Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) is on a winning rampage and he's taking that form to the 2023 Paris-Nice. And he's decided to skip Strade Bianche to be ready for the appointment, his first face to face of the season with Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), and ahead, the Tour de France.

Pogacar, already a winner of the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021, succumbed to Vingegaard in last year's Tour. Vingegaard with the help of his Jumbo-Visma team put pressure on superstar Pogacar. Specifically in the 11th stage, with teammate Primoz Roglic going full throttle, Vingegaard gained 2-51 minutes and the yellow jersey.

The Paris-Nice stage race starts on Sunday, March 5, which is only one day after Strade Bianche in Italy. The timing is "impossible" for Pogacar, the 2022 Strade Bianche winner.

"If I want to be really good in Paris-Nice, which I've never done before and is a super-hard race, the team time trial will be important," the Slovenian told Sporza.

"We'll need to spend a few days before the race together. If I do Strade Bianche that's impossible.

"I'd go to the team time trial without any knowledge of the group, and I don't think it will work."

Pogacar stormed into the 2023 season, winning his first three races and then overall of the Vuelta a Andalucía.

With his focus on Paris-Nice and Dane Jonas Vingegaard, it's clear his aim is to take back the Tour de France crown for 2023.

"From now it'll only be hard, important races," Pogačar added.

"I'll try to be good in the classics, especially Milano-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders. And then all eyes are on the Tour de France."

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