"Since the 90s this rivalry between Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel is the best" - But former Tour de France winner warns of downsides to their dominance

Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar have gone head to head at the first three Monuments of 2025, giving cycling fans some of the most exciting racing seen this calendar year. Whilst the epic rivalry is undoubtedly fun to watch, according to one former Tour de France winner however, there could be downsides of having two riders so clearly better than the rest.

“I never saw Eddy Merckx race, nor the classics from the De Vlaeminck era, but from what I’ve seen since the '90s, this rivalry between Pogacar and Van der Poel is the best,” the 2006 Maillot Jaune winner, Spaniard Oscar Pereiro analysed in conversation with EFE. “They’re head and shoulders above the rest. Only Mads Pedersen managed to hang on in Paris-Roubaix, but he had the misfortune of puncturing.”

As mentioned, whilst there are obvious positives to seeing such generational talents as Pogacar and Van der Poel battle it out, Pereiro also sees the potential negatives. “On the one hand, it’s brilliant to watch them battle it out – to see which one of the two will win. But the reality is, many riders are effectively out of contention before the race even begins. Under normal conditions, no one can beat Van der Poel or Pogacar right now,” explains the 47-year-old Spaniard. “The downside is that the result often feels predetermined – and that’s something I don’t like. I think races should be more open. That said, even with mechanicals, crashes, and punctures, their last duel was still a fantastic show.”

“I don’t know what the TV ratings were, but I imagine they must’ve been sky-high. Right now, it’s a showdown between two riders, but in my view, a race is more exciting when it's wide open – when you genuinely don’t know what’s going to happen. These days, with the strength of the teams and these two leaders, everything feels much more predictable,” Pereiro continues.

And the biggest problem is, just how can the rest of the field stop Pogacar and/or Van der Poel when racing against them? Pereiro struggles to find an answer. “From the sofa, it’s easy to talk tactics – people say they should attack, and so on. But the problem is, when the best rider also has the best team, and probably the strongest teammates too, it’s incredibly hard to change the script. Anyone from that same squad is capable of winning,” he concludes. “I’ve spoken to riders in the peloton, and it’s not that they don’t want to attack – it’s that they physically can’t. The pace is so high that you just can’t hold on, and you’re left with no chance to respond.”