“Madness!” Cycling Legend Roger De Vlaeminck Faces Backlash After Attacking Pogacar and Van der Poel

🚴 Cycling icon Roger De Vlaeminck has ignited a firestorm of controversy, particularly among Italian cycling fans, following a highly critical and sustained verbal assault on the sport’s biggest contemporary stars: Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, and Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian legend’s harsh comments from last week have led to strong criticism being leveled back at him.

🇸🇮 Pogačar Not Even Close to Merckx, Says De Vlaeminck

De Vlaeminck saved his most pointed attack for Tadej Pogačar, outright dismissing any comparisons between the Slovenian star and Eddy Merckx.

“Pogačar as good as Merckx? Madness! Pogačar doesn’t even come close to Merckx!” he stated, adding that journalists who make the comparison “don’t know a thing.”

He further belittled Pogačar’s recent dominance, claiming the climbs are not challenging enough. De Vlaeminck boasted that if he were 22 today, Pogačar wouldn’t be able to drop him, citing Pogačar’s recent winning move against Evenepoel at Lombardy, saying it occurred “on not even a difficult climb.”

🇳🇱 Van der Poel: A Great Rider with No Skills?

De Vlaeminck didn’t stop there, turning his attention to the versatile Dutch champion, Mathieu van der Poel. While conceding that Van der Poel is a “great rider” whom he likes, the Belgian quickly listed all the perceived shortcomings in his repertoire:

“But he can’t time trial, he can’t climb, he can’t sprint — there’s not much left, eh,” he remarked, casting doubt on Van der Poel’s overall abilities despite his major victories.

🇧🇪 Evenepoel: “Arrogant” and Unnecessary Gestures

Finally, the Belgian legend criticized his young compatriot, Remco Evenepoel. While acknowledging him as a “good rider” and a “superb time trialist,” De Vlaeminck took issue with the World Champion’s demeanor and celebratory style.

“He’s not my type. I sometimes find him a bit arrogant,” De Vlaeminck said. He specifically criticized Evenepoel’s celebratory gestures, questioning the necessity of lifting his bike in the air after crossing the line. “Just ride over the line and win, eh. Back in my day I’d give a little wave,” he concluded, making a clear comparison to what he views as better conduct from his own era.

The sheer volume and directness of De Vlaeminck’s critiques have triggered a swift and furious response, particularly from the passionate Italian cycling community, suggesting the veteran’s controversial comments may continue to dominate cycling headlines.