Tadej Pogačar has flatly denied that he had ever had plans to retire at the end of 2028, with his current plans to see out his contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG until 2030 and then very possibly continue his career into the next decade, and with the same team.
Now 27, speculation had begun to swirl earlier this year that Pogačar might end his career in 2028 following the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
However, in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pogačar insisted that he was already looking to continue for at least another five years.
In the same report, the newspaper conjectured that Pogačar would repeat his comparatively late season start of 2024, with his first race likely to be Strade Bianche on March 7. Pogačar did not confirm that, but he did say that both Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix would be part of his program for 2026.
Regarding the early retirement rumours, Pogačar stated categorically that "I never considered leaving at the end of 2028. I signed my contract until 2030, and unless something crazy happens, I'll obviously respect that. Otherwise, I would never have signed until that date."
The four-time Tour de France winner also made it clear to La Gazzetta dello Sport that, regarding his team, too, it was very much a case of business as usual.
"My team is getting better every year, and I feel more and more like part of a family. I don't see myself anywhere else, and if I want to race beyond 2030, it's very likely it will still be with UAE," he said.
"But that's a long way ahead: right now I'm relaxed, I'm having fun, there are no problems."
Apart from the Tour de France, where he will be pushing for a record-equalling fifth victory and the World Championships where he will also be aiming for the record of three wins – where success would put him on an equal footing, too, with Peter Sagan's tally of three straight triumphs in a row in 2015, 2016 and 2017 – Pogačar confirmed he would be targeting the two Monuments still lacking in his palmares.
"It's no secret I will seek to be in top condition in those two occasions," he said regarding La Primavera and the 'Hell of the North' on March 21 and April 12. "They are two objectives of mine and of the team."
While Pogačar will be maintaining his top 2025 Spring Classic targets into 2026, he also said that on the personal front, he and his partner, professional racer Urška Zigart (AG Insurance-Soudal), remained unchanged.
"For example, my ex-coach pointed out how often football players have their personal cook, someone to do the shopping and clean the house…that doesn't work for me or for Urška. Yes, sometimes it's not simple, with the house being topsy-turvy and suitcases everywhere, but we prefer to sort things out ourselves."
"I like going to the supermarket and buying what I need, or cleaning the rooms and the windows. Or simply just going out for a walk. I'm no super-hero, I'm just a normal guy."
Now entering his eighth season as a pro, Pogačar recognised that "my outlook changes a little each year."
"But the one thing that doesn't change, one season after another, is that I can't wait to get back into racing again."
