Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain. And from Sunday, barring any major upsets, Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates - XRG has always shrugged his shoulders when talk turned to records to match and break, a way of not burdening himself further with pressure and focusing solely on the objective at hand. But a fifth Tour de France would mean securing a place alongside the Gods, there in the Olympus of cycling: a historic milestone that stirs emotion even in those who have practically conquered everything in their careers. "Winning a fifth Tour would mean a lot to me. Really a lot" - he said in an exclusive interview with Spanish newspaper Marca -. "It's the most important race in the world and you never know how long you'll be able to stay in this position. The important thing is to enjoy the moment, to be grateful for being able to fight for victory and to repay with a good result all the work the team has done. It would be a very special result".

Racing against history, then, but also against himself. Respect for his opponents, however, is always there alongside the dream of wanting to win everything to continue writing indelible pages: "Everyone wants to win. It's always a great battle, but I have respect for everyone, not just my rivals, but also for the sprinters and the entire peloton". In his career, he has already achieved 125 victories, the last four at the Grande Boucle: but no obsession, objectives are part of an incredible journey culminated with total dominance in recent years. "Of course I want to win many more races, but I'm not obsessed. If I ended my career today, I would be quite happy. I have my objectives, I want to build my path and finish my career without regrets".

Many milestones still to reach, but the focus remains on the bicycle because "you have to make the most of every day", considering that a sportsman's career, as Pogačar himself has reiterated, is not as long as one might imagine. Regarding a possible participation in the next Vuelta a España - scheduled from August 22 to September 13 - the reigning world champion did not want to commit: "We want to finish well, then we'll think about the rest". Only one participation in 2019, with third place in the general classification. But there is still time for the dream in red.