Tadej Pogacar's second place at today's Paris-Roubaix, as in 2025, has the taste of a near-miss, built on courage, endurance, and a race marked by unpredictable events. On the cobbles of the Hell of the North, the Slovenian once again confirmed his versatility, fighting until the final kilometers against pure classics specialists. The race unfolded chaotically, as often happens at Roubaix, with crashes, punctures, and constant changes of pace. These very factors had a profound impact on the race dynamics, as Pogacar himself pointed out: "Punctures certainly put riders in difficulty who could have done much today – said the Slovenian, almost impassive and with his face still covered in dust – Perhaps for some, the race could have gone differently".

At the decisive moment, Pogacar found himself at the front alongside Wout Van Aert, one of the most anticipated riders. From there on, the race transformed into a direct duel between the two: "When I was left with Van Aert, I understood that it would be just us two towards the end. I immediately realized we would be one against the other. Wout deserved the victory, I'm happy for him, he's always come back after injuries and bad luck, he never gave up and he can be a role model for children. Yes, he deserved it".

Drop the Flemish rider on the cobbles? "Impossible, he was on my wheel, I tried, but my legs weren't at their best, and I always saw him attached to me, how could I drop him? He's so strong and then in the sprint. It's nice to see how fast he can go at the finish".

Despite maximum effort, victory slipped away from the Slovenian who, last year as well, had to settle for a placement. Without leaving room for regrets, Pogacar showed clarity and serenity in his analysis during the press conference: "I gave my all. Perhaps tomorrow, after the race, when the dust settles, we'll analyze and see what I could have done better, but I think that in such a chaotic race, we managed quite well, I gave my all and I have no regrets, certainly. Many punctured today, the first time I got a flat and broke my wheel, I received the bike from the Shimano wheel change, my teammates then did great work to bring me back with the best riders before Arenberg, and I spent a lot to go at full gas to get back to the front. Today we all raced with our hearts".

Pogacar has words of admiration for how Del Grosso changed Van der Poel's punctured wheel, and how both of them behaved on the Arenberg cobbles in such difficult conditions: "I saw them, they were right in front of me. Tibor guided very well with the flat tire, chapeau to him, it's very difficult to do it at Arenberg, and then Mathieu got a puncture at the worst moment, that's where the worst cobbles of Roubaix are, and he stayed on his feet".

These are words that tell of the awareness of having done everything possible in one of the most unpredictable races on the calendar. When asked if the result could have been different, the Slovenian answered with honesty:

"I don't know if today could have gone differently. But I think that in the end we all found ourselves where we were supposed to be". Pogacar participated in Paris-Roubaix for the first time last year and, on that occasion, had to surrender to Van der Poel. This year his intention was to arrive first at Roubaix, but he had to surrender to Van Aert. Will Pogacar return to Roubaix? The Slovenian answered curtly, assuring that his plans for next season will be different.

"As for next year, I won't return to Roubaix. Perhaps in the future, I still have years ahead in my career and I'll come back to win it and make history". A choice that, if confirmed, would remove from the race one of the most fascinating protagonists seen on the cobbles in recent years. But today's performance remains: a second place that is worth much more than a simple position, and that once again confirms Pogacar's greatness even away from his natural terrain.