Next rider up: Gal Glivar 🇸🇮
Exclusive interview with the 22-year-old who is used to be asked if he's the next Pogačar, and who joined Alpecin-Deceuninck in the off-season
The ‘Next Rider Up’ series focuses on young and exciting talent who’s come through the ranks in Europe and the US and is on the cusp of turning pro.
However, we’ve moved the goal posts slightly for Gal Glivar, who is still just 22 but turned pro with Alpecin-Deceuninck in January.
A product of the Adria Mobil team in Slovenia, and then UAE Team Emirates Gen Z in 2024, Gil broke free from the U23 squad over the winter and decided to take a leap of faith and join Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen on Alpecin.
In this exclusive interview, we talk about his path in cycling, getting out to school at the age of nine to sit in the sports director car with his dad and travel through Europe, why he joined Alpecin, and what it’s like growing up in Slovenia in the era of Pogačar and Roglič.
Read more: 10 riders to watch at the Volta ao Algarve 🇵🇹
Daniel Benson: You made your WorldTour debut at Tour Down Under. How was the race, and how does it feel to be back in Europe ahead of your next race, the Volta ao Algarve?
Gal Glivar: I had a few days easy when I got back from Australia and went to Spain because the weather in Slovenia was super shit. I could train there, and I think that I’m well prepared for Algarve. The Tour Down Under was pretty cool. The race was super hard, and the level was super high, but it was a great experience riding with lots of the big names in cycling taking part. It’s still a bit early in the season, and I didn’t really know what to expect going into the race, but I was happy with the work that I did for the team in the sprints, and now I’m looking forward to the upcoming races.
DB: You’ve got an incredible programme coming up with Algarve, followed by Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriaitco, Catalunya, the Ardennes and then the Dauphiné.
GG: We’ll see how I feel after these stages races because I don’t have a huge amount of experience, but that’s the plan at the moment. For Algarve, we’ll talk ahead of the race, but I’m in good shape, and I’ll try and go for a stage, maybe from a breakaway. I’m not focussing on GC because my level on the climbs isn’t that high yet. With Tirreno, we know that Mathieu van der Poel is going, so on the stages that might have suited me, I’ll be working for him, which I’m super happy about. We know what sort of rider he is, and I’m looking forward to racing with him.