THEMOVE+ Podcast: What Are Tadej Pogačar & UAE Testing on the Roubaix Cobbles?

Host: Lance Armstrong (not present in this episode, panel: Spencer Martin & Johan Bruyneel)
Date: December 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This special in-person episode of THEMOVE+ sees Spencer Martin and Johan Bruyneel meet on location in Costa Blanca, amidst the bustling pro cycling training camp season. The show dives deep into behind-the-scenes updates on rider transfers, team financials, kit controversies, and, most centrally, the new approach to equipment and training that top teams (notably UAE Team Emirates) and Tadej Pogačar are taking—particularly in preparation for the brutal cobbled classic, Paris-Roubaix. The episode reveals a calendar-driven, hyper-professional era of cycling, where nothing is left to chance, from race weight to tire width.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Oscar Onley / Team dsm-firmenich-PostNL Situation

• Rumors Intensify: Oscar Onley, fourth at the 2025 Tour de France, is notably absent from the team’s training camp.
• Johan's Perspective: "I can perfectly see Oscar Onley not riding for Picnic Post NL and riding for INEOS. And I think for him, it makes sense... If you're in a team that cannot give you stability for the next three years, then it's normal that you look for somewhere else." (04:15–06:40)
• Financial Instability: The team’s long-term WorldTour license is in doubt; they only have guarantees through 2026 due to an inability to provide financial guarantees for 2027–28.
• Pattern Noted: Several previous high-profile riders left the team early (Kittel, Dumoulin, Hershey, etc).
• Possible Sale: The sale of either Onley or the team/license is considered likely, with speculation about potential value if such a sale happens.

2. Team Budgets, Team Value, and WorldTour Realities

• Spencer: "They had a big loss in 2022 and 2023. So I think it's a matter of time." (06:10–07:10)
• WorldTour Costs: The necessity of a 3-year projection for the UCI makes financial security crucial; the minimum budget isn’t set by rules, but operational costs make it impossible to run a competitive team cheaply.
• Expenses: Fuel and logistics costs are highlighted as surprisingly high—“I heard a team had a gas bill over a million euros.” (12:30)
• Lower-Tier Opportunity: Sometimes being a strong ProTeam (second division) is more manageable than a WorldTour squad due to obligations and budget demands.

3. Team Kits and Changing Image

• NSN Cycling’s Uniform: The new kit is described as “peachy,” “very 1980s,” and divisive. Johan: “I like it, man. I think it draws attention. It sticks out and is different than any traditional cycling uniform.” (13:31–14:28)
• Sponsorship & Brand Identity: The kit and “new bikes, new image” is seen as an explicit statement for the team’s new direction.

4. Biniam Girmay’s Role and Prospects

• Value as a Marquee Signing: Spencer: “Even if he stinks it up for the rest of his career, it’s almost worth it for them because they have an identity now.” (15:33)
• Performance Concerns: Girmay’s inconsistency is discussed, notably recent losses to Arnaud de Lie and a stretch of underwhelming results, though his young age and potential are highlighted.
• Team Stability Effects: Johan notes the likely negative impact of financial and contract uncertainties at Intermarché on Girmay’s 2025 performance, especially with unpaid bonuses. (18:29)

5. Support Structure at New Teams

• NSN vs Intermarché: NSN’s staff and infrastructure are judged to be an upgrade over Girmay’s previous environment, though questions about classic race-team depth remain.

6. Paris-Roubaix Preparation: Equipment Testing in December

• Early Equipment Testing: Pogačar, Tim Wellens, and Florian Vermeersch were spotted testing bikes and equipment on the Roubaix cobbles—in December, a full half-year before the event. (23:36–25:55)
• Changing Old School Norms: Johan: “Back in the day? Never. Nobody did that. Not even close.” (25:59–26:05)
• Focus on Marginal Gains: Testing is now for equipment—frames, wheels, tires—with significant resources from both Colnago and UAE’s technical staff.
• Tire Width Innovation: Secretive but wider-than-ever tire widths are being tried, possibly beyond 34mm. “They were also testing…some tire widths that kind of shocked me…quite a bit wider.” (30:15–30:40)
• Pogačar’s Preferences: Known to run 30mm tires year-round, while most pace-setters use 28mm.

7. Modern Approach to Training & Race Scheduling

• Training Intensity: Team training rides (UAE) reported by Neilson Powless to sometimes be harder than actual race wattages. (31:53–32:57)
• Racing Less, Training More: Average race days for top riders now hover between 40–60, far down from earlier eras (Bruyneel did 123 race days in his 1980s/90s pro years). Riders must arrive at early-season races fully fit—no more “racing into shape.” (34:00–34:51)

8. Remco Evenepoel & the Superstars’ Race Calendars

• Remco’s 2026 Schedule: Just 40 race days, focused on the Ardennes, Dauphiné, and Tour de France, then Worlds. (35:11–36:58)
• Van der Poel’s Minimal Racing: In 2021, just 37 race days; these leaders perform at every start, never “coasting.”
• Roglic Program: Skips the Tour, targets Vuelta (for a record fifth win) and likely Tour de Suisse (to win all major week-long races). (38:24–39:40)

9. Why All the Calendar Announcements Now?

• Transparency & Pressure: Early publication of race plans is driven by media pressure, internal logistics, and the requirements of training camp attendance (altitude camps, etc).
• Team Management Philosophy: Johan favors a balance: have a core group for Tour selection, but retain spots for last-minute competition and to motivate riders; too-early finalization risks demotivation and internal staleness. (46:57–50:44)

10. Tour de Suisse Shrinks

• Preparation Impact: Now a five-day race (from seven or more), which could complicate Tour de France prep for some, requiring extra camps to simulate previous intensity. (52:29–53:31)

11. The Strava Challenge (Fun Segment)

• Ongoing annual mileage contest between Spencer and Johan. Current standings: Johan ahead (over 12,000km), Spencer trailing. Segment is a fan favorite; listeners check in on their rivalry. (53:58–56:24)
• Notable exchange:
  Johan: “I run into people…and the first thing they ask is, ‘How are you doing compared to Spencer?’” (56:08)

12. Costa Blanca as Training Camp Central

• Region chosen for stable winter weather, affordable hotels, great riding, and a cycling-friendly culture. Remco Evenepoel and M. van der Poel both live here season-round. (57:44–60:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Equipment Testing’s New Importance:
  "Testing equipment for Paris-Roubaix—on the cobbles, in December—it's just what they do now. Pogačar can't go anywhere incognito."
  — Johan Bruyneel (25:09–25:55)

• Changing Preparation:
  "Back in the day, never. Nobody did that... Now, even a guy like Van Aert, who knows the race in and out, is already testing equipment."
  — Johan (25:59–26:06)

• On Girmay’s Value to NSN:
  "Even if he stinks it up for the rest of his career, it's almost worth it for them because now they have an identity."
  — Spencer (15:33)

• On Team Financial Precarity:
  "If you're in a team that cannot give you the stability for the next three years, then it's normal that you look for somewhere else."
  — Johan (06:29)

• On Modern Race Preparation:
  “These guys always ride fast… Neilson Powless said: The group training rides are insane—average watts higher than Tour of Flanders.”
  — Johan (31:53–32:57)

• On Race Day Reduction:
  “I had 123 race days in 1989. Now, Remco’s doing 40.”
  — Johan (33:26, 36:58)

• On Paris-Roubaix tire widths:
  "I do wonder if we're gonna see tire widths take a step up… even bigger than 34."
  — Spencer (30:30–30:40)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Oscar Onley Transfer Update: 04:15–09:45
• Pro Team Funding & Value: 07:10–10:47
• Cycling Kit Design Debate: 13:09–14:55
• Girmay’s Status at NSN: 15:00–19:56
• UAE Testing for Paris-Roubaix: 23:36–25:55
• Pogačar Equipment Choices: 28:23–31:09
• Modern Pro Training Intensity: 31:53–34:51
• Remco Evenepoel’s Race Program: 35:11–36:58
• Managing Team Selection Transparency: 46:57–50:44
• Tour de Suisse Shortening: 52:29–53:31
• Costa Blanca as Winter Base: 57:44–61:01

Listener Takeaways

• Professional cycling is increasingly hyper-planned and financially precarious, with teams and riders both seeking stability and performance edges.
• Technology and marginal gains (esp. equipment for tough classics) are now year-round obsessions, with even tire widths being innovated months in advance.
• Team dynamics, leadership, and the public announcement of race calendars are evolving, often influenced as much by logistics, team politics, and sponsor needs as they are by pure sporting aims.

This episode offers an unprecedented look into the industrial-level planning and strategy now at work in top-level cycling, driven home by stories from inside training camps, tech labs, and transfer negotiations. For the cycling die-hard or the curious outsider, it's a fascinating listen.

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