Tadej Pogacar is already a legend of modern cycling, but Paris-Roubaix remains the one Monument missing from his palmarès.
The UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader arrives at the 2026 edition as one of the standout favourites alongside Mathieu van der Poel, having already won Milano-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders this spring. A victory on Sunday would complete the full set.
And yet, one question continues to dominate the build-up. How do you beat Van der Poel on the cobbles?
From Grand Tours to the pavé
Pogacar’s presence at the front of every major race has become normal. Not long ago, riders built for three-week Grand Tours were not expected to compete on terrain like this.
Milano-Sanremo was once defined by sprint finishes. The Tour of Flanders belonged to cobbled specialists. Pogacar has changed that.
Through aggressive racing, strength and tactical intelligence, he has become a contender everywhere, including on the pavé. Even at just 66 kilograms, he has proven he can match the very best on these roads. That was clear at Paris-Roubaix 2025, where he took on Van der Poel directly and was only distanced after a crash on the Mérignies à Avelin sector.
The Van der Poel problem
Mathieu van der Poel remains the reference point. The Dutchman has dominated the cobbled Monuments in recent seasons and arrives at Roubaix chasing a fourth consecutive victory. Even in 2025, when Pogacar pushed him closest, Van der Poel still looked the strongest rider in the race.
That is why, despite Pogacar’s perfect record this spring, the doubt remains. Can he beat Van der Poel on this terrain?
The weight factor and the reality of Roubaix
Paris-Roubaix has traditionally favoured bigger, more powerful riders. Last year underlined that reality. Riders such as Mads Pedersen, Wout van Aert, Stefan Bissegger, Fred Wright, Jasper Philipsen, Filippo Ganna and Biniam Girmay — all significantly heavier than Pogacar — were expected to dominate on the cobbles.
Instead, Pogacar was the one riding at the front. That performance reshaped expectations, but it also highlighted the challenge. Matching Van der Poel is one thing. beating him is another.
How Pogacar can win
If Pogacar is to win Paris-Roubaix, the race cannot be allowed to follow a standard script. UAE Team Emirates - XRG will need to make it hard from the very beginning, just as they did at the Tour of Flanders. A high tempo, constant pressure and controlled aggression will be key.
From Compiègne, the plan would be to keep the speed high and avoid allowing any dangerous breakaway to settle. Riders like Vermeersch and Molano will be crucial in positioning Pogacar before the Arenberg Forest, the sector that traditionally marks the start of the decisive phase.
From there, the race must be forced open. An attack in Arenberg, followed by a second move in Warlaing à Brillon — where Pogacar already holds the Strava KOM — and a final effort on Mons-en-Pévèle could create the separation needed.
The objective is clear. Arrive alone in the Roubaix velodrome.
Tadej Pogacar during recon of the cobbles ahead of Paris-Roubaix 2026
Avoiding the worst-case scenario
Because if Pogacar reaches Roubaix with Van der Poel, the outcome becomes far more uncertain. A sprint between the two would favour the Dutchman, who has repeatedly shown his ability to finish races off in decisive moments.
For Pogacar, the path to victory is therefore simple in theory, but brutally difficult in practice. He has to go early, go hard, and go alone.
Pogacar has already redefined what is possible in modern cycling. Winning Paris-Roubaix would take that even further, completing the set of Monuments and confirming his status across every terrain the sport can offer. But to do it, he must solve the one problem that has defined the cobbled Classics in recent years. Mathieu van der Poel.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 5visitors 5
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
- Awwww your inside information must be from PogiFanGirl. You two daughters of different mothers?frieders302-11-2026
- Hey PogIFanGirl...wipe that cream from your lips! You're ever loving drooling and whatever you have for Tadej has your brain fried!frieders302-11-2026
- Why should he 'let it go' ! Because you said so? Anytime LA Doper is called out is a win win !frieders302-11-2026
- Geez LeMond...let it go. You're a has been, albeit a former great one. But this is all water under the bridge and just undermines your legacy further.Mshark01-11-2026
- 'The Slovenian has collected four Tour de France titles' ... '[Kieran Wood's] ... reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis'. i would say that is pretty inaccurate accurate coverage, kieran wood ... too bad that AI's knowledge often lags several months behind ... but proof reading is certainly part of accurate coverage, isn't it? but fortunately does Kieran Wood place 'strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.' i would say the fifth tdf title is pretty new (and even verified) information, so feel free to update this article.Ketterechts01-11-2026
- You are wrong, they are already working on his new tt position. And yes, Trump does love you 😂👍🏼awp01-11-2026
- The Erola Jons incident was not isolated. She felt she could do that because that's how everyone treats Tadej. Remember when he said "If I say wait 2 mins do you show the middle finger and walk off angry?" about the supposed fan who did exactly that? There's nothing wrong with the nurses and doctors asking him to give autographs... but do the surgery first
Rafionain-Glas01-11-2026 - Perhaps he has what Mark Cavendish had, the Epstein-Barr Virus. It caused him severe and unexplained chronic fatigue. I hope he gets better.
parisbound0001-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment