European Championship 2025: Men’s RR, October 5

[dobrien]

This gets confusing. What exactly are you comparing, again? You leave out altitude camps but include more professional preparation... I would consider altitude camps part of that.

I'm saying that you don't even know for sure if Pog would even break through as a rider in the 1960s. You claim that Merckx would have been less succesful in the current era (which I agree with), but you can't seem to understand that Pog's career could have gone very differently in the 1960s. There was less competition by less nationalities, but there was still a very big base of riders wanting to become a pro. Who says Pog would have found the races to excel in, that would have grabbed the attention of team managers? There weren't any VO2 max tests in those days, so he (and guys like Vine) would maybe never have become a pro in the first place.

I don't mean to offend you, but I don't think you're reply actually address what I'm actually saying. How about if I use the world professional 'approach' rather than preparation? And let's just say back then for the sake of argument that Pog was Belgian, rather than Slovenian; I mean, Greg LeMond was a teenager from Northern California and Cyrille Guimard managed to find him.... I don't have the time to dig into my reply right now, later I'll reply in more depth.

 

[Barkintheeye]

I thought we were comparing Pog with Merckx? Why are you mentioning others now?

Because I believe Pog is as tough and proficient as Merckx ever was and also as tough (and almost as proficient) as some of today's most gritty riders that thrive in mud, rain and adverse conditions.

 

[BubbaChuck]

always remember,harder it is,better for pog.you cant comparae how pog looks on climbs to that era.they would die with him,lol.pog is biological marvel.if any other rider today did his calendar,thye would look like jonas after 2 months.vdp was laready dead after pr.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

You don't have to imagine Pog in the 1960s. Just imagine Pog at any other team than UAE. If you look at how McNulty, Wellens, Del Torro... level up after joining. It's clear that they are doing something other teams are not doing. I'm not insinuating it's clinic related, I don't know what it is, but it would be nice if other teams caught up to make it a more even fight. All the Pog fangirls can chose to ignore the elephant in the room of course.

 

[Cycling111]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1975190153263231328

View: https://x.com/LosBrolin/status/1975190153263231328?t=b3sdWwpjQ2sjaAfC0BiWBw&s=19

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Maybe it's more fair to turn it around as well: How much would Pog have won in the days of Merckx, on old steel bikes, bad hotels without airco during the Tour, unfomfortable clothing, having to change your tubulars when flatting during training rides, without altitude camps and sunny winter training stints in southern Spain but only CX and track to keep you fit? Would Pog even have made it into the pro ranks having to fight his way through amateur races where, in those days, GT -focused riders weren't thriving?

Yes he would.

 

[Breh]

You don't have to imagine Pog in the 1960s. Just imagine Pog at any other team than UAE. If you look at how McNulty, Wellens, Del Torro... level up after joining. It's clear that they are doing something other teams are not doing. I'm not insinuating it's clinic related, I don't know what it is, but it would be nice if other teams caught up to make it a more even fight. All the Pog fangirls can chose to ignore the elephant in the room of course.

It hasn't been three years since "the media" were praising how Visma were leading the pack peformance-wise.
Yates is back to winning GT's, they made a GT winner out of Kuss, Campenaerts has been phenomenal, Laporte started winning classics and GT stages, Jorgenson took a huge step forward.

It feels like UAE caught up to Visma and UAE just has more money to spend on better riders cleaning up minor races.


Mcnulty joined in 2020 and his trajectory feels kinda normal to me? His prime years are coming. Atleast what we all used to think of prime years.

 

[The bald fraud]

You don't have to imagine Pog in the 1960s. Just imagine Pog at any other team than UAE.

Something like EC RR Slovenia team with four riders from continental level and two TBV riders who are clearly not climbers?

Actually, if we believe that mou guy, only from 2024 onwards UAE started to perform similar training regimes that were already normal for long in teams like Visma.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Something like EC RR Slovenia team with four riders from continental level and two TBV riders who are clearly not climbers?

Actually, if we believe that mou guy, only from 2024 onwards UAE started to perform similar training regimes that were already normal for long in teams like Visma.

My man, i am not talking about the strength of his teammates, lol. I'm talking about the science/performance department at UAE.

 

[The bald fraud]

My man, i am not talking about the strength of his teammates, lol. I'm talking about the science/performance department at UAE.

As our "prophet" mou pointed out, if Pogacar was not coached by "the bald fraud" but had similar training regimes to Visma (something they already practiced for years), he would not reach his current level only in 2024 when he changed his coach, but years before.

And yes, almost all riders significantly inmprove when they come to Visma.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

My man, i am not talking about the strength of his teammates, lol. I'm talking about the science/performance department at UAE.

I get what you mean but I think Visma had a better performance team than UAE before 2024. Likely UAE is better now.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

As our "prophet" mou pointed out, if Pogacar was not coached by "the bald fraud" but had similar training regimes to Visma (something they already practiced for years), he would not reach his current level only in 2024 when he changed his coach, but years before.

And yes, almost all riders significantly inmprove when they come to Visma.

Yes, that must be why other b/c-tier pros who join UAE suddenly turn into world beaters. Why Tulett who was bossing it at Alpecin has stagnated after going to Visma, why Uijtdebroeks fell off into the deep end after joining Visma. I think it's clear that whatever UAE is doing is a heck of a lot more effective than what Visma is doing. Let alone other teams.

 

[AmRacer]

Yes, that must be why other b/c-tier pros who join UAE suddenly turn into world beaters. Why Tulett who was bossing it at Alpecin has stagnated after going to Visma, why Uijtdebroeks fell off into the deep end after joining Visma. I think it's clear that whatever UAE is doing is a heck of a lot more effective than what Visma is doing. Let alone other teams.

GT
Visma 2 - 1 UAE

 

[Peyroteo94]

You don't have to imagine Pog in the 1960s. Just imagine Pog at any other team than UAE. If you look at how McNulty, Wellens, Del Torro... level up after joining. It's clear that they are doing something other teams are not doing. I'm not insinuating it's clinic related, I don't know what it is, but it would be nice if other teams caught up to make it a more even fight. All the Pog fangirls can chose to ignore the elephant in the room of course.

Pogacar won the TdF and UAE was a joke. Visma is clearly better in my book since they won a Vuelta with Kuss and turned a fisherman in a multiple TdF winner.

 

[Cycling111]

Pogacar won the TdF and UAE was a joke. Visma is clearly better in my book since they won a Vuelta with Kuss and turned a fisherman in a multiple TdF winner.

They are not interested in remembering that.
Aru and Henao had their worst professional years those seasons Pogacar was completely alone during those first years.

Lotto Jumbo 2020 was infinitely superior: Dumoulin: Giro winner, Kuss, Van Aert, Tony Martin, Gesink, Bennet The comparison between that team and what UAE was is simply ridiculous. In 2021 he didn't have a legendary team either but he sentenced the Tour in stage 8 with a solo atack.

I don't even want to think about all the stages that Pogacar could have won with the team that Del Toro has had at his disposal this year, or with the team that Roglic had in that 2020 Tour, if he won 3 in 2019 Vuelta and 3 in 2020 Tour with a shitty team with Fabio Aru and Henao as the "best" climbers on the team being dropped all stages 100 kilometers from the finish

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Pogacar won the TdF and UAE was a joke. Visma is clearly better in my book since they won a Vuelta with Kuss and turned a fisherman in a multiple TdF winner.

Visma was better 4 years ago. Not the past 2 seasons. The only reason why Kuss won was because he was allowed in a long break and Vingegaard and Roglic made any opposition of other teams pointless. The fisherman had longtime been heralded as having a huge Vo2Max, long before he won the TDF.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Visma was better 4 years ago. Not the past 2 seasons. The only reason why Kuss won was because he was allowed in a long break and Vingegaard and Roglic made any opposition of other teams pointless. The fisherman had longtime been heralded as having a huge Vo2Max, long before he won the TDF.

Tell me a rider who really performed in UAE except Pogacar in 2019-2021. So Pogacar wasn't in the best team (not even close) for 2 or 3 years.

 

[James M]

Pogacar won the TdF and UAE was a joke. Visma is clearly better in my book since they won a Vuelta with Kuss and turned a fisherman in a multiple TdF winner.

You also thought for a year that Vingegaard would be close to Pogacar this Tour. You seem to be stuck in the past reg this topic.

Even in the Vuelta, they were still the best team even though Vingegaard beat Almeida, which was expected because he's the better rider, its incredible to have to explain it just cause some people are afraid it minimize Pogacar which it obv dont. Without their kingpin even present, and thereby essentially fielding a B team, they broke the Vuelta record for most stage wins in the history of cycling, won the mountain jersey, the team classification, and finished second overall to Vingegaard a supreme GT rider. I don't think you're measuring it objectively.

And yes Visma was easily the best before(still good ofc) and UAE in 2020 might aswell not have a team for Pog, but how does it help em today that Roglic won a giro in a discussion about today? When hes not even there anymore? and Kuss not even the same rider for anyone being honest now, thats what blows my mind when we cant differenciate the past from present. Might aswell by this logic say Ineos has the best team at disposal now, since they won more tdf than anyone and with several riders even..Just strawman logic to fit a narrative of the present imo.

Visma has 2 TDF wins with one rider, 2 GT last two years when the flip was switched in UAE, and then you have all their riders like WVA, laporte, DVB etc etc all declining meanwhile on the other side..Be realistic.

Tell me a rider who really performed in UAE except Pogacar in 2019-2021.

Thank you. stuck to the past. The flip was switched in 24 noone is talking about 2021 here, its irrelevant to today performances. And yes its duo to money, nevertheless its the case.

 

[YavorD]

You don't have to imagine Pog in the 1960s. Just imagine Pog at any other team than UAE. If you look at how McNulty, Wellens, Del Torro... level up after joining. It's clear that they are doing something other teams are not doing. I'm not insinuating it's clinic related, I don't know what it is, but it would be nice if other teams caught up to make it a more even fight. All the Pog fangirls can chose to ignore the elephant in the room of course.

To be honest McNulty and Del Toro have been they obviously talented riders before joining UAE. Wellens, okay, he seemed a bit past it, but he was a quality rider as well.
You make it look like they took someone like Froome or Cheng Ji and turned them into a world beater, when they simply ly have the money to attract talented riders, whom naturally get results.

 

[James M]

Visma was better 4 years ago. Not the past 2 seasons. The only reason why Kuss won was because he was allowed in a long break and Vingegaard and Roglic made any opposition of other teams pointless. The fisherman had longtime been heralded as having a huge Vo2Max, long before he won the TDF.

Visma was in their own league from 20 up to 24, super riders mostly all in their peak too, monster monster team, thats night and day vs now. Somehow, a handful think it applies to the present and helps them today that Roglic won a Giro many years ago even though he's no longer even on the team, and Kuss isnt the same rider and the world stand still.

You just have some fanatics who cant admit that UAE has flipped a switch from 24 where Pogacar rose to a different stratosphere aswell and are stuck to the past cause their afraid it somewhat minimize Pogacar, which it in reality obviously doesnt. To all of you: No, noone would do what Pogi did with those teams in the past etc, its needless to say he is in his own league, but its not the present reality in terms of his team now, you cant objectively watch races if thats the conclusion now at all.

 

[Cycling111]

The differences in the Le Grand-Bornand stage in 2021

4	Pogačar Tadej	UAE Team Emirates	15	40	5″	0:49
10	Vingegaard Jonas	Team Jumbo-Visma		10		4:09
11	Lutsenko Alexey	Astana - Premier Tech		8		,,
12	Mas Enric	Movistar Team		6		,,
13	Carapaz Richard	INEOS Grenadiers		4		,,
14	Urán Rigoberto	EF Education - Nippo		2		,,
15	Gaudu David	Groupama - FDJ		1		,,
16	Bilbao Pello	Bahrain - Victorious				,,
17	Kelderman Wilco	BORA - hansgrohe				,,
18	O'Connor Ben	AG2R Citroën Team				,,

 

[Cycling111]

Tell me a rider who really performed in UAE except Pogacar in 2019-2021. So Pogacar wasn't in the best team (not even close) for 2 or 3 years.

In fact, Jumbo had Dumoulin, a Giro winner, as a domestique.

UAE has been disastrous those years. Henao wasn't even kept on the team due to his poor performance. Aru was brought for the 2020 Tour but he retided.

The comparison is absurd, there were stages where Pogacar was alone with Roglic, Kuss, Dumoulin, Bennett, Van Aert several kilometers from the end .
Landa spent more time with Remco last year than any of Pogacar's teammates in the 2020 Tour.

 

[tigabara]

You don't have to imagine Pog in the 1960s. Just imagine Pog at any other team than UAE. If you look at how McNulty, Wellens, Del Torro... level up after joining. It's clear that they are doing something other teams are not doing. I'm not insinuating it's clinic related, I don't know what it is, but it would be nice if other teams caught up to make it a more even fight. All the Pog fangirls can chose to ignore the elephant in the room of course.

There is proverb: you see what you want to see. ..

 

[Peyroteo94]

You also thought for a year that Vingegaard would be close to Pogacar this Tour. You seem to be stuck in the past constantly.

Even in the Vuelta, they were still the best team even though Vingegaard beat Almeida, which was expected because he's the better rider, its incredible to have to explain it just cause some people are afraid it minimize Pogacar which it obv dont. Without their kingpin even present, and thereby essentially fielding a B team, they broke the Vuelta record for most stage wins in the history, won the mountain jersey, the team classification, and finished second overall to Vingegaard a supreme GT rider. I don't think you're measuring it objectively at all.

Visma has 2 TDF wins with one rider, 2 GT last two years when the flip was switched in UAE, and then you have all their riders like WVA, laporte etc etc all declining meanwhile on the other side..Be realistic.


Thank you. stuck to the past. The flip was switched in 24 noone is talking about 2021 its rather irrelevant to today performances which youve been explained many times but each time surprised more than the other.

You should read everything... I said Pogacar developed in what he is because he is a freak. He won a TdF when UAE was a joke. It's not like McNulty or Del Toro who really improved because UAE is the best team in the world now.

 

[Blanco]

Note the use of the word "arguably", but at the same time, please don't try to say he isn't at least in that discussion. Imho that would be silly.

Yes he is, and he will certainly be much more as time goes by.