Lately the statements of have made headlines Roger From Vlaeminck on the comparison between Merckx and PogacarThe Belgian released the following statement to the Flemish newspaper: The Latest News phrases like: «Pogacar doesn't even come close to Merckx's toes"Or: "Journalists who make this comparison have no idea what cycling is. If I were 22 again, Pogacar wouldn't be able to overtake me."
Statements that many they seemed at least reckless, considering the feats Pogacar is showing the world every year. But what is the Slovenian's true place in cycling history? To understand a little more, we contacted one of the great masters of Italian sports journalism, Claudio Gregori.
Claudio, what do you think of De Vlaeminck's statements?
In my opinion, De Vlaeminck's is a unacceptable speechLook at the riders he's competed against, especially Merckx, against whom he's lost many times. He's also a very different rider from Pogacar, but in fact it does not analyse the victories, the numbers also need to be weighedModern cycling is very different from theirs, here everything is calculated down to the last detail, every gram of carbohydrates consumed during the races, every calorie. Perhaps this is why De Vlaeminck sees this era so different from his own..
Do you think differently?
Pogacar and Merckx are two different riders who raced in different eras. Let's have them race together for fun. Pogacar is certainly stronger than Merckx on the climbs, also simply because he weighs 66-67 kilos, while the Belgian had a healthy weight of 74-75 kilos. Merckx though it definitely had a more powerful engine, he was stronger on pace and in sprintHe also raced on the track, setting the Hour record and winning 17 Six Days.
In fact, the Belgian's numbers will probably remain unbeatable...
The numbers say that Merckx has over 500 career victories, including 11 Grand Tours. Pogacar has now reached 105 victories with 5 Grand Young riders Riders. That said, Pogacar is a great champion. He won 5 Tours of Lombardy out of 5 participations, an incredible figure. Of course, among Merckx's results, the 7 Sanremos stand out, as well as the 3 Paris-Roubaixs, while the Slovenian is still at zero. But you also have to look at the way, precisely weigh the performancesPogacar finished second in his first Roubaix, something unthinkable until a few years ago.
Maybe this is its greatness?
Certainly. In modern cycling It seemed impossible to excite with solos, but he rediscovered this way of running. Even more difficult to pull off now than it was decades ago. He won the last two world championships by attacking with 100 kilometers to go, when we were used to the fact that it was enough to look at the last 30-40 kilometers from the finish. And this is what makes him so beloved. Like at this year's Strade Bianche, when he seemed out of the running after his crash, but then...
Then there's the fact that real comparisons can only be made at the end of his career. How much longer can Pogacar race?
We still don't know how much he will win, in my opinion. he could play another 5-6 years at a very high level. However, we can already make some comparisons with other champions. For example, Hinault has won 10 Grand Tours and only 5 Monument Classics, and I think Pogacar is already superior to him now, precisely because it is more spectacular.
We often hear that these solitary solos are boring. What's your opinion?
I enjoy watching it. I find it beautiful that everyone expects him and he always shows up on time, like in Kigali. There the duel with Evenepoel It was wonderful, because then he certainly has opponents in certain races. He will try to win the Sanremo, a race that has always fired him up in recent years.i, and he will still find Van der Poel. The same goes for Roubaix. However, I don't think it's boring, as I don't think Coppi killed the Giro d'Italia during the famous Cuneo-Pinerolo in '49People were crowded there with stopwatches in hand, watching the gap with Bartali. Cycling is not only great for knowing the winner of a race, but also for the action itself..
So it is not true that Pogacar, a difference of the Cannibal, has no rivals of his stature?
No, and we saw it at the Tour de France with Vingegaard. Even if I think the most fearsome is EvenepoelHe is two years younger than him, he has been slowed down by very serious accidents and in any case he won two Olympic gold medals, four world championships, four European championships, one Vuelta, that is, he has shown that he can fight in the Grand Tours. Of course Pogacar is stronger on the climbs, but the Belgian is a bad dog and has the mentality of an absolute champion.
Claudio, so in your opinion, what place will Pogacar have (or already has) in the history of cycling?
For now, Gian Paolo Ormezzano's definition still holds true: "Merckx the strongest, Coppi the greatest." But between three years I think that between the two of them we could undoubtedly also include the Slovenian champion.
