I feel sorry for Tadej Pogačar. I really do. If I was at the top of my sport, winning at will, I’d expect the masses to be roaring my name. At the very least, I’d want them to be patting me on the back, not begging for me to get beaten.
This year, the Slovenian has done 10 race days. Of the 10, he has won six, including Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and finished on the podium at another two. He’s a phenom, a force of dominance, and some are starting to get sick of it.
Well, those sour grapes finally got their way this week. Pogačar was beaten. No, not in a bike race, but in a day out go karting in the south of France.
The event was untelevised, with only the final podium revealed. In third place, UAE Team Emirates’ Alessandro Covi, famed for winning a Giro d’Italia stage in 2022. Runner-up, Mr Pogačar, famed for winning almost everything. And the champion, the man they call ‘Bling’, Michael Matthews.
The Australian posted the photos on his Instagram feed – a privilege, presumably, that fell to him as the winner. “Awesome day with the boys today karting in the south of France,” he wrote. “Nice to take the mind of cycling for a moment.”
Of course, the world of cycling wasn’t too far away. Pogačar and Covi looked to have turned up on their team-issue Colnago bikes, and were both decked in UAE Team Emirates clobber.
Perhaps more eye-catchingly, Matthews wore a spectacular golden helmet, testament to his nickname. I’m not sure if it is common to bring your own helmet to a go karting session, or whether he would have been met with the same derision one gets in bringing one’s own ball to a bowling alley. A luminescent one at that.
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In any case, chapeau to Matthews. Tim Wellens was also there for the day out, meaning the Australian outfoxed three UAE Team Emirates riders to take the top step. If you want to know how to beat Pogačar, ask Michael Matthews.
Elsewhere on social media this week, Remco Evenepoel goes wild for Arsenal Football Club, Tom Pidcock meets the Royals, and Canyon-SRAM are ready for lift off.
1. Tadej Pogačar can be beaten, just not on a bike
2. North Face puffer, shoulder bag, Remco Evenepoel’s north London through and through
3. Here’s one for all the dog content fans. Pros take note: if you post a photo of you and your dog, you will make it into Tweets of the Week
4. I can’t even walk up stairs in cleats, let alone push a car uphill in the rain
5. “Now, Mr Pidcock, they tell me you cycle cross. What is it that makes you so angry?”
Congratulations to @tompidcock who received his MBE on Tuesday at Buckingham Palace🎖️👏 pic.twitter.com/jyC1nEHyKRApril 24, 2024
6. That’s an awful lot of beers for a team about to ride the Vuelta Femenina
💬 𝙃𝙚𝙮 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙋𝙏 𝙬𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥…🔜 @lavueltafem 👀🚴🏻♀️🇪🇸#TeamAnnouncement #LivCommitted #LaVuelta pic.twitter.com/aj2dFdjhqnApril 22, 2024
7. Abi Smith literally painted dsm-firmenich PostNL’s Vuelta line-up. She showed real restraint, too, in not putting her own name at the top
S̶a̶l̶v̶a̶d̶o̶r̶ D̶a̶l̶i̶ ❌𝓢𝓪𝓵𝓿𝓪𝓭𝓸𝓻 𝓓-𝓐𝓫𝓲 𝓢𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓱👩🏻🎨✅We asked @abijesmith to help with our @LaVueltaFem line-up announcement and she created this masterpiece! 😍 Check out who will be aiming to leave their very own mark for us on #LaVueltaFemenina🇪🇸 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/FjR0k7cK8UApril 23, 2024
8. With just days to go before the Vuelta Femenina, it’s time for the cruel ritual of making the riders dance to a rotating ring light
Same celebration as last year, will she win the same stage too? 😉 Misma celebración que el año pasado ¿ganará la misma etapa también? 😜#LaVueltaFemenina pic.twitter.com/rLlH8de0g1April 26, 2024
9. It’s not just us Brits who are still waiting on spring to arrive
10. German track sprinter Pauline Grabosch also keeps getting caught out by the weather
11. Just in case you had managed to wipe them from your mind, these helmets still exist
12. And finally, a video that reminds us all why we love cycling. Look at those crowds at the Tour de Lunsar, Sierra Leone’s biggest race. That’s what it’s all about
He’s done it! Unbelievable from Tenesie Dixon. First Sierra Leone stage win at #TourDeLunsar in two years!Listen to that crowd!#cycling #Africa #salone pic.twitter.com/JjpDREFUGzApril 20, 2024
