Eddy Merckx weighs in on G.O.A.T debate: "Tadej Pogacar reminds me of myself"

Not many believed the legacy of Eddy Merckx would ever be truly threatened in the sport of cycling. In recent years however, Tadej Pogacar has emerged and the Slovenian's repeatedly stunning performances are putting himself very much into the conversation for the greatest of all time.

The most recent of these display of brilliance at the time of writing, saw Pogacar destroy all his rivals at La Fleche Wallonne, kicking on the final ascent of the Mur de Huy and eventually winning with a 10 second gap - something almost unheard of when the peloton reaches the final climb together. “The way he pulled away from the others on the Mur de Huy… Unbelievable. It looked like everyone else was standing still!" the legendary Merckx, himself a three-time winner of La Fleche Wallonne, recalls in quotes collected by HLN.

"It was truly impressive. He’s definitely the best rider out there, and also the most complete," continues the now 79-year-old Belgian. "In the classics, he still faces some resistance, but in stage races, hardly any. Maybe only from Jonas Vingegaard or Remco Evenepoel. He’s operating on a different level entirely.”

As mentioned, with Pogacar's performances over recent years, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader has drawn up a lot of comparisons to Merckx, something 'The Cannibal' himself can get on board with. "Yes, he’s the one who reminds me the most of myself. But comparing generations is always tricky," analyses the five-time Tour de France winner. "Cycling today is very different from how it used to be - in terms of equipment, preparation… There’s also a huge gap now between Pogacar and Evenepoel on one hand, and the rest of the field on the other.”

As you might have noticed, Merckx is also a big fan of Evenepoel, with the Belgian legend very impressed by his compatriot's start to the 2025 season. “I didn’t expect him to be in such good form already," says Merckx, referring to a lengthy injury spell Evenepoel suffered after colliding with a BPost van during a routine training ride in early December. "He surprised me in the Brabantse Pijl, but even more so in the Amstel Gold Race, since that’s a 250-kilometre race. He’s done an amazing job so far.”

For Merckx himself, things are also positive of late. Welcome news after some health scares and a frightening crash of his own in the last year. “I went through three months and twelve days of real suffering, but now things are much better. I’ve even started cycling again," he says with a smile. "Last month, I wasn’t allowed to do anything at all. For the past two weeks, I had to lie completely flat because of circulation issues. Cycling is still my life... I still love riding, in my own way. I wouldn't say I’m nervous, but I am itching to get back on the bike once the weather improves.”