Pogačar on possible career end: "I'm already counting down the years until I retire"

Tadej Pogačar has been in an unusually reflective mood since winning his fourth Tour de France title a fortnight ago. The Slovenian cycling star hinted at a possible end to his career and spoke about his desire for new challenges within cycling. At a criterium in his home town of Komenda on Saturday evening, the world champion gave further indications of his future plans. The 26-year-old UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider explained that his team will probably nominate him for the Tour de France for "several more years" as it is the biggest race in the sport. At the same time, he admitted: "I'm actually counting down the years until I retire." In an interview with the Slovenian national broadcaster RTV SLO before the 35-kilometre Tadej Pogačar Cup, the Slovenian once again emphasised how exhausting winning the Tour had been for him. He described it as "really hard, one of the most difficult I've ridden, which anyone who has fought for the overall classification can confirm."

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Thoughts on the future

Asked about his earlier comments about a possible retirement, Pogačar confirmed that he is thinking about it, even if it will probably be a few years yet. "In fact, I'm counting the years until I retire. I started winning early and worse results could come, I'm prepared for anything," he said. "I'm sure I'll ride some Tour de France stages, even though you can never say you'll be competing there. The Tour is the biggest race and I doubt the team will leave me at home for the next few years." Two weeks after his fourth yellow jersey success, Pogačar now feels rested and has refocussed. "I'm ready for new challenges," he explained. After deciding not to fight for his first Vuelta-a-España title, his sights are now set on the upcoming WorldTour races in Canada as well as the European and World Championships.

Immediate goals and season planning

"We know that Montreal suits me better, but that doesn't mean I won't also try to win in Quebec," said Pogačar, who has already won the former race twice, but has never stood on the podium in Quebec. "This year they've changed the course a bit, now it's even easier, but the finish is harder, so we'll try to win there too. It doesn't have to be me, we have a few other riders who can achieve this goal, especially Jhonathan Narvaez." He also wants to defend his world title in Kigali, Rwanda, and win his first European title in the French region of Ardèche. "From the information we have, the European Championships will suit the climbers this year, so I'll probably be there," he explained. "It's similar to one of the spring races that Juan Ayuso won this year. But this European Championships probably means I won't be able to ride any of the Italian classics apart from the Tour of Lombardy."