UAE disguises Pogačar in training: different jersey to gain those 10–20 seconds on the fans

The problem with training as the world champion

Being the strongest cyclist on the planet also has its downsides. Tadej Pogačar can’t ride along a country road without finding himself surrounded by fans who want to stop him for a photo, a video, or an autograph. It’s a problem that barely exists in most sports — footballers train in protected facilities, basketball players in closed arenas — but in cycling it’s structurally unavoidable: riders train on open roads, among people, for hundreds of kilometers every day.

The red, blue and yellow jersey

UAE Team Emirates XRG has found a creative solution, explained by Alex Carera in an interview with Domestique.
“Tadej was given a different jersey. It carries the same UAE sponsors but it’s red, blue and yellow. Why? Because it takes fans 10 or 20 seconds to recognize him, and by that time he’s already ridden away.”

It’s not a real disguise — the sponsors are still clearly those of UAE — but it’s enough to gain a small reaction window that can make the difference between a forced stop and a peaceful training ride.

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A motorbike and a jersey: UAE’s two moves

This isn’t the first initiative of this kind. A few weeks ago, sports director Joxean Fernández Matxín had already announced the decision to have Pogačar accompanied by a motorcycle during training sessions. The measure was adopted after the accident involving Jonas Vingegaard, who crashed while a fan was following him downhill.

Two different solutions to the same problem: allowing a champion to carry out his daily work safely in a sport — road cycling — where the separation between athlete and public simply doesn’t exist.

FAQ

Why does Pogačar train with a different jersey?
To avoid being immediately recognized by fans during training rides. The jersey features the same UAE sponsors but different colors — red, blue and yellow — allowing him to gain a few seconds before being identified.

Who explained this decision?
Alex Carera, a member of the UAE Team Emirates XRG staff, in an interview with the Domestique podcast.

What happened to Vingegaard that pushed UAE to adopt similar measures?
The Danish rider crashed during a training ride while a fan was following him downhill, an incident that accelerated the decision to increase protection measures for top riders during training.

Dai un’occhiata alle altre notizie uscite qui su Universo Sportivo e rimanete aggiornati sui social con Universo Calcistico.