"I wouldn't mind going down in history as a very good helper of Tadej" - Florian Vermeersch excited to witness history being written first-hand
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar had absolutely no mercy with his opponents at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and successfully defended his title from year ago. What's so special about this victory? Pogacar now trails only behind Eddy Merckx and Roger de Vlaeminck when it comes to number of Monuments won.
His UAE Team Emirates - XRG teammates once again did a great job to set up the Slovenian's attack on La Redoute. And when the decisive moment arrived, nobody in the peloton could respond. Florian Vermeersch was watching the race from team bus at that point since his work was done long ago.
"I didn't have the best legs myself, but the team won and that's the most important thing," Vermeersch said to Wieler Revue among others after Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "I had hoped to be a bit better. It's just been a long spring and after Paris-Roubaix I got sick. Maybe my body had a bit of trouble recovering. But I had a nice spring."
"After victories, Tadej is very grateful, even a little humble. Very cool to see. Nothing is planned for tonight with the team. I'm going home by car and the rest are flying out too. We'll wait for Tadej and then maybe have a beer."
Pogacar's performance in Paris-Roubaix surprised Vermeersch the most in the spring. "If he didn't fall, he'd probably finish with Van der Poel. That's very impressive for his weight. Yes, he might be even better than I thought, but on the other hand, I've been in the peloton for years now, and of course I knew it too."
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So it's even more impressive to see Pogacar up close, according to Vermeersch. "In training and in competitions, he sometimes rides with such ease. But he has also shown that he is human, because at Amstel he had to suffer enormously. That he returns like this at Fleche Wallonne and Liège is impressive. Unseen what he can do."
Pogacar has now won nine Monuments and only has Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck ahead of him. "It is difficult for me to compare, but the ease, in quotation marks, with which he rides around is unseen. I would not mind going down in history as a very good helper of Tadej. I am very happy with the role I have now."
During training, Vermeersch sees up close that Pogacar sometimes transcends the sport. "Yes, sometimes I feel like we could use someone from security," he laughs. "Sometimes it's bizarre to see how many fans he has. But that he is already third on the list of most victories in Monuments... He is simply the biggest star in cycling."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- lol yeah. this is a good onemij12-11-2026
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- he's too young. he's 23, so not really a fair call yet.mij12-11-2026
- and don't forget Pidcock's departure. maybe he will never win a GT, but he knows how to light up a race.mij12-11-2026
- Bingo...I was going to say a 12 year obsessed Pogi fan girlie ! Like she's chasing a teen boy band! All glossy eyed about tadej!frieders312-11-2026
- That stint in the Pink was so good. If memory serves he struggled with the champagne cuz he'd never been on the podium before. I feel like it gave him some self-belief, and yeah - then the move to Visma to be one of their lieutenants has really brought him to the best version of himself.wrsty12-11-2026
- So, you never really compared Paul Seixas with his main rival Isaac Del Toro why jump to Pogačar? They've (Paul & Isaac) raced together here and there, and they've both shared in wins and losses, I think they should be compared to each other, even with Vingegaard and Remco first before even touching Pogačar. From your writing it's like he's better than Vingegaard, Remco and Del Toro already that his main target is now Pogačar 🤔Sadick11-11-2026
- gee i hope its a minor injury. a great rider and ambassador for the sport. get well soon Lucinda.
Davide11-11-2026 - some of lidl-treks retention and recruiting has been puzzling in the mens and womens teams.Davide11-11-2026
- Yeah his ride at World's was unreal. Over 6 W/kg for over an hour and a half...he single handedly destroyed the break.DAS11-11-2026
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