Neither the competition nor a fall could stop Tadej Pogacar on the way to his first triumph at Milan-Sanremo. Cycling legend Eddie Merckx was thrilled by the Slovenian’s performance – and speechless.
He is and remains the best – and almost unbeatable: Tadej Pogacar showed his class at Milan-Sanremo and won the classic despite a crash in the hot phase of the race. Eddie Merckx, once as dominant as Pogacar today, could only be amazed at this.
“He left me speechless,” said the “cannibal” in the “Eurosport” interview after the race. “Did I expect him to win like this? To be honest: no. I think it can be considered one of his greatest achievements,” enthused the Belgian.
“When you sprint like that and no one can pass,…”
What particularly impressed Merckx about Pogacar’s victory was that he achieved it in a more or less classic sprint. The UAE captain did not drive this sprint in any way, but from the front. An immense achievement when you consider that Pogacar not only had a crash, but also the subsequent comeback was in his bones.
“He started the sprint from the beginning, with the same strength and conviction as Mathieu van der Poel last year. When you sprint like that and no one can pass, there is no doubt about who is the strongest,” Merckx marveled at the eventual winner’s final meters.
According to Belgian legend, the victory of today’s best driver was not only deserved, but also overdue. It was “strange” that Pogacar hadn’t won Milan-Sanremo much earlier, said Merckx. Now that it’s finally clear “that he has no limits,” Merckx couldn’t stop raving about it.
