Tadej Pogacar opens up about his struggles ahead of the Tour de France: 'A lot of disadvantages'

Everyone stepping onto a bike in 2026 wants to be Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian from UAE Emirates-XRG has grown in just a few years into a global star in the peloton, and now well beyond it too. An idyllic life then. But after his stage win in stage 1 of the Tour of Switzerland, Pogačar also honestly admitted that there are drawbacks. Pogačar spoke to IDL Pro Cycling and other members of the press after the stage.

We should be honest: on Tuesday, at the team presentation, the northern Italian crowd did cheer just a little louder for Mathieu van der Poel on stage, but where the Dutchman of Alpecin-Premier Tech finished anonymously a day later in stage 1, his great rival in cycling immediately delivered with a 70-kilometre solo victory.

However surprising that long-range attack may have seemed, it was not really a surprise. Wherever Pogacar starts, he wins and dictates the terms, whether with a sharp sprint or a bizarre solo. In twelve race days in 2026, Pogacar has failed to win only three times. In Paris-Roubaix he finished second, and in the Tour of Romandie he was sixth in the prologue and fourth in a sprint.

In all the other races, he delivered, including Strade Bianche, the three Monuments Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and in Romandie he won the overall classification as well as the other four stages. In Switzerland, he started immediately with a stage win, and do not be surprised if one or two more stage victories follow on the way to overall success.

It all seems to come so easily, and in 2026 even more so than last year, when he was already that dominant with 20 victories. “I love training, but I also love racing. The best thing about racing is being with your team-mates and going all-out together. I think this was also one of the most enjoyable races I have ridden,” Pogacar said on Wednesday.

Precisely because he still enjoys cycling so much, he seems to keep improving in 2026. He and his fiancée Urska Zigart bring out the best in each other, as was also clear around stage 1. “Urska was flying too, I watched the women’s race in the morning. I knew she made her move in the same place where I did, but once I was in the race, I forgot all about that.”

The mercury climbed above 35 degrees on Wednesday, but that could barely trouble Pogacar. “It was quite hot, but with the team we had feed zones, so we could cool down a lot with water. My team-mates also helped me keep my body temperature low. Especially in the final it felt like someone was blowing a heater in your face.”

The heat used to be a point where you could catch Pogacar out. But he has shown no weakness for years now. “Over the years I have become better at it. The Tour is always in summer and I live in the south of France, so in summer it is always scorching hot there. In training it is even survival, and it is a matter of filling enough bottles beforehand. I enjoy it more now.”

UAE has also improved as an organisation, so that Pogacar never lacks anything, both in and out of races. He will again be in peak shape for the Tour. “In the Tour de France you have to be there from day one, that was different in the past. Then you could peak in the third week, now the route is harder from the beginning. You often have to be in top form in the first few days.”

There are plenty of advantages to being the best rider in the world, because everyone goes the extra mile for you. But there is also a downside to being a star. “I never dreamed of becoming such a good cyclist, I only hoped that one day I could turn professional and ride the Tour. I never thought about being famous. That has advantages, but also a lot of disadvantages, especially on a personal level.”

Anyone who watched Pogacar move through the first two days of the Tour of Switzerland immediately knew what he meant. On and off the bike he is never alone, always accompanied by his press officer Luke and often by security as well. Fans storm the mixed zone just for a glimpse of the world champion, and if Pogacar does not have time for them, he gets angry looks.

“Cycling is lucky to have the fans, who are very cool,” Pogacar said affectionately nevertheless. “Sometimes it becomes a bit overwhelming because everyone can get so close. But generally we are happy with the way the sport is. But a race is not training for me. You do not leave home for a few hours on the bike and then come back.”

“It is 7pm now and I’m still here talking to you in my cycling shorts. In a race you ride against 170 riders and go hard everywhere, in training you can choose one pace more. Then you stay safe; in a race you never know what will happen. You have to stay focused all the time, and that is stressful. It builds up.”