Bernard Hinault weighs in on Pogacar’s Paris-Roubaix debut: “If he gets it into his head that he can win Roubaix, then he will”
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar’s long-anticipated debut at Paris-Roubaix was officially confirmed yesterday, marking a bold new chapter in the world champion’s already storied career. His presence at the Hell of the North will make him the first reigning Tour de France winner to start the race since Greg LeMond in 1991.
One figure who’s particularly pleased to see the Slovenian star take on Roubaix is Bernard Hinault, the legendary Frenchman who won all three Grand Tours and conquered multiple Monuments.
“I did it at the time because I wore the rainbow jersey and wanted to honor that jersey. And who is the world champion now?” Hinault said in an interview with Le Parisien. “If he gets it into his head that he can win Roubaix, then he will.”
Roubaix is famously unpredictable, with crashes and mechanical issues often shaping the outcome. Hinault knows that better than most but dismissed concerns about risk. “A fall can happen at any moment. And who tells me he will fall? In the end, Pogacar himself is the one who decides. If he wants to ride Roubaix, then they should let him do it.”
The five-time Tour de France winner sees a rare kindred spirit in Pogacar. “He is the one who is closest to me and Eddy Merckx,” said Hinault. “He attacks, uphill and on the flat. He rides Grand Tours and Classics. That's why we love him—he is a rider who attacks and says to himself: we'll see what happens.”
Hinault also praised Pogacar’s approach to racing, contrasting it with the more cautious mindset of others in the peloton. “At one point I was called an old fool by saying that you can also win by attacking from far away,” he said. “And that it was more beautiful to watch. Pogacar proves that now. For him cycling is a game that he enjoys. For others it is more of a job, they think far too much. Pogacar listens to no one and if he wants to have Roubaix on his list of achievements, then he has to go for it.”
I think Hinault is right: Pogacar is the first rider since he and Merckx who can win such a wide variety of races with such audacity and verve. I hope by the time he is done, Pog is widely acknowledged at the greatest of all time. Unlike Merckx and Hinault who were (probably necessarily in their era) pretty unpleasant characters, Pog is a cool, refreshingly humble guy who routinely thanks his teammates after they've taken their last bleedout pull for the day, gives bottles to little kids in the middle of a solo breakaway, walks around and congratulates his competitors at the finish, win or lose. There will always be those within the peloton and fanbase who resent his success, but he seems genuinely well-liked. He seems like the antidote to past other dominant champions who still inspire bitterness or disappointment. That said, Paris-Roubaix is a race that is both dangerous and requires a lot of specialized experience. I hope he stays upright.
I hope he stays upright too and I hope that in this years Paris Roubaix we get a proper good old fashioned man against man race. Can't wait!
It's very refreshing and a welcome change of pace to hear a legend from the past share some positive and encouraging words to the now generation for a change. Thank you, Bernard Hinault.
Agree, but just putting it in his head isn’t going to make it happen, or did he doubt himself too much during his 5 MSR attempts? Didn’t look like it.
The only one that can make it happen is the rider himself. I was just happy to hear some words of encouragement rather than another old man shouting 'get off of my lawn' moment.
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- mads SMOKED it at ghent! love that guy. he’s just the best interview ever, always smart and hilarious and with a biting intolerance for stupidity. happy for him. just as a secondary thought, consider that mvdp beat THAT version of mads by a full minute at E3 two days ago. the gap between pog/mvdp and even tho other GREAT riders like mads is kinda staggering to comprehend. this is a time in cycling history that’s certainly worth paying attention to while it lasts.OCexile31-03-2025
- i watched the race. jasper and roodhooft have a legit anger about this. alpecin burned everyone to pull it back. they did the SAME THING after the split in E3, burning all their guys and thus leaving mathieu to fend for himself (which worked out ok because van der poel is van der poel, but still…). yeah, christopher and jasper should be a little pissed this time.OCexile30-03-2025
- Mads, Ganna, MvdP, Pogi were all in MSR, and will all be in both RVV and PR, the problem here is Remco because he doesn't race anything. This year because of injuries, before that, no idea why notvappaxbipmv30-03-2025
- Will it take oil money to get Mads, Remco, Tadej, Ganna and MVDP to line up for the same classic or monument or will Lady Luck help us with this one.Mistermaumau30-03-2025
- Reminds me of Jungels, instead of discovering what’s wrong, obsessing with getting back to form and making it worse. Could even be he’s built up this mental blockage due to concentrating too much on duelling with (a usually better) MVDP for 15y instead of doing his “own thing”. He was never as good in his head as when he was enjoying exploring his possibilities in the Tour when there was no risk of having to compete with his arch rival.Mistermaumau30-03-2025
- I’m using it here to describe the full pattern of speech. Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia, and all that.RidesHills30-03-2025
- That finale in Barcelona has to be one of the most beautiful circuits ever raced on. Chapeau to Primoz Roglic on taking charge of the race like that, and earning himself a very nice victory.
santiagobenites30-03-2025 - As predictable as the sun coming up in the morning.santiagobenites30-03-2025
- Kind of the best time for it ;-)Mistermaumau30-03-2025
- Very impressive today, promising for the rest of the season.Mistermaumau30-03-2025