"Van der Poel would have a chance" - Fabian Cancellara believes Strade Bianche hasn't become too difficult even with Pogacar
Cycling
Few riders in modern cycling command the kind of attention that Tadej Pogacar generates inside the sport. Monument victories, Grand Tour triumphs and a relentless attacking instinct have made the Slovenian one of the defining athletes of his generation.
Yet according to Fabian Cancellara, Pogacar’s influence on the sport may still not be fully recognised beyond cycling’s core audience. “Pogacar has helped cycling grow and has taken the sport to another level, especially globally,” the Swiss legend said in conversation with Sporza. “If he were American or British, his impact would be even greater.”
For Cancellara, Pogacar’s rise has helped push cycling into a new phase of global visibility. But the Tudor Pro Cycling boss also believes the rider’s nationality inevitably shapes how widely that impact is acknowledged. “That he is currently the best rider is clear,” he added. “But I’m not making comparisons with riders like Eddy Merckx. This is a different era.”
Cancellara also noted an intriguing element of Pogacar’s 2026 season: a lighter racing calendar than in previous years. “Pogacar is also racing much less this year. I am curious about that approach. As long as he is motivated and enjoying riding his bike, it’s fine.”
A record within reach at Strade Bianche
The discussion about Pogacar’s place in the sport comes as he prepares for another potentially historic moment at Strade Bianche.
The Slovenian currently shares the record of three victories with Cancellara himself, who dominated earlier editions of the Tuscan gravel race in 2008, 2012 and 2016. Pogacar matched that tally with wins in 2022, 2024 and 2025, meaning another triumph would see him stand alone as the event’s most successful rider.
Both riders have left a permanent mark on the course. Pogacar was recently honoured with a gravel sector on the Colle Pinzuto climb bearing his name, while the demanding Monte Sante Marie sector has long carried Cancellara’s name.
“Something like that is an honour, very special,” Cancellara said. “This is still quite a young race, especially in the period when I won. When you look at the increased interest, that gesture feels even more special. This is part of the history of our sport. It’s fantastic.”
Cancellara acknowledges that Pogacar will once again start among the clear favourites to win in Tuscany. “On paper, it is fairly clear, but the race still has to be ridden.”
And if the Slovenian does break the record this weekend, the Swiss insists he will have no problem seeing his own mark surpassed. “If Tadej wins, I have absolutely no problem with that. It is an honour to share that title with him. But if someone from Tudor wins, I will be even happier,” he added with a smile.
Fabian Cancellara presents Tadej Pogacar with a monument honour ahead of Strade Bianche 2026
The rival who will not be there
While Pogacar’s pursuit of a fourth Strade Bianche victory dominates the build-up, one of the race’s most explosive riders will once again be absent from the Tuscan start line.
Mathieu van der Poel, winner of the race in 2021 after a spectacular late attack into Siena, has chosen not to include Strade Bianche in his spring programme.
His absence has reignited debate about whether the race has gradually become too demanding for riders whose main objectives lie in the cobbled Classics. Earlier this week, Van der Poel’s team suggested that the increasingly demanding course, with its growing elevation and longer gravel climbs, has shifted the race profile.
Cancellara, however, takes a different view.
“Has Strade become too hard? Yes and no,” he said. “The Strade has become more difficult, but I am convinced that Van der Poel would have a chance here.”
Rather than the terrain itself, the Swiss believes the explanation lies in how riders structure their seasons. “This race perhaps just did not fit into his planning. Nobody needs to judge that.”
For now, that leaves Pogacar once again at the centre of the story when the peloton rolls onto Tuscany’s white gravel roads, chasing both victory and a place alone in the history of one of cycling’s most distinctive races.
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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- Congrats! It is done so now is time for CX.averagecyclist15-11-2026
- It's going to happen at some point. It will happen to Tadej as well, we all get older. Jonas was in pretty great form at the tour. I still consider him a top two or three cyclist in the world, until he's not.awp15-11-2026
- mij, I am not so sure of that. I have been on a spine ward at a Denver hospital that had quite a few spinal injuries from mountain biking.BDBigGuy15-11-2026
- Pogi takes care of his teammates in races and training. Tadej Pogačar is widely praised within the cycling peloton for his fair and egalitarian leadership, actively supporting his UAE teammates both on the road during races and behind the scenes at training camps. Rather than acting like an untouchable superstar, he has intense team loyalty by sharing daily chores, giving up personal glory to help domestiques, and publicly praising their sacrifices. Unlike some Grand Tour contenders, like Vingegaard, who occasionally train away from their squads, Pogi consistently attends team training camps alongside his domestiques, making the exact same sacrifices to build friendship. I love how Pogačar shares his teammates-domestiques, either when they succeed or win in races or when they simply just do a good job for him. It has to be a great moral boost for them. And then they work even harder and go even deeper for Pogi. This is teamwork.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
- Yeah, what he said!Lozza15-11-2026
- I’m sure Jasper Philipsen would disagree with you.Lozza15-11-2026
- Article says he was “out for a spin around the town”, implying not off-road.Lozza15-11-2026
- let’s be honest, Alpecin is all about one rider - MVDP. I’m sure he gets whatever he needs, the rest get the scraps.mij15-11-2026
- there are more vicious injuries on a road bike than a mountain bike far and away.mij15-11-2026
- That'll be one crazy rider
Rafionain-Glas15-11-2026
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