"Tadej Pogacar will retire as the best cyclist in history" - Tour de France champion has no doubts
CyclingSaturday, 31 May 2025 at 11:18
Tadej Pogacar's return to competition is getting closer and closer. After another epic spring campaign, the Slovenian has went silent for a while to prepare for his main objective of the season - the 2025 Tour de France. And where else to test the legs than at the Criterium du Dauphiné.
The Giro d'Italia is coming to an end, and the name of Pogacar is once again on everyone's lips. Oscar Pereiro's as well. The former cyclist and the first Tour de France (2006) champion of the "post-Armstrong" era (albeit after disqualification of Floyd Landis), spoke at the Senate Day about the UAE Team Emirates - XRG star.
The event is a tribute ceremony to the 90th anniversary of the Vuelta a España, a race that hopes to count on the participation of Tadej Pogacar himself later this summer. Speaking to media, Pereiro was clear about Pogacar's not-so-near future: when the Slovenian retires, he will already be better than Eddy Merckx!
"Tadej Pogacar will retire as the best cyclist in history. It's true that comparing different eras is complicated. But according to Edddy Merckx himself, what Pogacar does he has never seen before. Pogacar stands out above the rest, and as I said he will retire as the best of all time," said the Galician.
Tadej Pogacar continues to add to his historic track record
History awaits Tadej Pogacar
The next few months look set to be decisive in Pogacar's narrative as the best in history. The UAE leader is going to face, consecutively, the Tour de France, Vuelta a España (barring a surprise) and the cycling World Championships (to be held for the first time in history in Africa with a brutal mountain course through Rwanda) as defending champion.
His arch-rival, Jonas Vingegaard, is expected to rise up to Pogacar's challenge and ride all three races as well. If Tadej Pogacar manages to win all 3 races, he will have taken a giant step towards equaling the historical palmares of 'The Cannibal' Eddy Merckx.
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- So true. His tally from ONLY half a season would be a dream career for many cyclists. Eight wins - two of them monuments and multiple podiums as well. It's funny how the cycling media needs a story so bad that they jump on any slightest signs of "weakness" from Pogi, Jonas, or Remco. Example after 2023 some commentators were basically writing Pogi off for the next TdF and saying the only reason he was attempting the Giro Tour double was so he could win a "consolation" GTmobk12-06-2025
- Too much pressure. This poor, super-talented boy can't "just" be Top 5 in a TT stage without the "experts" starting to question him. What he won in the spring races would be the dream of any pro-cyclist to consider his ENTIRE career successful... Let him alone.
maria2024202412-06-2025 - I can imagine this take, simply because it's so common in other forms of racing, like auto racing outside F1. The water bottle is the one that made no sense to me. The rest could be what UAE said, but a water bottle on a 20km TT? Huh.RidesHills12-06-2025
- For me shorter cranks (165) feel better on the knees. Maybe it's a placebo effect, but it feels realmobk12-06-2025
- exactly. Or Simply, he didn't have a good day.maria2024202412-06-2025
- I prefer Occam's Razor. He said he didn't train in TT much due to the spring campaign. It's a good and simple explanation. He's Tadej, why should he resort to this sort of scheme?
KerisVroom12-06-2025 - Enric Mas?? and Bardetpopkip12-06-2025
- Flat-earthers have come to cycling: everyone tries to fabricate the most intricate plot/conspiracy to appear intelligent.maria2024202412-06-2025
- The peloton needs to move past LA Doper and its hordes. Why is UCI not doing enough to sanction the whole lot of LA Doper hordes from even indirectly in the sports that they tarnished?KerisVroom12-06-2025
- Good spot that, won't make Jonas happy 😁
leedorney12-06-2025