"If Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro find themselves together..." - Slovenian national coach claims UAE team dynamics might dictate Kigali World Championship road race

Former Slovenian national coach Andrej Hauptman believes the outcome of the 2025 World Championships road race in Kigali could hinge not only on the strength of his riders, but also on the presence of Slovenia leader Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates - XRG teammates across the peloton.

The Rwandan capital will stage the Worlds for the first time on September 28, with a brutal 273km course studded with steep, punchy climbs and baking heat. For many, Tadej Pogacar is the obvious favourite after sweeping the Tour de France this season, yet Hauptman has cautioned that trade team loyalties and familiar alliances might complicate Slovenia’s seemingly straightforward bid for gold.

“If Tadej and Isaac del Toro find themselves together, it could be important,” Hauptman told RTV Slovenia ahead of this Sunday's fight for the Rainbow Jersey in Rwanda. “Isaac knows him very well. That doesn’t necessarily mean he will ride for him – but in the heat of the moment, who knows how it could play out?”

Pogacar’s UAE leadership role has been bulletproof all year, with the young Mexican prodigy del Toro emerging as one of the team's potential stars of the future. The Mexican most notably came within a stage of winning the Giro d'Italia. For Hauptman, the risk at Kigali is not betrayal, but the natural instinct of teammates who’ve spent a season racing shoulder to shoulder.

That’s not the only factor facing Slovenia. While Pogacar is the undisputed spearhead, Hauptman was keen to stress that the nation’s strategy cannot be boiled down to simply carrying him to the final lap. “We’ve got a very strong team, not just Tadej,” Hauptman said. “Matej Mohoric has shown again and again what he can do in races like Milano–Sanremo and the Tour. Luka Mezgec is a rider you can always rely on in tough conditions. They’ll all have freedom to race aggressively if the opportunity comes. We’re not going to sit back and hope.”

The Slovenes arrive in Kigali with a generation of talent other nations envy. Beyond Pogacar’s Tour de France dominance and Mohoric’s monument-winning pedigree, Domen Novak adds valuable horsepower for the terrain expected in Rwanda, whilst Primoz Roglic's role is a lot more intriguing. Hauptman’s problem isn’t numbers, it’s balance: how to allow opportunists like Mohoric and Roglic to thrive while ensuring the two-time Tour winner isn’t isolated when the decisive moves come.

Even years into his career, Roglic retains the ability to influence the race: when a favourite is marked into silence or control tactics break down, he offers Slovenia a second card to play. “Primoz is still Primoz. You never write him off,” Hauptman said. “After every setback, every injury, he always comes back stronger. In sport, you have different paths, but when you draw the line, there aren’t many riders in the peloton who have collected more victories in their career.”

Hauptman emphasised that the team structure allows for opportunism from other leaders if circumstances dictate. “We can’t ride only for Tadej, and we can’t ride only for Primoz. We will have to race smartly, to adapt to how the race develops,” he said.

“This is a course that suits Pogacar,” Hauptman admitted to RTV Slovenia. “It’s hard, there are no real moments of rest. And in the heat, the climbs are going to be even more selective. But it will be unpredictable – the World Championships always are. A rainbow jersey is never easy to win, not even when you are the best rider in the world.”

The Kigali course, with its tight roads and suffocating humidity, looks tailor-made for Pogacar’s relentless, diesel-like climbing rhythm. Hauptman knows his man will start as favourite, but he was quick to remind that wearing a Slovenia jersey comes with different dynamics than the UAE train. “Tadej is used to having the team completely at his service. In Rwanda, he will have strong support, but not a full squad dedicated only to him,” Hauptman explained. “That’s the challenge, but also the beauty of the Worlds. Anything can happen, and the strongest legs don’t always win.”

Pogačar already sports the rainbow jersey from his 2024 World Championship win in Zürich. His palmarès includes four Tour de France titles (2020, 2021, 2024, 2025), the Giro d’Italia (2024), and multiple Monuments. Hauptman framed the challenge succinctly: “Slovenia has never had back-to-back world road champions. This is the opportunity. We must be smart, patient, but ready to attack. Tadej is our leader, but the Worlds demand more than just one plan.”

With heat, climbs, and relentless racing, Kigali will test every tactical option. Pogacar may carry the rainbow stripes, but as Hauptman warns, “Who rides alongside him, who chases, and who plays the invisible games behind the scenes could decide the title.”