Tadej's mission: What Pogacar does (and doesn't) expect from Van der Poel, Evenepoel, and Hirschi at the World Championships in Zurich

Though the World Championships are being held in Zurich, Tadej Pogacar—along with teammate Primoz Roglic and national coach Uros Murn—managed to gather the global cycling press at the OYM sports center in Cham, Switzerland, on Thursday. The top favorite for the World Championships hosted a press conference, where he looked ahead to his main objective for this fall.

So far, Pogacar has been the standout rider of 2024, with victories in races like Strade Bianche, the Tour of Catalonia, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and most recently the GP Montréal. The UAE-Team Emirates rider is now firmly focused on the World Championships, where he is receiving substantial support from his team. PR staff, team bus... you name it, his team has brought it along. Also present at the press conference were top team officials Joxean 'Matxin' Fernandez and Mauro Gianetti.

This Sunday, Pogacar will face two men who have also made headlines this year: Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel and the Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel, both riders he has a good rapport with in the peloton. On Sunday, they’ll compete in Zurich for the coveted rainbow jersey, currently held by Van der Poel.

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Tadej Pogacar's press conference ahead of World Cycling Championships in Zurich

Pogacar and Roglic were sitting side by side like old friends, with national coach Murn playing a more secondary role. The Slovenian media got the first chance to ask questions to the cycling stars from UAE-Team Emirates and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, before the large international press contingent took over in Switzerland. To everyone's surprise, Pogacar even introduced a new bike, joking, "It’s art. I love art, just not the Mona Lisa," which had everyone laughing.

Tadej, is a World Championship different in some way from other races?

"Of course. It’s a one-day race with the national team, something we rarely do. Last year’s race was one of the hardest I’ve ever done, on an explosive circuit that didn’t suit me well. I was completely exhausted afterward, but this year the course suits me better. Hopefully, it will go better than last time."

Is it different from other classics?

"We race with our team all year. You can compare it to the Monuments, but there you ride with a team full of riders you know well. At the World Championships, there’s a different dynamic, especially without earpieces. Plus, racing on a circuit is different than going from point A to point B."

What would a rainbow jersey mean to you?

"It’s something very special in the sport. It’s the most unique jersey in cycling, and you get to wear it all year. It marks you as the best rider in the world, so it’s been a major goal of mine for several years. If it doesn’t happen now, I’ll keep going for it in the coming years."

Mathieu van der Poel has it now. Do you think he can handle the course?

"Mathieu is in great form, and he’s honored the rainbow jersey with some amazing victories. Sunday will be a different race, with more climbing. I’ve heard he’s lost about a kilo and a half and prepared well, so we’ll definitely keep him in mind. If he has a good day, he’ll be up there. The same goes for someone like Marc Hirschi, a guy I really like. He’s also among the favorites."

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And what about Remco Evenepoel?

"He looked very strong in the time trial, especially after that little incident at the start. The time trial is really his thing, but Sunday will be a different race."

Are the climbs long enough to make a difference?

"There are several little hills; I see it as a tricky course. It’s not very long, but there’s also little time to recover. Many scenarios are possible: long-range attacks, a small group at the end, and so on. In the end, the number of kilometers will be decisive. We have a strong team, with big names. One of the best in the world, so that gives us an advantage. But we still need to be careful and play it smart."

Is a sprint finish with a small group something you want to avoid?

"I don’t think that’s going to happen, maybe a sprint with ten riders or so. A sprint after 275 kilometers with 4500 meters of climbing is always different, so it’s not a scenario I’m necessarily trying to avoid."