"I hope Tadej can repeat both": Slovenian coach sets the bar high ahead of home European Championships
Cycling
In 2025, Tadej Pogacar outdid himself with an even more outstanding season than the one in 2024, which already seemed unbeatable. The Slovenian added further victories in the Tour de France, World Championships and other major races on the calendar, as well as his first victory at the European Championships. For Slovenia, the balance was a year for the history of sport in his country.
Best of all, in 2026, Slovenian fans have a good chance of being able to celebrate Pogacar's World-European double again. The World Championships will be in Montréal, with a course similar to the World Tour classic at the same venue where the UAE Team Emirates - XRG star already triumphed twice. And then the European Championships will be in Slovenia itself.
The national coach, Uros Murn, recently gave a statement to RTVSLO in which he spoke about these two major objectives. The European Championship will be more special, because of being the host country. The presence of Tadej Pogacar will not be in doubt, but the pressure will be greater.
"I think everyone wants to compete at the 2026 European Championships. The honor of competing at the European Championships in your home country is definitely very important," began Uroš Murn, who has great goals ahead of him in September and October next year.
At the Montreal 2026 World Championships, Slovenia will be able to select 9 riders, while at the European Championships the lineup will be 8 riders. We will still have to wait a while to see if Primoz Roglic decides to compete in either of the two, and if he will do it as Pogacar's domestiques.
"Cycling is a true team sport and we are living a real cycling fairy tale. Pogacar's first World Championships victory (in 2024) for Slovenia was a milestone for the Slovenian national team. Now, this streak continues with the stars of both the rainbow jersey and Europe. I hope and believe that there is a good chance of repeating both achievements next season," he added.
The energy of Tadej Pogacar
"(Tadej Pogacar) has a motivation and energy that inspire all the guys to give their all, and they give their all on the court, exceeding all their expectations. These helpers also have to be thanked for all the successes of the national team in recent years," said the coach, highlighting the motivational skills of Slovenia's first captain.
Primoz Roglic, if at the start, would once again be a key part of Slovenia's selection
Although the 2026 season has not yet started, the Slovenian Federation has already made the first recognition of the Montreal World Championship course:
"In recent years, the Slovenian Cycling Federation has left nothing to chance. We take care of all the preparations: visits, logistical organization, hotel selection, etc., among the world's leading national teams. Last week, Domen Žigante visited the route to determine which hotel and location would be the most suitable for our cyclists and staff."
"Discussions and organization are moving in this direction, so as not to waste time unnecessarily traveling to Europe and then back to Canada. We have already found excellent accommodations for the guys to stay there for the entire championship."
"We know it's a little more difficult to train in Montreal. We've found some suitable locations outside the city, but not too far away. These are training sessions between the GP Montreal and the World Championship, where we have to keep the guys."
"The route of the 2026 World Championships event has been known for some time. I was particularly interested in the initial flat section and we now have that information. The inspection of the route has already been done; the team still has to prepare a report. As for the accommodation, we have to inform the riders if it is suitable for them and, if so, confirm the reservation," he concluded.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
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