At the Pogi Cup, in international cycling star Tadej Pogacar's hometown in Slovenia, 14-year-old Urban Hvastija says he wants to become as good as his idol, "the best rider in the world."

"He is a great role model for all of us young riders," Hvastija told AFP after finishing as the runner-up in the event organized every June in Komenda, just outside the capital Ljubljana, for riders age 8 to 19 years old.

• Subscribe To FloBikes To Catch All The Best Cycling, News And Highlights
• 2024 Tour de France Jersey Color Guide
• Tour de France 2026 To Start In Barcelona

With Pogacar eyeing a third Tour de France title to add to last month's first Giro d'Italia victory, his success - with that of his compatriots Primoz Roglic and Matej Mohoric - has led to a cycling boom in the Alpine state of 2 million.

"Years ago, we had barely 50 kids in the juvenile team, and now we have more than 200," Pogacar's father, Mirko, who helps organize the Pogi Cup, told AFP.

He believes Slovenia establishing itself on the biking map is a "fairytale that I don't think we could see again in the next 50 years."

As Pogacar, the Tour de France winner in 2020 and 2021 and runner-up for the last two years, aims to become the first rider in 26 years to win the Tour and the Giro in the same season, Mirko Pogacar remembers his son as an "unstoppable and skillful" youngster.

He recalls how Tadej and his older brother Tilen would use every occasion to practice in the saddle.

Once, they spotted a mound of soil in a neighbor's yard. 

"They made a (biking) path across it and spent the day riding over it up and down," smiled Mirko Pogacar.

At the age of 8, when Tilen joined the Rog cycling club outside Ljubljana, Tadej wanted to join too, but there was no bike small enough for him, and he had to wait months until one was found for him.

Still Ground For More

Mirko said his son - whose "first and ultimate great love" is cycling - was "always among the shortest kids" and so, he had to fight harder to compete.

"Once he grew up, he became much better than those that had got big earlier," Mirko Pogacar said.

By now, Pogacar - a member of the UAE Team Emirates - leads the UCI World ranking. The 25-year-old won bronze at the COVID-delayed Tokyo Olympics.

Pogacar senior said his son "sets himself goals to achieve in cycling, and that keeps him going."

"To become a champion, all parts of that puzzle have to fit, if only one is missing, the picture is not right," Mirko Pogacar said. "Tadej is only now entering the best riding years, that is between 25 and 27, so he might have quite some years more."

Pogacar's first coach, Miha Koncilija, believes the Slovenian rider, known as 'Pogi' is "at a peak."

"But, knowing him, I believe there is still room for more," Koncilija told AFP just days before the 2024 Tour de France this weekend. "He simply enjoys riding, enjoys training and beating his rivals."

Pogacar also is expected to join Slovenia's cycling team at the Paris Olympics next month and the Cycling World Championship, scheduled for September in Switzerland.

At the end of the Giro Pogacar said "we've checked one of the boxes, two or three more remain for this season."

Koncilija said Pogacar was coping well with his fame.

"Being the best rider in the world is not easy, that brings a lot of pressure with it, but besides that, he stops to talk to his fans, give autographs and stays motivated," he said.

The Tour de France gets underway in Florence, Italy, on Saturday and finishes in Nice, France, on July 21.

How To Watch Tour de France 2024 In The United States 

A live broadcast of the 2024 Tour de France will be available on Peacock for those watching from the United States. 

Peacock is the exclusive home of the event in the United States through 2029, with start-to-finish coverage of every stage, though select stages also will air on NBC.

How To Watch Tour de France 2024 In Canada 

FloBikes will provide a live broadcast for Canadian audiences.

Viewers in Canada will be able to watch all 21 stages of the Tour de France 2024 live on FloBikes and the FloSports app.

FloBikes also will provide updates, highlights and behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the entire event for all Flo subscribers. 

Catch All The Best Races, Highlights, Insight, News And More On FloBikes

FloBikes is the streaming home to some of the best cycling from across the globe. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more of your favorites in action.

FloBikes Archived Footage

Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloBikes subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Join The Conversation On FloBikes Social

• Follow us on Twitter @FloBikes
• Follow us on Instagram @flobikes
• Follow us on TikTok @flobikes
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook