Tadej Pogačar took to the white gravel roads of Strade Bianche today on a training ride with his UAE Team Emirates XRG teammates, revealing clues to the set up he’s likely to go with for the race.
Unsurprisingly, he’s riding the Colnago Y1Rs, the team’s aero bike, in a switch up from 2025 when he rode the brand’s all-round racer (at the time), the V4Rs.
But a couple of key spec choices reveal a little about Pogačar’s approach to the race.
First up, Pogačar is using the lightweight version of the Colnago Y1Rs which debuted during the 2025 Tour de France for the mountain time trial, with World Champion’s stripes applied. Weight is unlikely to be a factor until the final steep ascent into Siena, where – should he be accompanied – this might prove vital. Images reveal his teammates riding standard-colourway Y1Rs', indicating that the lightweight version of the Y1Rs remains a rarified beast. ColnagoPogačar’s 3D-printed Fizik Tempo Argo saddle is noticeably tilted downward, while he’s using an inline seatpost to help him pitch over the cranks. Close inspection reveals that the saddle isn’t slammed as far forward as the rails might allow, indicating that he doesn’t feel an even more extreme position is necessary. The saddle features neat World Champions’ stripes on the rear portion. Pogačar’s rolling stock choice is perhaps the most interesting part of his build. He trained using ENVE SES 6.7 wheels, and with conditions expected to be calm on race day, this deeper, more aerodynamic option appears to be the wheelset of choice compared to ENVE’s SES 4.5 or 4.5 Pro wheels. He’s also running Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR tyres, which feature a more resilient construction compared to the lighter TT TR or Archetype tyres, and might help reduce the chance of punctures on the white roads. Finally, Pogacar is running a team-issue mount for his Wahoo Elemnt Bolt v2 bike computer, which helps fill the gap created by the twin-vane handlebar, complete with his Hulk sticker complete with World Champion’s undergarments.
Ashley is BikeRadar’s road lead, heading up our road, gravel and urban bike tech coverage. A trained journalist, he has been working in the bike industry for over a decade and riding for much longer. He joined BikeRadar in 2022 as senior technical editor.
He has written for road.cc, ebiketips, RoadCyclingUK, Triathlon Plus magazine and Red Bull, plus worked in PR for some of the industry’s biggest brands, and content marketing for an emerging e-scooter company.
Ash is a road cyclist, and has completed La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes and the Étape du Tour (twice) – something of an irony, given his non-climbing stature. He’s firmly getting to grips with gravel riding too, although the road is where his heart is. One day, he’ll buy an XC mountain bike before it’s ‘too late’.
He enjoys testing products he thinks can make a tangible difference to a rider’s experience, from wheelsets to rain jackets, groupsets to tyres. Ash is always keen to share his nuanced findings in features about his tests, recognising one person’s perfect solution might be another’s worst nightmare.
In 2025, Ash is targeting his first 200km audax and hopes to give bikepacking a try.
