\nA Roubaix win is \u201conly a matter of time\u201d<\/p>\n
While the narrative around Roubaix often focuses on its inherent unpredictability \u2013 punctures, crashes, mechanicals, and luck on the cobbles \u2013 Murn points to Pogacar\u2019s sheer physical strength and growing experience as key indicators that a victory is only a matter of time. \u201cHe\u2019s already finished second at Roubaix \u2013 a race where brute strength decides the outcome \u2013 and he has plenty of it,\u201d Murn explained. \u201cThat power translates well on the cobbles. Maybe it won\u2019t happen next time, because you still need to ride it a few more times, but he\u2019ll do it. The only real barrier is luck \u2013 one mechanical, and it\u2019s all over.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Roubaix may appear to be the greater obstacle, Murn sees Sanremo as the more immediately achievable target. But he insists that success there will depend on strategy, not just legs. \u201cI believe he\u2019ll win Sanremo first,\u201d Murn said. \u201cThere, UAE need to make the race hard on the earlier climbs \u2013 Melo, Cervo, and Berta \u2013 so the heavier riders arrive at Cipressa and Poggio already fatigued. They can\u2019t allow the others to recover, not even on the flat. If the full UAE squad targets the final 80 km and makes it a selective race, I think it\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s an astute observation from Murn, reflecting a deeper understanding of Sanremo\u2019s unique rhythm \u2013 a race often decided in the final 10 minutes, but shaped by what came in the previous six hours. Pogacar\u2019s upward trend in Sanremo (12th in 2020, 5th in 2022, 4th in 2023, and 3rd in both 2024 and 2025) suggests the breakthrough is imminent.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t tell Tadej what to do \u2013 you listen\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlike Flanders, where his climbing on the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg outclassed rivals, or Lombardia where he has controlled the race with brutal consistency, Sanremo and Roubaix remain races where even the best-laid plans can unravel. Still, Murn sees Pogacar\u2019s mindset as the decisive factor. \u201cWhenever he doesn\u2019t succeed at something, he becomes even more motivated. That\u2019s what drives him. Tadej is just that kind of rider.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crucially, Murn emphasises that listening to Pogacar \u2013 not instructing him \u2013 is often the best coaching strategy. \u201cHe\u2019s a very smart cyclist,\u201d he says. \u201cWe talk through the course, but ultimately, he knows exactly where he can make the difference. The rest of the team adapts around him.\u201d<\/p>\n
That insight was borne out again this summer at the World Championships in Kigali, where Pogacar launched a premeditated attack on Mount Kigali, 104 km from the finish, and held off all chasers to defend his rainbow jersey. Murn credits Pogacar\u2019s precision in choosing his moment and managing his effort. \u201cHe knows that once he gets a gap, he can hold it. Remco Evenepoel, for example, is a better time trialist and very strong on the flat, but on the climbs, he can\u2019t follow Tadej. And Tadej knows that. He never rides over his limit. But the guy chasing him has to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murn\u2019s confidence in his star rider is born not just of admiration, but of years observing his tactical maturity evolve alongside his physiological brilliance. From managing long solo efforts to reading the psychology of his opponents, Pogacar has turned his once-explosive promise into a rounded, generational dominance.<\/p>\n
Still only 27, he has time on his side \u2013 and history within reach. Only Van Looy, Merckx and De Vlaeminck have won all five Monuments. For now, the Slovenian sits on three \u2013 plus four Tour de France title, two World Championships, and a European crown and a Giro victory. But the hunger is far from satisfied. \u201cHe’s not done,\u201d Murn insists. \u201cNot even close.\u201d<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Roubaix win is \u201conly a matter of time\u201d While the narrative around Roubaix often focuses on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":202727,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-202726","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}