His name is Alan, and his last name is Gilbert, and, unbeknownst to his father Philippe, he invited Tadej Pogacar to train together. Evidently, the cycling profession is passed down from father to son: the passion Philippe has transmitted to his eldest son is truly immense.

It all started with a WhatsApp message, through which the fourteen-year-old Belgian invited the world champion to train together. Philippe Gilbert learned about the proposal directly from Tadej Pogacar, who, out of courtesy, wanted to inform the father of the young man's intentions.

The story was recounted by Philippe Gilbert himself during the radio show Dans le Peloton on RTL. "It was crazy," he said laughing, "And this says a lot about who Tadej Pogacar is and how passionate he truly is about this sport. Incredible, he responded to a 14-year-old and decided to go out with him."

The training took place on the roads of Monaco, where both Gilbert with his family and Pogacar live. The young cyclist behaved extremely well when he pedaled in the company of the world champion, and Urska, Pogacar's girlfriend, was also with them.

"My son sent him a WhatsApp message but he hadn't told me anything. Then Tadej wrote to me the next day: Listen, your son wants to go for a bike ride with me. I propose we go out in three later, when I'll be in a more relaxed moment of the day."

Philippe Gilbert, incredulous about the received message, first reflected and then gave his consent. "The next day Alan went for a ride with Tadej and they did about ten kilometers together. Then Tadej, who rides very, very fast even in training, went ahead. Alan continued and then, returning, told me he was really super happy."