Tadej Pogačar spent the weekend scouting part of the 2025 Ronde Van Vlaanderen course – and it resulted in a ride of a lifetime for local juniors Maurits Baart and his training partner Melvin Maddelein. Baart instantly recognized Pogi by his bike–he was wearing his black training jersey.
Pogačar , along with Team UAE Emirates teammate Tim Wellens, as they rode along, noticed two young Belgians were on their wheels. “I was in Kluisbergen with my training partner Melvin Maddelein, when I immediately recognized Tadej,” Baart said to Het Laatste Nieuws. “Tim Wellens was riding beside him, and Melvin and I quickly tucked in behind them. I jokingly asked him if he wasn’t supposed to be in Spain, and he replied ‘almost.’ It was clear he was in a good mood. He didn’t seem bothered at all by us following him.”
A quick spin with the champ
The two teenagers then spent the next 20km behind two of the best cyclists in the world. “I think they were just cooling down, while we were doing our best to keep up. At one point, we hit 47.6 km/h. And at the hotel, we managed to take a few selfies. It was really a dream come true. Out of all the riders you hope to meet on a training ride, Pogacar is definitely the ultimate. The best rider in the peloton.”
Flanders isn’t the only recon the Slovenian has done recently. On Sunday, he shared a curious Instagram video of himself riding the cobbles like a true pro – taking on none other than the infamous Arenberg Forest section. Wellens rode alongside his teammate capturing Pogi as he effortlessly flies over the pavé.
Marco Marcato and Fabio Baldato of UAE mentioned they organized the reconnaissance, but they didn’t have much more to add. “I can’t say too much about the reconnaissance itself, but I can confirm Paris-Roubaix is still not on Tadej’s programme,” Marcato told Belgian media.
It turns out he didn’t just ride one section; he took on them all. According to UAE, they also wanted to check out the Roubaix Velodrome, but it was closed.
Classics season is almost here: in early March, the fun begins with the Belgian pair of races, the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.
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