What is left for Pogacar to complete cycling?
Video credit: TNT Sports
Tadej Pogacar’s spectacular victory at Milano-Samremo has moved him to the cusp of “completing” cycling, according to TNT Sports’ expert Adam Blythe.Blythe was speaking after Pogacar recovered from a nasty crash to beat Tom Pidcock to the line by half a wheel and win a maiden Milano-Samremo.
”He is an animal,” was Blythe’s instant post-race reaction on The Breakaway. ”We have seen Pogacar at his best at so many different races, but today it was a different level. Different gravy.
”Opening that race up the way he did after the crash. Phenomenal. He is the GOAT. No doubt about it.”
The win was the 110th of Pogacar’s career, adding further gloss to a palmares that includes four Tour de France titles, one Giro d’Italia, five Il Lombardia, four Strade Bianche, three Liege-Bastogne-Liege, three Ronde van Vlaanderen, two World Championships Road Race titles – and now Milano-Sanremo.
It is a palmares without modern precedent, and left Blythe pondering what was left for the 27-year-old to achieve.
Highlights: Pogacar burnishes GOAT candidacy with stunning Milano-Sanremo win
Video credit: TNT Sports
”He has one more Monument to win and he has completed cycling,” Blythe continued. ”He has Roubaix to win and then the Vuelta.”
Can Pogacar complete the Monument clean sweep by winning Paris-Roubaix?
Blythe certainly thinks so.
”The Vuelta he could probably do in his sleep,” added Blythe. ”Roubaix might be a more difficult one, but after that the lad has completed cycling.”
Pogacar debuted at Paris-Roubaix last year, finishing second to defending champion Mathieu van der Poel.
The omens are good. Prior to winning in Samremo, Pogacar finished third to Van der Poel last year, and he set his sights on this year’s Hell of the North shortly after his win on Saturday.
“We also put a lot of effort this winter for Roubaix,” said Pogacar after Milano-Sanremo, per France24.
”But yeah, I’m just so happy now in San Remo that whatever comes next is fine and I will not beat my head or anything.”
“Of course the shape is good and I will go to Flanders and Roubaix with a strong team. We’ll go for the win in both races, we will try and it’s not only me in the team that has a chance to win, so yeah, we’ll see.”
Aside from edging closer to completing cycling, where would winning Paris-Roubaix leave Pogacar?
His legacy is already assured, says Blythe.
”We throw the term around but he is the greatest of all time without a shadow of a doubt,” said Blythe.
”There is no rider who was like him, there is no rider we can compare to him. He is just untouchable.”
You can watch all the action from Milano-Sanremo live on TNT Sports and discovery+.