Get ready for a bittersweet moment in cycling history: Tadej Pogačar, the reigning world champion, is set to clip into his pedals one final time in 2025 at the Andorra Cycling Masters. But here’s where it gets intriguing—this isn’t just any race. It’s an exclusive, invitation-only exhibition event in the picturesque Pyrénées, where Pogačar will face off against some of his fiercest rivals, including Tour de France adversary Jonas Vingegaard, fellow Slovenian Primož Roglič, and UAE Team Emirates teammate Isaac del Toro. And yes, rumors suggest a hefty fee is involved, adding another layer of excitement to this high-stakes showdown.
This race marks the perfect finale to Pogačar’s grueling 2025 season, which spanned 50 days of competition across the globe. From kicking off at the UAE Tour in February to wrapping up in mid-October, his calendar was a whirlwind of spring Classics, the Tour de France, and the World Championships. While he enjoyed brief respites between events, his year was also filled with intense training camps and mental fatigue—something his mother, Marjeta, poignantly highlighted in a recent interview with Le Parisien. She shared, ‘This year, I could see he was really exhausted. Completely drained, maybe. And I thought: now I get it, if he wants to stop cycling.’ Could this be a hint at Pogačar’s future plans? That’s a question sparking debates among fans and pundits alike.
Adding fuel to the fire, Pogačar reportedly turned down a staggering €200,000 to participate in Tour de France criteriums in Singapore and Japan in November. Instead, his post-Andorra schedule is already packed with high-profile commitments. He’s expected to headline the UCI Esports World Championships in Abu Dhabi on November 15, followed by a star appearance at the Beking criterium near his Montecarlo home on November 23. Then, it’s off to Spain for the first UAE Team Emirates-XRG training camp in December, where he’ll likely outline his ambitions for 2026.
But here’s the part most people miss: Is Pogačar’s decision to skip the criteriums in Asia a sign of shifting priorities, or simply a well-deserved break after a relentless season? And what does this mean for his future in cycling? As we watch him take his final laps in Andorra, one can’t help but wonder: Are we witnessing the beginning of a new chapter, or the prelude to an eventual farewell? Share your thoughts in the comments—this is one conversation you won’t want to miss!
