Tadej Pogačar to skip Paris-Roubaix in 2027: 'The easier it becomes to stay away from racing'

Roubaix was the only one-day race that Pogačar started, and didn't win, in 2026. Despite not finishing the season, he ended the year as the highest-ranked cyclist.

Before his crash he won almost everything he entered, losing out to Wout van Aert at Roubaix, but winning Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, as well as the general classifications in the Tour de Romandie, Tour de Suisse, and Tour de France overall.

Pogačar is yet to conquer the Hell of the North, but it seems that fans hoping to see the Slovenian back on the cobbles will be disappointed in the 2027 season.

During a charity press conference, Pogačar revealed his major plans for the coming season.

The Slovenian has been back on the bike and training for a few weeks now, and is not shying away from ambition on his return to the bunch.

He said, "My goal is to ride the World Championships in combination with the Tour and the Vuelta, which didn’t work out this year. Although I’d prefer to ride the Giro, I’ll have to check off the Vuelta at some point.”

Pogačar admitted that while missing Europeans and Worlds was a shame, it didn't have such a devastating effect on the Slovenian as anticipated.

The cycling superstar said candidly, "When I watched the Worlds and the Euros, it made me miss racing of course, but I’d say that the older I get, the easier it becomes to stay away from racing and find other things I enjoy."

The cynics may not believe him, as he seemed desperate to compete in the European championships despite not being fully recovered, but could this mark the start of a more nonchalant Pogačar?

Roubaix is the only monument Pogačar has not won, and so it may come as a surprise that no mention of the gruelling race has been made in his calendar announcements. However, other members of the peloton may welcome this news, thinking it opens the race up.

It has been reported that Remco Evenepoel and Red Bull BORA-hansgrohe are preparing for the Belgian powerhouse to make his debut on the cobbles of Roubaix. Last season he made a highly anticipated and successful debut at the Tour of Flanders in April 2026—finishing third behind Pogačar and van der Poel. However he and his team, opted to stick to their original schedule and skip Paris-Roubaix to focus on the Ardennes Classics instead.

Other classics riders will be looking to make an impact. The newly parted Ganna and Pedersen could be among the mix for Lidl-Trek. Although nothing has been confirmed, Wout van Aert could be back to defend his hard-fought title.