Tadej Pogačar has been spotted on a recon of the Paris-Roubaix cobbles, four months out from the 2026 race.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider was seen by a French local on Tuesday, according to regional newspaper La Voix du Nord, seemingly training on the famous Carrefour de l’Arbre. The French paper obtained pictures of the event, showing him alongside teammates Nils Politt and Tim Wellens.
He crashed – without harm – in that race after misjudging a corner. With no cobbles in next year’s Tour de France, Pogačar racing Roubaix again is a natural conclusion.
“I live nearby, in Sainghin-en-Mélantois, and I cycle a lot,” Jean-Luc Gallus told La Voix du Nord. “When I arrived at the Arbre crossroads, I saw UAE cars in the distance and as I got closer, I recognized Tim Wellens’ Belgian champion’s jersey,. Then I saw the rainbow bike and I realized it was Pogacar.
Following his debut, Pogačar said: “The cobbles, the stress on the body, it’s definitely one of the roughest, toughest, hardest races I’ve done. I think I gained some experience that maybe next time that I come here it will not be so extremely hard as it was today.”
It is no secret that the Slovenian would like to win Roubaix, perhaps above all else. “I want to win Paris-Roubaix in particular,” he told L’Équipe in July. “This year, for my first participation, I found this race crazy, my second place was already incredible. I want to come back.”
Last year, Pogačar and UAE teased his debut with a training clip posted to Instagram in February. This year, it appears harder to keep the news under wraps. Sunday 12 April is the date everyone should circle on their calendars.
Explore More
