Ernesto Colnago said that despite the 23-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider winning the Tour de France for the second time and Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia in 2021, he has yet to discover his limits and abilities as a rider He stated that he has not, and suggested that only Tadei Pogachar can match Eddy Merckx in success.

When the Slovenian visited Colnago's headquarters in Cambiago, near Milan, on Thursday for the Italian bicycle brand's traditional Christmas event, Colnago admitted that it loves Pogachar "like a son." Pogachar won two Tour de France victories on Colnago bikes, and UAE Team Emirates will continue to ride Colnago bikes equipped with Campagnolo components in 2022.

Colnago worked for many riders and teams before launching its own brand in 1974. Merckx asked him to build the wheels for his 1967 Milano-Sanremo win, and when Merckx joined the legendary Molteni team in 1972, Colnago became his team mechanic.

The bike had Eddie Merckx's name on it, but was built by Colnago, and Merckx's famous 5.7 kg track bike was used in the Hour Record Challenge in Mexico in 1972.

Pogachar made history by winning his second Tour de France and Liège-Bastogne-Liège before winning Il Lombardia in 2021.

"I've heard 'this is the new Merckx' many times without the conditions being met, but I think Taddei is really there this time," Merckx said in late October when the two met at an event for shoe brand DMT.

"Taddei is just at the beginning of his career.

Ernesto Colnago agreed.

"We are used to many great riders visiting Colnago. We have seen many of the sport's greats and true campioni," Colnago said during the event in a video published by Gazzetta.it.

"Eddy Merckx is unique, and only Tadei Pogachar may equal his success. That's because we still don't know his real limits and his true capabilities. He is talented, but humble, down to earth, and a good guy. I love him like a son and he will win at Colnago too.

Pogacar stood in the center for a photo with Ernesto Colnago and other guests at the event and confirmed that his 2022 race program will target a third consecutive Tour de France victory.

With the Vuelta a España scheduled for late summer, he will likely compete in his second Grand Tour in one season for the first time in his career. A debut at the Giro d'Italia is also being considered, but it will not happen until 2023 at the earliest.

The World Championships in Australia are scheduled for the end of the season, and the spring will be filled with classics as well as short-distance stage races.

"Everything will be built around the Tour. There is the possibility of two Grand Tours, but I will see how I get on after the French races. I like the Giro and I will ride it one day," Pogacar explained, commenting to a Slovenian TV station that he will also ride Milan-San Remo and the Tour de Flanders before the Ardennes Classics.

He will tour the UAE again in February, then head to Italy to ride Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Milan-San Remo in the Belgian spring classics before focusing on preparations for the Tour.

"I've only ridden Milano-San Remo once before in 2020, and I'm interested in the finale," Pogacar said of the second half of the race, the Cipressa and Poggio climbs.