‘There’s no rivalry between the two’ - Pogacar and Roglic join forces for Rwanda Worlds success

"He simply ran out of time to concretely prepare for this specific discipline," Murn explained during the Tour 202 podcast. "After the Tour, he took a little more time to catch his breath and said he wouldn't be able to prepare optimally for the time trial. He preferred to concentrate on the road race, and because of this, he also went to the altitude preparations, from where, he will come to Rwanda."

The Slovenian team will be without Jan Tratnik, who was instrumental in Pogačar's epic 100km solo victory at last year's World Championships in Zurich. Tratnik has only recently returned to racing following his last appearance at the Giro d'Italia.

"We know that Jan is just coming back. His last appearance was the Giro, a few days ago, he returned for a one-day race in France, but now he has raced in Canada and is not yet one hundred per cent," Murn said. "He himself decided that he did not want to take any risks and compete in the World Championships."

While Roglič focuses solely on the road race, Pogačar will contest both disciplines, with Murn confident about his chances in the time trial against Belgium's Remco Evenepoel.

"The track is written on his skin, and I think he's going to be very competitive," said Murn. "He and Remco Evenepoel will be very close, but the Belgian is a specialist in a more 'pancake' route, and when he goes up a bit, his dynamism is no longer so pronounced."

The Slovenian team faces logistical challenges in Rwanda compared to last year's championships in Switzerland. "The problem is that in Rwanda, they don't know about motorhomes and buses like that. We plan to rent a smaller bus with the driver. All teams will be on the same page, and there's no choice here," Murn explained.

The coach described a challenging 280-kilometre course featuring significant climbing, including Mont Kigali at 1,800 meters above sea level and several steep sections, one featuring cobblestones.

"I think it will be more difficult than it was last year, because last year's big factor was Pogačar's surprise. This year, everyone expects us to defend the win, so it's going to be a little harder for the team," Murn acknowledged.

When asked about the dynamic between Slovenia's two cycling superstars, Murn was clear: "Both are top riders. When we're in the national team, there's no rivalry between the two. We know what our common possibilities are and what the possibilities of individuals are. We submit to this as a whole team."

The World Championships in Rwanda begin on September 21 with Murn and Pogačar arriving Wednesday for Sunday's time trial, while the rest of the team, including Roglič, will join them a week later.