Relentless Pursuit: Pogacar's Ambitious Bid for Monumental Victories
Relentless Pogacar Devours Five Monuments Cycling Majors
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Tadej Pogacar, the cycling phenomenon from Slovenia, has set his sights on a historic achievement. With just Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix missing from his collection, he's ready to conquer the five most prestigious cycling classics.
The scars from his harrowing crash at Strade Bianche might still be visible, but Pogacar's ambition has triumphed. As he embarks on his classic season at the 116th Milan-Sanremo, he's intent on lighting up the race and making a significant improvement towards his ultimate goal.
Pogacar has already attempted Milan-Sanremo four times, but victory has eluded him each time. "Milan-Sanremo will be the death of me... I'm so close, but it's so far away, it's incredible," he's lamented in the past. But Pogacar relishes challenges. Last year, he took on the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España, acing them all. This year, it's the chase for the five monuments. Already, he's ticked off the Flandern-Rundfahrt, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Lombardei-Rundfahrt from his list, leaving just Milan-Sanremo and the cobblestone ordeal Paris-Roubaix.
A select group of legends
Eddy Merckx, Rik van Looy, and Roger De Vlaeminck are the only cyclists to have achieved victories in all five major classics. Their feat was accomplished over half a century ago. "I like the idea of being a classic rider who also wins big tours," Pogacar told "L'Equipe". "I love the classics, they're pure adrenaline. A one-day shock that has nothing to do with the suffering over three weeks."
Could Pogacar possibly win all five monuments within a year? Given his track record, it's not impossible. He will decide on a Paris-Roubaix start after the Milan-Sanremo kick-off, although his team believes the North's hellish terrain might be too much to handle. "A heavy crash could endanger the Tour de France and maybe even the whole season," warned team manager Mauro Gianetti, aware that Pogacar has already trained in the infamous Arenberg forest.
A near-death experience at Strade Bianche
The dangers of Pogacar's ambitious plan were made painfully clear in Strade Bianche about two weeks ago, when a moment of carelessness sent him crashing into a roadside ditch. Remarkably, he walked away with only bruises and scrapes and even managed to win the race.
Despite his past struggles in Milan-Sanremo, Pogacar's form heading into the race is encouraging. His problem, however, has been that the race hasn't been challenging enough in the past, inspite of its almost 300km length. Attacks on the Cipressa and Poggio climbs have failed to shake off rivals like Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen, who triumphed on the Via Roma in previous editions.
To achieve success, Pogacar will depend on his team to set a punishing pace in the crucial phase, helping him shake off competitors with an attack. He's backed by a strong Classics squad, including Nils Politt from Cologne.
Van der Poel, the cyclo-cross world champion, is well aware of Pogacar's abilities. "He's crazy strong," he admits. "But I'm not afraid of him. It gives me a lot of motivation to beat him." Van der Poel has managed to do so on several occasions, including his 2023 World Championship victory in Glasgow.
[1] ntv.de, Stefan Tabeling, dpa - "Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar confirms participation in Paris-Roubaix in 2025"[2] AFP - "Tadej Pogacar targeting Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix wins in 2025"[3] Cyclingnews - "Tadej Pogacar aims for Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix in 2025"
- Tadej Pogacar is not deterred by the challenge of reclaimed ambitions, as he embarks on a bid to win the remaining two monumental cycling classics, Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, with a goal to claim all five prestigious cycling classics.
- Despite Mathieu van der Poel's past victories in Milan-Sanremo and his confidence to beat Pogacar, the Slovenian cyclist is backed by a strong Classics squad, including Nils Politt from Cologne, in his pursuit of a significant improvement at the 116th Milan-Sanremo.
- Pogacar's relentless pursuit of monumental victories has already seen him triumph in the Flandern-Rundfahrt, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Lombardei-Rundfahrt, leaving only Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix on his list to conquer, joining an exclusive group of legendary cyclists who have achieved victories in all five major classics.
