Pogačar carries water bottles: "It's hard work, don't be fooled."

There's a moment during the Tour de France when even the world's best rider turns into a mere domestique. It happened on stage 13 of the Grande Boucle, when Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), a four-time winner of the race, was spotted riding up the peloton with his arms full of water bottles, ready to distribute them to his teammates.

The incident occurred approximately 70 km after the start from Dole, with Belfort still 135 km away. The peloton was in single file, as often happens in the fastest and most tense stages, meaning Pogačar had to cover a considerable distance to climb from the team car to the front of the peloton.

This type of task is normally reserved for domestiques , those tireless domestiques who work in the shadows to protect their captain from any unnecessary effort. Seeing the leader in the yellow jersey do their job was, for many, a new and moving sight.

In the yellow jersey's press conference after the stage, Pogačar recounted the incident with his usual lightheartedness: "It's too hard, honestly," he said with a smile. "It's just not for me, especially when the peloton is in a line."

The Slovenian champion then explained how the situation arose: "I stopped for a physical need. I was near the car and grabbed a few extra water bottles for the guys who were pulling." No heroic gesture, then, but a pure opportunity seized.

What was most striking, however, was the reflection that followed: "They do it for me throughout the Tour. Every 10 minutes they go get the water bottles. Today I was there, so I took a few more." Words that demonstrate how aware Pogačar is of the daily sacrifice his teammates make.

And the conclusion, lapidary and sincere, immediately went viral in the cycling world: "It's hard work, don't be fooled."

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency