Cycling has been dominated for several years by Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian has already broken many records, so the comparison to Eddy Merckx is never far away. But who is really the greatest cyclist of all time? Roger De Vlaeminck has a clear preference. The contemporary of 'The Cannibal' speaks his mind as always.
The now 78-year-old De Vlaeminck – who himself amassed an impressive palmarès in the seventies and eighties – is known for his outspoken remarks. In an exclusive interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, he certainly doesn't hold back when discussing Merckx and Pogacar, and who is the best cyclist today.
Can we now place the Slovenian on equal footing with the Belgian cycling legend? "Crazy! Pogacar doesn’t even come close to Merckx!", De Vlaeminck is very clear. "Journalists who dare to make that comparison don’t know what they’re talking about. Write that down."
Merckx and De Vlaeminck were each other’s biggest rivals – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
"Let me be 22 years old today and ride in the peloton with Pogacar, and he wouldn’t drop me." Where was he recently, when he pulled away from Evenepoel? In the Giro di Lombardia. Not even on a tough climb. Just as good as Merckx... Come on."
On Remco Evenepoel: "Not my type"
His name has come up: Remco Evenepoel. How does De Vlaeminck view his younger compatriot? "He’s not my type. Good cyclist, yeah. Excellent time trialist. But, I don’t know... Sometimes I find him a bit arrogant. Then crossing the finish line and raising your bike in the air... Is that necessary? Just cross the line and win, alright. In my day, I’d occasionally raise a hand."
