"Primoz Roglic hasn’t ridden in support of anyone all season" - Chris Horner warns Tadej Pogacar to watch out for own teammate ahead of Rainbow Jersey fight in Rwanda
Cycling
Chris Horner has raised questions about how Slovenia will manage the delicate balance between Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic at the upcoming World Championships in Rwanda, warning that the reigning world champion cannot automatically expect full commitment from his most decorated teammate.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the American former Vuelta a Espana winner suggested that while Pogacar is the clear favourite to defend his rainbow jersey, Roglic’s presence could be a double-edged sword. "Primoz Roglic hasn’t ridden in support of anyone all season,” Horner said. “There’s a good chance we might see some rivalry between Roglic and Pogacar at the Worlds because Roglic hasn’t ridden in support of anyone all year.”
Horner argued that Slovenia lack the depth to replicate the flawless tactics UAE Team Emirates - XRG displayed at the GP de Montreal earlier this month, where Pogacar and Brandon McNulty rode clear to a controlled one-two finish after their teammates had dominated the climbs.
“Slovenia don’t have five climbers to wrap around Pogacar like UAE did in Canada,” Horner continued. “They’ll have to dial it down on the climb, ride more as a unit, and get Pogacar deeper into the race. Roglic is their second pure climber – he should be used to reduce the peloton late, not burned early in moves up the road. But the question is: will he want to ride that way?”
Slovenia insist harmony is no issue
Those concerns stand in contrast to the official line from within the Slovenian camp. National coach Uros Murn was unequivocal in downplaying any potential tension between the country’s two Grand Tour superstars.
“In the national team there is no rivalry,” Murn told Slovenian media before travelling to Kigali. “We know our collective chances, and we know the individual possibilities. Everyone adapts to that. Both are world-class riders. When we are in the national team, there is no rivalry. We know what our options are, and as a team we adapt to that.”
For Murn, the Pogacar–Roglic dynamic is a strength rather than a problem – a two-pronged leadership approach that offers flexibility against rivals such as Remco Evenepoel, Del Toro, and Tom Pidcock.
Pogacar’s form still a question mark
While Pogacar underlined his dominance in Montreal, Horner cautioned against assuming that the Slovenian is currently at his very peak. “We know he’s very good, but we don’t know if he has Tour de France 2025 form,” Horner said. “Montreal isn’t the same kind of field as July or the Spring Classics. But when you can control and win a race that way, you’re clearly the hot-handed favourite for the Worlds.”
The World Championships will be a different challenge: 265–270 km at altitude, with an 800m ramp at 8% on the finishing circuit, and far deeper competition than Pogacar faced in Canada.
Rivals ready to pounce
Horner also flagged up the riders best positioned to capitalise should Slovenia’s leadership dynamic falter. “Roglic is probably the second best rider starting the Worlds. But if it’s not him, then you could argue for Del Toro or Remco,” Horner said. “Pidcock has to be a favourite too, especially on a punchy climb – remember, he dropped Vingegaard at the Vuelta.”
Evenepoel, a former world champion, has already proven his pedigree in one-day races, while Del Toro has been one of the breakout stars of the season. Pidcock’s consistency across three weeks at the Vuelta, capped by a podium finish, has only strengthened his credentials.
Pogacar remains the benchmark
Still, Horner believes the outcome will hinge on whether Slovenia can manage their resources more shrewdly than the disorganised breakaway in Montreal, which UAE controlled with ruthless precision.
“Last year Pogacar went from 100 km out – that was a knucklehead move, even if it worked,” Horner said. “This time, if Roglic makes the race hard in the last laps and Pogacar launches, there’s a good chance we see him win a second rainbow jersey. But if Slovenia misplays their tactics, or if Roglic decides to ride his own race, that opens the door for the opposition.”
With Pogacar in sparkling form and Roglic himself considered one of the strongest riders on the start line, the World Championships in Rwanda could hinge less on raw power and more on how Slovenia balance two champions in one team.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- Just looked again at the photo. Yeah I stand by that. If MS had fallen over in Brands direction I don’t even think she would have hit her. You must be a UCI race commissioner. I’ll be sure to check my sock height should I ever see you on a ride. Looks like everyone else on here sees what I see.mij08-11-2026
- I said looking at the photo it doesn’t appear she deviated. Chill out, not stating my word is the final judgement. Just commenting that based on the photo I don’t see it. And BTW the Dutch coach even said she didn’t impede her.mij08-11-2026
- Blah Blah Blah !frieders308-11-2026
- MS said she was changing gears so that caused her slight deviation. Nothing was intentional.frieders308-11-2026
- How can you use a photo post incident to judge the incident itself (which is not hard to find if you’re prepared to invest the same amount of time in searching as writing that comment? It’s harsh but technically right even though this or worse is not always sanctioned in every race. The two things that went against MS (who unfortunately for her would still have won without making her mistake) are that it was not a bunch sprint where there could have been an overlooked incident or mitigating circumstances explaining a deviation. Everything was focused on just those 2, Schreiber was riding beautifully balanced which made her sudden deviation look unnatural stroke as if it could have been in some part intentional whilst she was slowly drifting ever closer towards the barrier to a point that would have reached obstruction level. In her defence, it might have been the realisation she was heading towards that that made her react suddenly and caused the deviation involuntarily. In any case, congratulations to her for the ride of her life, in people’s minds she will be credited for it.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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santiagobenites07-11-2026 - Seriously why do they keep doing stupid things like this. Its one thing to relegate when the placings are minor, when the action is blatant. But when it is ambiguous, why dont they at least take advice from some higher up to avoid embarrassing themselves. This is similar to the Halland goal when his teammate was clearly offside and interfered in play and VAR gave them the goal. if you dont have evidence you cannot convict. Even for doping they have these rulesabstractengineer07-11-2026
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- What a travesty ! That little deviation did nothing to impede Brand !frieders307-11-2026
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