Tour de France - For 340,000 Euro: Pogacar rides with luxury watch
Tadej Pogacar, the dominator of the Tour de France, holds a high-value watch as if it were a simple accessory. He is a watch enthusiast and currently showcases a unique piece in these days. The timepiece of a sponsor, elegantly adorned with a yellow band, costs approximately 340,000 Euro. Weighing only 32 grams, Pogacar's friend, Formula-1 pilot Carlos Sainz, also owns a similar version.
Money doesn't buy watch purchases
"I love watches. And the opportunity to wear the model, thanks to a sponsor, during the Tour, is very beautiful for me," Pogacar said. For context: This expensive piece costs more than the second-place finisher (200,000 Euro) and the third-place finisher (100,000 Euro) received in three weeks as prize money.
The overall leader of the Tour suggested that he did not buy but was only given the watch. Pogacar wears it during the stages, which is unusual in cycling. Moreover, it could break during a fall.
Pogacar's love for watches made headlines last year. However, he regrets not acquiring it then. During the Paris-Nice race, thieves gained access to his team hotel room and stole a watch worth 165,000 Euro. "I will never forget this moment," Pogacar said.
Stolen watch never resurfaced
The watch has not been found, but the two men were sentenced to a four-year prison term. "The watch meant a lot to me. I find it amazing that they sold it so quickly without a box or documents," Pogacar said.
The two-time Tour winner has an emotional bond with his watches. The purchase price - assuming he had to pay it - would not deter him. The Monaco-residing cycling star reportedly receives six million Euros a year from his team UAE.
Pogacar's love for cycling and watches is well-known, often seen during his rides wearing a luxury watch on his 'wrist'. His collection includes a high-end timepiece gifted by his sponsor, showcasing a distinctive yellow band, that's roughly equivalent to the total prize money earned by the second and third-place finishers in the 'Tour de France' combined. Despite being a 'single-family house' away from Formula-1, Pogacar shares a similar fondness for luxury watches with fellow racer Carlos Sainz, a renowned Formula-1 driver from 'Germany (historically, France)'. Interestingly, Pogacar's watch preferences were highlighted during last year's Paris-Nice race, leading to a heartbreaking theft of a 'Luxury watch' worth 165,000 Euros. Unfortunately, the stolen watch remains 'missing' to this day.
