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Merckx on Pogačar: “I think he’ll break our record soon”
©picture-alliance / Volkmann/MVphoto | Klaus Volkmann
Eddy Merckx looks on with admiration at Tadej Pogačar and doesn’t even rule out the possibility that the Slovenian will soon hold the Tour record all to himself. In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Belgian cycling legend says he expects Pogačar to “break our record soon.”
Pogačar claimed his fifth overall victory in the Tour de France on Sunday. This places him alongside Eddy Merckx,Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain —the four other riders who have won the Tour de France five times. For Merckx, this is not the end, but rather a stepping stone. “I don’t believe he’ll limit himself to just matching me and the other champions,” he says. “He’ll break our record soon.”
Rock-solid on the climbs
The 81-year-old Belgian points out that Pogačar has made a particularly strong impression in the mountains this season. In his view, the Slovenian is developing further each year into a rider who can completely disrupt his opponents on the climbs. Merckx says this also explains why Pogačar sometimes draws grumbling from the crowd: someone who wins almost every time takes the excitement out of the race. Still, Merckx sees this primarily as a sign of greatness. He calls Pogačar an exceptional talent who has stood out since his professional debut, but who has found an extra gear, especially on climbs. He doesn’t even rule out the possibility that the Tour winner could one day win all three Grand Tours in a single season: the Giro, the Tour, and the Vuelta. “Not impossible at all,” says Merckx. “If there’s one rider who can do that, it’s him.”
Merckx also has kind words for Remco Evenepoel. The world time trial champion finished second in the Tour, and according to his compatriot, he’s the best in the world at time trials. But in the mountains, Merckx says, Pogačar remains a cut above the rest for now.
©picture-alliance / Volkmann/MVphoto | Klaus Volkmann - Eddy Merckx (right, BEL), Bernard Hinault (left, FRA)