Tadej Pogačar seems closer than ever to a Paris-Roubaix debut this season as reports from Italy claim the world champion is "very close" to taking on the cobbled Monument in April.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG have previously denied that the Slovenian star will be heading to northern France for the Queen of the Classics, with directeur sportif Marco Marcato stating in February: "I can say that Roubaix is still not on Tadej's programme."
Back in early February, Pogačar was part of a mini-UAE Roubaix recon ride which included the Trouée d'Arenberg. He teased the recon in a video posted to Instagram, setting tongues wagging about a possible debut for Pogačar on April 13.
At the weekend, La Gazzetta dello Sport reporter Ciro Scognamiglio reported that Pogačar's participation in this year's edition of the race is "no longer a suggestion, nor even a hypothesis", noting that his starting can now be considered as "highly probable".
Pogačar was recently a guest on the French RMC radio show, Sport Bartoli Time, where he gave the strongest hint yet that he's in line to take on Paris-Roubaix.
"I will be there in future," he said. "When? I can't say if it will be this year or next year. There's a possibility that it will be this year, there's always a chance.
"We will see. Let's leave it as a little surprise."
Pogačar said that he had thought the race would be "too hard" for him before he took on that route recon in February. He added that any decision on a debut this spring would come after Milan-San Remo on March 22.
"I thought it would be too hard for me, but when I did the reconnaissance, I said to myself that maybe I could do it," he said.
"For now, I am focused on Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo, after these two races I think I will make my decision."
February's recon ride saw Pogačar head to northern France with Belgian teammate and Classics specialist Tim Wellens as well as UAE directeur sportif Fabio Baldato. As well as tackling the Trouée d'Arenberg, he completed the remainder of the course – and the 19 remaining cobbled sectors – before finishing the ride at the famous Vélodrome André-Petrieux.
While Pogačar has stated that any decision to ride Roubaix would be taken after Milan-San Remo – the other remaining Monument he has yet to add to his palmarès – La Gazzetta reports that a possible participation would not be linked to his result and level of form at San Remo.
A decision may be announced after La Classicissima, though internally the decision would have to be finalised before, given the likelihood of a resulting shift-around of his race programme – which currently includes the E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem ahead of the Tour of Flanders and a shot at the Ardennes treble later in April.
