OFFICIAL: UAE finally confirm Tadej Pogacar set for Paris-Roubaix debut in 2025 - Tour of Flanders also officially confirmed for world champion
Cycling
After months of speculation, it has now been finally and officially confirmed by UAE Team Emirates - XRG... Tadej Pogacar is going to make his Paris-Roubaix debut in 2025!
The news comes after earlier reports that the Slovenian world champion was removed from the preliminary startlist for the upcoming E3 Saxo Classic and Gent Wevelgem. In a press release on the official UAE Team Emirates - XRG website, the team revealed a notably Pogacar-less lineup for both races. "It was initially planned for Tadej Pogacar to participate in both the E3 Saxo Classic and Gent Wevelgem. However, after discussions with the team, it has been decided that he will adjust his calendar to focus on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix instead, aiming for peak form in those iconic races," explains the team in their announcement.
In Pogacar's absence, the team will instead be led by Belgian Classics star Tim Wellens. “We’re really coming into the heart of the Belgian calendar now and you can feel the special atmosphere around. As a team I think we have made a super start to the season and our group of riders here can make a difference in these races," previews Wellens excitedly to his team's website. "Myself and Nils Politt were both in the top-10 in E3 last year so we know it’s a race that can suit us if things go our way on the day. As a team we’re really motivated and excited for the next few weeks racing here in Belgium.”
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🚨 CONFIRMED: Tadej Pogacar will make his Paris-Roubaix debut next month 🤩🧱 pic.twitter.com/3KkXyg7ZlL
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 26, 2025
For once Tadej won’t be the favourite. Maybe that will allow him to be a bit more opportunistic. I doubt Tadej expects to win it this year. But I am sure he will plan a return.
It's unlikely he can win, but he'll definitely have fun! Tadej loves and enjoys cycling: his passion, not just his job. Most important thing: he's NOT AFRAID OF LOSING. Other top riders only race if they can win (terror of losing, fragile egos). I adore you Tadej. Stay safe.
Sacrificing E3 and G-W that were planned seems like he was hedging his options and only decided to do it after not winning MSR. Would he have planned to do all 5 and if so why hold back on announcing P-R if it wasn’t conditional? Guess people will get active with predictions now :-).
Is Paris Roubaix hilly enough for Pogi to crack the other classics guys? Bring it on, it's going to be an exciting show!
well, paris-roubaix isn’t hilly AT ALL. it’s flat. the obstacle isn’t the hills it’s the cobbles, and what i’ve gathered over the years is that it’s almost impossible to imagine the beating that the body takes riding that course at race pace.
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- agreed. flanders is a beast. i like tadej, but i’m full on rooting for mathieu next sunday.OCexile29-03-2025
- Indeed, strong as ever on the flat, maybe stronger on climbs. There are very few records within reach for contemporary riders (Cabendish had to extend his career to get his and took twice as long as Merckx to equality), this would be one that would be very hard to take away.Mistermaumau29-03-2025
- I thought newspeak was condensing any statement into the smallest number of pertinent words.Mistermaumau29-03-2025
- flanders is mvdp’s favorite race and he’s one win away from being the lone record holder with 4 wins. i’d be very surprised if the gap that pogačar opened in him there 2 years ago wasn’t THE major focus of all his training. and when mathieu has a goal, he turns himself inside out to achieve it. we’ll see next week if he got there, but i’d agree with van avermat’s assessment of van der poel’s fitness.OCexile29-03-2025
- It’s almost like newspeak. It’s classics season, Pogacar’s main rival has always been van der Poel. Then grand tour season will begin, and we will pivot mid sentence and Pogacar’s main rival will have always been Vingegaard. What a season this promises to be. Let’s hope they stay healthy (and Vingegaard gets past the concussion).RidesHills29-03-2025
- Great that he’s decided to do Flanders though his weight remark is irrelevant, Mads is proportionately heavier and MVDP has the same weight but is around 10cm shorter.Mistermaumau29-03-2025
- Yeah, looks slow up there.Jumpyjohn28-03-2025
- lol His aim was well off! MVP was well past him before the guy decided to spit.Cyclingsbestfan28-03-2025
- But you know that’s what makes this website live ;-)Mistermaumau28-03-2025
- I hope he stays upright too and I hope that in this years Paris Roubaix we get a proper good old fashioned man against man race. Can't wait!Cyclingsbestfan28-03-2025