"It’s always more or less the same" - Tadej Pogacar not paying attention to Tour de France route and has three options for 2027 return
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar's end-of-season media duties have seen him open up further on his Vuelta a Espana crash and his road to recovery with an in-depth interview. But in another interview, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider has opened up on the recently announced 2027 Tour de France route and his options for a return next season.
The Slovenian ended his season after his Vuelta crash injuries, which also included T1 and T2 vertebrae fractures discovered six weeks after the initial fall. With several months to recover and return to training, has the five-time Tour winner looked closely at the new Tour route.
“I haven’t looked at much of the route yet. I wasn’t at the presentation. Because, well, the Tour always lasts three weeks, after all. And there are always big mountains, flat stages, treacherous stages, some echelon stages, and time trials," Pogacar said at a MyWhoosh event.
"So there’s always a bit of everything. I’ve ridden seven Tours now, so it doesn’t really matter which cities host the start or finish. It’s always more or less the same—and it’s the toughest race in the world. So you just have to be prepared for anything.”
Pogacar on 2027 Tour de France route
Pogacar has the chance to win a sixth Tour de France next summer, putting him on his own officially with the most yellow jerseys. However, his route to the race is also the subject of speculation - with several potential races in the early season touted as potential returns to action.
He added: “There are about three options I can go with. The team has given me three options for my schedule, but it’s a big decision. So yeah, I think I still need some time to really figure out what I want to do next year. I think the final decision will be made in December, when we have another training camp.
"But there's definitely a good chance I'll return to the classics, as well as the UAE Tour. And of course the Tour de France—I don't need to beat around the bush about that. We'll see. But I think the final decision will be made during training camp in December, when the whole team is together."
Read also
Pogacar names riders he admires
His time off the bike saw him attend the European Championships as a fan, as well as watch races he won in previous seasons such as the World Championships and Il Lombardia from the sofa.
Asked about riders he admires to compete against or watch, he named a shortlist of his biggest rivals in recent seasons such as Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard.
“I don’t know. I really admire a lot of the riders competing right now. The field is very strong. But I really admire Mathieu van der Poel, Remco, and Jonas. They’re so determined to achieve great things.
"And they always deliver. But then again, I also admire some of the sprinters who take risks in the final stages. So yes, I have a lot of respect for many riders in the peloton."
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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- The new joke of the year in 2027: "If both guys (Pogi and Seixas) finish upright on their bikes and both don't get sick for some reason, I think Paul will fight Tadej to the end and will possibly beat him in 2027 at the Tour, yes, I just said that." ... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ...PogiSloFans01-11-2026
- Cutting his suit up and getting him to sign it while quite seriously injured is absolutely ghoulishwrsty01-11-2026
- 24 years old?Ketterechts01-11-2026
- Hey @frieder3, yeah sure, bull crap. What experience? You have no eyperience, you're an amateur cyclist... and to make things even worse, you're a lousy amateur cyclist. So what you're saying about your C7 has no relevance... do you even know where C7 is in your body? No, it's not in your knee!!! PS: Trump loves ya... 😍😍😍PogiSloFans01-11-2026
- He won't have a neck problem until he's older and arthritis kicks in lil guy !frieders301-11-2026
- Yep I find any way possible to not have other listen to Bob and VandeVelde commenting on a bike race. His annoying wrong predictions and irritating chuckle are mute worthy!frieders301-11-2026
- 20 winners for 3rd year in a row!Lozza31-10-2026
- peak power minimum weight- 2025 they managed it, 2026 they overdid it leaving her empty. Upto Roubaix it is power and then they start reducing weight leading to the TDF. How much and how fast with a larger degree of uncertainty with weight means you cannot really approach it with surety that it will always work.abstractengineer31-10-2026
- I think they pestered him too much to sign and are now paying the price.abstractengineer31-10-2026
- You go it. He’ll just power away in the mountains, never to be seen again.Zanny31-10-2026
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