"He is a really normal person who has not changed at all due to fame": Slovenia's national coach praises Tadej Pogacar ahead of historic home European Championships

Slovenian cycling is firing on all cylinders right now, and the buzz is only growing with a home European Championships coming up in October. In a recent wide-ranging interview, Slovenian national team coach Uros Murn opened up about the modern racing calendar, what's really going on with Primoz Roglic's team tactics, and why Tadej Pogacar manages to stay so incredibly grounded despite completely dominating the sport.

The routes for the upcoming European Championships, which will take place in Slovenia, were recently unveiled, setting the stage for a historic event in early October. Murn confirmed that the national team will have strong representation, with eight spots for the European road race, nine for the World Championships, and two for the individual time trial.

Conversations about the final lineup will happen after the Tour de France, but the early signs are highly promising regarding rider availability. "Yes, we haven't talked specifically yet, but so far no one has said they don't see themselves in the national team," Murn noted in a recent interview.

When asked about the scheduling of the European Championships - and the broader international calendar - Murn expressed significant frustration with the UCI. He believes the push for a globalized calendar is placing an unnecessary burden on the peloton.

"In general, I think there are too many races, and above all, they are too scattered around the world," he stated. "They are being pushed into parts of the world where cycling will never be at the level of Europe, where the level is the highest. It will never be like that on other continents. That's just the way it is."

Murn pointed to shrinking start lists at races like the Tour de Romandie as proof that teams are struggling to keep up with the demands of the current schedule.

"Now they have even changed the rules so that not all world series teams have to compete in all races. Just look at this year's Tour de Romandie, where there were already significantly fewer teams on the starting list than usual. This will probably mean that some other race will be severely curtailed."

Looking ahead to the Tour de France, Murn predicts a head-to-head battle for the general classification between Pogacar and Vingegaard. For him, Tadej Pogacar is the heavy favorite.

"If everything goes as it should for Tadej, and if things go in the right direction for him with a little luck, he will be the absolute favorite," Murn explained. "Vingegaard is good, of course, but he doesn't stand out from the rest of the competitors in the way that Tadej stands out in the races he has participated in."

Beyond the physical numbers and race victories, Murn praised Pogacar's personality. "What I like most is how down to earth, cool and honest he is. It's hard to imagine that such a champion can be so normal in character. Usually champions are eccentric in one way or another, but he is a really normal person who has not changed at all due to fame. He has been the same since I have known him."

Regarding Primoz Roglic, who will be aiming for a record-breaking fifth overall Vuelta a España victory, Murn believes the veteran rider is in good form. However, he raised some questions regarding Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe's tactics throughout the season.

"I think Primoz is at a pretty solid level, but in the races he drove, their team tactics weren't entirely clear to me. I don't know, I dare say that not everything in the team is quite as it should be."

As for the rumors that Pogacar might also tackle the Vuelta later this year, Murn hopes his star rider skips the Spanish Grand Tour to stay fresh for the World and European Championships, though he admits it cannot be entirely ruled out.

"I hope not. I don't think so. But it's possible of course," Murn concluded. "Maybe it's also because he raced relatively little in the first part of the season, so he could race more in the second part."