Regarding Tadej Pogacar, Sean Kelly said, “I see him winning Roubaix before Milano-Sanremo.”

Tadej Pogacar has big plans for 2025. Milano-Sanremo will be his main goal in the spring. Already a winner of three major races, the UAE Team Emirates rider has been chasing the Italian race for the past two years. He came close to winning it both times but failed. Sean Kelly, who used to race bikes and now commentates and gives advice, thinks that the World Champion will win Paris-Roubaix.

A unique point of view that differs from the general view, which says that Roubaix is a completely different animal, a race with lots of risks where heavyweight riders with a lot of experience can beat the Slovenian. It’s not too far away for Pogacar to win Sanremo, but he will always be closely watched in that race, and as a climber, it’s hard to make a difference.

“It’s possible, but it will be hard.” It will be hard to get rid of everyone on the Poggio or Cipressa. And Roubaix is hard, too, if he wants to win all five Monuments. But I think he’ll win Roubaix before Milano-Sanremo, Kelly told Daniel Benson. “Look at all the riders going over the Poggio.” He won’t be able to change anything about the Poggio. Where else could he do it? He is likely to have a tough race this time.

But Pogacar will not race in Paris-Roubaix this spring. Instead, he will try to be at his best for Sanremo. For a rider who usually has goals in the Ardennes and later in the summer at the Grand Tours, Roubaix comes with a lot of risks. An injury could mean giving up big goals. We don’t know when he will make his start in “The Hell of the North,” even though he has shown his skill in cobblestones, classics, and even flat races.

Sanremo is a given, unless he isn’t fit enough in the spring, but Kelly says, “The terrain there isn’t right for that.” I don’t think he can do it unless it’s a really bad day with rain and cold weather and the Poggio is empty with no one else there. “Or he needs to show some magic again.” In 2023 and 2024, Pogacar tried to attack the Poggio, but Mathieu van der Poel either matched them or dropped them.

This is a classic race where everything has to work out just right. UAE will probably put more focus on this race with their lineup, coming up with a specific plan to give him the best chance there is. It’s one thing to win the Tour of Flanders, but winning Paris-Roubaix is even better. “But I believe he is able to do it,” he said in the end.