Pogacar, Van der Poel, and Pidcock show on social media what makes cycling so special

Pogacar claimed La Primavera in unprecedented fashion. Thanks to a devastating acceleration on both the Cipressa and the Poggio, the Slovenian crossed the finish line with only Pidcock on his wheel. In the sprint, however, the world champion proved too strong for the Brit from Pinarello Q36.5.

With this victory, the five-time Tour winner is just a Paris-Roubaix win away from winning all the Monuments. Pogacar was therefore at a loss for words after his victory. “It’s hard to write anything after such a rollercoaster of emotions,” he wrote on social media. “I can’t express how grateful I am to be surrounded by amazing people who support me through the ups and downs.” '

The Slovenian explicitly thanked his teammates, who helped him get back in time for the Cipressa after his crash. “Without some people, I would have struggled to finish at all yesterday,” he said, before naming the entire UAE squad. However, he didn’t just mention teammates.

His competitors were also mentioned a day after his victory. “Special mention to Tom Pidcock, Mathieu van der Poel, and Wout van Aert—I’m honored to compete against you.” A nice gesture from the great champion toward his rivals, but Van der Poel and Pidcock also expressed mutual respect.

Van der Poel responded with a goat emoji, which refers to the abbreviation for greatest of all time. Pidcock, who mostly expressed disappointment in his interview afterwards, also responded to the Slovenian. “I have great respect for you, my friend,” said the runner-up of Milan-Sanremo. A bit of mutual respect that makes cycling so beautiful.