800,000 autographs, 500,000 selfies - Trentin on the Pogacar mania in Slovenia
Just weeks after winning his fourth Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar turned his hometown of Komenda into a festival of cycling. The criterium, held last week in its seventh edition, became both a celebration of his victory in Paris and a chance for fans to see the rainbow jersey up close.
Among the invited guests was Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling), a veteran of the peloton and long-time friend of Pogacar, was one of eight big names who lined up. “It was beautiful,” Trentin told Bici.pro. “A race full of people. There were kids racing before us elites and so many fans along the barriers. In the end there were Slovenians from around Ljubljana, but also tourists. Italians, Germans, French.
If you were on holiday on the Slovenian coast or in Croatia, it was only an hour and a half by car to Komenda. And if you are a cycling fan, why miss the chance to see the world champion and other riders for free, just a metre away from you? This is the essence of cycling. Yes, it was really a beautiful atmosphere.”
The programme ran from youth races through to the women’s event before the men’s elite took to the circuit. Alongside Pogacar and Trentin were Matej Mohoric, Luka Mezgec, Matevz Govekar, and UAE teammates Tim Wellens and Pavel Sivakov.
“And it was a real race,” Trentin said. “You can’t imagine how fast we went. There were also continental riders like Adria Mobil and some WorldTour development teams. They started full gas: the first 15 laps were crazy. A super chaotic race, then in the finale the pace dropped a little. But what a rhythm.”
The 1 km circuit wound entirely through Komenda: 35 laps starting from the town square, with narrow streets, a small church and a rise back to the finish line. “It was nice, all inside the village which is really small. What stuck with me was that we started at sunset and in the first laps we rode straight into the sun. You couldn’t see anything. It was not easy.”
For Pogacar, it was a true homecoming. He spent the evening surrounded by fans, handing out signatures and posing for photos. “He is always relaxed, smiling,” Trentin said. “In the end I hardly spoke to him because it was his evening. He must have signed 800,000 autographs and taken 500,000 selfies. But it was beautiful. This is the essence of cycling. In what other sport do you see your favourite champion a metre away, for free, and maybe even give him a high five?”
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