Pogačar Calls Shimano Bikes ‘Wheelbarrows’ after Roubaix Drama

Tadej Pogačar got “spaghetti legs” and was outsprinted by Wout van Aert at Paris-Roubaix after he pedaled a “wheelbarrow” across the heinous pavé.

At least, that’s how the UAE Emirates superstar described his wild ride through the Hell of the North on Sunday in quotes that have recently emerged from Slovenian media.

Pogačar’s quest to complete the monument sweep began to unravel when he was forced to take a Shimano neutral service bike he believes was better suited to gardening.

“I had a front puncture for a while, but when I also had a puncture on the rear tire, I couldn’t go any further, so I had to change my bike,” Pogačar told Slovenian outlet RTV Slo on Sunday.

“I got some ‘karjolo’ [slang for wheelbarrow – ed] from Shimano,” he quipped. “I could ride a little, but I had to change the bike again.

“Then the chase started, and I punctured again.”

Pogačar was forced to take a neutral service bike 120km from the finish Sunday when he punctured on the cobbles of Quérénaing.

The UAE Emirates team car was way back, forcing King Pog to suffer what the peloton sees as “the last resort” – riding a Shimano neutral service bike.

Pogačar held back by wrong saddle height, bad wheels

Shimano cars are loaded with unbranded blue bikes that are fitted with different pedal systems and a dropper post. In theory, the cars can provide a lifeline to riders using any cleat system, and of any size.

Only Pogačar seemed to be unaware of the latter.

“I was able to start my chase, but it had been a long time since I’d ridden a Shimano bike. The saddle height wasn’t right,” he told Slovenian media.

“The wheels weren’t suitable for the terrain either. So I had to switch again.”

The rest is history.

The Mercxk-chasing modern GOAT still had the legs to chase back to set up the thrilling final with Van Aert, but by then, his legs were noodles.

A frantic pursuit and – who knows, maybe 6km riding a bike that didn’t fit – had cooked his quads.

“I still had hope in the sprint. But when I started the sprint my legs were like spaghetti,” Pogačar said in his finish line interview.

Shimano neutral service bikes: The last resort for the stranded

Shimano doesn’t build its own frames, so it sources its neutral fleet externally before it debadges them and daubs them in bold blue.

The exact brand and model of bike is a closely-guarded secret, however, it’s clear that they’re no Pogi-approved Colnago Y1RS.

It’s widely believed they’re a very dated Canyon Endurace.

Speaking to Sporza, former Roubaix champion turned Shimano driver Servais Knaven hinted that the need to fit a dropper post keeps the bikes in the past.

“We use bikes with dropper posts, so the riders can easily adjust their saddle height using the handlebars,” Knaven told Sporza. “Otherwise, you have to use an Allen key all the time.

“However, for the dropper we use, you need a round seatpost. They’re rarely made these days,” he said. “Should we ever purchase new frames in the future, that would be a challenge.”

Pogačar might hope those frames get an upgrade from “wheelbarrows” before he returns to the pavé.