Last December, Tadej Pogačar unveiled his bold plans for 2024. He said he would aim not only for the elusive GiroTour double, but also the rare triple crown - adding victory in the road race World Championship.
Yet, in his characteristically laidback manner, seemingly unfazed by the weight of expectation on his shoulders, the then 25-year-old seemed not to be taking anything for granted: "[The season] could be super good, really good, or not so good - I won't say bad, but mediocre." What transpired went beyond "super good" - it was one of the most spectacular displays of dominance we've ever witnessed in pro cycling. It has left fans and pundits asking the inevitable question: is Pogačar the greatest male cyclist of all time - is he the GOAT?
The exceptional nature of his season cannot be overstated. The UAE Team Emirates rider won six stages and the GC at both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France - only the eighth male to win both races in the same season. He claimed his first rainbow jersey, won two Monuments, and only failed to win twice in 11 races. Wherever he turned up, from the white roads of Tuscany to an autumnal Canada, he was imperious, winning by huge margins and taking enormous chunks off previous best times on mythical climbs. Even a roaring headwind couldn't slow him down on the Col du Galibier.
Pogačar's performances have supercharged the debate within cycling over whether or not he is the GOAT. Until now the consensus has been that this unofficial honour is held by Eddy Merckx, who won five Tours and Giros and claimed 525 road and track wins in total. The Belgian inherited the GOAT tag from Italian champion Fausto Coppi, but is Pogačar, who turned 26 in September, closing in on the Belgian legend? Are we witnessing the best bike rider the world has ever seen?
School of attack
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Esta historia es de la edición December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue) de Cycling Weekly.
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