Tadej Pogacar will make his debut next Sunday, April 13 at Paris-Roubaix in the only Monument without climbs and the only one where he is not one of the favorites to win the race. The Slovenian wants to go down in history by winning every major race on the cycling calendar in Eddy Merckx style and to do so he will have to raise his arms at least once in his career in the 'Hell of the North'.
He will arrive at the start of Compiègne with morale sky high after his exhibition at the Tour of Flanders, where he dropped Mathieu van der Poel and the rest of the competition. That said, if he gets a reading of De Ronde that can serve him for Roubaix is that he will have a very difficult time to win considering the form of those who will be his rivals.
Filippo Ganna
Of all those on this list, he is the only one who has not yet shown that the pavé is his specialty (although he has performed here in the past), but his start to 2025 is going so well that it is impossible not to place him on this list. He comes with more watts than ever and without climbs we believe he can hold the wheel of the best. Then, in a hypothetical sprint in the velodrome he would be faster than Pogacar.
Wout van Aert
The only one on the list who, given what we've seen lately, could lose to Tadej Pogacar in a sprint finish (someone who loses to Powless can obviously lose to Pogacar). However, we put him here because pavé is his natural terrain, because we know he has a Roubaix in his legs and because if he avoids bad luck and crashes he has the strongest attacking block (Visma was with 3 up in Flanders) to play strategically to blow the race and try to finally get his second Monument.
Jasper Philipsen
Second only to Mathieu van der Poel in the last two seasons. If you arrive in a group he is the fastest. In Gent-Wevelgem he had Pedersen's pace and only a puncture prevented him from fighting for the victory. He is in form and will be key in Alpecin's strategy.
Mads Pedersen
The man of the moment if Pogacar and van der Poel didn't exist. He is in the best moment of his career, holding more than ever in the bergs to the only 2 riders with better legs than him. In Gent he showed he has an extraordinary level on the pavé and it's hard to think they can drop him on the flat. Then, he is faster than both of them in a hypothetical final finish at 3.
Mathieu van der Poel
Once again he would be Pogacar's nightmare. The winner of Paris-Roubaix in the last 2 editions has shown to have extraordinary legs at the beginning of the season. He couldn't beat the Slovenian on the Kwaremont, but it's impossible to think that if he couldn't drop him on Cipressa or the Poggio you can drop VDP on flat pavé. Needless to say who would be the favorite in a head-to-head sprint...
Original: Juan Larra
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
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- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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