Pogacar not the only Slovenian threat to Van der Poel in Roubaix - Matej Mohoric eyes cobbled success inspired by Sonny Colbrelli: “The Classic closest to my heart”

The build-up to Paris-Roubaix 2026 has been dominated by the expected duel between Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel, but the Slovenian challenge to the defending champion does not rest on one rider alone.

For Matej Mohoric, this race carries a significance that goes beyond form or results. Speaking ahead of Sunday, he explained why Roubaix continues to draw him back, saying: “Paris-Roubaix is the Classic I look forward to the most in the whole spring. It’s the most chaotic and, in my opinion, the one closest to my heart, especially since Sonny won it in 2021.”

That connection to Sonny Colbrelli is central to Mohoric’s motivation. The Italian’s victory in 2021 remains a defining reference point within the Bahrain setup, and Mohoric does not shy away from setting his own targets alongside that memory, stating: “I will keep trying to reach the podium myself and hopefully fight for victory one day.”

Those ambitions are backed by his current condition and the strength around him. As he added in the same pre-race comments, “I feel my condition is at a very high level, and I hope luck will be on our side. We also have a very balanced team, with strong options like Alec, who is in great shape.”

A fifth-place finish in 2022 underlines that potential, but Roubaix has never been a race that follows a straight line from past results to future success.

That unpredictability is something Bahrain Victorious are preparing for from the outset. Sports director Michał Gołaś pointed to changes in the early sectors and the likely impact of the wind, warning that “there are four sectors back-to-back with almost no tarmac in between, followed by an additional sector with an uphill section,” before stressing how quickly the race could split if positioning is wrong.

The emphasis, he explained, is on being present when the race begins to open, adding that it will be “very important to be in the right group and to follow moves with our leaders” as the cobbles begin to take their toll.

Once the race reaches its decisive phase, the nature of Roubaix takes over. As Gołaś put it, “after that, as always in Roubaix, it becomes a race of survival,” a description that captures why the race continues to produce unexpected outcomes.

That is also why the race cannot be reduced to a simple duel at the front. Colbrelli himself has recently reflected on this year’s edition, acknowledging the strength of Mathieu van der Poel while also recognising what Tadej Pogacar brings into the race. His perspective reinforces the idea that while the favourites are clear, the race itself rarely plays out in a controlled or predictable way.

For Mohoric, that uncertainty is not something to fear, but something to use.

Unlike the riders expected to dictate the race, Mohoric does not need to force the outcome on his own. His approach is built around reading the race as it develops and committing when the opportunity appears.

In a race shaped by chaos, that approach has often proved just as effective as outright control. And while Pogacar’s pursuit of history and Van der Poel’s dominance will define the headlines, Mohoric’s own words point to a quieter but equally determined ambition.

Paris-Roubaix is the race closest to his heart. If it opens in the way it so often does, that may be all the invitation he needs.