‘He “found” it at 28’: LeMond draws clear line between Armstrong’s and Pogacar’s talent

Tadej Pogačar’s fifth Tour de France victory placed him alongside the greatest champions in the history of the race. It also made one question impossible to avoid.

How far can he go?

The Slovenian is now level with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin, the four other riders who officially won the Tour five times. A sixth victory would take Pogačar beyond them all and establish a new record.

Merckx has already suggested that the shared record will fall, a view Hinault echoed shortly afterwards. Both legends also believe Pogačar is capable of becoming the first rider to win all three Grand Tours in the same season.

Greg LeMond was the next Tour legend to offer his verdict.

The American, who won the Tour in 1986, 1989 and 1990, was present in Paris as Pogačar celebrated his fifth victory. Speaking to French newspaper L’Équipe after the podium ceremony, LeMond predicted that the Slovenian could remain at the top of the sport for several more years.

“He is going to win at least seven Tours,” LeMond said.

That number immediately brought Lance Armstrong into the conversation.

Armstrong finished first in seven consecutive Tours between 1999 and 2005. All seven results were later removed from the record books because of doping, leaving those editions without an official winner.

The American nevertheless continues to regard seven as the true benchmark.

During the Tour, Armstrong argued that Pogačar would not consider five victories to be the real record.

“He is going to win this Tour, his fifth,” Armstrong said on THEMOVE podcast. “After the finish, we are all going to hear that Tadej Pogačar has equalled the all time record for Tour victories and joined that exclusive club of five. Well, guess what? He does not believe that at all.”

According to Armstrong, Pogačar knows exactly which number he must reach.

“He knows what the real record is. Do not expect him to take a year off after this. Tadej Pogačar knows exactly what the record is, so he is not going to stay at home. I really hope he goes for it.”

Pogačar refused to be drawn into the debate when Armstrong’s comments were put to him during the race.

“I do not know. I cannot say anything about that,” he said at one of the press conferences. “I am not chasing records. I just want to finish this Tour in Paris with the yellow jersey. That is my main goal.”

He achieved that objective, but his fifth victory only intensified the discussion Armstrong had started.

LeMond, however, wanted no part of it.

When L’Équipe mentioned Armstrong and the number of seven wins, LeMond rejected the comparison immediately.

“That has nothing to do with it,” he said. “Lance didn’t have his talent. He ‘found’ it at 28.”

For LeMond, the difference lies in natural ability. Pogačar showed exceptional talent from the beginning of his career, while Armstrong only emerged as a dominant Tour rider later, during a period now inseparable from the systematic doping programme that led to all seven of his Tour titles being stripped.

“Everyone talks about watts, but some people are naturally born with a high VO2 max,” LeMond said. "That has nothing to do with a guy who has a low VO2 max and wins seven Tours de France.”

He believes Pogačar possesses a rare physical advantage that separates him even from other elite riders.

“There is no doubt that Pogačar has exceptional talent. Every now and then, among millions of people, there is one who has three or four per cent more. It is not much, but it changes everything in the Tour.”

LeMond even placed Pogačar above Eddy Merckx.

“I now think Tadej is slightly above him. When you reach the level Tadej has reached, it is very difficult for the others to compete.”