🎥 Training, feeling bored, and a turtle tattoo: Why Pogacar and UAE annoyed the peloton by waving and laughing
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleNormally, the fifth stage of the UAE Tour would be a boring, uneventful ride for the peloton, where they would expect a sprint finish. But a race with Tadej Pogacar is rarely boring, and Friday was no exception. The GC leader decided to test his legs and join the early breakaway.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was a bizarre sight: a leading group had already formed, and suddenly, UAE Team Emirates—XRG reacted. Tadej Pogacar and Domen Novak chose to attack. They were joined by defending champion Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto), among others, so suddenly, there were some big names in the leading group.
This resulted in a fast pace because the peloton did not want to let such big names ride away. The leading group and the peloton eventually caught up: Novak could be seen playfully waving to the peloton in the opposite direction while Josef Cerny incredulously waved back. This resulted in the fastest stage in the history of the UAE Tour, with an average speed of over 48 kilometers per hour.
Read more below the video!
Pogacar: "It was a fun day"
Afterward, Pogacar could not complain about his little adventure. "Of course, it wasn't the plan. Domen and I were returning from a pit stop, and we just happened to ride to the head of the pack. I thought back to the Vuelta a Catalunya, where Domen and I attacked the peloton. Then there were just the two of us; it was just a bit of fun. Today, some riders followed us, and we formed a breakaway. Then, we just had to keep going. It was a fun day."
So could it be considered a kind of training? The world champion had to put in more effort than when in the peloton. "I don't know. He stated casually, I don't care if it doesn't pay off in five years. "I was prepared for the race. For example, we had to do the same work if there were echelons. I was prepared for anything. Today, we had a little training; tomorrow, I hope for a leisurely ride."
Read more below the video!
Novak says he had fun with Pogacar
Pogacar's presence caused quite a bit of unrest in the peloton. "Today was a good day for ninety percent of the peloton, but more people had to work because I was in the leading group. They had to rotate, but we shared the load today. Otherwise, we would still be in the heat. Better to finish in three hours than four and a half hours," the Slovenian winked.
The same reaction followed during a press conference after the stage to Cyclingnews, among others. They also spoke to Novak. "We spoke to the guys, and it was not too hard, so we stayed about 100km in the break. Did I get a reaction when I waved? I don't know. Nobody said anything, but I think a lot of teams pulled behind. We were 12 guys and not such strong riders, but we worked well, and I think it was also not easy in the peloton."
Read more below the photo!
Pogacar found it boring, and there was a bet involved
"Tadej likes to enjoy, and he plays with it like that. I think he can, and it was just like this. I enjoyed it too," Novak continued. When asked, UAE teammate Mikkel Bjerg agreed. "The break already went, and Tadej, I think said it was kind of a joke, then suddenly they had the gap with Van Eetvelt [also there], and then I think they just went. No [it was not planned], it was just instinct I guess and maybe he was hoping a few more would follow. If Tadej doesn't do something like that, it will be an easy day for him. He is focused on what he has to do in this race."
In addition to the search for challenge and enjoyment in the race, Pogacar finally put one more argument for his breakaway attempt on the table during the press conference: "I'm not a betting person, but today there was a bet involved with Florian Vermeersch. We find a nickname for Florian from one cartoon - Frankie the turtle, a cartoon turtle. He said: if you win today, I'll get a tattoo of Franklin on my arm."
Vermeersch will have let out a sigh of relief...
Read also
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Track World Championships day 2: A golden day for Team GB, Levreysen goes 2 for 2, and Kopecky eliminates the competition
Rumours, speculation and guesswork: 2027 Tour de France route will be revealed live on October 22 in Paris
Vollering adds the Women’s European Championships road race jersey to her rainbow wardrobe
Latest Cycling News
Thibau Nys is hard on himself despite an incredible Koppenbergcross: ‘Then you're not going to make it’
Lucinda Brand couldn’t believe the pace of the Koppenbergcross: 'This has never happened before'
UAE Emirates-XRG pulled out all the stops to bag 'exceptional climber' as future support for Pogačar
Modern Adventure just keeps growing: Hincapie's team strengthen 2027 roster with 4 great signings
Thibau Nys crashed twice at the Koppenbergcross but still pulled off a remarkable feat
Popular Cycling News
Tadej Pogačar on Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Boonen, but also kiwi/pineapple, visualisation and the Gravel World Championships
Greg LeMond accuses Lance Armstrong of paying the UCI : 'Very bitter taste in my mouth'
Modern Adventure just keeps growing: Hincapie's team strengthen 2027 roster with 4 great signings
UAE Emirates-XRG pulled out all the stops to bag 'exceptional climber' as future support for Pogačar
Tadej Pogacar told the New York Times just how bad his Vuelta crash was: 'I wasn’t a pleasant person to be around'
Latest Comments
- I don’t understand how you can break vertebrae and not feel much pain there. Does that mean the collarbone injury was just more noticeable, or can spinal fractures sometimes cause very little pain? Hope he’s fully healed soon.sprocketspiny01-11-2026
- The recovery-score details are interesting, but they’re not a substitute for proper medical advice. Hopefully the team are keeping a close eye on him and letting the scans—not the urge to train—set the timetable.jennifer1901-11-2026
- Pogacar’s point about the safety gap between the Tour and smaller races is spot on. Riders are going faster than ever, yet some finishes still have awkward turns and road furniture right in the finale. Organisers need to take this seriously.gearguru3301-11-2026
- Two extra vertebrae fractures is a frightening discovery, especially after the concussion and collarbone injury. Glad he’s recovering, but it shows why coming back too soon would be a terrible risk.breakawaybikerd01-11-2026
- The team says it wants answers “as quickly as possible”, but speed shouldn’t come at the expense of a thorough investigation. Since Picnic PostNL commissioned it, will the full report be published? The team’s transparency will matter as much as who leads the inquiry.cyclechamp4530-10-2026
- How can current riders give evidence without their comments being traced back to them? That seems especially important in a case about fear.raceready730-10-2026
- Olfers’ experience with the Rasmussen case is relevant: that inquiry also scrutinised the team’s decisions, not just the rider’s. Let’s hope this one looks closely at management and working conditions too.patriciaw30-10-2026
- An independent investigation is the right step, but it needs to be genuinely independent in practice. With 71 people already speaking to NOS and Thijs Zonneveld, Verinorm has a substantial starting point. I hope people can give evidence confidentially and the findings are made public.breakawaybikerd30-10-2026
- - I’m still figuring out the race categories: would a2 event like Battenkill attract the same teams and TV coverage as a WorldTour race?jennifer1929-10-2026
- - Seeing McNulty, Simmons and Jorgenson race on home roads would be a real boost. Hope this becomes more than just talk.raceready729-10-2026
