In a candid interview with RIDE Magazine, Mauro Gianetti team boss at UAE Team Emirates opened up about Tadej Pogačar’s early career and the qualities that set him apart from the start.
“Our sporting director Joxean Matxin had been tracking him well before the rest of the cycling world caught on,” Gianetti recalled.
Pogačar’s breakthrough moment came in 2018 with a dominant win at the Tour de l’Avenir a prestigious proving ground for future stars. “He won that race in overwhelming fashion, and did it solo, without any team support,” Gianetti said. “Soon after, we met in Milan and signed his first contract.”
Even at just 19, Pogačar stood out. “From day one, we could see he was different,” Gianetti said. “He had a curious mind, was eager to learn, and carried himself with surprising self-confidence for someone so young. He already had a clear sense of purpose.”
At the time, the team was scouting several top prospects, Brandon McNulty, Mikkel Bjerg, João Almeida, Marc Hirschi among them but Gianetti said Pogačar was on another level. “He was easily the most mature. He stood out in every aspect.”
What impressed the staff most wasn’t just his talent, but his quiet, focused demeanor. “He wasn’t talkative, but he paid close attention, absorbed everything, and asked sharp, insightful questions,” Gianetti said. “There was a calm energy about him a quiet confidence that made you think, ‘He’s going to be something special.’ Yet, there was zero arrogance.”
Gianetti also noted that at the time, Pogačar was carrying a few extra kilos compared to his current race weight, yet he was already outperforming the top climbers of his generation.
When asked if Pogačar reminded him of any other elite athletes, Gianetti didn’t hesitate. “He gave me the same impression I had when I met Roger Federer at the 2000 Sydney Olympics,” he said. “Federer was just 18, ranked 34th, but you could feel something extraordinary. That same aura I saw it in Tadej too.”
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