The first full year of Gobik in the cycle of the three grand tours has been on the back of UAE Team Emirates in an experience that has been enriching for both parties.
"From everything I've seen, from everything I've experienced this year, how can I not keep the image of Tadej Pogačar again on the podium in Paris?" Joxean begins by saying Fernández Matxin, Sport Manager of UAE Team Emirates, who emphasizes that the role of Gobik in the whole processThe work with them has been exceptional, without a doubt. They are a supplier that listens and evolves with us, they have quality, intention and passion, our feedback has always been taken care of and one thing I value a lot, they have treated with the same care the needs of each cyclist".
Going back to the history of the big three, Matxin recalls that "we were going to the Tour with the responsibility of defender last year's crown. From the outside, it may look simple, but I assure you it's not. There was a very strong commitment to fight for the best race again.We were defending the title and that makes you go through a thousand circumstances. Beautiful moments and not so many others, moments in which you can attack or take risks and others in which you have to minimize damages".
The second Tour of Tadej Pogačar
"Nothing is simple." he repeats to us when we hint to him a couple of times that from the outside they seem to be in control of every single thing that influences a success of this size. "Of course we would like to always play attacking, that's what people want, that's what we like, but the challenge demanded head" continues Matxin from the same UAE Team Emirates management.
He recalls a couple of stages in particular to explain his perception: "We'd like to play attacking all the time.On the 250-kilometer day, the sporting challenge was enormous.. Everyone attacked, the leader -Mathieu Van der Poel-, Van Aert, Nibali and other people who were going to make things difficult for us. They did it with the whole stage ahead of us and from the beginning we started to pull. Once we saw that the gap was going up and up, we decided to stop pulling to abort the breakaway and we did it to minimize the damage".
And from that saving came the next day, the famous Le Grand Bornard stagea day that enters the legend of the Tour de France and Tadej Pogačar.The previous day had been a terrible day, 250 kilometers ridden to death. The rain appeared, the course was very hard and the descents, very complicated. After the time trial, it was the day to look for the blow in the race.We forgot about the breakaway, we had people like Formolo, McNulty and Rui Costa well placed and we went for the overall. It was not complicated to draw the plan with Tadej Pogačar.Always, as long as I've known him, every time you tell him to act with courage and risk, to attack, he says yes, nods naturally, tells him the plan and then, if possible, seeks to execute it on the road.
Tadej was brave, as always, and struck an almost definitive blow for his second Tour de France win." Right now "Tadej Pogačar is one of the best in grand tours. along with other names, although I don't think I'm wrong if I say that he's a notch above. He has the best recovery, gives the best data, offers an attacking profile and doesn't mind taking risks 40 or 60 kilometers to the finish. As I say, he never says no to an aggressive tactic."
"The best thing is that he seems to be getting better." he assures and does so in the midst of this generation that doesn't wait to take the controls.
“We live in a time of new opportunities that information gives us. We know everything more and better, and above all sooner, and that's what happens with kids growing upwho they come very evolvedbut that they explode young is something we see from time to time, it doesn't happen only now," he concludes....
PhotosBettiniPhoto / Fizza Photo
