Tadej Pogacar's program is taking shape for the 2025 season. Photo: Cor Vos
After a historic 2024 season for Tadej Pogacar, the manager of the UAE Team Emirates team, Joxean Fernández Matxín, did not hide the desire to improve the Slovenian's record with “all the races that he has not yet won.”
Joxean Fernández Matxínthe team manager UAE Team Emiratesspoke with Eurosport about his leader: Tadej Pogacar (26 years old). After an incredible 2024 season with 25 victories, the double Giro–Tourthe title of World championbut also victories over Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Lombardyamong other things, there are still some big goals to achieve in the Slovenian's career. For the 2025 season, the ambition is clear: “the idea is to increase his record with all the races he has not won”confided Matxín has Eurosport.
Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, La Vuelta… on Tadej Pogacar's programme?
“If you intend to do the Giro like last year, to go through Paris-Roubaix, in the middle of the preparation that comes with a Grand Tour, there are overlapping interests, explained Joxean Fernández Matxín. But yes, it is clear that the idea of increasing his record with all the races he has not won is on our minds. » Although Tadej Pogacar's 2025 season schedule will not be revealed until December, the Tour of Italy which he won is not expected to be on his racing list. The Tour-Vuelta double seems more in the works at the moment.
Among the Monuments, there are two left to win for Tadej Pogacar : Milan-Sanremo et Paris-Roubaix. Surely two of the classics that suit him the least on paper. “For me, the most difficult is Milan-Sanremo, continued Matxín. It was decided in five explosive minutes after seven hours of racing. In fact, in five minutes these days, there is no one superior to another. There are many other candidates than Tadej in these five minutes with Van der Poel, Van Aert, Hirschi, Narvaez…”
The team manager UAE Team Emirates added: “The objective is to try to maintain what we have,” he concluded. It is not only difficult to become the best rider in the world and the best team in the world, but also to stay there.
