Reports suggest world champion Pogačar may be considering a repeat of key elements of his 2024 program.
Tadej Pogačar celebrates after winning the 119th Il Lombardia 2025 (Photo: Sara Cavallini/Getty Images)
Updated October 12, 2025 02:48PM
Tadej Pogačar went close to winning Paris-Roubaix in his first participation this year but according to Belgian media, the Slovenian world champion is considering wiping that race plus another key classic from his calendar in 2026.
Roubaix is one of just two monuments Pogačar is yet to win; he took his fifth consecutive Il Lombardia on Saturday, and also won three editions of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and two of the Tour of Flanders.
He made his Roubaix debut this season and went close to victory, being locked in a duel with Mathieu van der Poel until he crashed on a corner with 38km to go. He finished second.
But while Roubaix is a major career goal for him, HLN.be is reporting that he is considering skipping both that event and the Amstel Gold Race next year.
The reason? So that he can take a break between Flanders and Liège.
According to the Belgian newspaper, Pogačar and his UAE Emirates-XRG team are considering another tilt at the Giro d’Italia, a race he won in 2024 prior to doing the Giro-Tour-worlds triple.
If so, that could set up a thrilling showdown with Jonas Vingegaard, who is reportedly considering a Giro-Tour program.
HLN suggests that Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates feel targeting the Tour, the Vuelta and the world championships is an impossible task.
The rider had originally intended doing exactly that trio of races this year but was subdued during the final week of the Tour de France and, hinting at burnout, scratched the Spanish grand tour from his schedule.
For now he is staying tightlipped about his plans. “I don’t want to look too much ahead to 2026. First some rest, before the casino starts again,” he said.
Pogačar’s agent: ‘For sure next year he deletes some races’
Tadej Pogačar was cheered on by spectators close to the finish of Il Lombardia (Photo: Luca Bettini – Pool/Getty Images)
It will likely be December or January at the earliest before the first news emerges about Pogačar’s program for 2026.
Until then nothing is certain. However it is already clear that adjustments will be made to what was a very hectic schedule this year.
According to his agent Alex Carera, that schedule was the reason why Pogačar lacked his usual spark in the final week of the Tour.
“In the end, Tadej is a young guy, a young man, and he’s human, and he needs recovery,” he told Velo last month.
“It’s the first time that is you don’t see the smile on his face, because he was really tired.”
He underlined that things will be different next time around.
“For sure next year he deletes some races, because he rode too much,” Carera said. “People don’t understand it is not easy to be Tadej Pogačar. For other riders, if they arrive second, sometimes it is a great result.
“For the fans, if Tadej arrives second, he is the first who loses.”
Carera said that the rider and his team will sit down at the October training camp and weigh up the best way to approach next season.
“For sure they will find the right balance between the races that he loves, and the races that are important for the team.”
However, in the same interview he underlined one race as being a key target; this differs from HLN’s story, and creates a little confusion about what that lighter schedule might look like next year.
“The Tour de France is for sure a big goal next year,” he said. “And also San Remo, and Roubaix.”
If that is indeed the case, it may be Amstel plus another race or two which gets the chop.