Pogacar gives little hope to the Giro (and Van der Poel and others) with his program choice and bold statements

Tadej Pogacar is about to make a big splash in the spring of 2025. The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates aimed full on the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and the World Championship in 2024, and with success. Next season, defending the title in the Tour and Rwanda is on the calendar, but what stands out most is the large number of classics.

While a press conference in Spain focused on the Giro d'Italia or the Vuelta a España, we can't deny that that is hardly an issue. Pogacar starts his season at the UAE Tour, then sets off to do his beloved Strade Bianche and takes another shot at Milan-Sanremo before jumping into the Flemish spring with the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, Gent-Wevelgem and the Tour of Flanders. He also adds an entire Ardennes campaign, with the Amstel Gold Race, the Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

In contrast, where Pogacar only did Strade, Sanremo, Liège, and the Tour of Catalonia in 2024 as a preview of the Giro, he will have a lot more miles in his legs in 2025 if he wants to head to the Giro d'Italia again. According to team boss Joxean Matxin, the decision on the second major of the Tour will be made when the Vuelta's route is announced in December. On paper, the Giro - presented in January - does not seem to fit into the program.

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Pogacar winner of the Tour of Lombardy

Pogacar wanted to return to the cobbles, but not those of Roubaix yet

It is no surprise that Strade Bianche is on his calendar. Pogacar won it back in 2024, recording his second victory on the white roads of Tuscany. He has never won Milan-Sanremo. "Milan-Sanremo is the most unpredictable race on the calendar, and I want to prove myself there. I'm getting increasingly close to winning, so it's definitely one of the goals again. I love the race, the longest of the season, and a Monument. The devil is in the detail, which makes it interesting."

That he has not yet managed to get rid of his rivals on the Cipressa and Poggio in as many as four participations already, Pogi doesn't think it's surprising. UAE Team Emirates undoubtedly made a good plan in recent years, but things always run differently toward Sanremo. "Cycling is one of the most freestyle sports regarding tactics. You often have to improvise because so much can change in a race. You can analyze for hours, but things always turn out differently. You have to think outside the box."

That's much less the case in Flanders than in the Ardennes. There, the best often wins; there is no doubt why Pogacar will choose it again in 2025. "Paris-Roubaix does not suit me very well; there is still time for that in the next few years. However, I like the classics; I have always done well there. In 2024, things went a little differently, so I would like to return to the cobblestones. It doesn't matter if I wear the rainbow jersey for that; I just like doing it."

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Tadej Pogacar in the Tour de France

Pogacar wants to win the Tour, even if he is not at his peak

Following a jam-packed spring comes a month of no racing and, presumably, altitude training before competing in the Dauphiné in June. Matxin states that if the Giro is added in May, the Dauphiné will be skipped. This indicates that the Italian grand tour does not seem ideal. Pogacar will definetely ride the Tour in July, so the obvious choice is the Vuelta in September, as Pogacar has never won there. "The Tour de France is the main goal, along with defending my title at the World Championships. I want to defend both titles, then I would be satisfied."

The fact that he can choose is already a luxury and not at all strange after a fantastic season with 25 wins, including two grand tours, two Monuments, and the world title. "For me personally, it was my best season ever. It was probably also the best season of this century, but I can't be the judge of that. It was a great year, and I had a fantastic time. I slept well; everything was exceptional. Sometimes, you get lucky in one of those years, and everything works out. That's how cycling works, so I'm grateful that everything went very smoothly and that I could be in shape in every race. It all came together."

Pogacar remains ambitious. "Of course, you can keep improving, just with age. I don't see myself as an old rider; I'm still young. So maybe there is still room to grow a little more. We will find out this winter and during the first races, but it looks good. It will still be okay to be a little less than in 2024. It's all in the details; all people grow until the last day of their life. It's no different in sports with a career. If you can't progress anymore or get worse, you better stop. Training, nutrition, sleep... You always strive for perfection."

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The Tour is definitely on Pogacar's planning

For Pogacar, slowing down or cutting back is not necessary

"Doing three big tours? That's not necessary for me," he says. Although he immediately elaborates. "Maybe one day it will happen; I would love to try it. It's not a priority; we have thirty riders on the team. If it never happens, I won't regret it. Doing two grand tours in the year was fun, especially in top shape. You have to plan that well, with training camps, race days, and rest."

It's the balance that works for Pogacar. Physically, he is better than ever; mentally, he has the right people around him, he had, according to himself, "a great off-season," and at UAE Team Emirates, he signed a nice contract until the end of 2030. "When you sign a long-term contract, you can purely focus on cycling and performing. You no longer have to worry about a new contract, so that's an advantage. I feel at home here and have made great friends here. So it feels good to know that I will be here for a long time."

So, for Pogacar, the train may continue at full speed, even as the cycling world calls for things to slow down just a bit. "Everyone always wants faster, and the cycling world has developed like all sports. With the development of technology, new records are being set. A bike that goes ten kilometers per hour slower will not change that much. Marketing will be a problem if we start promoting less effective things. Everything has to be bigger and better; the sponsor wants that, too. There are no limits to that; cycling was just as dangerous in the past. I don't think fewer risks were taken then; they just went slower."

Provisional program Tadej Pogacar for 2025

UAE Tour
Strade Bianche
Milan-Sanremo
E3 Saxo Classic
Gent-Wevelgem
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Amstel Gold Race
Waalse Pijl
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Criterium du Dauphiné*
Tour de France
Vuelta a Espana*

*If the decision is made to ride the Giro based on the course, Pogacar will not compete in these races.

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