It’s placing that when Tim Wellens is requested to outline one standout attribute that he has grown to understand about Tadej Pogačar in the course of the Belgian’s first season at UAE Workforce Emirates, it has virtually nothing to do with bike racing.
“What impresses me essentially the most about him is that he all the time retains his two ft on the bottom and he doesn’t really feel higher than anybody else. And that’s though he’s the one rider that might really feel higher than anybody else, as a result of he’s one of the best rider on the earth, “ Wellens tells Cyclingnews.
“However no, he’s stayed completely regular and the best way you see him on social media and TV is strictly the best way he’s in actual life. He’s not enjoying a task.”
“He likes what he does, and for certain he’s very playful. However other than being a great rider, he’s simple to bond with as a result of he’s a really good individual as effectively.”
Whereas clearly happy to be working for and with Pogačar, Wellens’ personal first yr at UAE Workforce Emirates has been a really eventful one, with a really promising early season brutally poleaxed by his main crash in Flanders.
The ensuing harm, with a collarbone damaged in 4 locations, proved to be so severe that it didn’t solely wreck Flanders and the remainder of his Classics season, but it surely additionally performed a component in Wellens’ failure to be chosen for the Tour de France.
Nevertheless, Wellens pulled his season again collectively together with his victory in final August’s Renewi Tour, and this winter, he’s equally decided to be each again this spring in Belgium and on the Tour de France in July. In Flanders, although, this time spherical he’ll be preventing for his personal probabilities, whereas within the Tour, as he places it, it’ll be 100% about serving to Pogačar.
“I’m principally doing the identical races as the primary a part of final yr, with the slight distinction that I’ll begin a bit of bit later, in February slightly than January. The rationale for that’s even earlier than I crashed in Flanders, I felt my stage was dropping off, and we don’t need that to occur once more.”
The primary main distinction will come this April after participating in round 5 Belgian Classics, he’ll lastly make his long-awaited debut at Paris-Roubaix – which comes after a complete of 28 participations so far within the 4 different Monuments.
“After that, I’ll take a bit of break after which begin my build-up for the Tour de France,” Wellens says. “I’m honoured to be on the lengthy record for France with UAE with so many prime names and my objective is to do some excellent work for the crew there. To be an actual a part of the crew there.”
Remco, Tadej and the 2024 Tour de France
Wellens’ apparent disappointment at lacking out on the Tour in 2023 is tempered a bit of, maybe, by the data that this yr’s route, with its unprecedented end in Good, is one which he relishes. Or as he states categorically, “I find it irresistible.”
“It’s partly as a result of I reside in Monaco, not so removed from the end, so it’s good to suppose I can do the final stage on the final day after which trip dwelling on my bike,” he says. “The one means it’d be even nicer was if it additionally went by means of Belgium within the first week. However both means, it’s definitely a pleasant Tour.
“These off-road sections of the Tour subsequent July [on stage 9-Ed.] are one thing I’ve all the time favored to do, too, and even when hopefully no person will lose time there by crashing, there are numerous alternative ways to lose the Tour in that stage.
“For those who crash since you’re in fiftieth place, for instance, you then’ve crashed since you had been too far again. However when you have a flat tyre, then after all, no person desires that to occur…”
Two different vital particular substances within the 2024 Tour are that the variety of standout favourites will double, from two to 4, given each Primoz Roglic (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) are anticipated to affix Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Pogačar on the startline in Florence.
“I believe it’ll be nicer to look at on tv as a result of there can be extra of a contest,” Wellens causes.
He additionally agrees that whereas he is aware of which of the ‘Massive 4’ he’s placing his cash on, there’s a sure Belgian who’s in with greater than a shout of ending in yellow in Good as effectively.
“For certain Remco’s obtained an enormous probability, even when it’s not as huge as Tadej,” Wellens argues earlier than including with a smile, “although possibly I’m biased.
“However actually, no person doubts Remco, not about what he can do within the Tour. If he can win the Vuelta a España, then after all he can win the Tour.”
The Giro-Tour double
Victorious within the 2022 Vuelta, Evenepoel’s efficiency following his debacle within the opening Pyrenean stage proved that, other than profitable a Grand Tour, he additionally knew the way to bounce again from a severe setback. And Wellens, too, has had his personal expertise of doing that after his main harm in Flanders: that is to the purpose the place even when he missed out on the Tour de France, he nonetheless feels 2023 was successful.
“Final yr was an excellent one,” he says, weighing up the professionals and cons of a season he defines as a rollercoaster.
“For certain, Flanders was a sophisticated collarbone crash. It wasn’t not simply damaged, it principally exploded after which one month later I needed to have it [the injury] re-opened to repair it for good.”
“In order that was disappointing, it was the primary time I ever broke a bone in my skilled profession and I can’t suggest it. Usually when any person breaks their collarbone, folks say ‘Yeah, it’s nothing particular.’ However now I’ve lived by means of the ache you’ve got when that occurs – and for me, it was very disagreeable.
“Even so, the primary a part of the yr was excellent, I felt at dwelling with the crew and after one yr right here, I can say UAE was a great discovery.
“The coaching went effectively, I used to be racing at a excessive stage and we had a whole lot of enjoyable in races. I used to be actually proud of the job I needed to do with the crew and” – at Andalucia earlier than his crash and within the Renewi Tour outright afterwards – “I gained myself. So I can’t complain.”
Furthemore, if Wellens’ private appreciation of his new crew chief after one season can also be clear, he’s additionally had a ringside seat with regards to witnessing Pogačar’s qualities as a rider. Additionally, proper from the phrase go, given when Pogačar took his first win of 2023 within the Clásica Jaén, Wellens completed third.
However there was extra of the identical within the weeks and months to come back. Within the subsequent Vuelta a Andalucia after Jaén, the place Pogačar as soon as once more dominated the roost, Wellens additionally captured his personal stage win – curiously sufficient, within the westerly city of Alcalá de los Gazules, on the identical uphill cobbled end the place Wellens had twice triumphed earlier than in 2018 and 2019.
Wellens then shaped a part of Pogačar’s profitable crew in Paris-Good, raced once more with the Slovenian in Milano-Sanremo and E3 Harelbeke, and previous to crashing, was alongside Pogačar on the day that the UAE chief took the primary cobbled Monument of his profession.
Quick ahead to 2024, then, and it’s possibly no shock that with that depth of data of Pogačar’s ambition, Wellens is satisfied that Pogačar has what it takes to turn into the primary rider in 26 years to win each the Giro d’Italia – the place Wellens has two stage wins himself – and the Tour de France in a single yr.
“I believe the crew could be very sensible and with regards to this problem, they know what they’re doing. They’re not simply doing it no matter,” he causes.
“He’s proved three years in a row that he’s one of the best rider on the earth and so there’s nobody higher who may attempt to do it. So if anyone can try this [win both Giro and Tour], it’s Tadej.”
And it goes with out saying, too, that if Pogačar rolls into Good in yellow subsequent summer time, then Wellens’ lone trip dwelling alongside the coast to Monaco after the Tour has ended can be much more particular.
