Pogacar Overhauls Cobbles Setup After Muddy 210km Paris-Roubaix Recon — Monument Sweep in Sight
Tadej Pogacar has left nothing to chance in his pursuit of a historic Paris-Roubaix victory, completing a gruelling 210-kilometre reconnaissance of the Hell of the North's most feared cobbled sectors alongside teammate Florian Vermeersch. The UAE Team Emirates leader described the two-day session as "eventful" after battling mud and rain across the pavé of Carrefour de l'Arbre, Camphin-en-Pévèle and the Trouée d'Arenberg.
The reconnaissance comes just days after Pogacar's devastating solo victory at the Tour of Flanders, his 12th Monument win and third of the 2026 spring campaign. Should the Slovenian triumph at Paris-Roubaix on April 12th, he would become only the second rider in history to win all five Monuments, joining the legendary Eddy Merckx in cycling's most exclusive club.
"We put a lot of effort into this winter specifically for Roubaix," Pogacar told reporters after the recon. "The shape is good and I will go to Flanders and Roubaix with a strong team. We'll go for the win in both races." Having already ticked off Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders this spring, the 27-year-old is clearly treating Paris-Roubaix as the ultimate prize of his cobbled campaign.
Central to Pogacar's Roubaix bid is a significant equipment overhaul. The Slovenian has maxed out the tyre capacity of his Colnago, switching to Continental GP5000 S TR tyres in the new 35mm width — a departure from the narrower rubber he has used in previous cobbled races. The wider tyres offer greater comfort and grip on the notoriously rough pavé, reflecting lessons learned from his previous Roubaix appearances where bike handling and equipment durability proved decisive.
UAE Team Emirates have assembled a formidable squad around their leader. Six riders are already confirmed: Vermeersch, who finished second at Paris-Roubaix in 2021, brings invaluable cobbles expertise, while Nils Politt, Mikkel Bjerg, Julius Johansen and Rui Oliveira complete a lineup built for power and protection on the pavé. Vermeersch, in particular, is considered one of the best Paris-Roubaix domestiques in the peloton and knows every centimetre of the cobbled sectors.
The challenge facing Pogacar is considerable. Three-time defending champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is bidding to equal the all-time record of four Roubaix wins held by Roger De Vlaeminck and Tom Boonen. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), still searching for a Monument victory after a string of near-misses this spring, will be equally motivated on roads that suit his power profile perfectly.
"Everybody's looking at me," Pogacar acknowledged. "But Paris-Roubaix is a different beast to any other Monument. You need luck, you need the legs, you need the bike to survive. Nothing is guaranteed on the cobbles." The Slovenian's humility belies a rider who has been virtually unbeatable this spring, and whose appetite for history appears insatiable.
With a Giro-Tour double bid still to come later in the season, Pogacar's 2026 campaign is shaping into something truly extraordinary. But first, the cobbles of northern France await — and with them, the chance to complete cycling's rarest collection.