"He is really doing Merckxian things" - Tadej Pogacar one of the greatest ever according to Tom Dumoulin

In the latest display of his brilliance, Tadej Pogacar powered to a stunning solo victory at Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday afternoon. According to Tom Dumoulin, the Slovenian has his chapter in the annals of cycling history confirmed.

"We have had quite a nice spring," the former Giro d'Italia winner reflects for NOS. "Just like last year, a number of riders stood head and shoulders above the rest. If they go, the rest actually don't stand a chance. This resulted in beautiful solos by Mathieu van der Poel in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. And yesterday with Pogacar at Liege-Bastogne Liege."

"I saw that Pogacar has already won more than fifty WorldTour victories," Dumoulin continues, in awe of the UAE Team Emirates leader's recent performances. "If he continues like this, he will go down in the history books as one of the best cyclists ever. And for me, he already is. He is really doing Merckxian things."

The fact that Pogacar didn't just win at Liege-Bastogne-Liege but was so dominant, is a testament to the immense level of the 25-year-old. "Pogacar is not half or one percent better in the hills, but just five percent. He can choose when he goes. He ensures that his team controls the game, then he can save energy until he goes full steam ahead on the Côte de la Redoute. But he could also have said: you know what, I'll leave a climb earlier. Or a climb later. It doesn't really matter to him," Dumoulin concludes. "As a former athlete, I can enjoy those solos. But of course they don't really give you exciting races. That may be a bit of a shame, but it also has its charm. They are top athletes in top form, you look at the highest of the highest.”