"He could be the greatest cyclist ever" - Greg LeMond certain Tadej Pogacar can win Paris-Roubaix in 2025

Tadej Pogacar is set to become the first defending Tour de France champion to take on the dangers of Paris-Roubaix in over three decades this weekend. The last rider to do so? Greg LeMond, and the American cycling icon has had some incredibly positive words to say about the all-conquering Pogacar.

"He loves cycling. It looks like he's having fun doing it, and could be the greatest cyclist ever. I mean, the way he's winning, the races he's won, it's exceptional," LeMond tells AFP about the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader. "Pogacar is like the one in a million. He is dominating in a very competitive peloton right now. And the way he's racing! With radios, the teams are very organised, so that makes it even more exceptional, his solo victories."

As mentioned, this weekend Pogacar turns his attentions to iconic French cobbles of Paris-Roubaix for the first time in his illustrious career. Four times in his own career LeMond took on the 'Hell of the North', claiming a best effort of 4th in 1985. "It's almost... it should be illegal. I mean, as a pro cyclist, how could you not want that experience?" he laughs, still clearly in love with the race. "It's a magical race. It's the best race. The Tour de France is my first choice of race, but Paris-Roubaix is the one I would have loved to have won."

Whilst combining the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix wins was not something LeMond ever managed, the American legend is certain that Pogacar can indeed do just that. "He can win it, absolutely. He's not too light," insists the 63-year-old. "Mathieu van der Poel, for me, is still probably the favourite over Pogacar, purely from his past results and his experience. But there's a lot of good riders at their best right now."

And more than that, LeMond doesn't see Pogacar targeting races such as Paris-Roubaix hurting his Tour de France hopes in years to come. "He's only 26. Pogacar has probably several more Tour offensives in his legs, definitely. But you cannot discount Jonas Vingegaard, they are very close in the Tour de France. That's what's making cycling so exciting right now," he explains. "I don't think it's unusual that the riders are climbing faster, especially because today's riders are probably, on average, three to four kilos lighter. Vingegaard is my size. He weighs, I think, 10 kilos less than me. If I weighed 10 kilos less, I'd be climbing a mountain so fast. What I also like about this whole generation is that all these riders today are proving themselves at a very young age."