"We know he can win it. He proved that today" - Tadej Pogacar fills UAE with renewed confidence despite missing out on Paris-Roubaix 2025 victory

Tadej Pogacar looked incredibly strong on his Paris-Roubaix debut this Sunday afternoon. Despite the best efforts of the world champion however, he couldn't quite take the victory as a late crash from the Slovenian saw Mathieu van der Poel power to the solo victory in the iconic velodrome for the third consecutive year.

Despite the slight disappointment of not taking the win, UAE Team Emirates - XRG boss Mauro Gianetti has been filled with renewed confidence following his team leader's performance. “It’s an incredible feeling. I think he was surprised, he enjoyed the spectacle, he raced well, and he looked comfortable on the cobbles," Gianetti reflected to Cyclism'Actu post-race. "He had a bit of bad luck—there was a moment when he lost control of the bike and had a small crash. That stopped him from fighting it out to the end against a giant like Mathieu, but it was still a beautiful race.”

More than just matching the now three-time Paris-Roubaix winner Van der Poel, Pogacar even looked to have his rival in difficulty with some of his attacks on the cobbles. “You’re never obliged to attack, but you still feel good when you try," says Gianetti. "At some point, you have to try something - but Van der Poel today, I think he was really, really strong, and he deserved the win.”

And despite some reports suggesting that Pogacar was riding Paris-Roubaix against UAE's best advice, Gianetti insists he the team had no issues with the world champion making an appearance in what is arguably the sports biggest one-day race. “People said we didn’t want him to do Paris-Roubaix, but honestly, if he wanted to race it, we were all for it - because we know he can win it. He proved that today, and it was important to realize that, to have that confidence," he explains. "There were some crashes and, of course, the cobbles - but all in all, it turned out to be a solid race."

“There are always some regrets after a race, but I believe Van der Poel was truly strong today. It would’ve been tough to beat him in a sprint, even if Tadej had made it to the finish with him - but it would’ve been great to see that matchup. That’s cycling - you need to feel good on the bike, you need to have a bit of luck not to get punctures. Pedersen and Ganna also had issues at tough moments, so it wasn’t just us,” Gianetti concludes his assessment. “Now it’s the Ardennes Classics, then a bit of rest, and then the Tour.”