It may be Tadej Pogačar's ninth month of racing this season, but this Friday the leading favourite for the UEC Road European Championships men's road race delivered a ominous, if familiar, warning to his rivals that he's feeling very good and he's not ruling out one of his trademark devastating long-range breakaways.
Fresh from taking his second straight road race title in a World Championships, where he attacked from so far out only a rider with Pogačar's previous track record could be sure of going the distance, the Slovenian cut a confident and relaxed figure as he talked to media about Sunday's upcoming European equivalent event.
And although not overly happy about having two such important one-day races back-to-back at that point in the season and whilst pointing to Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) as a key rival once again, Pogačar also expressed satisfaction at his current race condition.
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Furthermore, although Pogačar predicted a much tighter battle than a week ago in Kigali, where to all intents and purposes he had won the race with 100 kilometres to go, this time around he would not completely rule out another repeat long-distance move, either.
"A long solo? It's possible, but I doubt it," Pogačar said in press conference comments reported by Nieuwsblad.
"[But] because the race is shorter, it'll be really difficult to get a free pass. But if an opportunity arises, why not? Never say never."
Even as the end of a long, draining season beckons, Pogačar confirmed he was feeling in great shape, with the prospect of a 202.5-kilometre battle with more than 3,400 metres of vertical climbing on Sunday seeemingly anything but daunting.
"To be so deep into the season, after the World Championships, and especially after a long journey home and then almost immediately coming here, I must say I feel really good," Pogačar said. "I'm happy to be here and test again the legs on Sunday."
Fifth in the last time he participated in the Europeans Championships four years ago, Pogačar's track record of victories was already hugely impressive. But in 2025, his strike rate has soared to an even more jawdroppingly successful level, be it Grand Tours, week-long events, or one-day races, like Sunday.
However, as the 27-year-old pointed out, the field for Sunday's race is a very deep one, with the presence of Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark) an intriguing addition to the lineup of top contenders compared to Kigali.
Pogačar also played tribute to key rival Evenepoel, silver in the Worlds last week despite multiple setbacks and able to secure a European Championships Time Trial title this Wednesday, too - both a prestigious win in its own right and a big boost to his confidence for Sunday.
"He came second [in Kigali] after two bike changes and after such a long race, so I think he's really well prepared," Pogačar said. "He's super strong and motivated also, he was flying in the TT again."
"I think he has the shape and mentally he's always so prepared and eager to race and win these kinds of races. I think he's going be really good on Sunday."
As for Vingegaard, who last raced against Pogačar and Evenepoel in the same event back in Flèche Wallonne in 2022, Pogačar was almost equally complimentary.
"It's been a long time since I raced against him in a one-day race. The fact that he's here means he'll be exceptionally good," he said.
"There's Remco, Jonas, myself, but don't forget a few other big names. It's going to be a big race."
With the very important caveat it's only accessible for riders from one continent, the Europeans' slot a week after the Worlds' means it has something of the feel of a revenge match after the battle for the rainbow jersey. But to judge by Pogačar's words, he wasn't overly happy at such a major event coming so soon, time-wise, after another key one-day race.
"From my point of view, it's not great because there are a lot of races on the calendar at this point - the Giro dell'Emilia, the CRO Tour. Some riders have to choose between riding for their usual [trade] team and their national selection.
"But here we are. It's never perfect, it's just if you asked me, I'd change lots of things about the cycling calendar."
But regardless of his reservations, Pogačar is ready to race in the Europeans this time round. And for all he's not ruling out a big long-distance attack on Sunday, he said that the much shorter, punchier route would make for a very different race to Kigali a week earlier, and one where more riders would be able to fight harder, too.
"There is a good chance to create some big power on this course and I think we will see a lot more guys battling in the finish than in the World Championships," he said.
"The climbs are steep, but not very long. It's a shorter race, so I'm expecting a more explosive race.
"It's a European Championship for climbers. In the past, I often missed out on it. Unlike previous editions, this is a course that suit me."
What will not be different, though, is that the same rider above all will be the main reference point for the rest of the field.
But as is so often pointed out, too, with the honourable exceptions of, perhaps, Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo, that's true for every other race that Pogačar starts. And for all his comparative lack of experience in the event, that almost absurdly high levels of expectation includes what he can do in the Europeans on Sunday, too.
