Fausto Coppi, Eddy merckx, Bernard Hinault and… Tadej pogacar. This is the list of champions who have conquered the Tour de France and the Tour of Lombardy in the same season. Three legendary cycling myths and another that is on its way to being so. At 23 years old, Pogacar it has the future wide open, but, even before knowing where its ceiling is, it already stands up to comparison with the greatest of all time. The Slovenian has closed a prodigious campaign in the Italian classic, with a total of 13 victories, including his second Tour and two Monuments: Lombardy and the Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Pogacar thus ends tied for wins with Wout van Aert and Primoz Roglic, two other great protagonists of the course, but with more successful successes.
In addition to the quantity and quality of his victories, which already define his grandeur, Pogacar has impressed with his ability to win throughout the season. The Slovenian debuted the locker in February at the UAE Tour, the round that opened the calendar World tour, and he finished it in October in Lombardy, the classic that puts the closure. Pogacar has conquered prestigious races in winter, spring, summer and fall. He is a four season cyclist. Only comparable in the current squad to his compatriot Roglic, which has also showered victories every season of the season. There will always be the question of what would have happened if Primoz does not fall in the Tour de France, although a defeat of Tadej it’s hard to imagine. One of the great changes that cycling has undergone in recent years is precisely that: the commitment of the teams and of the great leaders in all the races where they participate. The times of training with a bib are long gone. Pogacar or Roglic fight it all. As before they did Coppi, Merckx, Hinault…