“He is without a doubt the greatest of his generation” – Eddy Merckx turns 80 and talks Pogacar and Evenepoel

Eddy Merckx, the most decorated cyclist in history and a figure synonymous with the sport, turns 80 today. The Belgian legend marked the milestone quietly, telling VTM Nieuws on Monday evening that he planned to take it easy following a difficult winter in which he fractured his hip in a fall while out riding.

“I’m doing pretty well,” Merckx said. “I’m recovering from that fracture. It’s taking a bit longer than expected, but it’s slowly starting to improve.”

Merckx, who remains a keen observer of the modern peloton, is often asked about comparisons between himself and today’s greats. On the eve of his birthday, one viewer posed the inevitable question: is Tadej Pogacar the new Merckx, or perhaps even better?

“He is without a doubt the greatest of his generation,” Merckx replied. “He wins World Championship races like he wins stage races. But I also think he has little opposition. Vingegaard, Evenepoel… after that, you have to look. Del Toro is coming up, and a few Frenchmen. You have Mathieu van der Poel, but he is not a stage racer. They are all great riders, great champions. I have a lot of respect for them.”

It’s not the first time Merckx has praised Pogacar, who at 26 already has four Grand Tours and nine Monuments to his name. But with his record of eleven Grand Tour victories and nineteen Monuments, achieved by the age of 32, Merckx’s own legacy still stands unmatched.

Asked if Remco Evenepoel could one day win the Tour de France, Merckx was hopeful but measured. “I hope so. It won’t be easy in the mountains against men like Vingegaard and Pogačar. He still has to improve a bit in the mountains. I hope for him that he succeeds. It would be great if we get another Belgian winner after Lucien Van Impe.”

Evenepoel, who shares more than just national pride with Merckx, both were recovering from crashes last winter and met regularly at the physiotherapist in Antwerp, offered a warm birthday message. “Eddy, I want to wish you a super happy eightieth birthday,” he said. “I hope that many more healthy years will come… and I hope we don’t have to see each other too often at the physiotherapist. That would be very positive.”

Merckx, who rode with unmatched dominance through the 1960s and ’70s, capturing five Tours de France, five Giro d’Italia, a Vuelta, and three World Championships, plans a quiet day surrounded by family, though not all will be present. “Normally I go to eat with family, but it’s a work day. There are people who teach and my son is at the Baby Giro, so it will be quiet tomorrow. The last few days and weeks have been a lot.”