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BRUSSELS (Velo) — Allan Peiper, the ex-pro who helped lead Tadej Pogačar to his first yellow jersey, says his protégé will have his hands full in Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix.
Peiper — who was on hand Sunday to help cheer Pogačar to victory in the Tour of Flanders — says the punishing pavé of the “Hell of the North” is the ultimate challenge for cycling’s two-wheeled super hero.
“I think he can do it but it’s not ideal terrain,” Peiper told Sporza. “With his weight and power, it’s more suited to Mathieu [van der Poel]. Wout [van Aert] will also be a factor.”
Peiper’s comments come as anticipation builds toward Pogačar’s Roubaix debut.
No reigning Tour de France winner has dared even start the brutal one-day since Greg LeMond, and none have won it since Bernard Hinault.
Pogačar looks and sounds confident that he’s up to the challenge, and shrugged off the perils of the race when asked by Velo at last week’s pre-Flanders press conference.
“Any race can be dangerous,” Pogačar said. “If you are afraid of racing, you cannot expect the best result. Fear can take the energy away from you.”
Riders who won Paris-Roubaix on their debut appearance:
– Josef Fischer, 1896 (first edition of the race)
– Sonny Colbrelli, 2021Will Tadej Pogačar join this list? pic.twitter.com/HfTWiLGPcE
— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) April 7, 2025
Peiper stepped away from the sport due to personal reasons after playing a key role in leading Pogačar to his stunning first yellow jersey in 2020.
Peiper encouraged Pogačar to race in junior gearing in his rear cassette to give him more range for the dramatic and ultimately decisive climbing time trial in the Vosges that saw Pogacar bounce into the win.
The two shared a heartfelt moment on the start line in Brugges, and Peiper was roadside during the race, calling out as Pogačar flew by.
“After the Koppenberg, I shouted from a small lane. He looked sideways at me. My day was made,” he told Sporza.
Peiper said he’s awed by his former student’s abilities, but said it’s his mental sharpness and quiet confidence that help win the day.
“He has a golden heart. He’s always thinking of others. For me, that’s been a real uplift in my life,” Peiper said. “He’s never angry, never jealous, and takes things as they come. He’s free on the bike, you can see it when he races.”
Still, no matter what happens next Sunday in the Hell of the North, Peiper will be watching with the same pride that filled him in Oudenaarde.
“I saw my protégé win, how could it be any better?” he smiled.
Pogačar called out by umpire at tennis match in Monaco
Pogačar traded the cobbled climbs of Flanders for the clay courts of the Monte Carlo Masters, but changing gears from the peloton to the posh tennis stands didn’t go smoothly.
Pogačar and his partner and pro racer Urška Žigart arrived late to their seats, earning themselves an on-court rebuke and a chorus of boos from the posh crowd at Monte Carlo.
Pogačar — fresh off crushing the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Mads Pedersen on the Kwaremont just days earlier in the fastest edition of the Tour of Flanders ever — was back home in Monaco for a well-earned break before heading to Paris-Roubaix.
But the tennis crowd seemingly has no interest in his GOAT status within cycling.
Tadej Pogacar non si è fatto amare al Masters di Monte Carlo
Il campione sloveno ha guardato il match tra Musetti e Bu ma si è fatto richiamare dall’arbitro della partita perché ci ha messo un po’ troppo a raggiungere il suo posto #Tennis #Pogacar #RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/hpey0rfYAg
— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) April 7, 2025
When the couple delayed the restart of play after a break, the umpire didn’t hesitate to call them out.
“Please take your seats. We are waiting for you,” came the terse announcement over the mic — a moment quickly followed by audible jeers from the audience.
Pogačar abided and heads back to France this week for a different kind of hell.
