Fabian Cancellara: "Tadej Pogacar is not going to kill cycling. But obviously if someone dominates so much, it becomes less interesting"
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar was head and shoulders above the entirety of the rest of the peloton in 2024, winning 2 Grand Tours with 12 stages en route, a pair of Monuments and a first Rainbow Jersey in the men's elite road race among other notable successes. Whilst undoubtedly talented though, the question was recently posed whether Pogacar's dominance is a good thing for the sport as a whole or not.
One of those asked the question by L'Equipe, was legendary Swiss star, turned Tudor Pro Cycling Team boss, Fabian Cancellara. "Pogacar is not going to kill cycling. I don't like the term," insists the 43-year-old, seven-time Monument winner, although he does caveat that by comparing the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader to another sport's most dominant force. "But obviously if someone dominates so much, it's like Max Verstappen in Formula 1. I don't know about you, but for me, it becomes less interesting, I follow the races a little less."
As such, Cancellara does put forward a warning for the future. "In cycling, we could see the same thing," he says warily. The thing is though, with any generation, the next crop of all-conquering superstars are never too far away. "When Eddy Merckx also dominated everything or when Tom Boonen and I won the Flemish races, then there were new riders, new names."
Marc Hirschi rides for Cancellara at the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, having signed from Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates - XRG over the recent off-season. As such, the Swiss is well placed to balance both sides of the argument. "Some will start to get bored, but at the same time, most know cycling thanks to Tadej, who is recognized throughout the world," Hirschi adds. "It goes so fast in cycling today. You can get sick, be unwell, other riders can emerge too. Maybe next season will be Remco's?"
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- Good, hopefully Jonas goes also so we get a nice duelvappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- right? i think it’s hungry journalists that fuel this, and i understand the jam they can be in trying to create stories, but you’d hate to think ANYONE is failing to appreciate how RARE someone like van der poel is (or how LUCKY we are to have both mvdp and pog racing at the same time). a little perspective is a good thing…OCexile03-04-2025
- Anyone know how long that 213km ride took? Coz without that the segment speeds don’t reveal anything surprising. If it took him Less than 5h ok but otherwise it was just some interval training for him.Jumpyjohn03-04-2025
- Hinault was even lighter than Pog at 62 kg when he won PR in 1981, beating Roger van Vlaeminck no less (albeit at the fag end of the latter's career), so it can be done.Cooldude03-04-2025
- Having to shoulder too much pressure from the Belgain public too much that he made a tactical mistake. That's what public pressure does to you. Poor Wout! Hopefully, lady luck befalls him soon.
KerisVroom03-04-2025 - If he's very lucky maybe he can podium a Tour one season, I certainly don't believe he can win it, evervappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- Yeah, as if fans would now have acquired a right to an MVPD every generation ;-)Jumpyjohn03-04-2025
- Yeah not this year anyway but worth keeping an eye on him (and some others) in future.Jumpyjohn03-04-2025
- poor kid, saddled with all that “next mvdp” crap. eeesh…OCexile03-04-2025
- I don't think so, maybe in a different GT, not in the Tour. Last year, to be 3rd, he would have to be better than Remco. And he wasn't, on any terrainvappaxbipmv03-04-2025