Pogačar will be busy this year. Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, Olympics and World Championships await him

Before the end of last year, double Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar presented his racing plans for the next season. The Slovenian sports superstar is surprisingly heading to two cycling Grand Tours.

The 25-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider will take to the start of the Giro d’Italia in May for the first time in his career. He has made no secret of the fact that he has long dreamed of taking part in the three-week stage race across Italy.

“I have always wanted to ride the Giro. It’s one of my favourite races because it’s close to Slovenia. As kids we loved watching the Giro and going to cheer on the stages,” Pogačar said at a meeting with reporters during a training camp in Spain.

Almost a month after the end of the Giro, where the Slovenian will be targeting the top overall position, the 111th edition of the world’s most famous cycling race will start. And Pogačar doesn’t want to miss out on his fifth Tour de France.

“I’m not so young anymore, I think I can ride two Grand Tours. I probably could have done it before, but now is a good time in my career for a new challenge,” said Pogačar.

Pogačar in the fight for the rainbow jersey

The next highlight on Pogačar’s calendar is the cycling competition under the five rings. However, the national nomination will decide which races he will enter.

While the bronze medallist from the last Games is more or less guaranteed a place in the road race, Slovenia can only send one rider to the time trial, which takes place just six days after the Tour de France finals. In addition, another star Slovenian and Olympic time trial winner from Tokyo, Primož Roglič, will also be interested in taking part.

After the Paris Games, Pogačar will take part in the Canadian WorldTour races and then set his sights on September’s world championships in Switzerland. The road race in Zurich features a hilly course and favours the more explosive riders, of which the winner of races in Flanders, Liege and Lombardy is definitely one.

“The World Championship is definitely one of my main goals for 2024,” the Slovenian revealed. He will finish the season with the Tour of Lombardy, where he will return to fight for his fourth title in a row after three victories.

Spring Classics in preparation for the Giro

Pogacar’s busy schedule will affect his participation in the so-called one-offs in the first part of 2024. His calendar of spring classics includes only Strade Bianche, where he won in 2022, and the Milan-San Remo monument. He finished fourth there last time.

Pogačar will skip the Tour of Flanders, which he dominated last year in phenomenal fashion ahead of Dutchman Van der Poel. He will also not defend his first place at the Amstel Gold Race and the Arrow of Wallonia.

Source: Global Cycling Network, CyclingNews