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”
CyclingFriday, 28 March 2025 at 10:36
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.”
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- He wins the Vuelta because the best don't show up. With how he rides, he's better for the TdF but not good enough for who showsVeganpotter07-05-2025
- True, but unless Tadej or Jonas fall off their bike or get sick, no one is going to beat them. The 2014 Tour was decided by the Shark of Messina long before Contador or Froome were injured. I miss Nibali.awp07-05-2025
- Everyone thought Froome or Contador had the 2014 Tour locked up, and look what happened. Anything can occur in a race.itsent07-05-2025
- The handbags are already out aren't they? Let's see who pulls for who.Renz07-05-2025
- "I think they forgot last year, and when Jonas was injured," and I think you forgot 2023 L-B-L, when Tadej was injured and had to improvise a training without bike. Tadej only could riding a "normal" bike again only 2 weeks before the Tour. That TT he couldn't knowing well at all.
maria2024202407-05-2025 - It's unfortunate a rider of his caliber hasn't won the Tour de France and I can't fault him for trying, in fact, I respect it. But he never will win the Tour as long as Tadej and Jonas are in the peloton, and we might as well add Remco to that list as he is the youngest and seems to be coming up quickly behind Tadej and Jonas. I hope Primoz can capture another Giro and maybe another Vuelta before he calls it a day.awp07-05-2025
- "He breaks the conventions we once held", yeah, Tadej es disruptive, unique. Perhaps because he doesn't come from a family/country with tradition in cycling, so the "laws" of cycling were unknown to him and he was just looking/seeking to have fun. Traditions are beautiful but sometimes can be limiting.maria2024202407-05-2025
- I'd win so much money off Blythe on this one!bobo07-05-2025
- "The Giro d'Italia 2024 saw a strong increase in audience figures across RAI networks, especially on Rai2 and RaiSport HD. The race also experienced a significant boost in online engagement, with record numbers of website visitors, video views, and media articles. The event reached over 700 million viewers worldwide...." Sorry, but Pogacar is boring only for ... envious? ex-riders.maria2024202406-05-2025
- It's always the way in pro cycling - 1 rider wins and the rest,instead of working with each other to topple the better rider, they ride behind said rider collecting scraps that're left...
leedorney06-05-2025
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.
But you know that’s what makes this website live ;-)