“Tadej Pogacar is the strongest rider in cycling history” — Nairo Quintana admits even at his peak he’d be two steps below Slovenian superstar
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar’s peers are running out of superlatives. And now, three Grand Tour champions — Nairo Quintana, Egan Bernal and Vincenzo Nibali — have united in their belief that the Slovenian will continue to dominate cycling in 2026 and beyond.
Speaking during the Giro de Rigo event in Colombia, in quotes collected by EFE, Quintana delivered the most striking verdict yet on the reigning Tour de France champion’s place in the sport.
“He would not just be one step above us, but two, because he is the man strongest in the entire history of competitive cycling,” Quintana said, adding that Pogacar has “no weaknesses” across terrain, race style or scenario.
The former Giro and Vuelta winner emphasised that even comparing his own prime years to Pogacar’s current level would leave him short.
Bernal and Nibali echo the sentiment
Bernal — himself a Tour and Giro champion — dismissed suggestions that next year’s Tour de France route has been designed to neutralise the UAE Team Emirates leader.
“Today Pogacar is the strongest rider in the world. Whether you put 100 kilometres of time-trials or any other kind of race, he will always be the favourite to win,” Bernal insisted, noting the 27-year-old still has many seasons ahead in which to build an all-time legacy.
Nibali, one of cycling’s few triple-Grand-Tour champions, went even further in his comparison, placing Pogacar alongside cycling’s most revered icon.
“After 30 years, another incredible rider has emerged. I think that right now, competing with him is very, very difficult,” Nibali said, drawing parallels with Eddy Merckx. In a further show of admiration, the Italian pointed to Pogacar’s astonishing consistency: “When he is supposedly having a bad day, he still finishes second or third in the race.”
Pogacar’s era shows no sign of slowing
From Monument classics to Grand Tours, Pogacar’s near-total command of the modern peloton has already reshaped the sport. With rivals as decorated as Nibali, Bernal and Quintana conceding the scale of his supremacy, expectation around 2026 — and the battles to come — is only accelerating.
If their assessments prove correct, cycling’s current era may not simply belong to Pogacar — it could be remembered as the era defined by him.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
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