Tadej Pogacar received his third Velo d'Or on Friday, the award for the best cyclist of the year.. However, Marc Madiot sees someone else as 'the ultimate rider': Wout van Aert. The Groupama-FDJ team manager revealed this during the Vélo d’Or gala.
“My chouchou (favorite, editor’s note) is Wout. For me, he is the ultimate rider," said Madiot, after admitting that he is 'not an absolute fan' of Pogacar. He does have great respect for his talent, mentality, and 'sense of the history of the sport.' But the epitome of the complete cyclist remained Van Aert for him.
Madiot also commented on Paris-Roubaix, the race he himself won twice. He believes Pogacar must absolutely start it again, despite objections that the Slovenian would be taking risks ahead of the Tour. According to the Frenchman, a victory in Roubaix would be 'just as important as the Tour.' Pogacar proved his potential on the cobbles this year with a second-place finish behind Mathieu van der Poel.
