Tadej Pogacar has set himself an ambitious objective: to conquer all five Monuments of cycling. This aspiration surpasses, in his eyes, the pursuit of completing the three Grand Tours — the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España — a challenge to which his rival in stage races, Jonas Vingegaard, has devoted his efforts this year. Unlike Vingegaard, the Slovenian champion currently directs his focus toward the one-day classics, favoring these prestigious races over the arduous multi-week tours.
The Duel Between Pogacar and Van der Poel
In this realm of one-day events, an entirely different adversary emerges: the Dutch powerhouse Mathieu van der Poel. Last season, van der Poel thwarted Pogacar’s ambitions by denying him victories in the only two Monuments he had yet to claim — the Milano-San Remo and the Paris-Roubaix. These triumphs eluded Pogacar due to van der Poel’s formidable performances, underscoring the fierce rivalry between these two talents in the classics.
As the current season unfolds, Pogacar’s determination to achieve this unique feat remains undiminished. While the prospect of contesting the Vuelta a España to complete the Grand Tour trifecta lingers on the horizon, the Slovenian’s immediate enthusiasm lies predominantly with the classics, where he believes his strengths can shine brightest.