"I would not be reassured if I were Van der Poel and Van Aert" - Would Tadej Pogacar be the favourite at Paris-Roubaix?

Is Tadej Pogacar heading to Paris-Roubaix or not? It remains one of the two Monuments he has yet to win, alongside Milano-Sanremo, which he will attempt to conquer next month.

Mathieu van der Poel has dominated Paris-Roubaix in recent years, winning the last two editions in record time. However, Pogacar has already proven his ability to triumph on cobbled terrain, having beaten Mathieu van der Poel to victory at the Tour of Flanders in 2023.

Thijs Zonneveld, speaking on the podcast In het Wiel, highlighted the weight difference between Pogacar and traditional Paris-Roubaix contenders. "How much does he differ in weight from the guys who are favorites, like Mads Pedersen, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Stefan Küng? Ten kilograms with Van der Poel and even more with the rest."

Despite this, Zonneveld believes Pogacar's strengths could still make him a favourite. "He is handy, can position himself well and if it is a long and tough race, that is also fine for him. And for a light rider, he also has a very high absolute power."

There are strong hints that Pogacar might be targeting the race. "I would not be reassured if I were Van der Poel and Van Aert. I would not give him ten metres. Van der Poel was still reasonably hypothermic, but others less so. A Philipsen already said: 'Why would you go reconnaissance in Het Bos if you do not plan to participate?' A good point."

The speculation continues, with Zonneveld adding, "At first I thought it wouldn't be before this year, but when I saw the reconnaissance and the reaction of his team in the second instance... Pogacar gave an evasive answer before the UAE Tour when he was asked about Paris-Roubaix. It wasn't a hard no."

Ultimately, Pogacar may be playing mind games. "For me it's half the point, or maybe the whole point. He's also trying to drive everyone crazy, and he's doing a pretty good job of it. I'm sure it was discussed at dinner tables all over Europe and beyond. Would he participate? Could he actually win?"

The psychological warfare is already underway. "He's already engaged in psychological warfare. You don't come to that part of France for fun and if you're going to ride 165 kilometres in drizzly weather on cobblestones, then that's with an idea."

Will Pogacar start as the favourite, if he is indeed heading to Roubaix? Or could Van der Poel still pull off the hat trick?