Tadej Pogacar enters the debate about the greatest cyclist of all time with the support of Eddy Merckx himself. After winning his first world title in Zurich at the end of an impressive 100-kilometer raid, Merckx declared: “It’s obvious that he’s above me now. There’s no doubt about it”. The legendary Belgian cyclist described Pogacar as an “immense champion” and “out of the ordinary”, highlighting the Slovenian’s daring attack with 100 kilometers to go.
Merckx, widely regarded as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), acknowledged that Pogacar had surpassed him in terms of skill, even if he retained a considerable advantage in terms of palmarès (5 Tour de France victories to 3, 19 Monuments to 6, 3 World Championships to 1). The debate over who is the greatest cyclist resurfaced when Pogacar made history by winning the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France in the same year, something that hadn’t happened since Marco Pantani in 1998.
Pogacar’s “perfect season” included the victory of a monument (Liège-Bastogne-Liège) and the possibility of a second, with the Tour of Lombardy still to be contested. Stephen Roche, who also achieved the Giro-Tour-Monde treble, said: “With Pogacar and Merckx, I’m in good company.
Pogacar continues to pursue major objectives, such as the Tour of Spain, Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, with the aim of “winning it all”. With his bravery and unique style, Pogacar is making his mark on cycling. His domination raises questions, as it did at the last Tour de France, but there is no evidence of any wrongdoing. Colleagues like Michael Matthews, Remco Evenepoel and Mathieu van der Poel praise his extraordinary talent, while acknowledging that he’s only at the beginning of his journey to greatness.