Defending UAE Tour champion Lennert Van Eetvelt reflects on his experiences racing against Tadej Pogačar. Despite being significantly behind in time, he appreciates the opportunity to compete with such a high-caliber athlete. Van Eetvelt acknowledges the size of the gap and believes racing against Pogačar is beneficial for his development, despite often being dropped. A notable moment was when he briefly followed Pogačar's lead in a breakaway, culminating in a playful sprint battle, emphasizing the enjoyment of the competition even when the outcome seems predetermined.
"Racing against him you get dropped anyway; usually it's pointless to follow him. But it's nice – he's the best rider at the moment and maybe the best rider ever."
"I was joking with teammates that if we go now, they won't respond and then Tadej went with some other guys. It was maybe not really smart but it was a fun day."
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