Mohoric reflects on Pogacar's past comments about skipping future Tours

Bahrain Victorious enjoyed a successful Giro d’Italia in May. Afonso Eulálio wore the maglia rosa, finished sixth overall, and won the youth classification, while Alec Segaert took a stage victory with a late attack. 

“The Giro was almost a fairytale. We hope that the Tour will also be successful and that we will achieve the goals that we realistically set for ourselves,” Matej Mohorič told RTV SLO. 

Building on this momentum, Mohorič and the team head into July aiming for another strong Grand Tour by balancing GC hopes with stage-hunting ambitions.

“On the one hand, we will try to play for the overall classification with Antonio Tiberi or Lenny Martinez, on the other hand, there will be a lot of emphasis on chasing stage wins,” explained Mohorič. 

However, the three-time Tour stage winner acknowledged that their opportunities will largely be dictated by the peloton's dominant forces.

Recent Grand Tours have shown just how tightly controlled the racing has become. No more than nine teams have won a stage during each of the last three Grand Tours dating back to the 2025 Tour.

In the recent Giro, exactly nine different squads tasted victory, led by a dominant Visma | Lease a Bike team that took six stage wins en route to the maglia rosa. UAE Team Emirates-XRG have been equally formidable, capturing seven stages at the Vuelta, five at the Tour last summer and four at the recent Giro. 

“We have many strong individuals, and almost every one of us can hope for a good result, if the outcome of the race allows it,” said Mohorič.

Having proven his craft from breakaways over the years, Mohorič has his eyes set on specific stages, but he remains realistic about how much freedom the strongest teams will grant the rest of the peloton.

“There are some interesting stages on the route that could suit me, but it all depends on the course of the race itself,” said Mohorič. “Above all, on how the strongest teams ride the race and how much energy they are willing to spend to control the main group.”

“If it goes full steam ahead every day, it will be much harder for riders who are not among the absolute best in the world to get a chance,” added Mohorič. 

The conversation then shifted to his compatriot Tadej Pogačar, who will be gunning for a record-equalling fifth Tour title when the race kicks off in Barcelona on July 4.

Pogačar has made no secret of his passion for the Monuments, winning another three in 2026 alongside a runner-up finish at Paris-Roubaix. However, a hint of mental weariness grew towards the end of the Tour last summer. 

“The Tour is the biggest cycling race in the world, but it also causes a lot of stress for the riders,” Pogačar toldL’Equipe. “I would like to skip it for a season to try my hand at other races, but I know that will be difficult. So, yes, you will see me at the start of the Tour next year to defend my title, most likely.”

While Pogačar’s actions since then leave no doubt about his focus on a record-equalling yellow jersey, Mohorič was asked for his take on his compatriot’s previous comments.

“The question is how much truth there is in some of his statements. Sometimes Tadej says something before he thinks it through,” said Mohorič. “The Tour de France is the biggest race in the world, and I believe he will be returning there for a long time.”

“If he decides otherwise someday, that is his right. He has proven many times that he is the best cyclist in the world and that he can afford much more freedom in choosing his goals than most others."