The Japan Times - Pogacar dreaming of Monument clean-sweep

The 27-year-old four-time winner of the Tour de France has won four of the sport's five most prestigious one-day classics: the Monuments.

If he were to win Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, he would become only the fourth man to complete the clean-sweep of all five, following Belgians Eddy Merckx, Roger de Vlaeminck and Rik van Looy.

"These days it's a dream but it is a goal," he stressed.

Just a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable that a Tour de France winner -- such as Britain's Chris Froome, Spaniard Alberto Contador or even Colombian Egan Bernal -- could have also won Paris-Roubaix.

Few in recent years have ever even tried -- although Briton Bradley Wiggins came ninth in 2014, two years after winning the Tour de France.

What makes Pogacar so special is that most people now assume it is only a matter of time before he does win it.

"I had already quite some challenges, but tomorrow is another one and we'll see how it goes," he said.

To do so, he will have to dethrone reigning three-time champion Mathieu van der Poel, who is aiming for a record-equalling fourth success on the northern French cobbles.

Pogacar has already got the better of Van der Poel in the two Monuments so far this season, winning Milan-San Remo last month and the Tour of Flanders last week.

He has won the last four Monuments and seven of the last 11 -- with Van der Poel claiming the other four.

"It's a big match but for tomorrow I don't think it's only him," Pogacar said of his main rival for victory.

"It's also Mads Pedersen, Wout (van Aert) and many others."

Van Aert has finished second, third and fourth in his last three participations at Paris-Roubaix, but he knows that it will be incredibly difficult to add a victory to that run.

"Pogacar and Mathieu remain the favourites. They're the strongest when the race is hard and it will be a very hard race," said the 31-year-old Belgian, who finished fourth last week at the Tour of Flanders.

Fifth there was former world champion Pedersen, who insisted that Pogacar will not be so dominant in Roubaix as he was last weekend.

At the Tour of Flanders, there were 16 punchy climbs where Pogacar was able to pile on the pressure, eventually dropping his rivals one by one until Van der Poel, who finished second, was the last to lose contact with the Slovenian on the penultimate ascent.

"It's a different race than Flanders, but hopefully it's not only about Tadej," said Pedersen, who has finished in the top four in Roubaix in each of the previous three years.

M.Ito--JT