After three wins in the first three races of the 2026 season, Tadej faces the next big challenge on Sunday – the 123rd Paris–Roubaix, where he will be chasing his first victory. That would be another historic milestone in his career. After winning Milano–Sanremo three weeks ago, the »Hell of the North« is the only Monument he still hasn’t conquered.
That the task won’t be easy, Tadej realized a year ago, when he tackled Roubaix’s infamous cobbles for the first time as a professional. He did brilliantly, staying at the front alone with his great rival Mathieu van der Poel, but then, 38 kilometers from the finish, he took a corner too fast and crashed.
The Dutch star rode on toward a third consecutive win, while Tadej, with 2nd place, proved he is competitive even on the »pavé,« where the best cyclists in the world have written countless epic stories. The cobblestone on the velodrome in Roubaix is one of the most prized trophies in cycling, and with it Tadej would become the fourth rider in history with victories at all five Monuments. Before him, only the Belgians Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx, and Roger De Vlaeminck achieved this—De Vlaeminck in 1979 being the last to complete the Monument set.
On top of that, Tadej could also become the first rider in history to win all five Monuments in a row, since the last time he did not win at the biggest one-day races was in April last year in Roubaix. Van der Poel also has a historic opportunity, as he could become the first ever to win Paris–Roubaix four times in a row. The record holders of the race are Roger De Vlaeminck (1972, 1974, 1975, 1977) and Tom Boonen (2005, 2008, 2009, 2012).
»It’s no secret that Paris-Roubaix is one of the big goals for this part of the season. The few races I’ve done so far have gone perfectly so the motivation is high but the pressure is low. I’m going to enjoy it no matter what the result and I’m looking forward to a good weekend of racing. We have such a strong team with guys who have been on the podium here before so it’s not only me who is capable of a result,« Tadej said ahead of the 258.3-kilometer test, where thirty cobbled sectors await him with a total length of 54.8 kilometers.
He will have very strong support in the UAE Team Emirates – XRG squad, which will also include Florian Vermeersch, Nils Politt, Mikkel Berg, Sebastián Molano, António Morgado, and Rui Oliveira. Vermeersch and Politt in particular have extensive experience from the »Hell of the North«, as they have already finished it on the winners’ podium.