Eddy Merckx vs Tadej Pogačar | Who’s the Real GOAT of Cycling?

Eddy Merckx vs Tadej Pogačar | Who’s the Real GOAT of Cycling?
Retiring WorldTour rider Michael Woods has sparked the biggest debate in cycling — claiming Tadej Pogačar is “vastly superior” to Eddy Merckx. But his reasons might surprise you. From evolution, competition, and data to pure class — this is the truth behind Pogačar’s modern-day dominance.

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Cycling has always lived and breathed comparison. Riders measured against legends. Champions chasing ghosts of greatness. And for decades, one ghost has loomed larger than all others. Eddie Mks, the Cannibal. But in 2025, a new conversation emerged. And this time, it wasn’t whispered. Retiring World Tour veteran Michael Woods said it out loud. Tad Pogachar is vastly superior to Eddie Mks, and not for the reasons you might expect. When Michael Woods spoke those words, cycling fans everywhere stopped scrolling. This wasn’t just another pundit exaggeration. Woods, a rider respected for both grit and intelligence, didn’t base his claim on emotion. He built it on logic, data, and perspective. He’d raced against Pogachar. He’d seen the numbers. And to him, the answer was clear. Merks raced when there were only 4 billion people on the planet. Wood said. Only four countries were good at cycling. and some of the guys he raced against were still working other jobs. It’s an astonishing reminder of how much the sport has evolved. Today, with over 8 billion people on Earth and professional cycling drawing talent from every continent, the depth of competition is staggering. Riders train with advanced data analytics. Nutrition is a science and recovery methods push human limits. To dominate now isn’t just about talent. It’s about outclassing a global generation of specialists, machines, and marginal gains. And in this world, TAD Pogatar stands alone. Woods, who’s retiring at 39 after a long career with Israel Premier Tech, doesn’t throw compliments lightly. He’s raced against Chris Froom, Garren Thomas, Remco, Evanapole, Yonas Vingard, the best of the best. Yet none, he insists come close to Pogatar’s allround brilliance. Pogatar is as good as he is with this level of depth. It’s vastly superior, Wood said again, his voice certain. Vastly superior. The numbers support his argument. Pogachar began winning big before he could legally rent a car. At just 21 years old, he captured his first tour to France. And since then, his dominance has been unrelenting. Multiple tours, monuments, world championships, and a charisma that’s won over fans and rivals alike. This season alone, he’s done what most professionals dream of accomplishing in a lifetime. Victories from February to October, wins across cobbles, mountains, and time trials. His riding style, bold, attacking, and joyful, has redefined how modern cycling looks. But what truly sets him apart, Wood says, isn’t just the palm. It’s the way he wins. Merg’s devoured races, often crushing weaker opposition in an age of limited global talent. Pogat conquers a world of equals. Every race he enters is packed with world tour level athletes armed with the same data, coaches, and cuttingedge equipment. Yet somehow, he still makes it look easy. Merks was great, Woods admits. But Pogar is competing in a far deeper ocean. To dominate like this now, it’s almost superhuman. And it’s not just about physiology. Woods highlights the mental game, the relentless pressure of modern sport. every move analyzed, every watt compared, every word dissected on social media. The scrutiny is constant. It becomes not as fun when you have less opposition, he says. So, I don’t foresee Pogatar racing into his late30s. He doesn’t need to. He could stop tomorrow, and in my mind, he’s already the greatest cyclist that’s ever lived. It’s a striking statement from a man who spent his life climbing mountains and chasing dreams. But for Woods, Pokar’s greatness isn’t about the number of wins. It’s about how he wins and against whom. He even compares Pokar’s situation to that of Peter Sean, another generational talent who eventually burned out. Sean just got bored. Wood said. You could tell it became a job. And when you’re an athlete like Pogachar or Sean, they want to keep pushing limits, testing themselves. When that stops, so does the fun. So, how long can Pogachar keep it up? Woods thinks it might come down to mental endurance more than physical. The Slovenian phenom has already achieved everything. Yet, he keeps finding motivation, not in records, but in the thrill of racing itself. That’s what makes him different. And perhaps that’s where the comparison with Merks becomes most interesting. The Belgian was ruthless, often cold, a machine built to destroy. Pogatar is warm, smiling, and infectiously human. He wins with joy, laughs in interviews, and treats rivals with respect. He’s not the cannibal, he’s the conductor, orchestrating brilliance with a grin. Woods’s comments came as he announced his retirement from World Tour racing. After a long decorated career, the Canadian plans to shift gears, but not slow down. I’ve got big plans, he said. I want to do some alternative events. Bucket list stuff like Leadville, Cape Epic, maybe an Iron Man. I just love training and racing. He even wonders aloud how he’d perform as a triathlete. “I want to answer that question,” he said, laughing. “Would I be a good triathlete?” “I guess I’ll find out.” Even in his parting words, Woods shows the kind of curiosity that defines athletes like Pogchar, the endless pursuit of the next challenge. It’s fitting that one champion praises another as he transitions into a new chapter. But Woods’s take on Pogar also reflects a wider truth about modern sport. Greatness is evolving. The athletes of today aren’t just racing against their contemporaries. They’re battling decades of progress, science, and history itself. And when someone like Pogachar rises above all that, the word superior begins to take on a new meaning. Pogatar’s reign has blurred the line between generations. He’s not just winning tours and monuments. He’s uniting fans who grew up idolizing Merks, Indrain, Armstrong, and Froom. To many, he feels like the culmination of everything cycling has ever been. Power, flare, intelligence, and heart. Even Merks himself has acknowledged the Slovenian’s brilliance, once saying, “He rides like I used to.” But perhaps the more accurate statement now is, “He rides beyond what any of us imagined.” And while cycling historians will forever debate goat status, the difference in eras cannot be ignored. When Merks raced, training data was written in notebooks. Nutrition meant pasta and steak, and recovery meant sleep. Today, riders operate like Formula 1 machines, guided by real-time telemetry, aerodynamics, and analytics. Dominating that environment takes a level of precision, adaptability, and mental strength that simply didn’t exist 50 years ago. That’s what Woods means by vastly superior. It’s not a disrespect to Mercs. It’s a recognition of evolution. To rule in the modern Pelaton is to master a world that’s faster, smarter, and exponentially harder. And Pogachar, he’s done that with grace. From gravel to grand tours, he’s conquered every terrain. From the UAE heat to the cobbles of Flanders, he’s shown no weakness. His style transcends specialization. He’s not a climber or sprinter or time trialist. He’s everything at once. And that more than anything is why Woods’s words resonate. By the end of 2025, Pogachar had not only lifted UAE team Emirates to unprecedented success, but also elevated cycling itself. His dominance is both statistical and spiritual. The rare kind that makes fans fall in love with the sport again. And for Michael Woods, that’s what greatness really means. He doesn’t just win. He said he reminds us why we race. Maybe that’s the secret behind this comparison. MKs conquered cycling. Pogacha connects it. One devoured the sport. The other uplifts it. So when Wood says vastly superior, it’s not about numbers. It’s about meaning. It’s about what kind of legend we need in today’s world. One who wins with power but leads with joy. As Pogachar rides into another season, the shadow of Merks no longer looms. It rides beside him, smiling as the torch passes quietly from one era to the next.