{"id":647265,"date":"2025-12-22T00:20:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T00:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/647265\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T00:20:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T00:20:13","slug":"i-had-goosebumps-and-tears-in-my-eyes-tadej-pogacars-loyal-lieutenant-on-immense-pride-at-standing-beside-slovenian-star-during-world-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/647265\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI had goosebumps and tears in my eyes\u201d \u2013 Tadej Pogacar’s loyal lieutenant on immense pride at standing beside Slovenian star during World Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Novak framed the moment within a longer personal journey, moving from childhood spectator to participant on cycling\u2019s biggest stage. \u201cAs kids we used to watch the World Championships, and now I can be part of it myself. That means so much to me \u2013 and I\u2019ve experienced it twice already.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Tadej goes, I\u2019ll go\u201d \u2013 Novak on national team commitmentNovak also addressed how closely his own international programme is tied to Pogacar\u2019s presence, particularly when discussing future World Championships and European Championships<\/a>. \u201cIf Tadej goes, I\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Slovenian made clear that his willingness to represent the national team does not hinge solely on Pogacar\u2019s participation. \u201cEven if Tadej didn\u2019t go, I\u2019d still join the national team if I can help and I\u2019m healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting again on the symbolic weight of Pogacar\u2019s rainbow jersey, Novak returned to the emotional resonance of that moment. \u201cIt\u2019s a special feeling \u2013 especially this year, when Tadej got the rainbow jersey. I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s taken a big step forward in every area\u201d \u2013 Pogacar as the benchmark<\/p>\n

Novak also referenced Pogacar when discussing coaching and development, pointing to the progress made since working with trainer Javier Sola. \u201cIf we look at how Tadej has progressed over the past two years since working with him, it\u2019s clear that he\u2019s taken a big step forward in every area.\u201d<\/p>\n

The comment positioned Pogacar as a reference point within the team environment, without separating individual success from the wider structure around him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the best in the world\u201d \u2013 Pogacar\u2019s influence inside UAE Team Emirates<\/p>\n

Inside UAE Team Emirates, Novak described Pogacar\u2019s role as central to the team\u2019s atmosphere and results, highlighting the effect of having the sport\u2019s leading rider at the core of the group. \u201cOf course, success helps, and Tadej contributes a lot to the positive vibe. He\u2019s the best in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Novak, that presence feeds into moments that go beyond race results alone. \u201cSometimes things happen in races that people wouldn\u2019t even believe.\u201d<\/p>\n

That influence, he explained, extends beyond headline victories, with recognition spread across different roles within the team. \u201cFor example, after Liege\u2013Bastogne\u2013Liege in 2023, the team were almost happier for me than for Tadej, who actually won. They see the whole picture, not just the winners.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Novak, moments like those alongside Pogacar reflect the standards and clarity that define both the Slovenian set-up and UAE Team Emirates – XRG. Roles are understood, contributions are valued, and success is shared \u2014 whether on the podium or far from the spotlight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Novak framed the moment within a longer personal journey, moving from childhood spectator to participant on cycling\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":647266,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4104],"tags":[4230,198458,52826,79,16152,181698,16,15,15200],"class_list":{"0":"post-647265","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-domen-novak","10":"tag-european-championships","11":"tag-sports","12":"tag-tadej-pogacar","13":"tag-uae-team-emirates-xrg","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom","16":"tag-world-championships"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115760360494303523","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/647265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=647265"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/647265\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/647266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=647265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=647265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=647265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}