Bold statement: Gift-giving in cycling isn’t just about showy prizes—it’s a window into team culture and loyalty that lingers long after the podium fades. And this is the part most people miss: the gifts Pogacar chooses reveal how he values the daily grind and the people who power a championship bid.
Tadej Pogacar recently shared on Jakob Fuglsang’s podcast Fuglsang i Feltet how a running joke on the UAE Team Emirates bus during the 2023 Tour de France evolved into a thoughtful, expensive gesture of appreciation for his teammates. After losing the yellow jersey to Jonas Vingegaard, Pogacar decided to invest in something meaningful for the entire squad: a Marzocco coffee machine for every rider on the Tour team. He explains that coffee talk became a daily ritual throughout the Tour, making the gift feel natural and deserved: a practical token that could be used together during long days on the road.
Pogacar even jokes about his own barista skills, saying he owns a Marzocco Micra and can steam milk to try for a rosetta, though he concedes most attempts don’t turn out perfectly. The message behind the gift isn’t gadget envy or status: it’s a shared experience, a reminder of the coffee chats that kept the team grounded under the pressure of the GC battle.
This isn’t an isolated pattern. Pogacar’s end-of-Tour thank-you gestures often lean toward personal, slightly quirky gifts rather than traditional prestige items. The broader story fits with another well-known episode from Pogacar’s career. After his 2021 Tour de France victory, teammate Brandon McNulty recounted that Pogacar gave everyone a high-end Green Egg barbecue smoker—a bold choice that sparked humor and practicality alike. McNulty’s apartment-dwelling reality in Girona highlighted the gift’s practicality (or, frankly, its limitations) but didn’t diminish its symbolic value: the idea that such a gift would bring the team together beyond the race’s adrenaline.
Tejay van Garderen has described Pogacar’s gifting approach as distinct from more conventional Tour-winner gestures. While some champions have opted for cash or vacations, Pogacar’s approach comes from a younger, heart-led place: he loves the gifts, so he imagines that everyone else will love them too. The consistency across these stories is clear: Pogacar favors personal, slightly offbeat presents that mirror his interests and recognize the people who shoulder the team’s workload during cycling’s most demanding event.
Bottom line: Pogacar’s post-Tour gifts are less about grandeur and more about shared rituals, camaraderie, and acknowledging the everyday moments that bond a team under pressure. Do you think these kinds of personalized, quirky gifts build stronger team cohesion than traditional prizes? Share your take in the comments: are thoughtful, unconventional gestures the best way to say “thank you,” or do classic rewards carry more weight? Would you prefer a practical gift you can use daily, or something more symbolic that commemorates a team’s memory? If you enjoyed this look at Pogacar’s gifting philosophy, tell us which personal touch you’d value most on a winning squad.
