“Tadej Pogačar doesn’t need help from a TV moto, he’s already fast enough and already wins enough…”
Before the start of Il Lombardia, the frustrations of a respected sports director were clear when they spoke to Cyclingnews, and not just because Pogačar had won the Tre Valli Varesine with a downhill attack and a little ‘help’ from a TV motorbike and because he was about to win a fifth consecutive Lombardia. The 2025 season was coming to an end, but the impact of television and race motorbikes affecting the outcome of major races is still a major problem.
Pogačar didn’t do anything illegal at Tre Valli Varesine; he just attacked off the front when the motorbike was close to him, dived into the slipstream on a fast downhill section and never looked back.
Angry waving from Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious) and a chase by Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) were too little and too late. Pogačar got a gap, took advantage of a few more moments of motorbike slipstreaming and was never seen again.
“I don’t think the moto played a part in my victory. I hope not,” Wellens replied. “But if it were the case, Quinn could also have attacked first and taken the help of the moto…”
A grey area, or even a dark art in racing
Slipstreaming and in-race vehicle help have long been a contentious issue in pro cycling, as long as the sport has existed. Sticky bottles are now frowned upon, but many riders still believe…
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