Pogacar scouts Paris-Roubaix cobbles with sights set on 2026 victory

Pogačar, who finished second behind Mathieu van der Poel in his debut this year, was spotted riding the crucial Carrefour de l'Arbre and Camphin-en-Pévèle cobbled sectors alongside teammates Tim Wellens, Florian Vermeersch, and Nils Politt from UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Pogacar's reconnaissance signals his serious intentions for "the Hell of the North," one of the few major races missing from his impressive palmares alongside Milan-San Remo. Despite his impressive debut performance, the Slovenian is clearly not satisfied with second place and is already laying the groundwork for future success.

When speaking to Marca about his goals for 2026, Pogacar confirmed his plans to return to cycling's biggest stage race while emphasising his ambitions in the classics.

"I think I'll go back to the Tour," Pogacar said. "It's obvious: it's the biggest race of all. But I also want to express myself in the classics, to see if I can do better in the one-day races than last year. Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix are two races I'm very motivated for. I want to try again and fight for the win."

The presence of cobbled specialists Vermeersch and Politt during the reconnaissance highlights UAE Team Emirates' commitment to supporting Pogacar's Paris-Roubaix ambitions with experienced teammates who understand the unique challenges of the cobbled classic.

Pogacar has demonstrated his versatility throughout his career, winning the Tour de France four times, the Giro d'Italia, all three major Ardennes Classics, the Tour of Flanders twice, and Il Lombardia a record-equalling five times. Adding Paris-Roubaix to his collection would further cement his status as one of cycling's most complete champions.

The early course reconnaissance, conducted more than 18 months before his next planned participation, shows the methodical approach Pogacar is taking to conquer one of cycling's most demanding one-day races.