Tadej Pogacar hosted his own criterium in Slovenia this Saturday in his hometown of Komenda, where he received a few of his current and former teammates. With the media present, he was for the first time since the Tour de France asked again about the feelings of fatigue and thoughts of retirement.
“I’m happy to see friends, neighbours, family. It’s true that sometimes I wish I was a little less famous," Pogacar admitted in words to RTVslo. "Taking photos and signing autographs can be tiring at times, sometimes less so, but I try to please everyone".
In his own event he was naturally the star, but after a few weeks of rest after a brutal Tour de France the Slovenian is in better spirits and mood. He will still have one more month to psychologically take it easy and then begin preparing for his return to racing at the Canadian classics, with his schedule ultimately ending with the World Championships in Rwanda, European Championships in France and Il Lombardia.
The rainbow jersey assures that he has gone through that difficult final week of the Tour where the physical and mental drain were clear: “Everyone can have a bad day. You can’t expect me to be smiling through all 21 stages. This Tour was one of the hardest I’ve ridden, as anyone fighting for the general classification would confirm. But I’ve rested, reset, and I’m ready for new battles.”
Whilst he said that the 2028 Olympic Games are a goal for him, he didn't deny thinking about retirement when asked about it during the final days of the Tour, and the question has been launched once again towards the Slovenian. He maintains his opinion and elaborated on it:
“I’ve started counting the years until retirement. I began winning early, so I know there can also be seasons with fewer results. But I will probably ride a few more Tours, it’s the biggest race and I doubt the team will leave me out for years to come.”
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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