And after his epic showcase of power at Sanremo, it’s become quite hard to still question whether Pogacar can be defeated. “What I saw yesterday, honestly, I’d never seen before. The ease with which he did it was impressive. To see a rider crash at a crucial moment and be able to recover like he did on the Cipressa is incredible. I think it reflects the kind of rider he is.”
The greatest of history.
So, for Verona, it’s quite a pleasure even to get to race alongside a man he deems to become a legend once he hangs up his bicycle. “For me, he’s probably the best in history. We have to enjoy him while he’s around. Sometimes he reduces the uncertainty at the start, but he also helps cycling grow.”
Many believed that, in order to collect all five Monument victories, Milano-Sanremo crown would prove the hardest to obtain for the world champion. But there’s no longer need for doubts. Now it feels almost like a formality that the best climber in the world should eventually steal the pride of cobble experts – the Paris-Roubaix.
“I do believe he will win all five Monuments before retiring. He has the ability to do it all. His motivation will be to keep achieving milestones, and as long as he has goals like that, I think he still has a long way to go,” Verona concluded, looking ahead to seasons to come. Pogacar could then become the first non-Belgian rider to collect all five Monuments.