Tadej Pogačar has spent the 2025 season rewriting what excellence looks like in modern cycling. The dude had 20 victories, three Monuments, a Tour de France title and two international championships, the 27-year-old Slovenian has established himself as the sport’s defining force. Yet with his peeps, there’s a belief he hasn’t reached his ceiling. Yes, you read that right. The guy that solos dozens of kilometres to the finish could be even better. So that’s fun.
José Antonio ‘Matxin’ Fernández, the long-time manager at UAE Team Emirates, insists there is still room for refinement. “People often ask where his limit is,” Fernández said to Eurosport. “I used to avoid the question because I didn’t know. But now I’m certain — Tadej definitely still has space to improve.” He stressed the gains would be marginal but meaningful. “It’s a minimal percentage, but we’re working to reach his true potential.”
Pogačar’s season has touched every corner of the sport — stage racing, one-day classics, worlds — and he has rarely looked vulnerable. And when he does, it’s fleeting. At the 2024 road worlds when he was soloing to the win there was a few minutes where it looked like he might blow up. Aaaaand he didn’t.
Once seen as an explosive talent prone to overextending, he has evolved into a rider who controls tempo, strategy and outcome. In 2025, no terrain seemed off limits.
After reviewing the year with coach Javier Sola, Fernández said the team identified subtle areas for development. “We concluded there are indeed points where he can grow. The motivation is there, and it’s still achievable,” he said. “He can look back on the best season of his career, where he checked off nearly all his objectives — except one.”
That lone loss was Milan–San Remo, a race Pogačar has openly chased but never cracked. Despite his dominance, La Primavera remains one of cycling’s most elusive prizes. “It’s a very difficult race,” Fernández said. It’s October, but before you know it, the 2026 racing season will be here. And so will Pogi.
Looking ahead, two targets stand above the rest. “Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix are the big goals for 2026,” Fernández said. Pogačar has already conquered three of cycling’s five Monuments — Il Lombardia, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Tour of Flanders. Only San Remo and Roubaix stand between him and a clean sweep.
Next year will be here before you know…
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