Pogacar confirmed for home Euros as Slovenia turns to Russian talent

Speaking to Delo, Murn confirmed that the reigning Tour de France champion will compete at the championships, which Slovenia will host for the first time, and is keen to take part in both the road race and time trial.

Last year, Pogačar conquered the European Championship title in France ahead of Remco Evenepoel and French prodigy Paul Seixas after a 75 km solo.

Meanwhile, Slovenia is also preparing for a transition period within the squad. Murn revealed that Roman Yermakov, a 21-year-old rider currently with Bahrain Victorious, will represent Slovenia in the future after acquiring a Slovenian licence.

However, due to international regulations, Yermakov will not be eligible to compete for Slovenia in 2026, having previously raced for Russia. He is expected to join the national setup from next season.

“He is a young rider I have been following for some time,” Murn said. “I also supported his citizenship process with a recommendation. I am confident he will integrate well into the team, especially with a generational shift coming.”

The addition of Yermakov comes at a time of transition for the Slovenian squad. Experienced sprinter Luka Mezgec is set to retire at the end of the season, with the young Russian expected to strengthen the team as part of a new generation. Murn believes Slovenia’s depth is improving at the right time.

“With the riders we have, we will have around 11 top level cyclists, and possibly more if some younger riders break through,” he said. “Including continental level riders, we are looking at a pool of around 15. That gives us much more flexibility than in the past, when filling quotas was sometimes a challenge.”

The European Championships in Slovenia will take place from 2 to 7 October, with the road race scheduled for Sunday 3 October and the time trial on 6 October.

It was previously revealed that Pogačar has also been involved in the development of the course. However, the 27-year-old said his input remained limited despite being consulted.

“We looked at it a little bit, but it’s not that easy to design a good circuit where I train in Slovenia,” he said. “It’s either too hard or too easy.”