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

BarcelonaCycling fans know that this season they might be rubbing their eyes in disbelief. At 27 years old, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar seems poised to achieve an unprecedented feat. Full of ambition, he doesn't seem content with dominating this sport and has decided to rewrite the history of sport 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 one-day races where many of the greatest riders in history have suffered greatly. But Pogacar isn't satisfied with an achievement like this and 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. One-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 lifestyle. 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 make life difficult for athletes in some of these races, like Paris-Roubaix. Regions where the cyclist is respected and children prefer his 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 again and again to Merckx, popularly considered the best cyclist ever seen after winning 19 times in the five monument 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 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 won a monument for the last time. Then, almost 50 years without any cyclist being able to climb to the top of the podium in these five races. Until Pogacar arrived, who seems to be able to imitate 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 when he is only 27 years old. He has won all but one race, 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 cobblestone route which, in theory, is the least ideal for the Slovenian's characteristics. If he wins, he will have conquered the five monuments, he will be getting closer to Merckx's figure of 17 and, incidentally, he would add 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 the youngsters, asks us how we are, at times he seems like a normal guy... until you see him race," 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 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 another Catalan who shares a team with him, Marc Soler, to the newspaper As" these days.

This past weekend, Pogacar once again won the Tour of Flanders and showed that he is in form. Before that, in the first monument of the season, he had won the Milan-San Remo for the first time, one of those he had never managed to conquer. And it is worth remembering that he has also won the Strade Bianche, a beautiful race finishing in Siena. The Paris-Roubaix is his next challenge, as he has never won it, although last year he already reached the podium, showing that he is adapting to the cobblestones and to a route that suits other cyclists better. If he conquers the hell of the north, he will be able to give his all in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Lombardy, 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, overcoming Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel in a beautiful duel, the Slovenian explained: "It was extremely tough 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 race 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 will enjoy the cobblestones," he said, smiling. He has a date with history.