visma and Tadej Pogacar at UAE Team Emirates, and in 2026 he will complete the set when Remco Evenepoel arrives at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.

Reflecting on his unusual journey, Fisher-Black admits the awe of riding next to such figures quickly gave way to the realisation that behind the palmarès they are, in fact, remarkably normal.

“I also raced with Jonas, but that was before he really took off, before he won the Tour. They’re just normal guys, that’s the thing," he says on the Domestique Hotseat Podcast. "It’s also what I realised. I’ve ridden for a lot of the world’s best riders now. And you realise, when you have dinner with them, they’re just like normal guys. But definitely coming from juniors and coming from New Zealand, I’d only seen these guys on TV. So it was a big shock in the first place to be like, okay, now I’m riding for them.”

At UAE, Fisher-Black discovered the intensity of being part of a team stacked with leaders, where the depth of talent often created its own complications. “When Tadej is at the race, there’s only one cook and everyone knows it. But it’s this next level in that team, it’s just completely stacked. I mean, it was a cool environment to be in because you’ve got so many superstars around you. But it does get tricky in something like a Grand Tour. There’s only three of them and everyone wants a chance and everyone wants to try to win them. They’ve got a handful of guys that can win a Grand Tour on that team. So naturally, there are always going to be some heated moments.”

What impressed Fisher-Black most, though, was Pogacar himself. He points to a unique ability to stay calm and adapt no matter what a race throws at him. “In cycling, I feel like you almost need to have a relaxed mindset because so much goes wrong that you need to be able to adapt. And he’s just brilliant at that. The guy doesn’t really have many bad days and it’s kind of because he can adapt so quickly to any attack or crash or anything that’s thrown at him.”

That composure carries into Pogacar’s life off the bike, but Fisher-Black says the Slovenian is increasingly burdened by the fame that now follows him far beyond cycling’s bubble.

“It’s something I think people don’t realise so much, how big he is getting. He’s starting to transcend the sport a bit. People who don’t watch cycling know who he is now. I noticed that especially in Canada, we’d just walk into a café and we’re trying to form a bubble around Tadej so we can actually get to the counter without people stopping him.”

Even as the spotlight grows, Fisher-Black is certain Pogacar’s appetite for racing remains undimmed. “Maybe he is getting a bit fatigued from that side of things, from being really at the top for a number of years now and kind of being maybe one of the biggest cycling personalities we’ve ever had. He’s starting to grow bigger than the sport. But the fire in him is always kicking. As soon as the flag drops, he loves racing. That’s never going to go out.”

Asked whether Pogacar might already be the greatest of all time, Fisher-Black doesn’t hesitate. “Yeah, I definitely think so. I think it’s clear now, especially whatever 26 or whatever he is. He’s already done more than what most people can’t even imagine. Yeah, I think he could stop now and be already the best we’ve ever seen, in my opinion. But I think he’s still got probably quite a lot more left in the tank.”

Looking ahead, Fisher-Black is preparing for a new chapter at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, where he will soon share a jersey with Remco Evenepoel.

“I don’t know Remco at all, to be honest. But I think he, from racing with him in the bunch, presents himself pretty well. So I’m excited to have him in the team. Between him and Lipo [Florian Lipowitz], I have no idea what they’ll do for the Tour next year, if they’ll both go or if they’ll have different focuses. But the GC team, the climbers, that department’s getting very busy.”

Most riders will go their entire careers without ever riding in service of one all-time great. Fisher-Black, still at the start of his own career, has already done it twice — and will soon experience the third. In an era shaped by Pogacar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel, his vantage point is one of the rarest in the sport.

For all their dominance, Fisher-Black insists the biggest lesson he has drawn is just how human they are once the helmets come off. “They’re just normal guys,” he repeats. “But the way they race, the way they win, that’s not normal at all.”