Pogacar is already collecting KOM for Paris-Roubaix

The last training sessions of Tadej Pogacar to try to win the Tour de Flandes have not been on the Flemish walls but in a new recognition of the cobbled sections of the Paris-Roubaix in which the Slovenian genius will try to add one of the monuments, along with Milan-San Remo, that he is missing to add to his record.

Pogacar marks territory before the week of cobbles

Psychological warfare plays an important role before a high-level confrontation like the one we have next weekend between Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel in the Tour de Flandes and the Slovenian, who does not shy away from combat or miss a beat, has wanted to make things very clear about how his form is for this race and for the Paris-Roubaix that will take place a week later.

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And he has done it as usual, not holding back in what is probably his last training session before the first race of the cobbled monuments diptych. More than 5 and a half hours of training in which he covered 213 kilometers, which means an average of more than 37 km/h, on a route that started in the small town of Troisvilles, right in the middle of the cobbled sections of the Paris-Roubaix that he took advantage of to recognize again. It should also be noted that Pogacar had to face a very intense wind mainly head-on for most of his route.

This is evidenced by the activity that Pogacar uploaded to his Strava account, highlighting the endless list of KOMs, PRs, and top positions in practically all the segments he crossed on his route.

With 69 kilometers already in his legs, Pogacar faced the Arenberg forest where, as the record shows, he improved his time compared to the recognition a few months ago, when speculation began about his participation in the Hell of the North. However, the good would come a few dozen kilometers later.

First in the 4-star section from Ochies to Bersée, which connects with one of the three most difficult sections of this race, the Mons en Pévèle, Tadej Pogacar tested himself on the cobbles improving the KOM of both sectors. The first one by 6 seconds while in the Mons en Pévèle he could only scrape a second off the best time.

But, further on, in the decisive section of the Paris-Roubaix, where the Camphin en Pévèle sections are linked, the mythical Carrefour de l'Arbre and the subsequent Grusom section, Pogacar also pushed himself in a simulation of what awaits him in just over a week. He only managed to get the KOM of the Grusom sector, but in the Carrefour he was just 1 second away from improving the record held by Wout van Aert.

Not satisfied with his recognition of the Paris-Roubaix sections, Tadej Pogacar crossed the Belgian border and headed towards the area where the main walls of the race are located, recognizing the key point of the race, the linking of Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, although at a much more moderate pace, before heading towards Waregem where UAE Team Emirates-XRG has its headquarters these days.