"It will be a surprise" - Is a Tadej Pogacar Paris-Roubaix announcement imminent?

Fresh off his dominant victory at Strade Bianche earlier this month, Tadej Pogacar now turns his attention to Milano-Sanremo, where he will attempt to win the Monument for the first time. With Mathieu van der Poel and other top contenders standing in his way, the world champion will need to be at his best to claim victory.

But beyond La Primavera, there remains an even bigger question: Will Pogacar race Paris-Roubaix?

"It will be a surprise," Pogacar told RMC, keeping speculation alive about whether he will take on the Hell of the North.

The rumours surrounding Pogacar’s participation in Roubaix didn’t come from nowhere, they were started by Pogacar himself. A little over a month ago, he shared a video on social media of him tackling the brutal cobbles, with several riders reacting in the comments in fear of his potential participation. This immediately sparked discussion about whether he was preparing for a shock debut in the race.

But is the triple crown winner just teasing us?

Since then, both Pogacar and his team, UAE Team Emirates – XRG, have remained vague on the subject, refusing to confirm or deny his participation. However, after his crash at Strade Bianche, his team made their position clear: they would rather not see their biggest star take on one of the most brutal races on the calendar.

Despite UAE Team Emirates’ reservations, Pogacar has been open about his fascination with Paris-Roubaix, admitting that his reconnaissance ride gave him a new perspective on the race.

"I have done a reconnaissance. I have to say that it has caught my attention. Is that enough to start? Maybe in the near future, yes. There is a big chance that I will be at the start. Whether that is this year or next year, I cannot say."

While his comments remain intentionally ambiguous, they suggest that Roubaix is a real possibility, if not this year, then soon.

Until recently, Pogacar didn’t believe he could be competitive at Roubaix, but his recon ride changed his mind.

"There is always a chance," he said. "We will see. It will be a surprise. I love the race anyway. At first I thought it would be too difficult for me to compete for the prizes, but during the reconnaissance, I saw that it is possible. If I am in shape, maybe I can try. I think we will make the decision after Milan-San Remo."

This raises the intriguing question, could he actually win Paris-Roubaix? Given his remarkable versatility, it would be unwise to count him out. His victories in Flanders, Strade Bianche, and Il Lombardia prove that he can handle technical, punishing one-day races, and his aggressive, attacking style is well-suited to making his mark on the unpredictable cobbled Classic.

We all know Pogacar can win just about any race on the planet.