“You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the press...” - Matxin cryptic over Tadej Pogacar retirement talk after bumper new UAE deal
CyclingSaturday, 05 September 2026 at 15:45
Tadej Pogacar may now be contracted to UAE Team Emirates – XRG until the end of the 2032 season, but team boss Joxean Matxin has stopped well short of dismissing previous talk that the world champion could walk away from professional cycling considerably earlier.
UAE announced Pogacar's new agreement on Saturday, extending his previous contract, which ran through 2030, by another two years. It represents another major long-term commitment between the Slovenian and the team he joined in 2019.
The length of that deal inevitably raises questions given Pogacar's previous comments about not necessarily wanting to continue racing deep into his 30s. Asked about exactly that ahead of Stage 14 of the Vuelta a Espana, Matxin offered a rather less definitive answer than an outright denial. “It may be wrong to say this to the media, but you shouldn’t believe everything you read in the press...” the UAE sports director told Eurosport with a smile.
Pogacar will be 34 during the final season covered by the new agreement. Whether he actually intends to race all the way to that point was something Matxin notably left unanswered.
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What Matxin was considerably more emphatic about was the strength of Pogacar's relationship with UAE. “The best rider in the world continues to write history with the best team in the world,” he said. “For that connection now to be cemented with a contract through to 2032 means a lot to both sides.”
The extension arrives during an unexpectedly difficult end to Pogacar's 2026 campaign. His season was officially declared over alongside the contract announcement following the heavy crash which forced him out of the Vuelta a Espana on Stage 8.
For Matxin, having Pogacar's future with UAE secured provided some welcome news during a race that has developed very differently from the team's original plans. “It’s an important moment because we are not riding the Vuelta we had expected,” he said. “In difficult moments, good news is always refreshing.”
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“This year, Tadej has been the best Tadej”
Pogacar's latest long-term deal follows another season of enormous sporting success, but Matxin singled out something other than his results when assessing the world champion's year.
“This year, Tadej has been the best Tadej,” he said. “And I’m not talking about results. I’m talking about his behaviour, his attitude and the person he is. I think we’ve seen the best version of Tadej both as a person and as a rider.”
His attention now turns entirely towards recovering from the injuries suffered at the Vuelta, which included a concussion and fractures to a cervical vertebra and his left collarbone.
“There are bad moments and there are good moments. Everything passes,” Matxin said. “Now we have to wait for this to pass and make sure that we are still hungry to win when the good moments come again.”
Pogacar will not race again in 2026, but his new agreement extends a UAE partnership already spanning eight seasons through to the end of 2032.
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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- You will be missed. Enjoy!Cyclingsbestfan05-09-2026
- That reminds me, time to frame my print of Wout beating pog like a school girl at Roubaix....Colnago-fan05-09-2026
- Hurrah, fake fanJumpyjohn05-09-2026
- Will never forget WvA beating Pogi on the Montmartre. And Paris Roubaix. Legend.anonymouscyclist05-09-2026
- If only your ego weren’t so dependent on Tadej Pogacar for its victories over reality.AndrewK05-09-2026
- Total respect, Pogi. An unbelievable year on the bike, but stepping back now is the smartest move you could make. Thank you for putting on an absolute master class with MVDP and Pidcock, in the classics. MSR and PR this season were unforgettable.anonymouscyclist05-09-2026
- Pogi will heal... Pogi will once again prevail in 2027 and become even better. If we analyze his racing, he isn't beating mediocre riders in different disciplines. He's beating specialists: -Mathieu van der Poel is one of the greatest Classics riders of his generation. -Jonas Vingegaard is an exceptional Grand Tour climber. -Remco Evenepoel is an extraordinary time trialist and one-day racer. -Wout van Aert has enormous versatility. Yet Pogačar repeatedly enters their territory and says: "I can beat you here too." That's why he's the GOAT. PS: Today is the day I stop following cycling. Goodbye to all the loyal Pogi fans in these 3 years. I never lied to you, never. I follow this sport exclusively because of Pogi and with today I close that chapter. When Pogi will start racing again then I'll be back.... next year. Bye bye!!! 🫡🫡PogiSloFans05-09-2026
- Today is the day I stop following cycling. Goodbye to all the loyal Pogi fans in these 3 years. I never lied to you, never. I follow this sport exclusively because of Pogi and with today I close that chapter. When Pogi will start racing again then I'll be back.... next year. Adios!!! 🫡🫡PogiSloFans05-09-2026
- Pogi will heal... Pogi will once again prevail and become even better. If we analyze his racing, he isn't beating mediocre riders in different disciplines. He's beating specialists: -Mathieu van der Poel is one of the greatest Classics riders of his generation. -Jonas Vingegaard is an exceptional Grand Tour climber. -Remco Evenepoel is an extraordinary time trialist and one-day racer. -Wout van Aert has enormous versatility. Yet Pogačar repeatedly enters their territory and says: "I can beat you here too." That's why he's the GOAT.PogiSloFans05-09-2026
- At first I was shocked, but now my disappointment isn’t that big. In fact, it’s a blessing in disguise that Pogi wasn’t injured even more seriously. The surgery was successful, Tadej is positive, and he’ll come back even stronger next year... 100%. No cyclist is as mentally strong as Pogi. Tadej knows exactly why he is the best cyclist in the world, how he got there, and what he needs to do to become even better. Tadej is regarded as the best cyclist in the world because, through his racing style, mindset, and results, he embodies everything that existed during cycling’s golden era, while at the same time pushing the boundaries of modern sport. He isn’t just a specialist in one area; he is the most versatile and dominant cyclist of the modern era.PogiSloFans05-09-2026
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