"We don't do anything extreme" - Tadej Pogacar's coach Javier Sola on how to work with a World Champion

UAE Team Emirates - XRG run a tight ship and Tadej Pogacar works with very specific staff members with whom he's found himself comfortable with. Perhaps the most crucial one is Javier Sola, his coach, with whom he started working in 2024 which then led to a great increase in his overall level. The Spaniard has talked about working with Pogacar, what changes have been made and what makes the World Champion special.

Sola is no unknown in the world of cycling, having spent time as a staff member in Visma, and having been a coach since the early 2010's. "I started my own coaching company fourteen years ago, but I was already training riders before that," he told In de Leiderstrui. "I also train lower-level cyclists outside of the team, as well as triathletes. How many athletes do I coach in total? Twenty, I suppose?" As CyclingUpToDate has learnt, António Morgado of UAE Team Emirates - XRG is also going to be working with Sola from 2026 onwards. 

However it is not a routine that works with everyone. But in Pogacar, Sola finds an athlete that seems to surpass what seems to be logical in terms of training load: "The amount of training Tadej can handle is crazy. And that also applies to his recovery, it's simply faster for him, and that's genetically determined". A great amount of factors have combined to create an athlete that is without a doubt the face of pro cycling at the moment, and has everything to continue in that position over the coming years.

"That's something we can't know, but what we do know is that Tadej is maturing and gaining more experience every year. He's handling the training better, so to answer your question: I think he can get even better. Tadej is a hard worker and pays attention to all the details, that's the most important thing".

Whilst a physical limit can never be found with any athlete, Sola believes the mental aspect of the sport is what led to a great deal of improvement over the past few years. "I think all riders have to deal with that. When you're one of the best riders in the world, there's always pressure. But that's also something he's learned to manage. We try to keep his life as simple as possible and communicate clearly with him, so he feels good and relaxed. If that's the case and Tadej feels happy, then that's the key to success."

When it comes to training, there are no meaningful changes, as what the team has done with the Slovenian has proven to be successful beyond every expectation. Only small details are changed from time to time, with Sola in charge of what Pogacar does on the bike.

"We mainly get the basics right. We make some small adjustments every year, but nothing crazy. If something works, there's no reason to make major changes. We don't do anything extreme, and everything we do is also in the literature."

However, aside from the Grand Tours in which he's performed greatly since his first year in the peloton, Pogacar has also switched his focus to the classics over the past few years. In 2025, he finally made his Paris-Roubaix debut, immediately riding to second place only behind Mathieu van der Poel who has now won it three times in a row. s

"He has the legs to win, but everyone knows you also need experience and luck in that race," Sola argues, with plenty factors that are out of his control. "We were already there in December, and it's clear that it's one of next year's goals. As a team, we'll try to support him as much as possible."

He does tell however that small changes have been made in order to favour Pogacar's chances of succeeding in Roubaix, most likely with some more body weight to be expected in the spring, whilst the specific weight loss and altitude training will be left for May and June ahead of the Tour de France.

"What the body demands of you is different in the Tour than in the Classics. That's clear. The changes we made this winter also play a role in that. Think of nutrition and body composition," he hinted at.