Updated September 11, 2025 06:54AM
Pogačar Seeks Canada Reboot after Tour de France Burnout: 'Everyone Needs Rest Sometimes'
Van Aert, Woods, Onley headline challengers at Montréal and Québec Grand Prixs this week as Pogačar targets world championship peak.
(Photo: Gruber Images / Velo )
Tadej Pogačar is back, but is his mojo?
The world champion and four-time Tour de France-winner returns to racing Friday and Sunday at the Québec and Montréal Grand Prixs.
What version of Pogi will land into Canada with UAE Emirates-XRG this week?
The Grand Prix de Québec will mark Pogačar’s first race since he battled burnout and a bullish Wout van Aert in the final stage of the Tour de France.
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Speaking from Canada on Wednesday, Pogačar questioned the worldwide surprise at his Tour de France malaise.
“It’s normal to be tired,” Pogačar told Sporza. “You’re already tired after riding one race, imagine having to complete almost 20 in a row.
“Everyone needs to rest their head sometimes,” he said. “Especially in the world of sports, where athletes constantly have to perform at the highest level and under the greatest pressure.
“After the Tour, I took the time to do that.”
Pogačar dominated the race for the yellow jersey this July, but he ended it in a box.
A grueling final week playing defense against Jonas Vingegaard and suffering the fatigue of a long-spanning season put the 26-year-old on his knees.
Forward-thinking chatter of retirement, a hasty withdrawal from the Vuelta a España, and that bizarre “no-photo” jersey followed soon afterward.
This was not the grinning meme-lord the world of cycling had grown to know.
Pogačar rested and ready after late-summer reboot
It’s more than likely that Pogačar will be back to his all-slaying self when he lines out Friday.
He’s been off the grid and cooling his jets for the past six weeks. He’s maybe even gotten a little FOMO watching João Almeida and Juan Ayuso’s wild ride through La Vuelta.
“I’m pretty happy with how my summer went,” Pogačar said Wednesday. “The end of the season always has its ups and downs, but I’m happy to be here.
“I took a break after the Tour, followed Urška [his partner, Zigart – ed] for her races, and got in some good training at home. I couldn’t squeeze in another big training block at altitude.”
And Pogačar won’t be able to come back to racing Friday at less than 100 percent.
Van Aert, Québec champion Michael Matthews, Tour de France revelation Oscar Onley, and retiring home hero Michael Woods will be hoping to pull the reins on the rainbow-suited superstar.
A Canadian springboard into worlds as Pogačar chases one last peak
The Canadian double is both a key target and a tune-up for Pogačar.
The sprinter-leaning race in Québec is one of the few that’s stubbornly eluded Pogačar’s victory-gobbling grasp.
Beyond that, the twinned GPs provide a springboard into the Kigali road world championships at the end of this month.
Pogačar is the 6* favorite to defend his road race title on a course that could have been custom-designed for him. He’s even in the running for a career-first time trial world title on the hilly route in Rwanda.
Pogačar will close out his 2025 in October at the European championship road race and Il Lombardia.
A fifth win at “The Race of the Falling Leaves” will put Pogačar level with the record of Fausto Coppi and earn him another line in the annals of cycling.
Above all that, Pogačar will no doubt make it his mission to contribute at least a few more prizes to UAE’s chase for the historic single-season record of 85.
UAE Emirates-XRG is currently on 81 wins for 2025 and only four short of the mark set by Columbia-HTC in 2009.
It’s an autumn schedule packed out with priorities.
Pogačar will want to get it started the right way in the circuits of Québec on Friday.
