"I saw the sparkle in his eyes" - UAE DS explains when and why Tadej Pogacar decided to race Paris-Roubaix
Cycling
In February Tadej Pogacar did a recon of Paris-Roubaix alongside Tim Wellens and DS Fabio Baldato. The Italian team DS details how it was about fun, but the riding led to the urge growing from the World Champion to race the Hell of the North.
For this, he has also decided to skip the E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem this week. "That doesn't mean he doesn't like those races. It's mainly about timing, also for the training and his peak form. It shouldn't be too long a period in which you have to push yourself every weekend. So he's shifting the planning by a week," Baldato told Sporza.
After he crashed hard at Strade Bianche, there were no apparent consequences and not only did he win the race but quickly recover. That could've made a difference in confirming his aspirations to race Roubaix. "It's not about whether it's wise or not, it's about safety. But in the end, you take risks in every race, right? You can always experience something, but my bosses (team managers, ed.) should really explain this. They know the real reasons better."
Baldato was with Pogacar in France over a month ago and whilst the training was initially not shared online - rather, the World Champion was spotted - the reveal then blew up throughout the cycling world and UAE's management has been swarmed with constant questions about his presence. Now this has finally been confirmed.
"It was his desire and his wish. That's why we're skipping the races this week. Nobody rides the entire spring, right? I was with him when he was scouting with Tim Wellens. First we were just going to do Flanders, then Roubaix followed. So that wasn't planned. But afterwards I saw the sparkle in his eyes," he details. "We saw that he wanted it, he had to convince the bosses."
So we will have a Pogacar debut in Roubaix this year and as most races, he should automatically be a favourite for the win, even though a few riders will be better adapted to hunt for the triumph in the velodrome. "He deserves it too. Tadej is such a talent. If he wants to, he should follow his heart. And the team was prepared to go along with his dream."
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Tadej Pogacar on #ParisRoubaix 2025, HERE WE GO! ✅🌈 pic.twitter.com/rHNSneS1Ak
— Paris-Roubaix (@parisroubaix) March 26, 2025
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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