"Three grand tours in a year is possible:" Pogacar about next season (and "crazy man" Roglic)

Tadej Pogacar can finally get some rest after an unprecedented year and an impressive fall campaign. In conversation with Siol, the Slovenian world champion looks ahead to what the future will bring and explains his relationship with compatriot and rival Primoz Roglic.

Having completed the Triple Crown (winning the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and World Championship in one year), everyone is looking instantly at what record Pogacar will break next year. Never before has anyone won all the grand tours in one year. "Winning the three grand tours in a year is achievable," Pogacar says. "But I respect my teammates. We know UAE Team Emirates has the potential to win a grand tour, even if I am not present. It is unnecessary to be greedy within my team. I don't want to make enemies where I feel at home."

In Zurich, the Slovenian became world champion. He explained that wearing the rainbow jersey had been a dream for years. "The pink and yellow jerseys are nice, but you can only wear those for three weeks a year. You wear the rainbow jersey the whole season during all the races. You always shine in it, and everyone looks up to you as a world champion." After his victory, he celebrated his championship lavishly. "It was an eventful night after the victory in Zurich. It didn't involve just one beer," he laughed.

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Pogacar on Slovenian dominance: "What we experience now is unbelievable"

Pogacar is the star of a Slovenian golden generation of cyclists. "I hope everyone will slowly realize what we have achieved together in Slovenia. It started with Primoz Roglic. Later, I joined, but also Matej Mohoric, Jan Tratnik, Domen Novak, and others. What we experience now is incredible. I doubt this exceptional era of Slovenian cycling will last very long."

Even though he is the most successful Slovenian in cycling history, the world champion did not always feel loved by his compatriots. "A year or two ago, I had the feeling that the Slovenians didn't see me as one of them. I don't necessarily think I lack fans among my compatriots, but those who spread negativity are usually the most visible. I still see negative comments on online forums, but increasingly less now."

The negativity from home originated from the love for national hero Primoz Roglic. The leader of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was the first Slovenian superstar and was the prominent man to win the Tour de France for the country. However, it was Pogacar who beat his compatriot in 2020. "I never had any problems with Roglic," he explained. "I always looked forward to his victories and thought: this guy is crazy. Then I got to know him better and saw that he is indeed crazy but in a good way."