When Tadej Pogačar crashed hard on the approach to the Cipressa at Milan San Remo two weeks ago, it looked momentarily as though his inability to win that race would continue and that his campaign at the Monuments in 2026 would take a hit before even really getting started.
But after 32km of breakneck chasing, a stunning duel to the line with Tom Pidcock, which ended in Pogačar’s maiden San Remo victory, and having won an epic Tour of Flanders ahead of Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel, the Slovenian is looking at making even more history.
He’s now genuinely within touching distance of winning all five of cycling’s most prestigious one-day races in the same season – something even Eddy Merckx could never achieve – and that will hinge most likely on whether he wins Paris-Roubaix next Sunday. And quite frankly, who would bet against him?
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Pogačar was second on debut in 2025, and his return has been highly anticipated ever since one error denied the sport an all-out battle to the Roubaix Velodrome with Van der Poel, who will start from Compiègne as the defending three-time champion.
But the Dutchman will be wary that just one appearance can be enough for Pogačar to crack the code of a race even as complicated as the Hell of the North. Just look at how he’s kicked on since finishing fourth at his Tour of Flanders debut, winning all three appearances since with attacks on the Oude Kwaremont.
“It’s one of the biggest races in the world, one of the most beautiful, one of the hardest, and part of the five Monuments,” said Pogačar, speaking ahead of the Tour of Flanders.
“I like to race all the monuments, and now I’ve won four out of five and been second in Roubaix, so it’s pretty solid already. But I definitely want to fight for the victory also in Roubaix, and I will try as long as I can and give my best to achieve this goal as well – it would be really good to have all five.”
Pogačar is never one to be particularly arrogant ahead…
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