LANCE ARMSTRONG ON TADEJ POGACAR: “HE IS ONE OF THE 3 BEST CYCLISTS OF ALL TIME BUT GREEDY”

Lance Armstrong Criticizes and Praises Tadej Pogacar

Lance Armstrong has joined the critics of Tadej Pogacar, accusing him of being “greedy” despite recognizing his exceptional talent. However, Armstrong has now acknowledged Pogacar’s remarkable achievements and cemented his place in cycling history.

“He’s a generational talent, and we can say he’s one of the top 3 cyclists of all time,” Armstrong said. He was thoroughly impressed with the time trial that closed the race in Nice on Sunday, stating on his podcast *The Move* that Pogacar’s performance was extraordinary.

“I like to call time-trials the race of truth, and Tadej Pogacar has represented the yellow jersey, it seems with one leg, winning by one minute and taking a lot of risks, like everyone else. The other fact of this time trial is that the top 3 of the podium ended up occupying the first 3 positions in the TT. That speaks for how tough it was.”

Historic Tour de France

Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong’s former sports director at US Postal and current commentator on his podcast, highlighted the historic nature of the 2024 Tour de France:

“All the records have been broken, on all the climbs, and not just by the first one, sometimes by the first 3, sometimes even by the 7 or 8. I think it’s a dynamic that’s going to continue; everyone is getting better.”

UAE Team Emirates’ Dominance

Bruyneel also emphasized the strength of UAE Team Emirates, praising riders like Joao Almeida and Adam Yates:

“Pogacar has riders who have been podiums in grand tours like Almeida and Yates supporting him. First, fourth, and sixth is a great result. In all the mountain stages, especially the last 3, they were very dominant compared to his big rivals, Visma. He had the best team and was the best rider. What can you do against that? Winning the Tour with more than 6 minutes over the second place, and he could have had 7 or 8 ahead if he had pushed harder at times.”

Armstrong’s Critique of Pogacar’s Ambition

Armstrong added a critique, calling Pogacar “greedy” despite his immense talent and top-three all-time ranking. Armstrong noted that while Pogacar’s ambition is clear, it sometimes leads to him being seen as too aggressive in his pursuit of victories.