Pogacar inks new long-term deal with UAE Team Emirates
The Slovenian flew to the UAE ater his Tokyo Olympics exploits to put pen to paper on his new deal, described by the team as one of the longest in the sport’s history
UAE Team Emirates and Tadej Pogacar have put pen to paper on one of the longest contracts in the history of professional cycling, with the 22-year-old set to stay with the Emirati oufit through to 2027.
Pogacar first joined the squad in 2019 and since then has gone on to win 29 professional races including two Tour de France titles, a monumental victory at Liege-bastogne-liege and most recently an Olympic Bronze medal.
On the return journey from his Olympic success in Tokyo, Pogacar paid a visit to the UAE where he met Team President Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri who congratulated him on his successes and cemented the exciting new deal. His success has not only inspired those around him but has sparked a new interest in cycling throughout the UAE.
Dhaheri said: “We are delighted to have Tadej with us for the upcoming years. Tadej is helping to transform the way people think about cycling and the bicycle in the UAE. We are very proud of him and all that he and the team are achieving.
“To have sporting champions like Tadej representing our nation echoes the message and our mission, which is to encourage our people to practise sport and live healthier lifestyles.
“We are already seeing improvements and we can see more people using the bike and enjoying exercise which is an important step for our country.”
Pogacar said: “I’m really happy to be able to commit my future to the team and stay here for the next years. I feel at home here, it feels like a big family. This team is a really good fit for me, and I am fortunate to say that I have not only found colleagues but friends. I am excited for the years ahead and what they will bring, hopefully more success for me and for the team. I hope we are inspiring lots of kids to ride bikes.”
Pogacar became the youngest rider to win back-to-back Tour de France titles this month on July 18 ater some vintage racing drew comparisons with cycling’s greatest.
The Slovenian, who won the Tour on his debut last year, hammered his rivals in the Alps with a long-range atack on stage eight, reminiscent of the event in the 1980s, and stayed in control for the rest of the race.
He defeated Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard by a massive five minutes 20 seconds as Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz took third place, 7:03 off the pace as his Ineos Grenadiers team failed to spark once again.
While Pogacar says he doesn’t like comparisons, the UAE Emirates rider threw caution to the wind when he atacked in the Col de Romme on the eighth stage, in a move similar to those of Merckx or fellow five-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault.
Pogacar won two mountain stages in the Pyrenees and an individual time trial – a testament to his all-round qualities – with his only sign of weakness coming in week two on Mont Ventoux.
He had finished the Tour with the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider in the race and with the polka-dot jersey for the mountains classification, just like last year.
Mauro Gianeti ( CEO & Team Principal) said: “We have been building a squad of young talents for the future and Tadej has been an integral part of that process since the beginning. We have seen him grow from a teenager to a young man and what he has achieved has been fantastic. He is inspiring not only his teammates but a whole new generation of young cyclists in UAE and around the world.”