Scene: walking the slope hosting the team buses in the aftermath of the Tour de France’s stage 11, running between the UAE Team Emirates encampment at the very top of the gradient and Visma-Lease a Bike’s position further down.
The time between a race finish and the scramble to get back to the press room is a hectic one: trying to stick your phone in amongst the other recording devices to record the quotes of whoever’s talking, describing how good or bad their day went, or trying to assess the vibes to uncover some truth beyond what’s being said out loud. There isn’t often time for much else.
However, while undertaking a light jog downhill, my eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to these two colourful gents. I had no option but to stop and find out more.
Now, your reaction upon seeing this article’s cover photo may have been one of judgement. If I’m honest, mine was too. It is really quite the sight to see two adult men dressed in not just full team kit, but race leader team kit.
According to cycling culture ‘norms’, which aren’t really norms taken from the masses you find on the roadside at actual bike races, this is a faux pas beyond the pale. Really, they should be wearing one of the expensive brands, like the one that may or may not spell out a human appendage with all the vowels taken out.
Let me introduce you to Maxim (pink jersey) and Mathis (yellow jersey), brothers from Aurillac, a town 50 km away from where were standing at the finish in Le Lioran.
“I am the biggest fan of Pogačar,” Maxim tells me. “I follow every race. We bought the jerseys to wear during group rides, not just for today.”
So, how did you decide who got the yellow jersey and who got the pink? The question is lost in translation, but it doesn’t really matter. One is in yellow, the other in pink.
“Ooh …” Mathis considers. “It’s a beautiful race, it’s famous.”
“It’s to get a photo with Pogačar,” Maxim jumps in, explaining their get-up for the day. So far, they have not been successful.
More to the point, what is it about Pogačar that they love so much?
“His punch, his attacks, his mentality, his will to win, his strength as a rider,” Maxim explains, breathlessly. “He can win on every terrain. He is an example to everyone and he’s already been strong since he was young.
“We’ve been following him since his ride in the 2019 Vuelta a España,” Mathis adds, “and I already knew about him before that because of Pro Cycling Manager. I’ve known about him for a long time.”
After a day where Pogačar would fail to fully drop Vingegaard, and then get beaten in a sprint for the first time by the Dane (before Pogačar would put time into the defending champion on Pla d’Adet), did they still believe the Slovenian could win the Tour.
“Of course,” they answered, before considering. “I hope … “
I wish them luck on their quest for a photo and bid them farewell.
As Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard’s legacies have grown, you see increasing numbers of UAE and Visma-Lease a Bike jerseys on the roadside. Mostly worn by children either inspired by the playfulness of Pogačar or the pure strength and desire to win of Vingegaard. You see mini Jonases on the road (accompanied by their parents) as you drive between start and finish towns. You see others draped in the black and white of UAE sat on the roadside, waiting for the peloton to whoosh past.
The next day’s Tour stage starts in Aurillac, where the brothers are from. As chance would have, mostly because they are unmissable in a crowd, I would bump into them again, hugging the barriers next to the team presentation to catch a glimpse of their guy. Fandom, unbridled joy unbowed by external forces. That’s mostly what the Tour is all about.
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