Tour Down Under is getting ready to welcome Tadej Pogačar in 2027: 'Richie Porte won't want him here'

The Tour Down Under is one of the few races still missing from Pogacar’s list of victories. He did compete in it once, back in 2019, and he would have liked to race it in 2026 as well, but his team, UAE Emirates-XRG, held him back.

With his season cut short by the crash at the Vuelta, a start in January seems like a good option:

"He raced here back in 2019, of course—he finished 13th—so we can't say he's never been here before," the former cyclist continues.

"His manager, Alex Carrera, was here for the final stage in January to take a look around and get his own impression of the race, the layout of the village, and the hotel. He was like, 'Man, this is incredible.'"

"You have to see it with your own eyes; it's hard to explain when you're traveling from hotel to hotel all year long," O'Grady says.

"Being here in the same hotel, with a lively village right outside the door, a relaxed atmosphere, and your team tents on the other side... that connection with the whole community is unique."

But will it be enough to get Pogacar to the start line? “We’re doing what we can. Given Tadej’s crash, we’re obviously hoping he recovers and gets back to that level—we’re hoping and praying that happens. And Urska (Zigart, ed.) also had a terrible crash, of course…," said O’Grady, who will be combining the women’s race with the men’s race for the first time next year, on the same days.

"We just want them to get better, and if they decide they want to start racing sooner, we'll welcome them with open arms and do everything we can to help. Richie Porte won't want him here, because then that record on Willunga Hill will be broken," he laughs heartily.