Bernard Hinault: "Pogacar is the closest to the riders that Eddy Merckx and I were"

There are few riders in the history of cycling who can still at this point have a superior palmarès to that of Tadej Pogacar but over the years the list grows smaller and smaller. One of those, Bernard Hinault, non-stop praises the World Champion and specially after he decided to go against the original plan and race Paris-Roubaix.

“It is fantastic news for cycling! It proves that he is the one who decides, not his team. It gives Paris-Roubaix extra cachet and creates a new duel with Mathieu van der Poel," Hinault argued in an interview with Ouest France. And for him, the Slovenian isn't just racing it to get experience or test himself in the cobbles, but is a legitimate candidate to take the triumph.

"Of course he can win. He has the qualities to make it difficult for Van der Poel. I like Pogacar because he is not afraid of anything and loves the classics. I don't understand people who say that you have to be heavy to win Paris-Roubaix," the French legend argues. "I wasn't heavy either and I won. You just have to be agile with your bike to feel comfortable on the cobblestones".

This Sunday's race should be quite spectacular and over this spring we've had an amazing rivalry between Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel who are now 1-1 on monuments; the ups and downs of Wout van Aert and the tremendous form peaks of Mads Pedersen and Filippo Ganna... Truly, it feels like all of the top classics specialists are going in with their best legs and are prepared for a battle of the ages.

"Is it risky to ride Paris-Roubaix? No. There is no more risk than in other races. He also fell in Strade Bianche, so he doesn't see that as a real problem," Hinault adds. "As long as he wants to ride himself, Pogacar should come to have fun and make us happy."

“Pogacar is the closest to the riders that Eddy Merckx and I were,” Hinault said separately to Le Parisien. “He attacks, both uphill and on the flat. He rides grand tours and classics. That is why we love him. He is a rider who attacks and just says to himself: we will see what happens.”