Looking Back at Tadej Pogacar Playing Rock Paper Scissors With Rafal Majka at the Finish Line in 2022

Cyclists go through immense pressure and physical strain during a race, pushing their bodies to the maximum of limits to derive a favorable result. The satisfaction of a win after going through such tough times must surely taste sweet, but something memorable occurred two years ago in Slovenia. It was Stage 4 of the Slovenia Tour’22, and teammates Rafal Majka and Tadej Pogacar decided to have some fun.

With a considerable lead, the Emirates Team cyclists were miles ahead of the others. With no threats at the finish line, they played a round of rock, paper, scissors to decide who would cross the finish line. The video of the duo doing it went viral and won the hearts of everyone online. Let’s go back in time and see how the wholesome interaction unfolded.

When rock-paper-scissors made its debut in cycling

Imagine dominating a race so much that you have no competitors chasing behind you that you decide to have some fun with your teammate mid-race. That is exactly what champion cyclists Tadej Pogacar and Rafal Majka did, believe it or not! The duo had almost finished the grueling 152.4-kilometer race from Lasko to Velika Planina on Stage 4.

As they approached the finish line together, commentator Carlton Kirby narrated the heartfelt and comical moment as it went down. “They are playing rock, paper, scissors before the line. He was teasing him. That’s fantastic. Majka takes the day and Pogacar essentially takes the race,” he said.

Both of them put out their respective plays, and it was Majka who won the round of rock, paper, and scissors after he put a paper in front of Pogacar’s rock. The latter patted his teammate on the back and let him get ahead, as everyone applauded.

The Emirates duo soaked in all the applause and pedalled to the finish line together, just a few seconds apart.

Tadej Pogacar showcasing he is a true champion

Cycling fans will know it is not an individual sport like many others. It primarily functions as a team sport, and all strategies employed are used to ensure that a single team leader gets all the advantages during a race while the other members of the team, the second rider, work to support the leader’s cause.

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It could translate into many possibilities, like blocking the wind for the leader to ensure they conserve energy or even attacking opponents or counterattacking to protect the team leader.

In Emirates, Pogacar was the clear team leader, and team strategy would say let him cross the line, but such was sportsmanship between the two. Pogacar was more than happy to let Majka cross the line first, perhaps a gift for the able support he showed him in the past two days.

Eventually, Tadej Pogacar went on to win the Tour of Slovenia in 2022, and he would look back at this moment and only smile. It was almost like the heavens had rewarded him for his fair play and big heart.

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