🎥 Christmas in the race: Pogacar in Christmas jersey on the bike, teammate Ulissi announces arrival of third baby

The Christmas bug is in the country and the little beast is also brewing among the many cyclists around the world. Some are announcing a baby, others are putting on their bikes in Christmas jerseys or starting with dessert instead of traditional oven snacks. IDLProcycling brings a concise overview of how Christmas is celebrated in racing.

Remco Evenepoel started celebrating early in the morning, but cut his teeth on Christmas Eve first for dessert. On the menu was a square chocolate cream cake, a coke, an extra cake and a coffee. To get that high-energy breakfast, the Belgian champion first had to travel more than a hundred kilometers toward Antwerp to his physiotherapist Thijs Hertsens. Afterwards, of course, the ex-Vuelta winner still had to return home, so he still ended up with a trip of more than two hundred (!) kilometers.

Tadej Pogacar also crawled onto his bike on Christmas Day. This time not in his new UAE Emirates jersey, but in a traditional Christmas sweater. Together with his fiancée Urska Zigart he took to the track, but when he arrived home the work was not over. The Slovenian, who will be heading to the Giro for the first time next season, had to help carry the Christmas tree afterwards.

The best present was not under the Christmas tree at the home of Diego Ulissi and his wife Arianna. The 34-year-old Italian, who is also Pogacar's teammate at UAE, announced under the pine needles the arrival of their third child. Beautiful images!

Demi Vollering stuck to a walk along the beach with her dog. Afterwards, there could have been a reward in the evening. Her friend Jan de Voogd pampered his Dutch champion with homemade tiramisu. Tasty, Demi and Jan!

For seven-time rookie jersey winner Peter Sagan, physical labor was on the Christmas menu, though. The 33-year-old Slovakian posted on Instagram how he exhausted himself in the gym. Respect, Peter!

Where many a cyclist seeks warmth around the Christmas tree, Steven Kruijswijk is heading to colder places. The 36-year-old Dutchman, wearing a Jumbo-Visma ski suit, posted on Instagram a photo on ski slats with the Italian Alps as an impressive backdrop.