Tadej Pogacar out for historic Monument clean sweep at Paris-Roubaix - 'Motivation is high but pressure is low'
Published 10/04/2026 at 08:43 GMT+1
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More history is on the cards for Tadej Pogacar ahead of what promises to be a memorable Paris-Roubaix on Sunday. Cycling's dominant force is expected to do battle again with Mathieu van der Poel, who has won the Monument three years in a row. But Pogacar, who won superbly at the Tour of Flanders last weekend, insisted he is not feeling any pressure after an impressive start to the season.
Watch Paris-Roubaix 2026 on TNT Sports and HBO Max
Video credit: TNT Sports
Tadej Pogacar said he will enjoy the "low pressure" of Paris-Roubaix as he looks to complete a clean sweep of Monuments.
Having already won Milano-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders this spring, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG star now has four Monument victories on the spin.
Another win at Paris-Roubaix - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max - will mean he holds all five Monument crowns, joining an exclusive list of champions in Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx, and Roger De Vlaeminck.
But Pogacar, who finished second in last year's race, will have to overcome the considerable challenge of Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), who has three consecutive Paris-Roubaix wins.
”It’s no secret that Paris-Roubaix is one of the big goals for this part of the season,” Pogacar said. ”The few races I’ve done so far have gone perfectly, so the motivation is high but the pressure is low.
”I’m going to enjoy it no matter what the result and I’m looking forward to a good weekend of racing. We have such a strong team with guys who have been on the podium here before so it’s not only me who is capable of a result.”
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Pogacar 'motivated' for Paris–Roubaix after Tour of Flanders victory
Video credit: TNT Sports
UAE sports manager Joxean Fernandez Matxin has outlined the difficulty of winning Paris-Roubaix, widely considered to be one of the most gruelling races on the calendar.
”Paris-Roubaix is different. Completely different,” Matxin told The National. ”Here, watts are not enough. You need luck, you need calm, you need respect for the race. The pave – it does not care if you are the strongest. One mistake, one bad line, one puncture… finished.
”Why [is it known as] 'Hell of the North'? Because it feels like this. The sectors, the dust, the crashes, the noise… it is chaos. Beautiful chaos, but chaos.
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”For Tadej, this is the challenge. He likes to suffer, yes – but here, suffering is not controlled. It comes from everywhere.”
On Pogacar's potential battle with Van der Poel, Matxin added: ”To beat Mathieu van der Poel in Roubaix… this is maybe one of the hardest things you can do in cycling today.
”Mathieu, he is made for this race. The explosivity, the bike handling, the confidence on the cobbles.”
Philipsen: Pogacar and Van der Poel will dictate Paris-Roubaix
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) has acknowledged the superiority of Pogacar and team-mate Van der Poel, with the latter now just one win away from equalling De Vlaeminck and Tom Boonen with the most victories (four) at Paris-Roubaix.
Though Philipsen stayed with the two front-runners for much of the race in 2025, he has admitted they will be in control.
”They decide where it really opens up and how selective it becomes," the 28-year-old sprinter said. "After that, it’s the legs that do the talking.”
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Highlights: Pogacar burnishes GOAT candidacy with stunning Milano-Sanremo win
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Philipsen will hope to help Van der Poel to another win, but Pogacar's form is increasingly ominous.
”Of course he’s a big contender to win,” Philipsen said. ”But we’re definitely not without a chance. We go to Roubaix with confidence and we want to play to our strengths. We’re not going to give anything away.”
On his own chances, the Belgian added: ”It’s a race I really enjoy. For some reason it suits me, and I’m always highly motivated to be here. It was already special to me when I was a kid.
”In Flanders, things usually fall into place and everyone ends up where they belong. In Roubaix, luck and bad luck play a much bigger role. Anything can happen.”
How to watch Paris-Roubaix 2026
The men's race will be live on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max. Coverage begins at 09:30 UK time, with the action getting underway approximately half an hour later.
Coverage of the women's race begins at 16:00 on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max.
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.
You can subscribe to TNT Sports through HBO Max, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
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