Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad have confirmed he has changed his racing schedule, dropping two events in favour of a debut ride at Paris-Roubaix and taking on Tour of Flanders again.
His decision to ride Paris-Roubaix is highly unusual for a Tour de France favourite, as 'Hell of the North' brings a high risk of crashing, with the terrain also not suited to the vast majority of top climbers.
However, Pogačar is the most versatile rider in the world and is the best in the world at present. The Slovenian has clearly been intent in recent weeks on making it to the start line of Paris-Roubaix this year despite reservations within the management structure at his team.
Related News
And now UAE Team Emirates-XRG has confirmed the world champion, who was 3rd in Milan-Sanremo last weekend, will definitely start Paris-Roubaix in two weeks time, one week after Flanders, which he won in 2022.
"It was initially planned for Tadej Pogačar to participate in both the E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem," the team said in a release on Wednesday updating the rider's plans.
"However, after discussions with the team, it has been decided that he will adjust his calendar to focus on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix instead, aiming for peak form in those iconic races."
