SLOVENIA is a small country in Central Europe. Only 2.1 million people. But two of the world’s biggest sports stars wear the Slovenian flag.
One is Luka Dončić. Together with LeBron and AR, he just might lead the Lakers to another trophy.
The other? He doesn’t dribble or dunk. He pedals. His name is Tadej Pogačar.
Only 27, the man from Klanec is already being compared to the greatest cyclist of all time: Eddy Merckx. That’s no exaggeration.
The other Sunday, in a race steeped in drama and cobbled chaos, Tadej won the Tour of Flanders — one of the five Monuments of cycling. On the final climb in Oude Kwaremont, he left behind Mathieu van der Poel. Just two weeks earlier, MVDP had outsprinted him. Not this time.
Then there’s last night’s Paris-Roubaix — arguably the year’s toughest race. A grueling 259-km. test of grit, it features 55 kms. of cobblestones spread across 30 sectors.
FAVORITE SPORT. Cycling has always been one of my greatest passions. Ever since I was a kid in Bacolod, my brother Charlie and I rode almost daily. I love pedaling that bike and I follow the cycling pro tour closely.
My idol then was Lance Armstrong. I remember following all 21 stages of the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005. Lance was our hero. A cancer survivor who won seven straight. But we all know how that story ended. The doping. The downfall. Still, that era was a cycling “high.”
Then came Chris Froome. I remember Froome’s insane sprint — on foot — up Mont Ventoux in 2016. And that daring solo from Stage 19 of the 2018 Giro d’Italia on the gravel road of Colle delle Finestre. I watched it live.
Now enters Pogačar.
Architect Mike Flores, founder of Velo Expo and a die-hard Cebuano cyclist, calls Tadej “wired differently.”
“He looks calm off the bike,” Mike says, “but once he clips in, he destroys the field. Climbs, time trials, cobbles — he excels at all.”
“He doesn’t just race grand tours. He dominates one-day classics too. He even tells the media when and where he plans to attack — and then actually pulls it off. That kind of belief? That’s rare.”
MVDP has been the favorite of one-day races. But now comes Pogacar, racing where MVDP is favored — and winning.
“Don’t just take it from me,” Mike adds. “Even Lance said it: Tadej might be the best ever.”
Dr. Jose Vicente “JV” Araneta, a Freeman columnist and one of Cebu’s most passionate cycling minds, had this prediction before last night’s Paris-Roubaix:
“I’d pick MVDP over Tadej. Flat course. Better sprint. Stronger team. MVDP is 6’2, 77kg. Tadej is 5’9, 66kg. Bigger riders handle cobbles better.”
“But cycling’s unpredictable. Crashes. Mechanical issues. Bonks. In 2016, Matthew Hayman won it — his only pro victory in a 16-year career! My podium pick? Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen.”
Maybe JV was right. Maybe not. But that’s what makes cycling so beautiful — and brutal.
The Giro d’Italia. The Tour de France. The Vuelta a España. The big three are still to come. And with Pogacar, MVDP, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel — this generation might be the most exciting in history.