Pogacar wants to rewrite the history of the sport with an unprecedented milestone

BarcelonaCycling fans know that this season they might be rubbing their eyes in disbelief. At 27 years old, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar appears ready to achieve an unprecedented milestone. Full of ambition, he seems not content with dominating this sport and has decided to rewrite the history of sports in general by achieving one of those feats that are remembered for decades. This coming weekend, he could become the fourth cyclist of all time to win the five Monuments, the five historic single-day races where many of the greatest riders in history have suffered immensely. But for Pogacar, one such success is not enough, and he wants more. If he triumphs on Sunday in Paris-Roubaix, he will seriously aim to win all five races in the same season. In 100 years, only three men have won these five races, and he wants to do it in the same year.

The five Monuments are Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Giro di Lombardia. Monuments, because in a single day in these races, epic stories are written that can be remembered for many years. Each race has its own personality. Single-day races of over 200 kilometers and over 100 years of tradition, crossing some of the roads where the greatest athletes have ridden, in areas where cycling ceases to be a sport to become a way of life. Every cycling fan wants to be in Belgium, northern France, or the Italian Alps at least once. To enjoy the atmosphere and see the famous cobblestones that complicate life for the athletes in some of these races, like Paris-Roubaix. Regions where the cyclist is respected and children prefer their autograph over that of a footballer. Areas where a cobblestone climb or a turn are as famous as a stadium in another sport.

So far, only three riders have won the five races. And all three are Belgian: Rick Van Looy, Roger de Vlameminck and, needless to say, the "cannibal" Eddy Merckx. In recent years, Pogacar has been compared time and again with Merckx, popularly considered the greatest cyclist ever seen after winning 19 times in the five monuments races: 7 Milan-San Remo, 2 Tour of Flanders, 3 Paris-Roubaix, 5 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and 2 victories in Lombardy. Roger de Vlaeminck won on 11 occasions (4 Paris-Roubaix, 3 times in San Remo, 2 times in Lombardy, and once each in Flanders and Liège). And Van Looy won three times in Paris-Roubaix, 2 in Flanders, and only once in the other three.

In 1979, De Vlaeminck last won a monument. After that, almost 50 years without any cyclist being able to reach the top of the podium in these five races. Until Pogacar arrived, who seems capable of imitating him. So far, the Slovenian has already won 12 times in the Monuments, making him the second cyclist with the most successes in the five monuments at just 27 years old. He has won all the races except one, for now. He is precisely missing Paris-Roubaix, the hell of the north, as a race is known that arrives this coming weekend with the famous route full of cobblestones which, in theory, is the least ideal for the Slovenian's characteristics. If he wins, he will have conquered the five monuments, will be getting closer to Merckx's figure of 17, and incidentally, would make it three out of three this year 2026. It would be historic.

He is very ambitious. He is a competitive machine. But that doesn't mean he's an arrogant person, no. He helps young people, asks us how we are, at times he seems like a normal guy... until you see him ride," says Catalan Adrià Pericas, who shares a team at UAE with him. "When you train with him... well, the rest of us take turns to be able to keep up with him. He pulls, pulls, pulls... he's a machine. He will keep winning and the debates about who is the best will end," explained to the newspaper As these days another Catalan who shares a team with him, Marc Soler.

This past weekend, Pogacar once again won the Tour of Flanders and showed he is in form. Before that, in the first monument of the season, he had won for the first time in Milan-San Remo, one of those he had never managed to conquer. And it should be remembered that he has also won the Strade Bianche, a beautiful race with a finish in Siena. Paris-Roubaix is his next challenge, as he has never won there, although last year he already made it to the podium, showing that he is adapting to the cobbles and to a course that suits other cyclists better. If he dominates in the hell of the north, he will be able to give his all in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Giro di Lombardia, races he has already won, to become eternal. Last year, Pogacar was already able to reach the podium in all five monuments, something no other rider had achieved in the same year until now.

After winning in Flanders, beating Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel in a nice duel, the Slovenian explained: "It was brutal from the start, a crazy race, I don't really know what to say. It was all a matter of waiting, but you always had to keep pedaling. I don't usually compete much. If I do, I feel the pressure to win. So far, everything has gone perfectly for me. I can't help but feel satisfied and I will definitely be motivated for next week. I'll enjoy the cobbles," he said, smiling. He has a date with history.