“Why do you hyperventilate every time you see me?” Vuelta influencer accused of “setting women in sport back years” after “cringe” Tadej Pogačar ‘interview’; Hulk Hayter explains ripped shorts + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“Why do you hyperventilate every time you see me?” Vuelta influencer accused of “setting back women being taken seriously in sport by a bajillion years” after “cringe” Tadej Pogačar ‘interview’
Meet Erola Jons. She’s a Spanish social media influencer who’s racked up 3.2 million followers on Instagram, and a further 2.9 million on TikTok, for her hidden camera pranks.
In most of her videos, according to the Spanish press, Jons approaches random men in public and attempts to embarrass them with sexually charged questions. That’s what the kids on TikTok want these days, I suppose.
Erola also courted controversy within the cycling community over the weekend, her new role as an official Vuelta influencer backfiring spectacularly on the race organisers after a rather cringe encounter with race leader Tadej Pogačar.
The 29-year-old, just in case you were unaware, has been hired by the Vuelta to help bring the race to a new, younger audience (what are they saying about us?), through a series of behind-the-scenes YouTube videos, which see Jons don her red lanyard and act as a “roving” reporter.
The Vuelta’s Gen Z strategy hasn’t gone quite to plan, however.
Following Saturday’s opening prologue in Monaco, which saw Pogačar pip Ethan Hayter to the win and the red jersey by 0.09 seconds, the Vuelta posted a live video of Jons’ backstage shenanigans. Which, even accounting for the language barrier, looked pretty awkward to me.
Around 11 minutes into the clip, after interviewing a few spectators, she stops an unsuspecting Netcompany Ineos soigneur, waiting to help third-placed Josh Tarling.
“You are here to distract the journalists? Are you here to win, or to distract me?” Because you’re cute, you know?” she tells the swannie, who evidently wanted the ground to swallow him up at that point.
Believe it or not, it gets worse.
22 minutes in, in the search for some sweet, sweet content, Jons spies Pogačar making his way to the podium truck, where he’ll soon get changed into the leader’s jersey.
As she approaches the world champion, UAE Team Emirates’ press officer, Irishman Luke Maguire, intervenes, shaking his head and saying, “no, no, no, no.” Classic Luke.
After meandering aimlessly for eight minutes, Jons walks up to the steps of the truck, leans her head in, and says: “Pogachita, why do you always hyperventilate when you see me?”
Poor bemused Luke once again has to step in, politely but firmly telling Jons that she’ll have to wait for Pogačar to finish his podium duties (though that didn’t stop her shouting “Congratulations, grande Pogachita” in the direction of the red jersey a few minutes later).
Podium ceremonies all ticked off, Erola finally got her chance.
“Pogachita, congratulations. Why do you hyperventilate every time you see me?”
“What?” a bemused Pogi responded, screwing up his face. “What is that?”
“You hyperventilate, you breathe,” she replied.
“I breathe 24/7,” laughed the evidently baffled world champion, as Maguire told him, “we have to go.”
Did La Vuelta hire an influencer to harass Pog? https://t.co/GGtvuUjAL7 pic.twitter.com/OPA830stgf
— Luc Grefte (@LucGrefte) August 23, 2026
Even as Pogačar sped away, Jons laughed: “I’m going to ask him if he’s that fast in private too.”
“Look at him, who would guess he’s ridden 200km?” she continued, while standing at the finish line of the 9km time trial. “I don’t know how this guy is doing in the general classification, but in mine he’s first.”
Blimey.
And while her Vuelta livestream has only accrued 9,000 views on YouTube, a clip of her interaction with Pogačar has gone viral, prompting fans to accuse her of “harassing” the riders while also raising serious questions about cycling’s attempts to chase new audiences. Some viewers have even called on the Vuelta to apologise for hiring Jons in the first place.
“Is it just me or is this incredibly cringe?” asked Luc Grefte, whose clip of Jons’ interviewing technique sparked the debate. “Did La Vuelta hire an influencer to harass Pog?”
“In the head of some Vuelta official, it sounded great that an ‘influencer’ with zero knowledge of cycling would open up this sport to another audience,” said Luis Jiminez. “What a huge mistake, but what do we mere mortal without influence know?”
“Brutal. I went to check her Instagram and the content is crystal clear, so whoever signed her knew damn well the path they were taking,” added Filippo Ricci. “And evidently they’ve figured that language packed with sexual innuendos was the most fitting way to create content for the Vuelta. I’m floored.”
“For the record, Erola’s not to blame for any of this, because it’s exactly what her social media is,” noted Ismael Labrador. “But it’s a format that just doesn’t fit the Vuelta.
“Cycling has spent years struggling to figure out how to adapt to new formats for consuming content, and when you have no clue what to do, you cling to the first PowerPoint the layesy 360 agency has shoved your way.”
Meanwhile, Anna Mac described the “cringe” clip has “setting back women trying to be taken seriously in sport by one bajillion years”.
Una vuelta por La Vuelta con Erola Jons para disfrutar de los mejores momentos del backstage 🙌✨https://t.co/QLvzlxsA31#LaVuelta26 pic.twitter.com/qOmcr5tdho
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 22, 2026
Laura Meseguer, one of Eurosport’s most established and respected reporters on the ground, also criticised the decision to hire Jons on Instagram, branding it “disrespectful” to the women who have fought hard to break into the male-dominated world of cycling and sport.
“This is a serious matter,” she wrote. “To sum it up, many women have spent years fighting to expand our presence in a male-dominated sport, to be treated with respect, and to have the same opportunities as others.
“It’s a serious blunder to hire someone with zero knowledge of the sport whose content will be based on this series of sexist comments that women have been running away from for centuries!
“It’s disrespectful to us, to the professionals here, and especially to the cyclists. No one should have to endure being treated as an object, neither women nor men.”
UAE Team Emirates reportedly complain to Vuelta organisers over influencer’s behaviour around Tadej Pogačar
Judging by press officer Luke Maguire’s pained expression during the Vuelta’s backstage livestream, it’ll not come as much of a surprise to any of you that UAE Team Emirates have apparently complained to the Vuelta organisers about Erola Jons’, ahem, interviewing technique.
According to Marca, the team has voiced its displeasure over the manner in which Pogačar was continuously approached by Jons as he prepared for the podium ceremonies.
The Vuelta organisers have yet to make a statement about the complaints, or whether they plan to change their partnership with Jons. Though they have also spent seven years pleading with Pogačar to return to the Spanish grand tour, so they won’t want to mess that up after just two days.
Marca has also kindly (or not so kindly) translated a few of Jons’ other, hmm, interesting contributions in her Monaco livestream that my rapidly receding A Level Spanish wasn’t able to pick up.
“Take me for a ride too.”
“It’s getting hot seeing all this Lycra, and so tight.”
“This should be illegal, so much beauty distracts me.”
“If they’re changing, even better, that’ll boost the audience.”
“Yes, he’s changing, you can see through the jersey a little and it’s not bad, I like it.”
Alright, that’s enough of that. Although, to be honest, I wouldn’t be mad if ‘Pogachita’ remained in the cycling lexicon…
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@Rendel Harris Respectfully, I disagree. Anti-cycling prejudice can be equivalent to casual racism. I agree with you that it doesn't seem to be the matter in this case, but the thoughtless "othering" and subsequent mass petty discrimination of any out-group as perceived by the cultural majority is equally problematic, regardless of the basis of the "othering"; race, religion, gender, lifestyle, etc. I don't think the level of prejudice most typically experienced by cyclists from the likes of gobshite white van men is equivalent to some of the acts of hate-crime perpetrated by extremist racists, but that's not within the scope of casual racism.
@Samtheeagle Former teacher married to a current one. The man made a stupid comment that may, in fact, have not even been anti-cyclist per se, he might have been trying a "dispose of the witness" joke, and he was ill-advisedly trying to lighten the mood for an upset student. Anyway, it was tasteless, foolish and unprofessional. Worthy of a reprimand or additional training to make him realise he has to mend his ways? Sure. Worthy of dismissal? No.
Dunno how much weight was given to this but there was the initial issue with showing students CCTV they shouldn't have. That could be seen as an attempt to engage with student's fears in a less authoritative, or being inappropriately friendly (breaking rules and making off-colour jokes) while in a position of responsibility. There could be more here in terms of management "beef" - but equally this individual could have more on the record.
@Rendel Harris I'm not aware of your role in a professional capacity so it is difficult to judge your context on this. I wonder how this would have played out had the students revisited the comments to the cyclist they injured or their parents? My view is that these things are about context and setting. I didn't find Rob Liddle's encouragement in the Times to string piano wire across cycling trails particularly funny, particularly as those things happen in the real world and (at best) the article condoned such behaviour on a national platform. Satire is a weapon best used by the powerless to mock the powerful. When this is reversed it is bullying.
Lovely bike, with a distinctive French fit. Brave having chrome on a winter bike. Chris must be fastidious with cleaning.
@mjc2669 No. Anti-cyclist prejudice is not "like casual racism" and it's absurd to say it is - go and ask anyone who's actually experienced racism what it's like. It was a stupid attempt at humour and yes these remarks are tiresome and to an extent damaging to cyclists. Enough to lose one's job over? No.
I disagree.. it's like casual racism, little comments all the time dehumanising cyclists. It's the cumulative effect that causes the problems we've all experienced on the roads. You see this 'should have finished him off ' and 'extra points for knocking off a cyclist' type comment every single day on social media and it does set an underlying tone that many people copy.
Right on! Transcontinental Races are continental races!
@ChrisA the surface make up of a path bears zero relationship to it being a footpath/suitable. I once got lectured on why I shouldn't be riding a footpath by a driver of a Range Rover on a lovely tarmacked road. Another time I was lectured by someone blocking my way on a singletrack path that was built by cyclists, who said I should only be on large wide paths. The parallel wide path was a footpath. But these are very rare exceptions. I ride sensibly and most folk are usually entertained by my polite presence. Also most footpaths would have been paths used by horses in ye olde days, they often conveniently got mislabeled/demoted by rich landowners who failed to get path denied altogether when rights of way were being drawn up.
@SecretSam Hence the rise of gravel bikes, which are just less capable drop barred bikes.