Pogacar's racing style is heavily criticized, meanwhile he fuels Roubaix rumors: "Big chance in the near future"

Tadej Pogacar’s attack in the flat fifth stage of the UAE Tour remains a hot topic. The world champion has faced plenty of criticism for his move, but it doesn’t seem to bother him. Instead, he has his sights set on something else—his potential participation in Paris-Roubaix. Meanwhile, he’s also been spotted riding with the son of a former cycling giant.

Was he just bored? Was there a bet with Florian Vermeersch? Either way, Pogacar went on the attack in a stage where it wasn’t necessary. What he likely saw as a bit of fun or a training effort didn’t go down well. The Spanish newspaper AS reported that multiple riders voiced their frustration over his antics. After he was caught, some even approached him directly to say his move was “not done.”

Even outside the peloton, opinions were sharp. Analyst Rodrigo Beenkens told RTBF why the move was not smart. “Be careful,” he warned. “When you’re already this strong, it’s not wise to show this kind of arrogance to your rivals. And based on the feedback we’ve received, they didn’t exactly make friends in the Emirates.” Fellow analyst Gérard Bulens agreed. “The timing was really bad. I think the team management will tell him that very clearly, and he’ll likely accept it without issue. Maybe he even regrets it now.”

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Roubaix already this year? "If I’m in good shape, I can try it"

Well, it won’t bother Pogacar—he just loves to race. His mind is on other things. Speaking on BartoliTime, a show on France RMC Sport, he discussed his mission to win all five cycling Monuments. “Only Sanremo and Roubaix are missing from my list of Monuments,” he said. “I’ve come very close to winning Sanremo multiple times, but it’s one of the hardest for me to win. I recently did a recon of Paris-Roubaix, and it really caught my attention.”

That says it all—he will likely show up in the Hell of the North sooner rather than later. “There’s a big chance I’ll start in the near future. I can’t say yet whether it’ll be this year or next, but I can’t say no. There’s always a chance, so we’ll see. I used to think it was too hard for me, but after seeing the course, I think I might actually be able to do it. If I’m in good shape, I can try it. But I’ll leave the surprise for after Sanremo.”

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Son of Philippe Gilbert trains with Pogi & Urska

This will make cycling fans’ hearts race. But Roubaix is still some time away. For now, Pogacar is focused on training—alongside his fiancée, Urska Zigart. But they had an unexpected training partner: Philippe Gilbert’s 14-year-old son, Alan Gilbert, who joined them for a ride. The young rider took full advantage of the opportunity and finished the training session around Nice with a few selfies.

Read also

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Pidcock noticed Van der Poel thinking during the Tour de France: "I could just see from his body language that he felt the same as I did"

Pogacar is unfazed by UAE Teammates’ attack on Vingegaard: "I get the questions"

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