“The top riders are increasingly avoiding each other” - Belgian expert warns Tadej Pogacar dominance isn’t cycling’s real problem ahead of Milano-Sanremo

For all the debate around Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel, and whether their dominance is good or bad for cycling, former Belgian commentator Michel Wuyts has cut through the noise with a different concern ahead of Milano-Sanremo.

The problem, Wuyts explained in conversation with Wielerflits, is not that the best riders are winning too often. It is that they are not racing each other enough.

At the same time, he understands why the discussion exists in the first place. “For a viewer who gets saturated quickly, these are indeed difficult times. That viewer sometimes longs for change, for broader competition, and especially for input from their own country.”

“Exactly for that reason, I find it frustrating that the top riders are increasingly avoiding each other. I think that’s a shame,” he said. “In some media, people are already satisfied if two or three top riders meet in a big race.”

That view runs counter to a growing narrative around Pogacar’s supremacy. The Slovenian has reshaped races with aggressive, long-range attacks, most notably at Strade Bianche and in last year’s Milano-Sanremo, where his move on the Cipressa forced a level of intensity rarely seen so early in the race.

But for Wuyts, that kind of performance is not something to be concerned about. “But if I look at myself, I can really enjoy the beauty of a brilliant performance from the same rider,” he explained. “When Pogacar attacks for the fourth time in Strade Bianche, I’m still sitting there watching with my mouth open. And it’s not like: here we go again. It doesn’t bother me for a single second. On the contrary, I’m not waiting for him to be caught.”

Rather than seeing dominance as predictable or damaging, he frames it as part of the sport’s appeal. “I have respect for the fact that he dares to take risks and not do it the easy way. What more can you expect from a top athlete?”

Where the concern does lie is in how rarely the biggest names now collide across the calendar. “These confrontations are partly disappearing. And that’s a shame, because it leads to niche formation,” he continued. “I challenge you to point out how many real top riders there are in the Flemish spring races, and how often they actually go head-to-head. You’ll only get to two or three times. And I’m not just talking about Pogacar and Van der Poel, but also the level just below them.”

That point cuts deeper than a single race. While Pogacar has shown a willingness to race across different terrains and Monuments, others have become more specialised, limiting the number of direct clashes between the sport’s biggest stars.

“Who still dares to bridge the gap to the Ardennes? And believe me, that is more possible than people think,” he said. “You always end up back at Pogacar. But beyond that, you see an increasing divide.”

The result is a calendar where the most anticipated matchups are the exception rather than the rule.

That broader trend is exactly why Wuyts sees Pogacar as part of the solution rather than the problem. “Pogacar plays a very important role in that, by showing that it is actually possible. He crosses out all preparation races and rides every big race that really matters.”

In doing so, he has demonstrated that the sport does not have to be confined by rigid specialisation, even at the highest level. “If others follow that example, it would create fantastic scenes.”

That is what makes Milano-Sanremo stand out. Unlike other races where the favourites are spread across different programmes, La Primavera continues to bring the very best together. Pogacar’s aggressive approach, Van der Poel’s ability to respond, and the presence of riders like Filippo Ganna create a rare scenario where styles and strengths collide directly.

Last year’s edition showed exactly what that can produce, with Pogacar’s Cipressa attack forcing the race into a selective finale and raising the overall level of the Monument.

This weekend, the expectation is similar. Not just that the strongest riders will decide the outcome, but that they will have to do so against each other.

“I don’t like using percentages, but the chance is very high that one of those two wins and the biggest chance is that Mathieu van der Poel wins,” he said. “Purely based on the qualities needed to win that race. You need that explosive sprint on the Via Roma, which rises more than people think.”

In that sense, Milano-Sanremo represents something the wider calendar increasingly lacks. It is not just a race where the strongest rider wins. It is a race where the strongest riders meet.

That distinction sits at the heart of the argument. Pogacar’s dominance is not reducing the spectacle. If anything, it is raising the level. The real risk is when riders of that calibre are not forced into direct confrontation often enough.

And that is why, ahead of one of the few races where those clashes are almost guaranteed, the focus shifts.

Not to whether Pogacar is too strong. But to whether cycling is doing enough to ensure that strength is tested often enough against the very best.