"It was a more personal decision of him" - Slovenia national team coach claims Pogacar European Championships decision was personal
Cycling
Slovenia's national team coach has confirmed Tadej Pogacar's push to ride the European Championships, and that it was ultimately a personal decision by the five-time Tour de France winner to not ride the race as he continues his recovery from injuries after a heavy crash at the Vuelta a Espana.
With the UAE Team Emirates - XRG calling time on his season after a broken collarbone, broken vertebrae and concussion, a swift recovery after surgery grew into speculation that Pogacar could return for his home championships - a race he had long targeted before his crash.
Reports even confirmed that the 28-year-old pushed hard for approval to ride the race, returning to outdoor training last week and requesting medical clearance from the doctor who performed his surgery.
Ultimately, UAE pulled the plug on Pogacar's bid for a sensational return. But according to his national team, the propsect was very real over the past week.
"Yeah, we all know that today he had a real desire to raise this race, but unfortunately he cannot," Uroš Murn told CyclingProNet at the start.
Pogacar's personal decision
"Yes, it was [Pogacar's possibility of returning from injury, Ed.]. I think it was the right decision for him. Even if we missed him here in the team, but I think he made the right decision."
Wide-ranging reports indicate that UAE did not allow Pogacar to ride, pointing to the dangers of interrupting his recovery with long-term goals in mind. However, when asked, Murn claimed that it became more of a personal decision for the two-time world champion.
Murn confirmed: "I think it was a more personal decision of him."
The show goes on for Slovenia despite the absence of their star man. Filling his boots is Primoz Roglic, who rode extremely well in Montreal at the front-end of racing. He carries that form into a home championships. However, keeping his cards close to his chest, Murn confirmed there are other options there for the team - including Vuelta breakthrough Jakob Omrzel.
Slovenia have Roglic and other options
"You know, it's really an honour to be here, like the Slovenian national team, to race European Championships in your own country, and we are really proud of that.
"I think we have a really good team here. We know that Primož is in really good shape, and we will hope for our best, but we will see. We have also other cards, but I will prefer not to tell you, because all the news are right away in other teams."
With five ascents of the circuit's tough climb - averaging over ten percent for two kilometres - he thinks the race will be won in or around that. He expects Belgium to control the race for favourite Remco Evenepoel.
"We are expecting that these five-time climbs will be the decision-makers, so we are focused there, and also after the climb, which is an important sector of the race.
"I think, of course, they [Belgium, Ed.] are the main favourite, I think they will control the race, and we will adapt to that."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
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