24/02/2023

"I think he can do it and win all five" - Adam Blythe on Tadej Pogacar's chance of winning cycling’s Monuments

With an impressive track record of four victories in the past two weeks, Tadej Pogacar's abilities appear to have no bounds this season as he looks ahead to his next challenge at Paris-Nice next month, with Tour de France being his ultimate goal.

Adam Blythe believes Pogacar has limitless potential in the Classics. “I don’t think he has one, to be honest,” he said on Eurosport. He continues, “I think he'll want to come back to Flanders this year and prove a point. He did an amazing ride last year, then bad tactics let him down. So I think he'll just want to come back and dominate it like he did last year. The one-day races suit him as a rider.”

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Although Blythe hopes Pogacar will eventually conquer cycling's five Monuments, including Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and Giro di Lombardia, he understands that the Slovenian's primary focus is on the Tour de France.

“Racing is so focused on one part of the season, and his is obviously the Tour de France.I think once he's accepted what he wants to do at the Tour de France and says, 'right I’m going to try and win some Classics and Monuments,’ then I think the focus will change. I think he can do it and win all five, but not for a few years yet,” said Blythe.

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Blythe suggests that the Tour de France may unfold differently this season compared to last, when Jumbo Visma emerged victorious, as he expects Tadej Pogacar to have learned from his past performance. “I think there's one thing about him that nobody wants to see change, and that's almost dulling down a little bit. We like the attacking side, we like the unpredictability of it."

"I just think things now will be a lot more calculated with him, in terms of what he does when he needs to, rather than when he wants to,” concluded Blythe.