De Vlaeminck shocks: from "Pogacar would never have dropped me" to "Pogacar would be five minutes behind Merckx"

What would the cycling world be without the self-confidence of Roger De Vlaeminck? Nowhere, right? The Belgian insists to this day that surely he was at least as strong as Mathieu van der Poel in cyclocross and recently reiterated that sentiment in the new edition of Wielerrevue. "Pogacar had never dropped me in my prime."

This quote requires some context, as it arises from a Q&A session where Pogacar is positioned alongside Eddy Merckx as an all-time favorite. The Slovenian notably impressed in 2024 with his solo ride of over eighty kilometers in the Strade Bianche. De Vlaeminck adds nuance: "Eddy Merckx was on another level, huh? There's absolutely no comparison between Pogacar and Merckx."

"Pogacar is a fantastic rider, and the Strade Bianche is a tough race, but not a legendary one, huh," the Belgian continued. "He broke away ninety kilometers from the finish, and nobody could follow. I guarantee you: if I had been on his wheel, he would never have dropped me in my prime. Never in his life! Just like Francesco Moser and Beppe Saronni couldn't either."

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Eddy Merckx would, according to De Vlaeminck, ride five minutes ahead of Pogacar

Okay, okay. De Vlaeminck is already predicting a Pogacar dominance for the month of May, but he believes that should also be appreciated by cycling fans. "Pogacar is heading to the Giro now, but in Italy, there aren't any top riders at the moment. You have Filippo Ganna who is decent in time trials, but he's not an absolute top rider. Can someone explain to me why there aren't more great riders in Italy?"

And here's another spicy opinion: "Pogacar is a top rider and by far the best in the world, with Mathieu van der Poel a close second. Unfortunately, Mathieu can't keep up in the mountains. That would have been an exciting duel. But Pogacar isn't even half the rider Merckx was. If Merckx were to race in the same Giro as Pogacar, Pogačar would be five minutes behind in the general classification."