Tadej Pogačar: The best of all time?

After his victory in the Tour of Flanders, Tadej Pogačar is causing a re-evaluation of the GOAT debate in cycling (GOAT = Greatest Of All Time). Lance Armstrong declares the discussion over in "The Move" podcast: "We have to stop this debate. It's over for me. The guy is just so good. He's the greatest of all time, by far," said the US American. In the discussion about the best rider, Eddie Merckx is mentioned alongside Pogačar, but the Slovenian's current dominance is increasingly shifting the balance.

Effect on the peloton

Pogačar's mere presence in the peloton fundamentally changes the race. His rivals show a different approach even before the start when the UAE rider is at the start. Only an accident or exceptionally bad luck could stop the Slovenian, although even that is not necessarily enough, as we saw at Milan-Sanremo. It is almost impossible to beat the dominator, according to the unanimous opinion in the professional peloton. Primož Roglič half-jokingly said at the end of 2024 that he no longer intended to start in races where Tadej Pogačar was on the start line. This statement may not have been meant entirely seriously, but it still sends a clear message: you don't stand a chance against this high-flyer.

Missing victories in the collection

At the age of 27, Pogačar has already won almost every major cycling race at least once. Only two major successes are still missing from his collection: victory in the Tour of Spain, in which he has only taken part in 2019, and Paris-Roubaix, where he started for the first time in 2025 and finished second straight away. But Pogačar wants to change that as soon as possible. He could win Paris-Roubaix as early as next Sunday. Whether the cycling star will also tackle the Tour of Spain this season is questionable, however. In terms of dates, it would suit him much better if the Giro and the Vuelta were to swap dates. However, the organisers of the Tour of Italy quickly rejected this idea, which is why it could be some time before Tadej Pogačar takes part in the Vuelta a España.