Tadej Pogacar finished what many consider to be the greatest cycling season of all time last Saturday. The Slovenian sensation added another triumph to his already outstanding year, winning Il Lombardia by a startling three minutes, marking his fourth consecutive victory in the race and capping off his incredible 2024 campaign. His resume now includes victories in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Strade Bianche, the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, and the World Championships, completing what cycling enthusiasts refer to as the “triple crown” of Grand Tours, as well as a variety of classics and monuments.
However, one statistic this year highlights a close competitor, at least in one day races, to Pogacar’s dominance: Mathieu van der Poel. The two riders are tied with two monument wins each in 2024, further cementing their places as the finest one-day racers of their generation. In fact, of the five monuments, Pogacar and van der Poel claimed four between them, with only Jasper Philipsen’s Milan-San Remo victory in March able to break their grip on cycling’s most prestigious one-day races.
With this rivalry building, the question naturally arises: who is the greater monuments rider of this current era? Both riders have achieved incredible success in cycling’s biggest races, but their different strengths, styles, and approaches make this debate all the more intriguing.
Mathieu van der Poel, born into cycling royalty as the grandson of Raymond Poulidor, has long been known as a classics specialist. The Dutchman possesses the power and explosiveness that make him a dominant force in races such as the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, where strength on the cobbles is paramount. His 2024 season was one for the ages, with victories in both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, won on consecutive weekends in the spring. In doing so, van der Poel became only the second rider in modern history to win these two cobbled monuments in the same year, and he did it all wearing the rainbow jersey.
Van der Poel’s six monument victories include Milan-San Remo (2023), Paris-Roubaix (2023, 2024), and the Tour of Flanders (2020, 2022, 2024). While van der Poel is known for his domination of the cobbled classics, he has also proven himself on other terrain. His 2023 World Championships victory in Glasgow was one of his crowning achievements, where he managed to fend off strong competition, including his long-time rival Wout van Aert and a determined Tadej Pogacar, who was bouncing back from a difficult Tour de France.
Van der Poel’s record in one-day races is staggering, with 16 classics victories since 2019, but it is his versatility that often gets overlooked. Despite being regarded primarily as a cobbled classics specialist, van der Poel has the rare ability to perform on a wide variety of terrains. His aggressive racing style makes him a consistent threat in nearly every race he enters, from short explosive finishes to longer endurance-based classics.
The Goat?
If Mathieu van der Poel is the undisputed cobbled classics king, well then Tadej Pogacar is an “everything” specialist. The Slovenian’s palmarès includes Grand Tours, a World Championship, and a growing list of one-day victories. In just a few short years, Pogacar has rewritten the expectations for a rider’s versatility and ability to succeed across all cycling disciplines.
Pogacar has won seven monuments, including Il Lombardia four times (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice (2021, 2024). His most notable victory came in 2023 when he triumphed at the Tour of Flanders, a race traditionally dominated by riders with van der Poel’s profile. It was an extraordinary feat, considering that Pogacar is not considered a natural cobbled classics rider. In that race, he launched a devastating attack on the famous Oude Kwaremont climb, leaving van der Poel and the rest of the field trailing in his wake.
What sets Pogacar apart is his climbing ability. His victories at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia showcase his unparalleled strength on hilly terrains, where he can use his lightweight frame and endurance to dominate. Van der Poel has yet to claim a victory in these hilly monuments, which gives Pogacar a significant edge in the versatility department.
However, Pogacar is not without his weaknesses. Yes, ok, that’s difficult to believe at the moment. But, the one monument that eludes him is Milan-San Remo, which van der Poel claimed in 2023. Pogacar has openly stated that Milan-San Remo is his primary target for 2025, and should he win that, the debate over who is the best classics rider may no longer be in question. As things stand, van der Poel’s versatility on the cobbles versus Pogacar’s dominance in the mountains and hills creates an enthralling rivalry.
Both Pogacar and van der Poel have showcased their brilliance across the cycling calendar, but their paths to success differ. Van der Poel’s victories often come through brute strength and explosive power, traits that make him almost unstoppable on the cobbled classics. His powerful surges and relentless attacks are often too much for his rivals, even Pogacar, to handle.
On the other hand, Pogacar’s strength lies in his tactical intelligence and climbing prowess. His ability to stay calm under pressure, then launch devastating attacks on the steepest sections of the toughest climbs, has earned him many victories in the world’s hardest races. His Tour of Flanders win in 2023 was a testament to his all-round ability, but his domination at Il Lombardia and Liège-Bastogne-Liège highlights his speciality in the hilly classics.
One area where the two riders are similar is their aggressive racing style. Neither Pogacar nor van der Poel are content to sit back and wait for the race to unfold. Both riders prefer to dictate the pace and launch their own attacks, a tactic that has made them fan favourites for their audacity and willingness to race.
Who Can Challenge Them?
As cycling looks toward the future, it seems likely that Pogacar and van der Poel will continue to dominate, but there are other riders on the horizon who could challenge them in the monuments and classics.
