It is still unclear which races cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar will compete in next year. What is certain, however, is that the Slovenian will fight for victory in the Tour de France again in the summer of 2026. But now Patrick Evenepoel, father of Pogacar’s top competitor Remco, is spreading spectacular rumors: Apparently the superstar is thinking about skipping the tour of all things.
If Remco Evenepoel’s father Patrick has his way, Tadej Pogacar is actually considering skipping the 2026 Tour de France. The Belgian indicated this in the show “On connaît nos classiques” on the “RTBF” station.
“Are you sure that Pogacar will be there?” Evenepoel senior intervened in a debate about the next edition of the big France loop: “You keep talking about him, but I don’t think he will be there at all.”
The alleged reason: “He wants to ride the Giro and the Vuelta.” Patrick Evenepoel said he heard the hammer rumor “from the peloton”.
However, it currently seems impossible that this will actually happen. It has not yet been confirmed which Grand Tours Tadej Pogacar will be competing in next year. Given the chance of a fifth title and the great pressure from sponsors, the Slovenian is unlikely to miss the tour spectacle.
Tadej Pogacar may miss the Vuelta
Instead, Pogacar could once again give up the Spanish Vuelta. UAE team boss Joxean Matxin indicated this in an interview with the Italian specialist portal “cyclingpro.net”. “Next year, Tadej could win his fifth Tour de France and, in a way, make history. That’s the direction we’re moving in. We’re analyzing the rest of the calendar. I’m currently looking for which races we’ll do as a team,” said Matxin about the selection process, in which the Tour de France “clearly” plays the biggest role.
The World Championships in Canada (September 20th to 27th, 2026) are also likely to be planned, where the 27-year-old wants to defend his title again. “If you want to do the Tour, the Vuelta and the World Championships, you are away from home for four months and have to be at your peak for a long time. At the moment that is not the most feasible option,” is the reason for a possible cancellation of the Vuelta, which starts at the end of August.
Patrick Evenepoel also did not want to announce which races his son will be competing in next year. But the tour is the highlight of the calendar: “Last year he wasn’t ready for the tour, that’s clear. I believe that with a very good winter, very good preparation and no bad luck – toi, toi, toi – he can take part in the tour 100 percent and achieve a very good result.”