"Too many days away from home" - Tadej Pogacar knows racing three Grand Tours in a year is not feasible

Tadej Pogacar is racing the Tour de France in 2026 and potentially leaving the door open to the Vuelta a España as it starts from home in Monaco and a victory there would help him achieve another historic landmark. If any rider in modern times could race all three Grand Tours and win them, it is Pogacar. But he knows that this would be a monumental task due to the demands of modern cycling.

"It's not easy: in addition to the 21 stages each, there are all the training camps... too many days away from home," the World Champion said in an interview with Sky Sports. "Competing in the five Monument Classics in the same season is much more feasible. But never say never, maybe one day I'll try to complete all the Grand Tours in one year. Let's be surprised by what the future holds."

Although he keeps the door open, in UAE Team Emirates - XRG there are a lot of egos and a lot of riders worthy of their opportunity. Giving the World Champion the lead in all three races would also without a doubt limit his teammates and perhaps do more harm than good for the environment and how his teammates see him.

In the years that he's spent at the top level, the preparation for racing was already extremely detailed. He knows all too well what it takes for a rider and team to reach such levels. "Between mentality, technology, and preparation, our generation is taking cycling to a higher level. Everything has improved, and especially we riders are obsessed with the details."

At the Tour this summer, the Slovenian perhaps had his toughest mission to date. Team Visma | Lease a Bike's relentless attacks on all terrains had a toll on the peloton and most riders were very fatigued by the end of the race. The conservative style of racing he had to adopt in the final days, combined with a minor knee injury he got on the Mont Ventoux, saw him with a bad face throughout several moments in the final days of the race.

He also opened up about how in the next few years, it is in consideration retiring from the sport. This was brought back to him now: "In those three weeks, you really give it your all; you enjoy every single day, but at the same time, you get incredibly tired. When I made certain comments during the last Tour, I think they caught me at a bad moment."

However after some recovery he was mentally better following a fourth Tour win, and enjoyed a spotless season finale, conquering the world and European championships; as well as yet another edition of Il Lombardia where he was unmatched.

Towards Rwanda, he didn't have his best confidence, however that didn't prove to be an issue in the end. "My lead-up to the race had its ups and downs. I wasn't feeling well the week before returning to racing in Canada, and I wasn't in the best shape for the Kigali time trial, which Remco dominated. I was far from happy, but I knew I'd bounce back in the road race to defend my title."

And what sticks out to him the most at the end of the 2025 season is his Paris-Roubaix debut, one of the absolute goals that he is carrying into the upcoming spring. "Of course, I have fond memories of several races, but I'll mention one that I didn't win, but in which I participated for the first time in my life: the Paris-Roubaix, an indescribable and unique classic."