Tadej Pogačar has outlined his late-season goals after a gruelling but victorious 2025 Tour de France, revealing plans to race in Canada, defend his world title, and target the hilly European Championships. Fresh from celebrations in his hometown of Komenda, Slovenia, Pogačar admitted he is “already counting the years until retirement,” eyeing 2028 as a potential career endpoint, but remains determined to “enjoy the moment” while still at the peak of his powers.
Following rest in Montecarlo, Pogačar will resume racing at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Montréal, with the latter better suited to his strengths but both offering winning chances. He will then head to Rwanda for the World Championships before tackling the October 5 European Championships in southern France, where a climber-friendly route could play to his advantage. The event’s timing will likely prevent him from contesting other Italian autumn classics apart from Lombardia.
Pogačar, under contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG until 2030, has enjoyed an extraordinary career since his 2019 WorldTour debut, claiming four Tour de France titles and over 100 victories. Only the Vuelta a España, Milan-San Remo, and Paris-Roubaix remain on his list of unclaimed major wins. Despite his dominance, he acknowledged that performance levels will inevitably decline and is prepared for both good and bad seasons ahead.
While Jonas Vingegaard turns his focus to the Vuelta, Pogačar will skip further Grand Tours this year after a demanding spring and summer. He reiterated that the Tour will be a central goal again in 2026 as he seeks to match the record of five overall victories. For now, he is relishing the chance to close 2025 with a select schedule of one-day races, knowing his time at cycling’s summit will not last forever.
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