{"id":513364,"date":"2026-04-05T00:11:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T00:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/513364\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T00:11:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T00:11:12","slug":"we-are-watching-the-best-rider-in-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/513364\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWe are watching the best rider in history\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nSpeaking to Mundo Deportivo<\/a>, Contador did not hesitate when asked to assess Pogacar\u2019s standing. \u201cI think we are watching the best rider in history. He limits the chances of other teams whenever he starts a race.\u201d\u201cHe may already be superior\u201dContador\u2019s assessment goes beyond simple praise. In comparing Pogacar to Eddy Merckx<\/a>, the benchmark for dominance in cycling, he suggested that the Slovenian\u2019s control over his rivals may already exceed that of the sport\u2019s most decorated figure.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will find it almost impossible to match his number of victories, especially because it is a different sport now. But in terms of dominance over his rivals, I think he may already be superior.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is a distinction that reflects the modern landscape of the sport. While Merckx\u2019s tally of victories remains unmatched, Pogacar\u2019s ability to dictate races across different terrains and formats has created a different kind of authority, one that shapes how races unfold from the moment he lines up.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe limits the chances of other teams\u201d<\/p>\n

That control, Contador explained, is visible not just in results but in how rivals are forced to approach races. \u201cI enjoy the rivalry with Van der Poel and the overall dominance of Pogacar. I think we are watching the best rider in history. He limits the chances of other teams whenever he starts a race.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even in races where Pogacar is not alone at the front, his presence alters the dynamic. Teams are often left reacting rather than shaping the outcome themselves, a pattern that has become increasingly familiar across both one-day races and stage racing.<\/p>\n

\"Alberto<\/p>\n

Alberto Contador, owner of Team Polti VisitMalta, weighed in on Tadej Pogacar’s dominance<\/p>\n

A dominance that divides opinion<\/p>\n

Contador acknowledged that such a level of control can split opinion among fans, but he does not see it as a negative for the sport overall. \u201cWe can see that Pogacar is operating at a much, much higher level. I don\u2019t know if that is good for the spectacle and for cycling. For teams, it will not be good, but for the new riders coming through, it is positive that they get to know a mega idol, a rider who will push beyond the limits of cycling and become one of the greatest athletes in history, not just in cycling but in sport overall.\u201d<\/p>\n

There remains, however, an element of risk in the way Pogacar races, particularly when he commits to long-range attacks. \u201cSome people get bored, and others enjoy it. I think that if he rides away 80 or 100 kilometres from the finish, unexpected things can still happen; he can have a bad moment, that is a risk he takes. What he does is not easy. At the World Championships, he went clear 100 kilometres from the finish, but they kept him within a few minutes all day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contador\u2019s verdict ultimately captures the balance of the current moment. Pogacar\u2019s dominance may not mirror past eras in terms of sheer numbers, but in how he controls and reshapes races, it is already forcing comparisons that place him alongside, and in some respects beyond, the sport\u2019s most iconic figure.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Contador did not hesitate when asked to assess Pogacar\u2019s standing. \u201cI think we…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513365,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[116280,4985,117467,101,8782,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-513364","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-alberto-contador","9":"tag-cycling","10":"tag-eddy-merckx","11":"tag-sports","12":"tag-tadej-pogacar","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513364\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}