“You could say Tadej Pogačar won his first Tour while eating pizza, drinking beer and playing PlayStation”

The 30-year-old Novak has long been one of UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s most trusted engines and, as a fellow Slovenian, is almost always present when the biggest objectives are on the line. “I’m not old, but I am definitely more experienced as a rider,” Novak said. “The team trusts me, Tadej trusts me, and I see that as a great honour. I’ve been in the WorldTour for a long time and I’m very happy with my role.”

Novak has also seen the growing number of comparisons between Pogačar and Seixas, the 19-year-old Frenchman who made another huge impression at Strade Bianche. “That kid is really, really good,” Novak said. “Everyone compares him to Tadej and wants to put him right next to him. At that age, he may even be better than Tadej was.”

“But there’s something else people need to understand,” he added. “As far as I know, Tadej wasn’t going to altitude camps before he turned 19. He was riding for the Gusto Ljubljana team. You could say he won his first Tour while eating pizza, drinking beer and playing PlayStation.”

According to Novak, that is exactly where the biggest difference lies. Seixas is already living like a hardened professional, as are many of the sport’s newest teenage stars. “I think Tadej is a true natural talent, while all these young guys coming through are already extremely polished,” Novak explained. “They’ve all spent a month at altitude and been away from home for a long time.”

“Everything is very professional, which is great on the one hand,” he continued. “But on the other hand, I do wonder how long they can keep that up mentally. I think these guys are already so switched on at 19 or 20 that I don’t know whether they’ll still be racing at 30.”