Meet the parents behind Pogačar: 'What matters is that he does what he loves'

Tadej Pogačar is the superstar of superstar cycling. The Slovenian all-rounder is the best rider in the world, and that comes with an enormous amount of attention from fans and media. But those who know the world champion best know that he handles it well. He remains true to himself, and he has his parents to thank for that.

Marjeta and Mirko Pogačar were never cyclists themselves, and knew very little about the sport when their son took it up. It took some adjusting as he got better and better. By now, mum and dad are used to it. They often travel to races in a campervan, but this weekend they will attend Paris-Roubaix for the first time.

They were also supposed to be at the Tour of Flanders, but car trouble meant they could not make it. The Pogačar family's attitude says it all. 'You have to accept the obstacles you encounter in life and turn them into something positive,' Marjeta told Het Laatste Nieuws. It is a motto that could just as easily come from her son's mouth.

He will try to win Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, building on his second place debut last year. On his first appearance he finished second, but a crash threw a spanner in the works. Are his parents nervous? 'Well, we're not nervous. But a little scared, that something might happen to him. It is dangerous after all, with the crashes, the bad roads, the high speed...'

For Pogačar, the coming race is a hugely important one. After his Milan-Sanremo victory, The Hell of the North is the only Monument still missing from his palmarés. You could call it closing the book, but his parents are not thinking about the historic significance of this Sunday at all.

'Journalists always talk about making history, but as parents we don't think that way,' Marjeta explains. 'For us, what matters is that he enjoys the race. That he can do what he loves. Whether he wins or not, for us that is not so important. Of course it is nice when it works out, but if it doesn't, he simply tries again next time.'

Pogačar now has to train with extra security and in an unrecognisable jersey to escape attention. These are circumstances he probably never imagined as a child. 'But as a person he hasn't changed. He is still friendly, calm, polite. The way we raised him. He would happily give up his place for someone. In life, not in the race.'

His down-to-earth attitude has brought him a great deal. Financially too: the Slovenian does enjoy a nice house and a big car, but he doesn't go overboard and is also very generous with his money. 'Mirko and I never had much money and always had to watch every euro,' his mother says. 'We passed that on to Tadej and it has always stayed with him.'