Tadej Pogacar has a lot of superstar teammates and luxury domestiques at his service within UAE Team Emirates. It’s arguably one of his more unheralded support riders that plays the most important role though, Pogacar’s Slovenian compatriot and ‘right-hand man’, Domen Novak.
“My best quality is that I can die for other guys,” says the 29-year-old in conversation with Rouleur. “I can perform much better for others than I can for myself. This is just me. Sometimes I have to say, ‘fuck, Tadej, I’ve done my maximum today, but I can’t do any more’. When I am with Tadej, I am more motivated. He is the best rider in the world, my good friend, and we enjoy our time together.”
Having just completed his second season at UAE Team Emirates, Novak also reveals it was actually Pogacar himself that played a key role in Novak’s arrival. “He called me after the Giro d’Italia in 2020 and he said he’d like to take me onto the team. He told me that he needed a rider like me and that UAE was different to Bahrain,” Novak recalls. “I am super, super happy that I signed! In my first year I didn’t race so much with him, but this year we’ve raced more together and we know each other quite well. A lot of the time he is on my wheel and I don’t need to look because I know he’s there. We’re always thinking the same things, like it’s good to be in the front, and he’s always following me.”
This year especially, Novak has emerged as a key lieutenant of Pogacar, performing out of his skin at the Giro d’Italia and earning himself the reputation of the world champion’s ‘right-hand man’. “With UAE and Tadej, when I help everyone is happy. He is super thankful after the race and is a great leader. When the boss is happy, I’m also happy,” he says. “When we’re speaking to the team managers about contracts, Tadej gives good feedback about us to help us. He always gives us presents [after a win].”
Whilst Novak has stepped up in 2024, no rider in the peloton has made as much gains as Pogacar. Already renowned as one of the best in the world, the UAE Team Emirates has dominated this season, putting himself in the conversation for best rider of all time. “I think the Worlds was the happiest I’ve ever seen him. I’ve never seen him so happy,” Novak recalls fondly of his compatriot’s Rainbow Jersey victory in Zurich. “I’m super proud to be on this team. When I think about the Giro, Tour and the Worlds, I was there for two of the three parts. I’m just one guy out of all the guys. This is my dream. I know I can never win a Grand Tour, but when I can help and be there, some part of the win is mine. I think I made the right decision joining. This is my dream job, I enjoy it and I am super happy.”
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