How to make an encounter with a champion of Tadej Pogacar's caliber unforgettable? Thibault Escaich, a young French triathlon enthusiast, had an original idea. No autographs, no selfies, but rather an indelible mark of that meeting. A tattoo. Twenty-three years old, living not far from Toulouse, Thibault was in Monaco on Sunday and, on the sidelines of the Beking event, approached the world champion Slovenian with a piece of paper in hand, explaining: "If you write a word, a thought, or even a drawing on this sheet, I'll get it tattooed."

Pogacar, perhaps a bit surprised by the request, tried to verify if he had understood correctly. After confirmation, he took a pen and paper and wrote "Life is awesome, Pogi" (life is fantastic, Pogi, ed.), making his admirer happy, who thanked him with a handshake.

Thibault then posted the video of the encounter with the Slovenian champion on social media and wrote in the caption: "The trilogy is complete." Yes, because on his skin the young Frenchman has tattooed memories of Olympic swimming champion Léon Marchand and marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge.