Pogacar Overhauls His Colnago Setup for Paris-Roubaix — New Bike, New Tyres, New Strategy for the Monument He Craves Most
Tadej Pogacar has completely overhauled his equipment setup ahead of next Sunday's Paris-Roubaix, switching to the Colnago Y1Rs aero frame and testing multiple tyre widths and pressures across a series of intensive recon sessions on the pavé of northern France. The changes represent the most significant equipment pivot of Pogacar's career and underline just how seriously the Slovenian is treating his bid to win the one Monument that has so far eluded him.
Photographs from a 210-kilometre reconnaissance ride with teammates Florian Vermeersch, Tim Wellens and Nils Politt showed Pogacar testing both the Y1Rs aero bike and the V5Rs all-rounder across the crucial Carrefour de l'Arbre and Camphin-en-Pevele cobbled sectors. A UAE Team Emirates-XRG mechanic was on hand throughout, adjusting tyre pressures between runs as the team sought the perfect balance between speed and comfort on the notoriously punishing pavé.
"Tadej has already decided to compete with the Y1Rs, which he has not yet raced at Roubaix," a UAE team source confirmed. "That is why we repeated the ride on the cobblestones many times. We tested different tyre widths and pressures, and in addition, the sponsors promised us that we would get material adapted specifically for riding on cobblestones for this race."
The decision to switch to the aero frame is a calculated gamble. Traditional Roubaix wisdom favours comfort-oriented endurance bikes with wider tyre clearances, but Pogacar's camp believe the aerodynamic advantage of the Y1Rs on the long tarmac sections between cobbled sectors outweighs any vibration penalty on the pavé itself. The logic mirrors what Mathieu van der Poel has done in recent editions, racing an aero-focused Canyon Aeroad rather than a dedicated cobbles bike.
Tyre choice is equally critical. The recon sessions saw Pogacar experiment with widths between 28mm and 32mm, a narrower range than many Roubaix specialists would consider. With the new 800-metre cobbled climb that race director Thierry Gouvenou has added to the 2026 route, finding tyres that can both grip on the ascent and roll fast on the flat is a challenge that has occupied the team's technical staff for weeks.
Vermeersch, a Roubaix podium finisher in 2021, is expected to play a crucial domestique role on the cobbles, guiding Pogacar through the chaos of the early sectors before the race fractures on the decisive stretches from Mons-en-Pevele onwards. The Belgian's local knowledge and cobblestone expertise make him perhaps the most valuable lieutenant Pogacar could ask for in the Hell of the North.
If Pogacar wins on Sunday, he will become only the fourth rider in history to have won all five Monuments — joining Eddy Merckx, Rik Van Looy and Roger De Vlaeminck. No rider has ever won four Monuments in a single spring campaign. After Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders, Roubaix is the last piece in a puzzle that may never be attempted again.