‘I saw Tadej Pogacar race’ - Matxin puts UAE star’s greatness into perspective after contract extension

Pogačar extended his agreement with UAE through the end of 2032, adding another two years to a contract that had previously been due to expire in 2030.

The announcement came on the same day the team confirmed that Pogačar's 2026 season is over following the injuries he sustained in his crash at the Vuelta a España.

Speaking to Eurosport, Matxin said the significance of the new deal went far beyond Pogačar's results on the bike.

“I think about the connection there is with Tadej, and the connection Tadej has with his teammates, with the team and with the staff,” Matxin said.

“Personally, I am grateful to him, not only on the professional side, which I think is obvious, but also on the human side.

“I want to say that this year Tadej has been the best Tadej. And I am not talking about results. I am talking about behaviour, I am talking about attitude, I am talking about the person he is. Tadej is close to perfection as a person and as a cyclist.”

The length of Pogačar's new contract is notable given the questions that have surrounded how long he intends to remain in professional cycling.

The 27-year-old has previously spoken about not knowing exactly how long he will continue racing, particularly after accumulating a palmarès that already places him among the sport's all time greats.

Asked why Pogačar had now committed to a deal stretching as far as 2032, Matxin jokingly warned against reading too much into previous speculation.

“This is probably the wrong thing to say to the media, but don't believe everything you read in the press,” he said.

For Matxin, the new agreement is instead a reflection of the relationship that has developed between rider and team since Pogačar joined UAE in 2019.

“That the best cyclist in the world continues to make history with the best team in the world, and that this connection is consolidated in the form of a contract until 2032, I think means a lot to both sides,” Matxin said.

“It says a lot about that connection, that affection, that commitment and, above all, the work that has been done over a long period of time, since he was starting out in professional cycling.”

Pogačar has since become the dominant rider of his generation. In 2026 he added a record equalling fifth Tour de France title to another extraordinary season that also included victories at Strade Bianche, Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse.

His attempt to complete his collection of Grand Tour victories at the Vuelta was brought to an abrupt end on stage 8, however, when he crashed at high speed with 32 kilometres remaining.

Pogačar initially attempted to continue before abandoning. Medical examinations later revealed a concussion, a stable fracture of the C7 vertebra and an open collarbone fracture, with the Slovenian subsequently undergoing surgery.

The injuries mean he will not return to racing this year, ruling him out of the World Championships in Montréal, the European Championships in Slovenia and a possible sixth consecutive victory at Il Lombardia.

Matxin rejected the suggestion that an enforced early finish to the year might at least remove some of the pressure that comes with Pogačar being expected to win almost every time he races.

“I think the ones under more pressure are those of us who don't have options,” he said.

“I don't think what he has is pressure. He has the privilege of having a gift. He was made to be a cyclist, or he was born to be a cyclist, and he is doing it to perfection.”

Matxin added that those working alongside Pogačar should see his presence as a privilege rather than something to be taken for granted.

“The rest of us should be happy to have the privilege of being alongside Tadej, in sporting terms and professionally,” he said.

“And above all, for those of us who love cycling, I always say the same thing: we can say, ‘I saw Tadej Pogačar race.’”

For now, Pogačar faces a period of rehabilitation. Matxin believes the disappointment of the Vuelta will eventually become another source of motivation.

“There are bad moments and there are good moments, and the bad moments take longer to pass than the good ones, but everything passes,” he said.

“So you have to wait for them to pass. And in the good moments, he will have even more hunger to win.”