'Everybody knows Tadej is the best rider in the world' - Is a rainbow jersey inevitable for Pogačar?

Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel
Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel (Image credit: Getty Images)

What do Eddy Merckx, Fausto Coppi and Bernard Hinault all have in common? Aside from their joint status as cycling greats, they excelled not only in Grand Tours but also in the sport's most prestigious one-day race, at some point becoming World Champions and earning the right to the coveted rainbow jersey.

As the 2010s wore on, Chris Froome and other GC-focused riders began to specialise more in pursuit of the Tour, Giro and Vuelta, making it increasingly unlikely anyone in men's cycling would once again match the exploits of Merckx and co in terms of their versatility.   

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James Moultrie
News Writer

James Moultrie is a gold-standard NCTJ journalist who joined Cyclingnews as a News Writer in 2023 after originally contributing as a freelancer for eight months, during which time he also wrote for Eurosport, Rouleur and Cycling Weekly. Prior to joining the team he reported on races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne for Eurosport and has interviewed some of the sport’s top riders in Chloé Dygert, Lizzie Deignan and Wout van Aert. Outside of cycling, he spends the majority of his time watching other sports – rugby, football, cricket, and American Football to name a few.