PRESS CONFERENCE: "If I ever win Sanremo and Roubaix... there is not much more you can do" - Tadej Pogacar puts Classics ambitions above Tour de France for 2026

Ahead of the new season, Tadej Pogacar faced the media for a wide-ranging press conference, covering everything from Roubaix ambitions and Tour de France legacy to team depth, safety in racing and his long-term motivation at the top of the sport. CyclingUpToDate were present to capture every word.

If you had to choose between winning Paris-Roubaix for the first time or winning the Tour de France for a fifth time, what would you choose and why?
I think I would choose Roubaix, because I already won the Tour four times. I think there is a bigger difference between zero and one than between four and five.

But if you take the Tour de France, you would also become a record holder. Does that matter to you?
Yes, it does matter.

This week we learned that Red Bull will come with Florian Lipowitz and go all in for the Tour de France. What do you think about that, and are you afraid?
I would not say afraid, because every year the Tour has the best level of competition. Everybody is always one hundred percent ready for the Tour. Every single team sends the best squad there, so you always know there are going to be the best riders and you always need to be ready for everybody.

You now have Isaac del Toro on your side. Is he someone who could follow you in the future?
I hope so, yes. I hope so. Maybe he will even be better. He is starting his own way, he has his own style of riding, and I already admire him as a rider and also as a person. I hope he continues the same way as he did in the last few years and that he enjoys cycling as much as he does now.

How was your off season? Did you manage to relax and reset?
It was a really good off season, but every year it is too short. You always need some extra days, I think. Everybody thinks the same. But I had a good time. I did a lot of different things and saw the world a bit differently. It was a good reset and now we are back at training camp, full gas training with the guys. It has been a good reset and I think we are ready to start again.

You pushed your best numbers last season and you seem very positive. Do you think you can still get better? Is there still room to improve performance wise?
Of course there is always some room to improve. Is it performance wise, mental, physical, or just the way of living, you can always improve. We do not know if twenty minute power can be even better, but there are other things you can work on that you maybe lack. I think I do not need to improve much more. If I keep the same level, I will be more than happy.

What will your programme look like for the coming season?
My programme will be classics, like almost every year. I will start with Strade Bianche, move on to Milano-Sanremo, then Flanders, Roubaix, Liege Bastogne Liege, and then we will see. Before the Tour I will do some one week races, like Romandie and Suisse. I am looking forward to the new challenges.

What did you learn from returning to the cobbles recently?
It was good training. We tested some materials from the team and we were really lucky with the weather in Belgium, so we had really good training and good sensations on the cobbles. It was a really nice experience to go there already.

Imagine you win Milan San Remo and Paris Roubaix. Would you feel your career is complete if you won those races?
If I ever win these two races, I would think more or less that there is not much more you can do. But there is always something else. There are a lot of one week races I have not won yet and La Vuelta as well. There are so many things left to try to win in different scenarios. The years are going really fast and there is not so much time to try to win everything. The calendar in cycling is very big. I am not obsessed with it like some people might think.

When you compare Flanders and Roubaix, you have already won Flanders twice. Do you approach these races differently?
They are one week apart, so the preparation is different. For Flanders, you need to be one hundred percent for the short climbs and the stress in the group. It is a very long race, so durability and punchiness are important. In Roubaix, you also need all of these things, but you need good legs after long hours on the bike and long efforts. Basically, you need to recover from Flanders, because there is not much you can change in one week.

Javier Sola was talking about you earlier. What does he give you as a coach that others have not?
I had a lot of coaches in my life since I was a kid, and every coach is a little bit different. With Javier, we built a really good relationship. Every training, when I upload a file or even before I finish training, he texts me to ask how things are going. Sometimes it annoys me, because when you come home you want to shower, eat and recover first. But he understands. It shows he really cares about how I feel, not just about the training. That is very important for me.

Has he changed you as a rider, or is it more a natural progression?
I do not think he changed me as a rider. We just work well together. Of course, I improved since I am with him, but I improved every year anyway.

You said before that you do not feel trapped as a rider. Why do you think people sometimes suggest that?
First of all, every day we risk our lives in traffic, in training and in races. It is getting more dangerous all the time. Sometimes I say to myself I was really lucky there, or somebody is watching over me. When there is a close call, you realise you need to be careful and take care of yourself and the others. Sometimes we push ourselves too much. After a close call, you realise it is better not to obsess too much and stay safe.

You always say how important teammates are. Can you explain what your core group means to you in a Tour de France team?
In the last two, three or even four years, we have had so much quality in this team. From all the riders, you could pick almost any eight for the Tour and still do really good things. Everybody knows their capabilities and what they need to do. Everybody is down to earth. The guys who raced with me in the Tour will always remain special for me. You go through three weeks of suffering together for one goal, and you really bond. You become a family.

What is the most important thing in a Grand Tour?
To be as little stressed as possible. Everybody needs to know why they are there. Some days someone will feel worse, and then communication is very important. There is never a perfect day for all riders. You need to communicate well, know the plan, and then give everything for that goal. Getting along with teammates and staff is also very important.

You said it is hard to get to the top, but even harder to stay there. Is that something you feel more now?
Every year is a bit different. Something always changes. It was not easy to get to the top, and it is not easy to stay there. We worked really hard for that. There is a lot of tension, media, and sponsor obligations. It is tough, but not too bad. I try to enjoy this moment. I have been lucky to be on top, and I try to make the most of it for myself and the people around me.

Do you still have time to be the normal Tadej from Slovenia?
Sometimes, yes. But even then, sometimes someone recognises you. You cannot really be the normal Tadej anymore. But I still have time to be a regular guy.

You continue to race the classics while also targeting the Tour. Do you understand why some riders choose not to do both?
Everybody has their own way to prepare for the biggest goals. I saw that I can handle the classics and the Tour. Of course, it is hard to race a monument almost every week and then switch to mountains. Sometimes I would also like to do a few one week races and altitude before the Tour, but that is just not me. I completely understand others. I respect Remco’s decision not to do the classics, because it is not easy.

It looks like you have more fun in the classics than in the Tour. Is that fair to say?
The classics are one day races, everything is focused on that day. In the Tour, you have pressure every day for three weeks. The Tour is much more stressful. You work every day. You suffer for twenty one stages, and then you are happy with what you have done.

You said Roubaix might mean more to you than another Tour win. Would you ever compromise your Tour chances to win Roubaix?
If it came to choosing one and not the other, I do not know. If it was up to the team, it would probably be the Tour. There is always a chance you crash in Roubaix and compromise the Tour. But that risk exists every day in training as well. You cannot avoid it.

From a spectator’s point of view, everyone hopes for a close Tour battle. Do you expect other riders to step up next year?
From my point of view, the racing is always tight, even if it does not look like it. Even when there is a big time difference, it feels close. There are young riders improving every year, like we saw recently. There are always riders who come back after bad luck. There will always be competition.

Would you ever consider riding all three Grand Tours in one season?
I think it is possible, yes. But you would need to speak with the team and the riders. I do not think it would be fair. We have many riders who can win Grand Tours. I do not need to be obsessed with everything. I prefer to see Joao, Isaac, Adam or others fighting for GC as well and getting their chances.

Has Paris-Roubaix replaced Milano-Sanremo as your main obsession, or are you equally focused on both?
No, I am not obsessed with any of those races.

Going back to the last week of the Tour de France, you seemed to have less fun during the race. Was that physical, or were you simply tired?
It was a good Tour. We won it and achieved the goal. Of course, it was hard and stressful, but that is always the case in the Tour. You work for 21 stages and afterwards you are happy with what you have done.

Is there one specific duel, maybe with Van der Poel or Vingegaard, that you enjoy the most?
It is really hard to choose. There are so many good moments. The Tour, the World Championships, the classics, even races in Canada. Every race and every moment writes its own story, so it is difficult to pick one favourite.

You seem to win from February to October. From your point of view, how do you manage that consistency?
I get this question every year. The answer is simple. I have a good programme from the team and a good calendar. I do not race too many days. I can choose some races and sometimes say no if I feel I cannot perform well later. Some riders race eighty days or fill in constantly, and that makes it very hard to be at your best.

Do you feel you are racing too much?
If you look at the race days, I do not think so. I usually have around sixty race days. At the end of the season it feels like a lot, but I prefer to win more in sixty days than win less in eighty days. We found a good balance with the team and it works well for me.

Are you more tired after the 2025 season compared to previous years?
I would say more or less the same. You always want a good vacation after the season and time with family and friends. Sometimes it gets busy, but time passes very fast.

You mentioned the depth of the team. Joao Almeida will not be at the Tour and will target the Giro again. How happy would you be if he finally won a Grand Tour?
Joao had a really great season in 2025. Sadly, he had to abandon the Tour. I really believe he could have won the Vuelta. If he focuses one hundred percent on the Giro and does not need to think about the Tour, that can give him an advantage. He is more than capable of winning a Grand Tour if everything goes well.

Would you prefer to race him at the Tour, or is it better that he targets other Grand Tours?
As an athlete, you always want to race against the best at full strength. It makes the victory more meaningful. But it is his choice. I will not tell him where to race.

Can you guarantee that you will not race the Giro, or even the Vuelta?
No, I cannot guarantee anything. I can change my mind very quickly and collapse calendars. Anything is open until sign on.

You were on the podium in all five Monuments this year. Do you realise how historic that is?
Yes, I think after all these years and victories I am starting to realise that we are doing something special. I enjoy the process and I hope I can continue writing this story.