"Tadej Pogacar will retire as the best cyclist in history" - Tour de France champion has no doubts
Cycling
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.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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