'Pogacar talks less, but wins more' - Majka reflects on career alongside cycling’s champions
Rafal Majka will call time on his professional career at the end of this season, closing a journey that took him from the role of promising leader to one of the peloton’s most respected domestiques. Speaking to bici.pro, the 36-year-old Pole looked back on the champions he has ridden for, the choices that shaped his path, and the family reasons behind his decision to stop.
Across fifteen years at the top level, Majka has supported three great leaders: Alberto Contador at Saxo Bank, Peter Sagan at Bora, and Tadej Pogačar at UAE Team Emirates. “All three are incredibly strong in the head,” he said.
“Sagan, when he was on form, could win everything, three World Championships in a row is not normal. Alberto was the kind of rider who could say he would win the Giro, Tour or Vuelta and then actually do it. And then there is Tadej, who does not say much, but wins everything. Pogačar talks less, but wins more.”
Majka’s career was built on loyalty. He spent six years with Saxo Bank and Tinkoff, four with Bora, and the past five with UAE.
“At Saxo Bank I always felt trusted,” he recalled. “Eventually I became a leader myself, while also helping Contador. At Bora I was the only GC captain and that was stressful. After four years I needed a change.”
“Then came UAE, where I knew there was a young rider called Pogačar. I thought maybe he would win a race or two, but suddenly I found myself riding with someone who wins everything and will become a legend. For me it was fun to race with the best rider in the world, maybe the best in history. This team is like a family, and I know I will miss it.”
The choice to become a domestique was deliberate, not forced. “At 30 I realised it was better to be a good domestique than win just one or two races a year,” he explained. “So I joined UAE, without knowing just how strong Pogačar would become. Helping him is a different kind of stress, you need to be ready the moment he needs you, but it is easier because he can genuinely win everything. That is why I could still keep going, I am not worn out.”
Majka has continued to perform at a high level. In 2025 he became national champion, finished on the podium at the Tour of Austria, shone at the Tour de Pologne, and recently guided Isaac Del Toro through a string of victories in Tuscany.
At the Giro, however, UAE faltered when Del Toro lost the maglia rosa in the final days. “To wear pink until almost the end at 21 is incredible,” Majka said. “Maybe he lacked a little experience, but he is strong. He will go very well at the Worlds and in the future he will win a Grand Tour.”
He also had a word for Juan Ayuso, who will leave UAE at the end of the season. “My advice? Go hard, train 100 percent and go full gas. Ayuso has the talent to succeed anywhere.”
Ultimately, the decision to step away came from home, not the road. “I still have the motivation to train and race, but the decision came from my family. I want to spend time with my kids. I have been away for 24 years, eight months of the year on the road. They are five and nine now, time goes fast.”
Majka admits he will miss the rhythm of the sport. “If you have done the same thing since you were young, it is impossible not to. But I want to enjoy the bike differently, not look at watts, just enjoy nature, do the kilometres with another spirit.”
As for becoming a directeur sportif, he remains coy. “Ask me again in four months,” he smiled. “For now I want to rest properly and spend time with my family. After that, we will talk about the future, because I do not want to leave behind a world I love so much.”
