"This is the right moment to give it a try" - Tadej Pogacar locked and loaded for Paris-Roubaix debut

UAE Team Emirates - XRG has revealed it's lineup for Paris-Roubaix and in the lead will be Tadej Pogacar. The World Champion will finally make his debut in the Hell of the North after months of anticipation - he did a recon in early February, and then convinced UAE management to participate - and will be a key part of what is expected to be a memorable race.

The UAE team includes very experienced specialists in this classic such as Nils Politt and Florian Vermeersch; Mikkel Bjerg, Tim Wellens and António Morgado. In Flanders the team experienced bad luck with Wellens and Narváez crashing before the peloton even arrived at the key sections of the race, but with it's remaining riders it controlled the gap to attacking groups and then Pogacar himself was able to make the difference on the cobbled climbs.

However in this terrain, without ascents, the task won't be as easy. Tactically speaking, Roubaix is a more complex race, and the Emirati team will have to aim to use it's depth in the offensive, not in closing down attacks. Alpecin-Deceuninck, Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Lidl-Trek will also start with a multitude of quality riders in this field, and an alliance could make or break Pogacar's race.

“Paris-Roubaix is a completely different race, it’s new territory, but I fully accept the challenge," he said in a press release. "I’ll try to do my best. We have a very strong team for this race, with guys who have lots of experience and we can use this to our advantage". Although this is the Slovenian's debut, his chances of winning should not be underestimated as Sonny Colbrelli achieved this only four years ago, and Pogacar himself has thrived on the cobbles of the Tour de France before.

Regardless of his result, most likely the Slovenian and the story that has built up towards Roubaix will be the most important one of the weekend. "It will be a very hard race but I think with the shape I have now that this is the right moment to give it a try at least. We had a great battle last weekend at Flanders and I hope we can put on a good show again this Sunday.”