Is Pogacar the best cycling season ever?

How did Pogacar’s 2024 season go?

One of the 26-year-old Slovenian’s great dreams came true last Sunday when he “conquered” planet Earth in Zurich, declaring himself World champion for the first time in his career.

This is an important milestone for him, especially considering “how” he did it: showing champion individuality, surprising the main favorites with a brutal attack on Finish line 100 km.and exit the race by knockout after overtaking the fugitives rolling ahead to finish last The 51.7 km solo is the third-longest distance and first-place finish in World Championships history.behind the Belgian Georges Rons (70 km) in 1928.and from Italian Vittorio Adorni (90 km) in 1968-.

Tadej Pogačar dressed like this with famous – and equally desirable – “rainbow sweater”after he had already done this, and finally in the same season, with two more, with yellow Tour -after a controversial fight in the general classification with Jonas Vingegaard, who ultimately took authority from the Slovenian-and in pink, in the “hero costume” of the Giro d’Italia. -which he wore almost from the first day of the competition.

A Triple Crown that is hard to forget for both him and all cycling fans who saw the Slovenian ascend to the Olympus of the best cyclists in history. Pogačar repeated the record “Tour+Giro+World”something only two men had achieved before him in this sport. A Eddy Merckx in 1974and another “old friend”, Stephen Roche, 1987 Now, in 2024, 37 years later, another “chosen one” has emerged.

A rider who, in addition to achieving the above-mentioned achievements, also carries under his arm this dream season one of five cycling monuments: Liege-Bastogne-Liègeand it ended third place in Milan-San Remo. Pogacar did not participate in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but, as expected, will take part in Lombardywhere he has already won the last three draws in a row, and let’s see who dares to put him as the favorite to win the poker game of four wins in a row.

Of the four major cycling competitions the Slovenian has competed in so far, he has won four out of a possible nine. And Lombardy remains the final event.

Some numbers, some deeds, some milestones that fueled the debate about who is the best-performing cyclist during the season, and after this resumption only monsters like Eddy Merckx and Roche himself could compete for that recognition.

Opponents: Merckx at 72 and 74 minutes and Roche at 87.

cannibal had stunning regularity, and the Belgian spent two of these outstanding seasons in 1972 and 1974. In the 72nd minute, Merckx had not won the Triple Crown – the Tour, yes, and also the Giro, but not the World Cup (he came fourth) – but he had taken three of the five great monuments. (Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Milan-San Remo and Lombardy) and finished seventh from the remaining two to “compensate” for the World Championship “disaster”.

In the 74th minute He did take victory, the first time in cycling history that anyone had achieved this milestone, but he was unable to add any other great event to his record, despite coming very close to winning the race. Paris – Roubaix (4th place), Tour of Flanders (3rd place) and Lombardy (2nd place).

Against, Stephen Roche in 1987 He matched the heroism of the Triple Crown, but he also didn’t win any of the other great races.

Considering this data, there is a long debate about whether Pogacar’s 2024 season should be considered the best in history, and everything may depend and tip the scales in his favor, with the next date of the season marked in red on the calendar: Lombardy.