Will he participate, or not? Pogacar won't say 'no' yet to Roubaix

Tadej on the cobblestones has become a familiar sight. Of course, his victory in the Tour of Flanders is still fresh in the memory, but everyone was astounded when he flew over the cobblestones in the Trouée d'Arenberg. During the presentation of the UAE Tour, the world champion continues to be very secretive about possible participation in Paris-Roubaix.

In the United Arab Emirates, Pogacar will be at the start of the multi-day race for the first time since 2022. Just before the first stage, Het Laatste Nieuws was keen to ask him about his adventure in northern France. Will he be at the start in April after all? "No comment" was the Tour winner's response. "I'm here for this race: let's focus on the UAE Tour, not on Roubaix."

"That is not a definite 'no'." Mauro Gianetti, CEO of UAE Team Emirates - XRG, provided more clarity. "Roubaix is not on the schedule. Tadej was in Belgium to explore the Tour of Flanders. When Tim (Wellens, ed.) checked out Paris-Roubaix the next day, he just tagged along. He had to do some training anyway. And it's Tadej: he felt good; Tim started filming him; it was a joke."

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"It's Tadej, what can I say?"

Yet the Italian also seemed unwilling to say whether or not his Slovenian pupil would be competing in the battle for those precious cobblestones this year. "You know, it's complicated. Of course, it's a race that Tadej loves; it's a dream, but it's also Roubaix: not a race you should even consider entering without good preparation."

Wellens has already said the world champion was better than him on the cobblestones. On all sections. And the Belgian is no rookie on the cobbles, as demonstrated by his twelfth place in the Tour of Flanders and fifteenth place in Paris-Roubaix last year. "It's Tadej; what can I say? The level of cycling competition is higher than ever, yet he still stands out."

"But to beat Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Jasper Philipsen in Roubaix? We have to be realistic and respectful. I have seen Van der Poel in cyclo-cross... In Roubaix, there are no climbs to tip the scales. It would be challenging." No doubt about it, but cycling fans still feel there is more to the race than meets the eye. Dutch analyst Thijs Zonneveld also had his say. In any case, we may not get clarity until late.

Read also

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"Tadej just had his breakfast," says Alaphilippe, who shares his opinion as the Pogacar of his time: "It makes me sad"

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