2026 Classics

[Daka]

Remco is either very optimistic, or playing mind games with Seixas. I don't see any reason to think Seixas won't be able to ride Remco off his wheel on the climbs late in the race.

He seems to have a very high susainable engine he won junior world TT and won Basque Country TT easily.
I don't think endurance will be an issue, he still might not win and even coming 3rd in a big race like this would be a good result, but I would not be surprised if he beat Remco either.

 

[Daka]

LBL tonight.

 

[eth-dog]

Big split in the peloton, Evenepoel, Bernal, Ulissi, Leknessund and Van Baarle in the front split. UAE and Decathlon missed the split so Pogi and Seixas will have to burn some domestiques it seems

 

[eth-dog]

Wellens pulling already, they were probably hoping to hold him back until at least the Rosier. Laurence De Plus is doing a great job.

 

[eth-dog]

Seixas is the real deal. Tadej will still win this but Seixas has announced himself.

Also enjoying the form of Hindley right now. Looks good so far.

 

[eth-dog]

Twice Matthew Keenan has said that Pogi has won 4 LBL's. Pretty sure he's taken Roglic's LBL and given it to Pogi there.

 

[eth-dog]

One thing Liege lacks is a memorable finishing line like the other monuments

 

[Daka]

Seixas was still super impressive, to stay with Pog for as long as he did.

 

[largebus]

Pog is just too good. Hopefully Seixas can challenge him in the next few years

 

[yaco55]

Schmid stuffed up his sprint in Amstel and LBL by getting boxed in on the fence. Disappointing!

 

[Daka]

Tadej Pogacar now on 13 Monuments

 

[eth-dog]

Tadej Pogacar now on 13 Monuments

Now only, checks notes, 6 monuments, 6 Grand Tours, 1 World Championship and 413 wins behind Merckx.

 

[Vader]

Now only, checks notes, 6 monuments, 6 Grand Tours, 1 World Championship and 413 wins behind Merckx.

... and still with 0 wins in Roubaix and the Vuelta.

** Pog is clearly the #2 rider in history - and he's now well clear of 3rd (whoever that might be). He's still got some way to go though, before he matches the GOAT.

 

[Daka]

Now only, checks notes, 6 monuments, 6 Grand Tours, 1 World Championship and 413 wins behind Merckx.

He won't get all the records obviously but he can take some important ones off Merckx, a real possibility of taking the record momuments one off him, 6 more he is winning like 3-4 momuments a year and is only 27 he is contracted till 2030 so he will be a least around till than. he will be favorite for the WC again and match Merckx there.

 

[Black Diamond]

He also has 21 TDF stage wins, so could catch Merckx on 34 and Cavendish on 35.

 

[eth-dog]

... and still with 0 wins in Roubaix and the Vuelta.

** Pog is clearly the #2 rider in history - and he's now well clear of 3rd (whoever that might be). He's still got some way to go though, before he matches the GOAT.

Not sure he's ahead of Hinault yet, but it's very close

He won't get all the records obviously but he can take some important ones off Merckx, a real possibility of taking the record momuments one off him, 6 more he is winning like 3-4 momuments a year and is only 27 he is contracted till 2030 so he will be a least around till than. he will be favorite for the WC again and match Merckx there.

He's said he won't ride MSR anymore and has also said he's unlikely to pursue Roubaix for too many more years. So whilst the 6 I expect to be reeled in due to his dominance in LBL (only one he lost was 2020 to Roglic) and Lombardia, it may take a little longer

He also has 21 TDF stage wins, so could catch Merckx on 34 and Cavendish on 35.

That I see him reaching, however Merckx also won 24 Giro stages as well.

Pogi is a freak and probably the only bloke who can dethrone Eddy, but still has to win a lot more to get there

 

[Vader]

Not sure he's ahead of Hinault yet, but it's very close

Let's compare the pair...

Hinault
5x TdF wins, 29 stage wins (including 1x TTT)
3x Giro wins, 7 stage wins (including 1x TTT)
2x Vuelta wins, 7x stage wins
1x World Championship
5x Monument Wins (2x Liege, 2x Lombardia, 1x Roubaix)

Other notable wins:
4x Stage Races (3 Dauphine, 1 Romandie)
4x One-Day Races (Ghent-Wavellgem, Amstel Gold, 2 Fleche Wallonne)

Pogacar
4x TdF wins, 21 stage wins
1x Giro win, 6 stage wins
0x Vuelta wins, 3 stage wins
2x World Championships
13x Monument Wins (1x San Remo, 3x Flanders, 4x Liege, 5x Lombardia)

Other notable wins:
14x Stage Races
12x One-Day Races

** Not counting National Champs or TTs.

Pog looks likely to take the record for most TdF wins, and could conceivably overtake Hinault's TdF stage wins as early as this year (though 2027 is more likely).

Pog's record in non-GT races shits all over Hinault's record. He's got him covered by the length of the Flemington Straight when it comes to Monuments, non-monument Classics, and stage races.

The only area where Hinault still has Pog covered comfortably is the fact that he's won the Giro 3x and the Vuelta twice - where Pog has only 1x Giro and no Vueltas. The Vuelta's absence from Pog's palmares is significant, as it means he's not (yet) a member of the club containing winners of all 3 Grand Tours. I fully expect these flaws in his palmares to be rectified before he rides off into the sunset.

 

[Black Diamond]

Does it really matter if Pogacar never wins the Vuelta? Or only wins one Giro? Nibali, Contador and Froome won all three GTs. I reckon Pogacar has them all covered as GT riders though. Only Froome is close but Pogacar has been more dominant.

 

[eth-dog]

Let's compare the pair...

Hinault
5x TdF wins, 29 stage wins (including 1x TTT)
3x Giro wins, 7 stage wins (including 1x TTT)
2x Vuelta wins, 7x stage wins
1x World Championship
5x Monument Wins (2x Liege, 2x Lombardia, 1x Roubaix)

Other notable wins:
4x Stage Races (3 Dauphine, 1 Romandie)
4x One-Day Races (Ghent-Wavellgem, Amstel Gold, 2 Fleche Wallonne)

Pogacar
4x TdF wins, 21 stage wins
1x Giro win, 6 stage wins
0x Vuelta wins, 3 stage wins
2x World Championships
13x Monument Wins (1x San Remo, 3x Flanders, 4x Liege, 5x Lombardia)

Other notable wins:
14x Stage Races
12x One-Day Races

** Not counting National Champs or TTs.

Pog looks likely to take the record for most TdF wins, and could conceivably overtake Hinault's TdF stage wins as early as this year (though 2027 is more likely).

Pog's record in non-GT races shits all over Hinault's record. He's got him covered by the length of the Flemington Straight when it comes to Monuments, non-monument Classics, and stage races.

The only area where Hinault still has Pog covered comfortably is the fact that he's won the Giro 3x and the Vuelta twice - where Pog has only 1x Giro and no Vueltas. The Vuelta's absence from Pog's palmares is significant, as it means he's not (yet) a member of the club containing winners of all 3 Grand Tours. I fully expect these flaws in his palmares to be rectified before he rides off into the sunset.

I expect him to pass Hinault, but the Giro and Vuelta palmares has Bernard still ahead for me. I reckon Pogi will be ahead by the end of 2027 though.

 

[eth-dog]

Does it really matter if Pogacar never wins the Vuelta? Or only wins one Giro? Nibali, Contador and Froome won all three GTs. I reckon Pogacar has them all covered as GT riders though. Only Froome is close but Pogacar has been more dominant.

To call him the GOAT, yes.

 

[Vader]

I expect him to pass Hinault, but the Giro and Vuelta palmares has Bernard still ahead for me. I reckon Pogi will be ahead by the end of 2027 though.

He only need to ride them to win them at this stage... But I definitely agree that the Vuelta is a HUGE gap in his palmares.

Pog has plenty of time to play with. He's currently 27 - the same age Froome was when he won his FIRST TdF.

 

[Daka]

Who was Merckx biggest rivals? I don't know because it was well before my time.
Was it Raymond Poulidor? Poulidor did beat Merckx twice in a row at Paris-Nice.
And seemed to be around the mark when Merckx won the Tours.

Hinault had LeMond.

Compare the Palmares of Merckx's Rivals to MVDP, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, WvA. | Roglic (early days)

I don't want to put (Seixas) in yet, but he has already come 2nd to Pog twice in 2 great one-day races & is looking like a future rival to Pog's second half of his career

Can't be just about individual success, it's also about who you beat in my opinion as well.

Pogačar has plenty of time to win the Vuelta, and everyone knows he will win it if he does it.
So, are we really holding it against him? 100% we can until he wins but let's not kid ourselves.

The Giro argument is probably the strongest one Merckx has in his favor at the time probably the second biggest race? is it today though? I would like to say yes but a lot of riders that do the Tour today don't do the Giro to hurt their prep.
Where back than all riders did both, so it was a level playing field in terms of fatigue.

If Tadej wins Paris-Roubaix | Monument all-time record | Equals 5x Tour De France | 36x Tour Stage wins | adds Vuelta a España | Another World Championship | Or better gets all-time record of 6x Tours

36x stage wins at the TOUR that's 15 more stage wins that's not insignificant, will be harder than people think to break.
I fully expect Pogi to slow down slightly by 2027-2028.

Some will be hard to break but some are very achievable.

I don't think Hinault's Palmares are better than Pogačar's honestly, he has less than half the monuments & 1 less World title as it stands & less one-week stage race wins on his CV. Yep, he has more Grand Tour wins in he's favor but that's it & it could change.

I think it's very hard to say Pogačar isn't the greatest of all time given the level of competition he faced.

Merckx is ahead right now but if Pogačar achieves what people think he can hold his form relatively enough to achieve the goals that most people think he needs to do than I think it's undeniable he has to be called the "GOAT"

Merckx vs Pogačar is very nuanced because riders are more specialized today back than they did all the races.
each rider's program is strict and tailored to their speciality, Pog is beating everyone at his best specialty and others best specialized role.

I still like to call Merckx the GOAT to Pogi fanboys just to piss them off, because sometimes they get a little out of control.

 

[eth-dog]

He only need to ride them to win them at this stage... But I definitely agree that the Vuelta is a HUGE gap in his palmares.

Pog has plenty of time to play with. He's currently 27 - the same age Froome was when he won his FIRST TdF.

I agree.

Yeah, Pogi is brilliant. I see him being at the very least being second for a long time.

Who was Merckx biggest rivals? I don't know because it was well before my time.
Was it Raymond Poulidor? Poulidor did beat Merckx twice in a row at Paris-Nice.
And seemed to be around the mark when Merckx won the Tours.

Hinault had LeMond.

Compare the Palmares of Merckx's Rivals to MVDP, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, WvA. | Roglic (early days)

I don't want to put (Seixas) in yet, but he has already come 2nd to Pog twice in 2 great one-day races & is looking like a future rival to Pog's second half of his career

Can't be just about individual success, it's also about who you beat in my opinion as well.

Pogačar has plenty of time to win the Vuelta, and everyone knows he will win it if he does it.
So, are we really holding it against him? 100% we can until he wins but let's not kid ourselves.

The Giro argument is probably the strongest one Merckx has in his favor at the time probably the second biggest race? is it today though? I would like to say yes but a lot of riders that do the Tour today don't do the Giro to hurt their prep.
Where back than all riders did both, so it was a level playing field in terms of fatigue.

If Tadej wins Paris-Roubaix | Monument all-time record | Equals 5x Tour De France | 36x Tour Stage wins | adds Vuelta a España | Another World Championship | Or better gets all-time record of 6x Tours

36x stage wins at the TOUR that's 15 more stage wins that's not insignificant, will be harder than people think to break.
I fully expect Pogi to slow down slightly by 2027-2028.

Some will be hard to break but some are very achievable.

I don't think Hinault's Palmares are better than Pogačar's honestly, he has less than half the monuments & 1 less World title as it stands & less one-week stage race wins on his CV. Yep, he has more Grand Tour wins in he's favor but that's it & it could change.

I think it's very hard to say Pogačar isn't the greatest of all time given the level of competition he faced.

Merckx is ahead right now but if Pogačar achieves what people think he can hold his form relatively enough to achieve the goals that most people think he needs to do than I think it's undeniable he has to be called the "GOAT"

Merckx vs Pogačar is very nuanced because riders are more specialized today back than they did all the races.
each rider's program is strict and tailored to their speciality, Pog is beating everyone at his best specialty and others best specialized role.

I still like to call Merckx the GOAT to Pogi fanboys just to piss them off, because sometimes they get a little out of control.

Poulidor was his main rival, and early Baroncelli.

It is about individual success though. Merckx's 500+ wins will never be beaten. Just a statement of fact.

Hinault's Classics is obviously a weakness but his GT record is only bettered by the GOAT as it stands. I expect (due to Pogi dominating the classics and GT) that Pogi will overtake him and quickly, but as things stand I have it as Merckx then Hinault then Pogi as it stands.

Merckx is the GOAT. Pogi can challenge him. But it's still Eddy.

 

[Black Diamond]

Who was Merckx biggest rivals? I don't know because it was well before my time.
Was it Raymond Poulidor? Poulidor did beat Merckx twice in a row at Paris-Nice.
And seemed to be around the mark when Merckx won the Tours.

Hinault had LeMond.

Compare the Palmares of Merckx's Rivals to MVDP, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, WvA. | Roglic (early days)

I don't want to put (Seixas) in yet, but he has already come 2nd to Pog twice in 2 great one-day races & is looking like a future rival to Pog's second half of his career

Can't be just about individual success, it's also about who you beat in my opinion as well.

Pogačar has plenty of time to win the Vuelta, and everyone knows he will win it if he does it.
So, are we really holding it against him? 100% we can until he wins but let's not kid ourselves.

The Giro argument is probably the strongest one Merckx has in his favor at the time probably the second biggest race? is it today though? I would like to say yes but a lot of riders that do the Tour today don't do the Giro to hurt their prep.
Where back than all riders did both, so it was a level playing field in terms of fatigue.

If Tadej wins Paris-Roubaix | Monument all-time record | Equals 5x Tour De France | 36x Tour Stage wins | adds Vuelta a España | Another World Championship | Or better gets all-time record of 6x Tours

36x stage wins at the TOUR that's 15 more stage wins that's not insignificant, will be harder than people think to break.
I fully expect Pogi to slow down slightly by 2027-2028.

Some will be hard to break but some are very achievable.

I don't think Hinault's Palmares are better than Pogačar's honestly, he has less than half the monuments & 1 less World title as it stands & less one-week stage race wins on his CV. Yep, he has more Grand Tour wins in he's favor but that's it & it could change.

I think it's very hard to say Pogačar isn't the greatest of all time given the level of competition he faced.

Merckx is ahead right now but if Pogačar achieves what people think he can hold his form relatively enough to achieve the goals that most people think he needs to do than I think it's undeniable he has to be called the "GOAT"

Merckx vs Pogačar is very nuanced because riders are more specialized today back than they did all the races.
each rider's program is strict and tailored to their speciality, Pog is beating everyone at his best specialty and others best specialized role.

I still like to call Merckx the GOAT to Pogi fanboys just to piss them off, because sometimes they get a little out of control.

Poulidor is more known as the rival to Jacques Anquetil, although his career overlapped with Merckx as well.

Felice Gimondi, Luis Ocana, and maybe Bernard Thevenet were the better GT riders of Merckx' day. Joop Zootemelk and Lucien Van Impe too, who both spanned Merckx and Hinault.

Merckx had Roger De Vlaeminck and Rick Van Looy in the classics.

Hinault had LeMond, but also Fignon (who was extremely good before a knee injury slowed him after his second TDF win). You could probably count Delgado as a rival to Hinault as well.

We could easily end up with Pogacar holding a number of records in the biggest races - most TDFs, Ronde, Liege, Lombardia, World Champs, and heaps of others. But if he wins 6-8 TDFs, does it matter that he doesn't have a Vuelta? What value is winning the Vuelta vs heaps more Tours? Does it matter if he doesn't win Roubaix if he is otherwise a multi-record holder across the other monuments?

 

[eth-dog]

In any case, Eschborn-Frankfurt tomorrow night. Last Spring classic, Pidcock and Corbin Strong the favourites with Bling still out.