Merckx on a Pogacar Grand Tour sweep: 'If anyone can win Giro, Tour and Vuelta, it's him'

With the 2026 Tour de France drawing to its shortened, high-tension close in Paris, the debate surrounding Tadej Pogačar’s absolute supremacy has reached a fever pitch. While the Slovenian champion continues to shatter climbing records and capture viral attention, five-time Tour winner Eddy Merckx is looking at the bigger picture.

Reflecting on Pogačar's stranglehold on the sport, the Belgian great offered a frank assessment of the current era, noting that the triple-threat ambitions of capturing the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España in a single season are well within his reach.

"Not even a little bit [crazy], and if anyone can do it, it's him," Merckx noted regarding the Grand Slam triple crown in an interview with Gazzetta dello sport. 

"I think if the right conditions are met, he can do it. The Giro is in May, then you have two months to prepare for the Tour and almost another two to be ready for Spain. If there are no health issues, you can maintain your condition throughout. You definitely need to be supported by a very strong team, with a broad roster of riders, who know how to control the races well to avoid unnecessary fatigue on seemingly easy stages."

Pogačar’s march to yellow has once again left the rest of the peloton fighting for the minor steps of the podium. When asked whether the Slovenian is simply too strong or if the opposition lacks bite, Merckx pointed to a combination of misfortune for traditional rivals and Pogačar's relentless progression.

"Perhaps he didn't have any worthy opponents this year, except for Vingegaard, who was also unlucky," Merckx observed. "But he dropped back on the first uphill stage and didn't seem capable of keeping up with Pogačar's."

Despite the lack of a sustained GC battle, fans longing for closer duels have occasionally turned their frustrations toward the dominant force, even resulting in jeers from sections of the roadside crowds.

"People want to see the show, they get passionate about the duels, but when he decides to attack, he dominates and has no rivals, so there's a bit of drama missing," Merckx explained. "It happened to me too when I challenged Anquetil and Poulidor, the home favorites, and this year the French have Seixas at the top: maybe they expected him to be closer to Pogačar."

Addressing teenage sensation Seixas as a potential future challenger, the advice remained cautious: "He's young, let's let him develop without too much pressure. He's certainly talented, but let's not forget that Pogačar is not yet 28 and every season he seems to be getting more complete and stronger. Reaching his level at the moment seems almost impossible to me."

With Remco Evenepoel safely locked into second place overall, cementing his status as the runner-up behind the UAE Team Emirates-XRG juggernaut, the tactical hierarchy of modern stage racing remains distinct.

"He's moving well, let's say he's the first of the 'normal' riders now," Merckx said of the Belgian time-trial master. "Remco is the best time trialist in the world, there's no doubt about that, but I'm not sure he'll be able to keep up with the best Pogačar on the climbs one day."