\nThe human side of a champion<\/p>\n
Pogacar\u2019s 2025 season will go down among the greatest of the modern era \u2014 Tour de France victory, the world title in Kigali, European gold, multiple Monuments. Yet, according to Carera, it\u2019s the human side of the 27-year-old that has remained untouched since his teenage years.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s still the same boy I met in 2016,\u201d Carera said. \u201cOf course, now he has more responsibility \u2014 when you\u2019re asked for a hundred photos, you can say yes a hundred times, but when it\u2019s five thousand, it\u2019s harder. Yet in his daily life, in the way he treats people, he\u2019s still the same Tadej.\u201d<\/p>\n
That humility, Carera argues, is what underpins Pogacar\u2019s longevity at the top. \u201cIf a rider\u2019s happy, he performs better,\u201d he explained. \u201cIf he maintains a strong bond with his teammates and his team, everything flows. At UAE, Tadej spends more time with them than with his own parents. That family spirit is what sustains his greatness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finding balance in the spotlight<\/p>\n
Carera has built a career managing some of the peloton\u2019s biggest names, but few relationships have been as defining as his with Pogacar. Together they\u2019ve navigated a period where cycling has evolved into something closer to football \u2014 with longer contracts, greater media demands and ever-intensifying scrutiny. Yet the agent insists Pogacar\u2019s inner circle has shielded him from burnout.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy job isn\u2019t to make them earn more, it\u2019s to make them happy,\u201d Carera said. \u201cSometimes you have to accept earning a little less to live better. Having 50 or 51 million in the bank doesn\u2019t change anything \u2014 what matters is being at peace with yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
That philosophy extends to Pogacar\u2019s off-season. While most see winter as a break, Carera views it as the foundation for everything that follows. \u201cTo have a great season, you need a great winter \u2014 train, rest, recover physically and mentally. Without that, there\u2019s no miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eyes already on 2026<\/p>\n
For all that Pogacar has achieved, Carera insists his motivation remains unshaken. \u201cThe season ended very well, and he\u2019s already thinking about 2026,\u201d he revealed. \u201cEvery year needs new motivation, but always with balance. UAE Team Emirates understand that: there\u2019ll be a first meeting in Abu Dhabi, then in Benidorm they\u2019ll set out the calendar. The secret is to listen to everyone and maintain harmony between the champion\u2019s hunger and the needs of such a big structure.\u201d<\/p>\n
And while others might speak of limits, Carera sees none. \u201cHe can win five Tours, three World Championships, the Vuelta, match Cavendish\u2019s record in France, and the record of Monuments. Roubaix and Sanremo too \u2014 they\u2019re harder, but with him everything\u2019s possible. Finding another Pogacar will take 30 or 40 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBehind the champion is an exceptional person\u201d<\/p>\n
For Carera, who has seen countless riders rise and fall, Pogacar\u2019s story stands apart not just for his victories, but for his authenticity. \u201cWorking with him is an honour,\u201d he said softly. \u201cNot just because he\u2019s the best, but because behind the champion there\u2019s an exceptional person. We try to make people\u2019s dreams come true, to stay close to the fans. That\u2019s what matters most.\u201d<\/p>\n
The true luxury, Carera says, is being able to stop \u2014 to breathe \u2014 and to protect the happiness of the man who once started dreaming in Slovenia.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The human side of a champion Pogacar\u2019s 2025 season will go down among the greatest of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":216387,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-216386","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216386\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}