Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix remain at the forefront of Tadej Pogačar's mind when it comes to the races he most wants to win as he heads into 2026 looking to complete the full set of Monument Classics.
The World Champion's race schedule won't be confirmed until UAE Team Emirates-XRG announce it to the media in mid-December, but he's already suggested that he'll be back at La Classicissima and The Hell of the North come spring 2026.
Already a five-time Il Lombardia, three-time Liège-Bastogne-Liège and two-time Tour of Flanders winner, Pogačar has narrowly missed out in San Remo and Roubaix in five appearances at the former and only his 2025 debut at the latter.
Speaking to Marca at the Cycling ESports World Championships in Abu Dhabi, Pogačar said he would continue to pursue variety throughout his race calendar as he hopes to keep things fresh with races he hasn't yet won, around his typical appointment at the Tour de France.
"I like challenges, and every year I try to change up my program a little bit. But now I think I've become very limited in what I can participate in," Pogačar told Marca.
"Every year there's the Tour de France, which is the team's and my main goal. But yes, I like to try new things as well, and for the next years, I cannot finish my career without trying everything else - I want to try out a lot of other things.
"[In 2026] we'll go for the Tour again, it's quite obvious: it's the biggest race of them all.
"But I also want to express myself again in the Classics, to show if I can improve in one-day races compared to this year or last. Milan-San Remo and Roubaix are the two races that I'm really motivated to try again and fight for the win."
Pogačar won a fourth Tour de France, his second consecutive road race world title in Rwanda, and three Monuments in 2025 – which brought his overall tally to 10, third all-time behind Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck. But even still, he doesn't see it quite as perfect, with losses at San Remo and Roubaix, both to Mathieu van der Poel, likely playing into his modest assessment.
"I'd give it a 9, but there's always room for improvement in every aspect of your life. I think I can improve in certain areas, both on and off the bike. It can be better," said Pogačar, who didn't single out a particular highlight.
"There were so many wonderful moments. So many victories with different teammates, on different teams, with the national team, in World and European Championships, in the Tour de France, in all the Monuments I participated in. I can't choose a favourite. I have too many beautiful memories."
The Spanish newspaper unsurprisingly asked about the Vuelta a España, and whether he sees it as a necessity to return there and take victory before he retires.
He's already won the Giro d'Italia at the first attempt in 2024, alongside his four Tours, and he finished third at the Vuelta in 2019, his first Grand Tour.
But Pogačar admitted how no race would play on his mind if he didn't eventually win there. His legacy as an all-time great is already in place and he's at peace with the victories he already has.
"No, I'm not obsessed with it. I want to go to La Vuelta, I want to compete, and of course, I want to win too," he said. "But if I ended my career today, I'd be quite happy."
