Bernard Hinault has praised Tadej Pogčar for deciding to ride Paris-Roubaix, believing he can win the Hell of the North, just as the Frenchman did back in 1981.
“I raced Paris-Roubaix at the time because I was wearing the rainbow jersey and wanted to honour it. Who is the world champion now?” Hinault asked in an interview with French newspaper La Parisien.
"If he gets it into his head that he can win Roubaix, then he will."
Hinault was one of the last 'complete' riders in men's cycling to have won Grand Tours and the Monument Classics. He won the Tour de France five times, the Giro d'Italia three times and won Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia.
"Pogačar is the closest to riders like me and Eddy Merckx were,” Hinault told La Parisien.
"He attacks, uphill and on the flat. He rides Grand Tours and Classics. That's why we love him, he is a rider who attacks and just says to himself: we'll see what happens.
"I love Tadej Pogačar because he is not afraid of anything, he loves the Classics."
Pogačar is following a similar career path and he will be the first reigning Tour de France winner to start Paris-Roubaix since Greg LeMond in 1991.
"It's fantastic news for cycling! It proves that he is the one who decides, not his team. It will give Paris-Roubaix extra interest and create a new battle with van der Poel," Hinault told Ouest France.
"I don't understand all those who say that you have to be powerful to win Paris-Roubaix. I wasn't powerful, and I won. You just have to be skillful on the bike to be comfortable on the cobblestones."
Hinault also played down the risk of Pogačar crashing on the cobbles.
"Is it risky to do Paris-Roubaix? No. There's no more risk than in any other race," he argued.
"He crashed at Strade Bianche, so crashing is not a real problem. As long as he wants to race it, Pogačar has to go there to have fun and to make us happy."
