Tadej Pogacar inspects the route for the 2024 Milan–San Remo
Not even the Italian rain could put Tadej Pogacar off. The cycling star’s recent training rides took him from his adopted home in Monaco across the border to inspect the key sections of the spring classic Milan–San Remo, such as the Poggio and the Cipressa.
In his quest to win the fourth of the five cycling Monuments, the Slovenian is leaving nothing to chance; following his victories in Liège (2021), Flanders (2023) and the Tour of Lombardy (2021 to 2023), the Classicissima is finally set to feature in his impressive list of achievements. That would leave only the cobbled ordeal of Paris–Roubaix to conquer.
A dream start: Tadej Pogacar wins the 2024 Strade Bianche
Italy is already right at the top of Pogacar’s agenda this year. It was there that he recently stunned the field with an impressive 81-kilometre solo breakaway at the 2024 Strade Bianche gravel race, kicking off his season in spectacular fashion.
The place where he hopes to win the Giro for the first time this year, and the place where the Tour de France gets underway in Florence on 29 June. If everything goes to plan, Pogacar is aiming for the double of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France – a feat last achieved 26 years ago by the ‘King of the Mountains’, Marco Pantani, who died in 2004.
Tadej Pogacar always goes flat out
“A career at the very top doesn’t last that long. You have to stay 100 per cent focused. After that, I’ll still have time to enjoy things,” says Pogacar, describing his unbridled hunger for success, which is reminiscent of the ‘cannibal of cycling’, Eddy Merckx. The 25-year-old has already racked up 64 professional victories. From spring through to late autumn, Pogacar always goes full throttle.
“Cycling isn’t just the Tour de France,” says the all-rounder, a remark that could also be taken as a slight dig at his rival Jonas Vingegaard. The Danish Tour de France champion of the past two years tends to keep a low profile at the classics and the World Championships, focusing primarily on the highlight of the summer, just as five-time winner Miguel Indurain once did.
"I've got all my self-confidence back"
“Everyone wants to win the double. It’s one of the hardest things to achieve. I think there’s enough time between the two stage races to recover,” explains Pogacar, who has adjusted his spring programme accordingly. Before the Giro, he will only compete in the Tour of Catalonia and the Liège–Bastogne–Liège classic. It was there last year that Pogacar suffered a scaphoid fracture in a crash, which may have cost him his form for the Tour.
Tadej Pogacar’s 2024 race calendar
- Milan–San Remo (16 March)
- Tour of Catalonia (18–24 March)
- Liège–Bastogne–Liège (21 April)
- Giro d’Italia (4–26 May)
- Tour de France (29 June – 21 July)
- Olympics (Individual Time Trial) – (27 July)
- Olympics (Road Race) – (3 August)
- Quebec Grand Prix (13 September)
- Montreal Grand Prix (15 September)
- Cycling World Championships (Road Race – 29 September)
- Tour of Lombardy (12 October)
“I’ve regained all the self-confidence I lost last year following my crash,” says the exceptional rider, who has also used the winter break to make a few changes. Outwardly, this is reflected in his stylish new haircut, whilst in his daily training he has switched coaches from Inigo San Millan to Javier Sola. “Sometimes a shake-up and a change are good to avoid always doing the same things,” says Pogacar.
Alberto Contador praises Tadej Pogacar
In any case, Pogacar certainly has no shortage of goals this year. The Olympic road race in Paris, the Cycling World Championships in Zurich - There’s still plenty to be won. And former star Alberto Contador believes he’s capable of the triple: “If he wins the Giro and the Tour, he’ll go for the Vuelta as well.” According to Merckx, the “most complete rider” in the peloton doesn’t want to go that far just yet, even if his denial sounds rather different: “Let’s see what’s left in the tank for the second half of the season.”
A showdown with Mathieu van der Poel is expected at Milan–San Remo
First of all, Via Roma in San Remo is Pogacar’s next destination. On the 288-kilometre route there, he will have to shake off his rivals, such as last year’s winner and world champion Mathieu van der Poel from the Netherlands. He’s surely already got the perfect moment for an attack in mind.
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