"Eddy Merckx says that Pogacar is better than him, but I totally disagree with that" - Roger De Vlaeminck sticks up for the old guard
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar was awarded the Eddy Merckx Trophy at the 2024 Velo d'Or awards ceremony on Friday night, being named the best Classics rider of the year. The Slovenian has been no stranger to comparisons with the Belgian legend over recent months, but according to the legendary Roger De Vlaeminck, Merckx remains the greatest of all time.
De Vlaeminck, who himself is widely regarded as one of the greatest riders of all-time, still believes Pogacar has someway to go to match Merckx, despite the brilliance of the UAE Team Emirates leader's 2024 campaign.
"I used to dare to say all sorts of things about it, but I don't do that anymore. I don't want to give interviews anymore after which everyone thinks I'm the bad guy. But I don't want to lie either. Eddy Merckx says that Pogacar is better than him, but I totally disagree with that," states the 77-year-old Belgian in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad.
"He (Pogacar ed.) is certainly the best rider in the world at the moment," admits De Vlaeminck, although even that comes with a critique. "I can hardly enjoy it because he is so much better than the rest. In Strade Bianche, a race of 215 kilometres, Pogacar rides almost ninety kilometres alone in front. Who is behind him? I would have liked to have ridden the Strade Bianche. Sand and riding uphill, two things I was very good at. How many times would I have won that race? With me, Merckx or Maertens, Pogacar would never have ridden 90 kilometres alone in front."
"It could be that Pogacar becomes the fourth rider ever to win the five Monuments. He only has Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix to go," adds the Belgian cycling icon. "But then you have to look at who the opponents were. Where are the Italians? The Mosers, Gimondis and Bitossis that we had to ride against? Can you name one good Italian rider at the moment?"
One of Pogacar's main challengers in the modern peloton is De Vlaeminck's compatriot, Remco Evenepoel. It's fair to say the 4-time Paris-Roubaix winner isn't completely enthused by the Soudal - Quick-Step leader though. "He is of course a very good rider. But I am still not the biggest fan of his style," he concludes. "Putting your bike in the air at the finish, that is not something I would like. I think he has the right character to be a rider. When he rides well, you can see from his face that he is enjoying what he is doing."
TADEJ POGAČAR VELO D’OR 2024 🏆
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) December 6, 2024
We all knew it will happen, but it still has to feel good for Tadej to get the best cyclist award in the world. #VelodOr
pic.twitter.com/DwYxQoq3b8
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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