Portuguese season start for Tadej Pogacar not yet decided, says UAE's Joxean Matxin

This week it was reported that Tadej Pogacar will start the 2024 season in Portugal with the Figueira Champions Classic and the Volta ao Algarve. While this may still happen, Joxean Matxin dismisses the idea that it is set in stone.

The Slovenian, winner of the recent Il Lombardia as well as Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège this year, will be a main attraction anywhere he decided to start off his season. Following a different calendar, it could be that Pogacar starts his season in western Europe where many of the peloton's big figures already do so often due to the good weather and tests for both climbing and time-trialing.

In words given to Ciclismo Mundial, UAE Team Emirates manager Joxean Matxin stated that a decision hasn't yet been made on where the supertalent will start his next year when it comes to racing. In previous years that has been either the UAE Tour or the Clásica Jaén Paraiso Interior. In 2020 he began at the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana and in 2019 at the Tour Down Under.

That year, his first as a World Tour rider, he went on to win the Volta ao Algarve after a victory on the Alto de Fóia.