{"id":251239,"date":"2025-11-08T12:43:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T12:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/251239\/"},"modified":"2025-11-08T12:43:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T12:43:09","slug":"tadej-pogacar-is-incredibly-down-to-earth-he-treated-me-as-one-of-his-own-uaes-2006-born-spanish-starlet-taken-under-the-wing-of-all-conquering-world-champion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/251239\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cTadej Pogacar is incredibly down-to-earth, he treated me as one of his own\u201d \u2013 UAE’s 2006-born Spanish starlet taken under the wing of all-conquering world champion"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nLearning under Pogacar\u2019s shadow<\/p>\n

Pericas\u2019s rise has been fast but measured. After developing in UAE\u2019s Gen Z feeder setup, he stepped up to the professional ranks this year \u2014 and wasted no time making an impression. A stage win at the Istrian Spring Trophy, followed by top-ten results at the Tour du Rwanda and Giro d\u2019Italia U23, underlined his potential as one of Spain\u2019s brightest young prospects.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started calmly, without pressure. But I saw that I had the level \u2014 and the team saw it too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The result was one of the longest contracts in modern cycling: a deal with UAE through 2030. For the Catalan, it\u2019s not just a show of faith, but a reason to breathe easy. \u201cIt gives me great peace of mind. I know the step up is big \u2014 it\u2019s like climbing two rungs at once \u2014 but if you do it gradually, it\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AdriaPericas\"\/<\/p>\n

Pericas in action<\/p>\n

A grounded prodigy with big ambitions<\/p>\n

Born in Tona in 2006, Pericas is already a familiar name within Spain\u2019s new generation. His attacking flair and all-round ability first caught attention in 2023, when an image of him keeping pace with Mathieu van der Poel at the Glasgow World Championships went viral. \u201cI\u2019m an all-rounder, I can handle everything. I like aggressive racing,\u201d he explained. \u201cWith this contract, my head is calm and my legs can do the work.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young Catalan admits his dream race is the Volta a Catalunya, the one he grew up watching from the roadside. \u201cI dream of being on the start line there. It would be special,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For now, he\u2019s focusing on the next steps \u2014 with Pogacar\u2019s example serving as the perfect benchmark. \u201cHe\u2019s an incredible person and a phenomenal rider. Seeing how he behaves day to day is inspiring,\u201d Pericas added.<\/p>\n

With his first professional victory, a long-term UAE deal, and the respect of the sport\u2019s biggest name already secured, Pericas looks set to be one of cycling\u2019s brightest stories of 2026.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Learning under Pogacar\u2019s shadow Pericas\u2019s rise has been fast but measured. After developing in UAE\u2019s Gen Z…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":251240,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-251239","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\/251239","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=251239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}