"It’s incredible to see a Tour winner battling for victory at Paris-Roubaix” - Jan Ullrich raves about mega-talent Tadej Pogacar

Tadej Pogacar continues to be the subject of some lofty praise, both from names within the modern generation of the sport and those of yesteryear. Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich is no different, raving about the current world champion in recent comments.

“He’s simply a mega-talent," begins the 1997 Maillot Jaune winning German in quotes collected by Eurosport, comparing Pogacar to the widely regarded 'Greatest of All Time'. "That one rider who’s always just a bit better—the Eddy Merckx of our time. Pogacar is simply ahead of his time,” Ullrich adds warmly.

One of the things that Ullrich has been most impressed with when it comes to Pogacar is the fact that the Slovenian leader of the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader is so comfortable with ripping up the established expectations of a Tour de France contender. “He proves it to all of us. He breaks the conventions we once held," explains the 51-year-old. "In my day, the focus was more on targeting individual events. But last year, he won both the Giro and the Tour de France, even though everyone said that was too much."

“What impresses me most is how he always approaches it all with joy and ease, despite everything on his plate. For cycling, it’s incredible to see a Tour winner battling for victory at Paris-Roubaix,” continues Ullrich, expecting Pogacar to return to the cobbles in years to come and eventually add the win to his palmares as well as more Grand Tour victories. “He’s shown that whatever he sets his mind to, he can achieve. He’s the top favourite for the Tour - but in cycling, anything can happen.”

One thing for certain though, is that Ullrich is convinced Pogacar and co in the modern generation are simply a level above the riders that starred when Ullrich himself was battling in the peloton. “It’s a completely different sport compared to my time. Cycling has become far more modern - especially in training and nutrition. Today’s generation is miles ahead of us,” the German concludes. “It’s amazing to witness.”