Tadej Pogacar at the Tour Down Under ? According to race director Stuart O'Grady , the Slovenian world champion was very close to participating.

The 2007 Paris-Roubaix winner recently spoke about it with Pogačar's agent, Alex Carera , a guest at the Australian race: "He's very excited to participate," O'Grady told AAP , referring to Carera. "I wasn't expecting it at all, that's for sure. It's a great sign, a positive sign . Who knows, maybe by the end of 2026 Pogačar will have won his fifth Tour and decide to try for a sixth. But all we can do is put forward our best proposal.

It's hard to evaluate the Tour Down Under experience until you've been there ," O'Grady continued. "Michael Kwiatkowski said to me the other day, 'Why didn't I come here 10 years ago?' It's a perfect training base, a good and consistent training camp, and we hope that all this feedback… will finally allow us to bring Tadej here .

According to O'Grady, Pogacar actually thought about starting the season Down Under: " Evidently, as has been reported, he was very enthusiastic . I spoke to Mauro Gianetti (general manager of the UAE, ed.) during a WorldTour seminar in Geneva last month and they were very close to sending him. But I simply think the lure of a fifth Tour de France title in 2026 made them want to keep the same program and calendar. Once he wins that coveted fifth Tour, we will do everything possible to bring him to Adelaide."

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency