Merckx and Hinault are counting on Pogačar's knockout blow at the Tour de France: 'He knows how to handle that'

Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault have welcomed Tadej Pogacar into the “Club of Five”—riders who have won the Tour de France five times in their careers. The Slovenian rider from UAE Emirates-XRG joined Merckx, Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain on 5 wins on Sunday. And according to Merckx and Hinault, Pogacar will soon surpass the quartet of record-holders.

Indurain was the last rider to win five times in the 1990s; Hinault dominated in the late 1970s and early 1980s; Merckx began his winning streak in 1969. Anquetil also managed to win the biggest cycling race of the year five times in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Pogacar won his first Tour in 2020 and also won in 2021, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Merckx has been a big fan of Pogacar for years, and that hasn’t changed after Pogacar’s fifth Tour de France victory. “It’s an honor to see Pogacar listed alongside me, but that won’t last much longer,” the Belgian told VTM. “He’ll likely take the lead next year, and I think he’ll be unbeatable in stage races until the Olympics (in 2028, ed.).”

Merckx, now 81, sees no competition for Pogacar at the moment; Pogacar is only 27 and therefore still has many great years ahead of him. “He’s impressive on the climbs. When you see him in action—the way he rides up Alpe d’Huez—it’s exceptional. It looks like he’s just strolling, yet he’s still a minute faster than Pantani, who used to be the ultimate climber.”

"You can't help but look at a rider like that with admiration," Merckx added. "I think Pogacar wants to win all the Grand Tours next season. All in the same year. In the past, that was practically impossible due to the calendar. But the way things stand now, I believe a phenomenon like Pogacar is capable of doing just that.”

In La Gazzetta dello Sport, Bernard Hinault spoke about Pogacar. “I was moved by Pogacar’s victory; his cycling performances are pure poetry. He already impressed eight years ago in the Tour de l’Avenir, and he’s only gotten better since then. It’s wonderful to see an athlete who can stay at the top for so long. And he’s not done yet.”

Hinault doesn't want to call Pogačar the greatest of all time. "Everyone is the number one of his or her era," said the Frenchman, who expects the world champion to continue dominating for a few more years. “Three or four seasons—he could keep going until he’s 32. He doesn’t have to worry about physical wear and tear; he knows how to handle that. Mental fatigue will set in sooner; he needs to have fun.”

Now that Pogačar is selective about his races and doesn’t race too much in a year, it looks like he’ll be able to keep going for a long time. “He loves to race, just like Merckx.” Pogačar has attracted so many new fans to cycling. People used to only watch the final kilometers, but not anymore. He doesn’t give anything away for free, because he won’t get any favors himself if his performance drops.”