Immortalised in gold - Statue of Pogacar unveiled in Abu Dhabi

The statue captures one of Pogačar’s signature victory celebrations, depicting the trademark bow he performs upon crossing the finish line, most memorably after stage six of the 2023 Tour de France where he distanced his rival Jonas Vingegaard.

Created to honour Pogačar’s extraordinary achievements as leader of UAE Team Emirates, the golden figure celebrates a rider who has defined an era for the UAE-backed WorldTour team. His record speaks for itself: three Tour de France titles, two world championships, multiple Monuments and, most recently, a fifth consecutive Il Lombardia victory at the start of October.

More than a personal tribute, the statue symbolises Pogačar’s impact on cycling in the UAE, where the sport has flourished through rising investment and growing fan culture. Under his leadership, UAE Team Emirates has become one of the dominant forces in modern professional cycling.

Pogačar now joins a select group of riders commemorated in gold, bronze or stone, including Tom Boonen with statue of his legs atop of the Taaienberg, Octave Lapize, immortalised as Le Géant du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees, Nairo Quintana, who has a life-size monument in his hometown of Cómbita in Colombia, and Sir Bradley Wiggins, celebrated with a sculpture at his former school following his 2012 Olympic success.