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Tour standout Prodhomme laughs off Pogacar’s ‘Pantani’ nickname: ‘I’d prefer he called me by my name’ Nicolas Prodhomme emerged as one of the surprise performers of the 2026 Tour de France, earning high praise and an unexpected nickname from Tadej Pogacar. Now the Decathlon CMA CGM climber has responded to the comparison and revealed how his breakthrough Tour has changed his own ambitions. Favourite us on Google Join us on Whatsapp Subscribe to Newsletter Tadej Pogačar meant it as a compliment when he revealed that UAE Team Emirates-XRG had started calling Nicolas Prodhomme “Pantani” during the Tour de France, but the Frenchman would still prefer something a little more conventional. “Honestly, I don’t really see myself as Pantani and I’d prefer it if he called me by my name,” Prodhomme told VéloFuté with a laugh. “But when I read the explanation behind the nickname, it is actually a really nice compliment. So I take it with humour and see the positive side of it.” The comparison with Marco Pantani came after a remarkable Tour from a rider who arrived in Barcelona with a very different job description. Prodhomme was there primarily to work for Paul Seixas in the mountains, yet still finished 16th overall while helping his young teammate to fourth place in the general classification. Both positions are confirmed in the Tour’s final standings. His performances were enough to catch the attention of Pogačar and the rest of UAE. Speaking after the Tour, the Slovenian revealed that Prodhomme’s habit of producing hard accelerations on the climbs had become a running joke within the team. Pogačar described him as one of the strongest riders of the race who had not received the recognition he deserved, praising the work he had done for Decathlon. Prodhomme explains the Pogačar stare It was one particular acceleration, however, that produced one of the more memorable exchanges of the final weekend. On the Col de Sarenne during stage 20, Prodhomme moved to the front and suddenly lifted the pace. Pogačar came alongside him and stared across at the Frenchman for several seconds, with the footage quickly circulating after the stage. Pogačar later explained that he had already spent a considerable amount of time riding into the wind for teammate Isaac del Toro and had hoped Decathlon might contribute to the pace. Prodhomme had little incentive to do so, with Seixas trying to dislodge Del Toro from third place overall. From Prodhomme’s perspective, the acceleration that prompted the stare was partly the result of a misunderstanding. “It was mainly a communication problem with the team car,” he explained. “I was supposed to make the race harder, but not exactly at that moment. The radios weren’t working perfectly, so I accelerated very hard for a short period when the move was actually supposed to come a few kilometres later.” “I think he was simply wondering why I was doing that. At the time I didn’t even notice him looking at me because I was busy with the radio and my computer. There is no problem between us.” Prodhomme added that there is mutual respect between the pair and said Pogačar had even congratulated him after the Markstein stage, where the Decathlon rider had again been tasked with making the race difficult. The attention is new territory for Prodhomme, who only turned professional in 2021 after completing two apprenticeships as an electrician and working around 35 hours a week alongside his cycling. He believes his biggest strength is not a single explosive effort, but his ability to recover and repeat hard efforts over several days. That was especially clear in the final week of the Tour, when Prodhomme was still among the last riders in the group on the hardest climbs while working for Seixas. ‘A top 10 might have been possible’ Prodhomme eventually finished 16th overall despite never riding for his own classification. “With the legs I had, I can imagine that a top 10 might have been possible in a different scenario,” he said. “But that would have meant saving energy and therefore helping my leaders less.” The result has strengthened his belief that he belongs alongside Seixas, even as Decathlon adds more climbing support. “I don’t see it as a threat,” Prodhomme said. “After what I showed at the Tour, I know what I can bring to a three week race.” “I think I showed what I was worth and that I deserved my place alongside Paul.” His Tour has also raised another question: could Prodhomme start getting leadership opportunities of his own? “That can clearly become a topic for next year,” he said. “I think I have the level to aim for that role in certain races.” More than a high general classification, however, Prodhomme says he is motivated by winning. “If I had to choose, I could prefer trying to win a stage at the Tour rather than finishing fifth overall.” He already has one Grand Tour stage victory, having won at the Giro d’Italia in 2025. Now he wants to complete the set. “If I had to name a real career objective, it would be to complete the trilogy across the three Grand Tours,” he said. “I won a stage at the Giro last year. Now I’m targeting the Tour and the Vuelta.” Join our WhatsApp service Be first to know. Subscribe to Domestique on WhatsApp for free and stay up to date with all the latest from the world of cycling.