Johan Museeuw warns: "So long as Pogacar is there, he will win the Tour de France and other races"

The Tour de France has seen Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar dominate every single edition since 2021, with the two finishing first and second on all occasions. But since 2024, the latter has taken a step up, and at the time being, is unbeatable in the mountains. According to Johan Museeuw, it's likely that he will be matching the five-Tour victory record this year, and could go further.

"Another generation than it was in my generation, so now it's difficult because some riders win the races. That is, of course, Pogacar and Wout van Aert, van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and these guys," the Belgian legend said in words to Domestique. 

It is simply a point in time where the sports has a few riders that are so incredibly talented, that in the monuments and Tour de France (although it begins to apply to other races throughout the calendar) it's hard for there to be surprise winners or men capable of taking it on with the likes of Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel or Mathieu van der Poel - depending on the terrain and context.

It's the mark of the mid-2020's, and there is no sign that it will stop, as Pogacar and van der Poel set up to be the main favourites for the first three monuments of the season, whilst Pogacar is going to be the man to beat for Liège-Bastogne-Liège, World Championships and Il Lombardia. In all three, Remco Evenepoel should be present and be the second-best favourite.

"That's what cycling is for the moment, so okay, there's not really a suspense," Museuuw, a legend of the sport, believes. "But I see it in another way, for me it's a suspense, and it will stay a couple of years like that I think, so long as Pogacar is there, he will win the Tour de France and other races. So yeah, it’s a different cycling then in my generation, totally.”