"Tactics play an increasingly small role in modern cycling": Johan Museeuw questions Pogacar and UAE's dominance

One of the most common debates in the last months has been whether Tadej Pogacar's superiority makes races too boring. For Belgian legend Johan Museeuw, this is indeed the case.

Speaking to La Dernière Heure, the former World Champion, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix winner suggested that racing today bears little resemblance to the sport he once knew. “What I find even more regrettable is that tactics play an increasingly small role in modern cycling. Simply put, everything at UAE Team Emirates is very straightforward. They control the race for three hours, then Pogacar attacks with 80 or 100 kilometres to go and wins solo.”

Axel Merckx, the son of the great Eddy Merckx, offered a contrasting perspective. He admires what Pogacar is doing and finds many similarities between him and his father. “I prefer not to compare generations, but today he dominates the way my father once did. Beyond his incredible list of achievements, what impresses me most is the freshness he still shows after the finish.”

Despite praising Pogacar’s physical capabilities, Merckx warned that the main risk to the world champion may lie elsewhere. "Wherever he goes, there's always a kind of constant attention on him. And that's what's so exhausting. I was too young to realise it, but when my father talks about the end of his career, it was mainly the mental fatigue, much more than the physical fatigue, that bothered him most. At a certain point, your brain signals your legs to stop."

Museeuw agreed with Merckx's assessment, adding that post-season criteriums are not doing any good to the Slovenian. “In my opinion, this period should mainly be a mental break. His mind needs to recharge, and I'm curious how the Slovenian will handle all of this... A few years ago, I think it was the same lifestyle that contributed to [Peter] Sagan's decline. Even when you're at the top, you need a bit of rest."

Both Museeuw and Merckx agreed that Mathieu van der Poel remains the principal obstacle to Pogacar’s ambition of winning all five Monuments. “The biggest problem for Pogacar in La Primavera, but also in Paris-Roubaix, is Van der Poel,” said Merckx. "Without the Dutchman, Pogi would already have won all the Monuments. It’s that simple. Fortunately for those who think Pogacar is too dominant, Mathieu can make life difficult for him in one-day races.”

Museeuw went further, offering Van der Poel really high praise. “If I could reincarnate as a current rider in the peloton, I would choose Van der Poel without hesitation. Pogacar is obviously the best rider in the world, but I love the class Mathieu exudes and the fact that he only races to win. That’s the only thing that interests him."

Museeuw had already talked about how these two men make cycling less unpredictable, although still interesting for him. "That's what cycling is for the moment, so okay, there's not really a suspense. 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 than in my generation, totally.”