Marc Madiot has a soft spot for Wout van Aert
Marc Madiot was one of the big names to make an appearance on stage at Friday evening's Vélo d'Or ceremony, where the Groupama-FDJ boss watched Tadej Pogačar win the men's Vélo d'Or for the third time. Madiot was asked for his thoughts on the Slovenian, who was not present in Paris, and though he heaped on the praise, the Frenchman admitted he is not really a fan.
"Tadej is a beautiful symbol for cycling,” Madiot said. Then added, after a pause, “I'm actually not an absolute fan of Tadej Pogačar.”
When pressed, he answered, "Mon chouchou c'est Wout," repeating the pet name proffered by sports writer Claire Bricogne (co-host of the event alongside David Millar), which basically translates as 'darling'. "For me, [Van Aert] is the ultimate rider."
Madiot didn't linger on the Belgian, instead returning to the original question of Pogačar and Paris-Roubaix, which the Frenchman won twice in 1985 and 1991, his third and seventh attempts.
"I am impressed with [Pogačar's] mental abilities. When he shows up at the start, it's never just to ride along," he said. "In addition, Tadej has a feeling for the history of the sport. He respects the value of the big events in cycling. Chapeau. We must support and encourage him.
"The press sometimes says: 'Why would he start in Roubaix? He shouldn't take any risks towards the Tour...' No, I don't agree. In his career, winning Roubaix would be as important as the Tour."
