"It makes no sense to do that" - Eddy Merckx shrugs off Tadej Pogacar comparisons

Eddy Merckx is widely considered to be the greatest pro cyclist of all time. Currently Tadej Pogacar is being compared to the 'Cannibal', some even arguing the Slovenian is already above. In the words of Merckx himself, the comparisons are futile because the eras of the sport are completely different.

Merckx, in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, was impressed with the victory of Pogacar at Milano-Sanremo. "The most important was that fall before the Cipressa. Who would not have been discouraged? Who would not have considered San Remo lost, or at least badly affected? He didn't. His reaction was that of a real champion."

The high-speed fall saw him go down first and it wasn't an unconsequential crash. However Pogacar bounced back as if nothing happened, despite the extensive road rash on his body. "He could have lost the race there, but he stayed fully on board and that showed he was on an exceptionally good day".

Merckx was also impressed with the final sprint, in which he beat Tom Pidcock in what the Belgian believed it to be less than ideal circumstances. "Racing from the front, with strength and conviction. It was just like Van der Poel's last year, you remember that? If you do a sprint like that, there's no doubt possible that you're the strongest. I could race up Via Roma with my eyes shut, it's a slightly uphill gradient and sprints on terrain like that never lie."

Merckx, who has 19 monument wins throughout his career, sees the Slovenian slowly creep closer to the record, having now taken his 11th triumph. With all four other monuments still yet to be raced this year, that margin is set to be edged closer and closer. "He deserved that win, the only strange thing was that he hadn't already managed to do it."

However, Merckx is not a fan of the constant comparisons. "No, it makes no sense to do that. He's simply Pogacar, the best racer in the world right now. And he has been for several seasons. He's still not yet 38, and so it seems he's got a lot of time ahead of him in the sport. And he's started this season better than before."

The difference in racing styles and calendars from both eras make comparisons futile for Merckx, he explains: "Cycling today is light years from what it was in my time. How can you compare two such different worlds? How can you say who was the strongest?"