Tadej Pogacar has announced that he will not be trying to defend his title at Strade Bianche, as was the case with the UAE Tour. The Slovenian instead focuses fully on Paris-Nice.
This was revealed to Sporza, following the Slovenian's dominant performances at Gran Camino and the Vuelta a Andalucia. Pogacar had talked about wanting to change things up and that involves a completely different start to the season, even compared to what was initially planned. However, his start of 2023 in Spain couldn't be more successful.
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Now, after skipping the UAE Tour, Pogacar is also skipping Strade Bianche where he comfortably took the victory last year. With only 1 day between the Italian classic and the start of Paris-Nice, a decision has been made. Pogacar will not race Tirreno-Adriatico unlike his 2022's schedule - which is also the one followed by most spring classics contenders.
"The next race on my schedule is Paris-Nice. If I want to be good there, I also have to practice a few days in advance for the team time trial," he revealed in the interview. A rider of such versatility and quality has to at times make tough decisions and this was one of them.
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"It was a difficult decision to cancel that race. The combination of the Strade Bianche and Paris-Nice is an interesting challenge, but it will be for another time," he continued. "From now on I will only ride tough and important races. I want to be good in the Tour of Flanders and Milan-Sanremo. After that, all arrows are aimed at the Tour."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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