“Winning all five Monuments? For everyone else it’s impossible. For Tadej Pogacar, ‘just’ extremely difficult” – Italian ex-pro backs UAE leader to complete cycling holy grail
Cycling
Winning all five Monuments across a career has only been achieved by a select group of all-time greats. Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck and Rik Van Looy stand alone in cycling history for completing the full set.
For Italian ex-pro Moreno Moser, however, Tadej Pogacar may be the first rider of the modern era capable of joining that list.
Speaking in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the former Strade Bianche winner and current Eurosport pundit suggested the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader possesses a combination of physical range and mentality that places him outside conventional limits.
“For everyone else, it’s impossible,” Moser said. “For him, ‘just’ extremely difficult.”
Why Pogacar changes the rules
Moser’s argument is not built on Pogacar’s palmares alone, but on how the Slovenian wins.
“He drops everyone? Fine. What interests me is when and how,” he said. “And his mental superiority over the others impresses me as well.”
That mental edge, in Moser’s view, is what separates Pogacar from recent dominant figures. Rather than following expected scripts, Pogacar consistently reshapes races around his own strengths, whether on cobbles, long climbs or rolling terrain.
“I believe he can manage at least another two or three seasons like this,” Moser added.
It is that sustained level, rather than a single peak year, that leads Moser to believe the full Monument set is not out of reach.
“For 2026, in fact, I would like to bet on one thing,” he said. “That he could win all five Monuments.”
Sanremo as the turning point
Moser pointed to Milan Sanremo as a symbolic moment in modern racing, particularly in how Pogacar and his rivals reshaped the race far from the finish.
“How many years had we been waiting for the race to light up already on the Cipressa?” he said. “And until 500 metres from the finish we did not know whether Van der Poel, Ganna or Pogacar would win. Magnificent.”
For Moser, that unpredictability is precisely why Pogacar’s dominance does not dull the spectacle.
“Champions do not bore people,” he said. “And Pogacar is pure enjoyment.”
Italian hopes beyond Pogacar’s era
While Pogacar dominates the present, Moser also looked toward Italy’s future Grand Tour contenders, naming two riders he believes could eventually carry the flag.
“In the long term, without doubt Lorenzo Finn, because of his completeness,” he said. “Even if when he arrives in the World Tour from 2027 onwards he will find a completely different world.”
He also highlighted Giulio Pellizzari as a rider capable of going all the way in a three week race.
“A Giro d Italia, he could win one, yes,” Moser said.
For now, though, Moser’s focus remains on a rider he believes could bridge cycling’s past and present.
The full set of Monuments has only been completed by the sport’s immortals. In Moser’s eyes, Pogacar has placed himself within touching distance of that same conversation.
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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- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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- 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
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
- If Tiberi has a better and more consistent 2027 I somehow doubt it will be because of this victorious warning. Unless his preparation has been off, cycling isn't football.flyer07-11-2026
- Love this guy. He is such a pure racer.mij07-11-2026
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