Pogacar’s torn jersey sold for a record-breaking price at a charity auction, setting a new benchmark in the world of cycling memorabilia. The damaged kit, worn by Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar during his victory at Milano-Sanremo, fetched an astonishing 95,100 euros, the highest amount ever paid for a cycling jersey.
The jersey, visibly ripped from a crash earlier in the race, became a symbol of both resilience and success. Despite going down before the Cipressa climb, one of the decisive points of Milano-Sanremo, Pogacar remounted, continued with his torn kit and damaged bike, and still managed to launch a powerful attack that ultimately delivered him the win. He crossed the finish line ahead of Tom Pidcock, sealing one of the most dramatic victories of his career.
This emotional backstory clearly contributed to the extraordinary value of the jersey. Far from being a pristine collectible, the damage on the fabric tells the story of the race itself: the fall, the struggle, and the comeback. For collectors and fans, such imperfections are precisely what make an item unique and historically significant.
The auction was organized as a charity event, with all proceeds pledged to the Tadej Pogacar Foundation. The foundation works to support people affected by natural disasters and to provide assistance to sick children. By putting his race-worn jersey under the hammer, Pogacar turned a personal moment of glory and adversity into a tangible benefit for vulnerable communities.
Another striking aspect of the auction was Pogacar’s personal involvement in increasing its impact. When the bidding opened at 1,000 euros, he announced that he would double the final winning offer. This promise added an extra incentive for participants to raise their bids, knowing that any amount they pushed the jersey to would effectively be multiplied for charity.
The auction concluded during the running of the Paris-Roubaix race, another monument of professional cycling, underscoring a symbolic link between two of the sport’s great one-day events. When the auction closed, a bidder whose identity has not been disclosed had secured the jersey with the record 95,100-euro offer. With Pogacar’s pledge to match the figure, the total impact for the foundation became even more substantial.
This was not just any jersey; it came from Pogacar’s sixth attempt at Milano-Sanremo. After multiple tries, the Slovenian finally conquered the longest of cycling’s monuments, a race notorious for being both tactical and difficult to control. Winning it in such dramatic fashion added weight to the memorabilia, transforming a piece of clothing into a landmark artifact in modern cycling.
Milano-Sanremo itself is steeped in history and tradition, often called “La Primavera” and considered one of the most prestigious one-day races in the sport. It is known for its huge distance and its explosive finale on climbs like the Cipressa and Poggio. Pogacar’s crash before the Cipressa and his subsequent recovery amplified the sense that spectators were witnessing a legendary edition. The torn jersey is, in effect, a piece of that legend.
The record price speaks not only to Pogacar’s growing stature as one of the defining riders of his generation, but also to a wider trend: the rising value of authentic, story-rich sports collectibles. Fans and collectors are increasingly interested in items that are linked directly to iconic performances, particularly when they bear visible marks of the effort, such as rips, stains, or race numbers still attached.
At the same time, this sale highlights how elite athletes are using their status and personal memorabilia to drive meaningful charitable work. Rather than keeping the jersey as a private memento, Pogacar chose to put it at the service of causes he cares about. For those affected by disasters or chronic illness, the narrative of “falling and getting back up” has a powerful resonance far beyond the boundaries of professional cycling.
Economically, the sale underlines how the market for high-profile sports memorabilia has expanded. While items from football, basketball, or tennis have long commanded high sums, cycling-related objects have only recently started to reach comparable values. This record-setting price for a jersey could pave the way for future auctions where race-worn bibs, bikes, helmets, and leader’s kits draw similarly impressive bids, especially when tied to historic performances.
From a branding and image perspective, this episode strengthens Pogacar’s reputation not just as a dominant rider but as a figure who leverages his success for social good. His decision to double the winning bid demonstrates an awareness that his name and achievements carry financial weight – and that this weight can be channeled into philanthropy. For sponsors and organizers, such gestures also enhance the overall image of professional cycling.
For fans, the story offers a deeper emotional connection to the athlete. Seeing Pogacar crash, get back on his bike, and persevere with torn clothing encapsulated many of the values people admire in sport: courage, determination, and refusal to give in. The fact that this very jersey is now linked to helping children and disaster victims transforms a sporting anecdote into something with real human impact.
This auction may also influence how current and future professionals think about their own race-worn equipment. Instead of simply keeping or discarding such items, riders might increasingly set them aside for future charity initiatives. Particularly when an event has a strong narrative – a comeback win, a breakthrough victory, a landmark career moment – the memorabilia associated with it becomes a powerful fundraising tool.
Finally, the story of Pogacar’s torn Milano-Sanremo jersey illustrates how modern sport exists at the crossroads of performance, storytelling, and social responsibility. A fall on a climb, a ripped kit, a bold attack, and a long-awaited victory all merged into a single object. When that object was put up for sale with a promise to help those in need, the meaning of the race extended far beyond the finish line, leaving a lasting legacy that will be felt well outside the world of cycling.