Teams & Riders Everybody needs a little bit of Roglstomp in their lives

[noob]

I suppose an important question is how do you approach the duel with Pogacar? Do you simply let UAE do the work because they are the bigger favourites, and then rely on Roglic just being better than Pogacar (in the time trials and the uphill sprints)? Or do you think you're the physical underdog who needs to race both aggressively and smart as a team to force situations where Pogacar is pressured? For instance with Vingegaard as a co-leader? I think you need to look at the stages very closely and decide what can be done, and then you can make a plan.
Maybe there are stages where you can try to force a selection in the crosswinds for instance, which benefits both van Aert for the intermediate and Roglic for the GC... or something like that. In any case with that monster time trial potential in their team I think they should especially make use of that. Don't bring Affini to the Giro just because he's Italian... But damn, what about Dumoulin? He would be a super good helper on this route... but he doesn't want to be a helper... obviously you either have to bring him as a co-leader... or not at all.

Of course a yellow jersey is more important than a green one, but on the other hand many stages and green with Wout if you go for it (~80%?) seem more likely than yellow with Roglic (like, 30%?)

Then you should probably have a lot of backup plans and be able to improvise as the cobble stage alone could easily lead to a specific situation.

I think at this point in the year you can only have a rough plan anyway, who knows what will happen until then, who will be ill, who will have a break-out year...

Roglic
Vingegaard
van Aert
Teunissen
Dennis
Affini
Kuss
Foss (Dumoulin)
?

I still wonder whether van Aert says these things publically because it's pretty much decided that will happen/ they have promised him... or because they are hesitating to give him support and he wants to pressure them.

Seems like pressure or at least like it's undecided and he wants to push it to make it definite.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I agree, but IMO the sponsor thinks otherwise. I'm talking what can reasonably be expected. Roglic doesn't have the GT results of Contador, either. And isn't likely to win, given Pog's dominance and age. So it's both of those things. Contador had 6 wins in the 2 biggest GTs. Roglic has had at least 3 failed attempts. Also because he's much more likely to crash hard than Pog (2020 Dauphine, 2021 Tour - twice)

I agree that they should give it another go, however.

Like it or not Roglič is the Contador of the current generation.

 

[BlueRoads]

Like it or not Roglič is the Contador of the current generation.

In which respect?

 

[tobydawq]

In which respect?

In no respect.

 

[Lequack]

Some guys that also took part in the criterium, for some reason they weren't allowed to wear shoes

With a fan

 

[CyclistAbi]

In which respect?

In no respect.

Yes i said some of you don't like that. But that doesn't change much. In a lot of areas Roglič is already ahead of Contador. Still has the time to catch up on others. If Roglič has 3 more season on such level ahead. He will top Contador by the end of his career.

 

[Netserk]

In which respect?

All talk, no walk.

 

[CyclistAbi]

All talk, no walk.

Then tell me who is the Contador of the current generation? And lets clear up that first.

It should be easy to come up with the name. Considering the fierce opposition.

 

[BlueRoads]

Then tell me who is the Contador of the current generation? And lets clear up that first.

It should be easy to come up with the name. Considering the fierce opposition.

Who says there always needs to be a Contador of every generation?

Really, although they are not complete opposites, I fail to see the striking similarities.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Who says there always needs to be a Contador of every generation?

Really, although they are not complete opposites, I fail to see the striking similarities.

Every generation needs a Contador and Froome. Otherwise it is a "bad" generation. As for trying to argue this generation is "bad". Hence there is no Contador and Froome at all.

That is just silly?

This generation is one of the best ones in a while. Hence i will ask again. Who is the Contador of this generation? The answer should be easy. My take on it is it's Roglič. Now lets hear other people opinions. Considering the fierce opposition i got there must be some other names involved. And lets hear them.

 

[BlueRoads]

Every generation needs a Contador and Froome. Otherwise it is a "bad" generation. As for trying to argue this generation is "bad". Hence there is no Contador and Froome at all.

That is just silly?

This generation is one of the best ones in a while. Hence i will ask again. Who is the Contador of this generation? The answer should be easy. My take on it is it's Roglič. Now lets hear other people opinions. Considering the fierce opposition i got there must be some other names involved. And lets hear them.

Your post doesn't make any sense. No, there is no need for every generation to have a Contador and a Froome in order to not be a bad generation.
Riders are simply different, the constellations are also different in different years.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Yes i said some of you don't like that. But that doesn't change much. In a lot of areas Roglič is already ahead of Contador. Still has the time to catch up on others. If Roglič has 3 more season on such level ahead. He will top Contador by the end of his career.

I don't think he's the Contador of this generation (every rider has his own style) but Primoz can at least match Contador by the end - he can get closer in terms of GTs and will beat Conta comfortably in one day races (and stages). Three more seasons in his prime are likely making him one of absolutely the best riders of the current century.

 

[Bonimenier]

Every generation needs a Contador and Froome. Otherwise it is a "bad" generation. As for trying to argue this generation is "bad". Hence there is no Contador and Froome at all.

That is just silly?

This generation is one of the best ones in a while. Hence i will ask again. Who is the Contador of this generation? The answer should be easy. My take on it is it's Roglič. Now lets hear other people opinions. Considering the fierce opposition i got there must be some other names involved. And lets hear them.

I've rarely read so much crap in one post.

 

[johnymax]

Silly talk. Masnada is the Contador of this generation, clearly.

 

[tobydawq]

Yes i said some of you don't like that. But that doesn't change much. In a lot of areas Roglič is already ahead of Contador. Still has the time to catch up on others. If Roglič has 3 more season on such level ahead. He will top Contador by the end of his career.

Yes, he is ahead of Contador in some areas, in others he is behind. I see absolutely nowhere he is exactly equal to Contador apart from the absolute number of Vuelta wins, nor does he resemble the Spaniard in appearance, racing style or characteristics. It seems like a rather bizarre statement...

 

[Jspear]

Every generation needs a Contador and Froome. Otherwise it is a "bad" generation. As for trying to argue this generation is "bad". Hence there is no Contador and Froome at all.

That is just silly?

This generation is one of the best ones in a while. Hence i will ask again. Who is the Contador of this generation? The answer should be easy. My take on it is it's Roglič. Now lets hear other people opinions. Considering the fierce opposition i got there must be some other names involved. And lets hear them.

Contador is better than Merckx and anyone else for that matter and so, no comparisons can be made to him. No one is worthy to take up his mantle.

 

[MTV]

Primož is no Contador, Merckx,...
He is Roglič.
The one and only.
For now...

 

[Red Rick]

Closest comparison currently I think would be a better, more explosive Cadel Evans with less endurance.

 

[roundabout]

If Van Aert can win green on his own then so be it, but bringing domestiques specifically to help win green when you wanna win the Tour is ridiculous. Sagan didn't get a lead out train in a team with a post prime Contador. He should easily be able to win on his own on the parcours of next year and the only problem with that one should be that he'd compete with Roglic for bonifications.

Tinkoff wasn't stacked with GT help like Jumbo is now and of course 9 riders instead of 8 now, but Sagan had riders capable of providing decent support if and when needed unlike some of the proposed Jumbo squads that I have seen

2015
41 CONTADOR Alberto
42 BASSO Ivan
43 BENNATI Daniele
44 KREUZIGER Roman
45 MAJKA Rafał
46 ROGERS Michael
47 SAGAN Peter
48 TOSATTO Matteo
49 VALGREN Michael

2016
31 CONTADOR Alberto
32 SAGAN Peter
33 BODNAR Maciej
34 GATTO Oscar
35 KIŠERLOVSKI Robert
36 KREUZIGER Roman
37 MAJKA Rafał
38 TOSATTO Matteo
39 VALGREN Michael

 

[Netserk]

Tinkoff wasn't stacked with GT help like Jumbo is now and of course 9 riders instead of 8 now, but Sagan had riders capable of providing decent support if and when needed unlike some of the proposed Jumbo squads that I have seen

2015
41 CONTADOR Alberto
42 BASSO Ivan
43 BENNATI Daniele
44 KREUZIGER Roman
45 MAJKA Rafał
46 ROGERS Michael
47 SAGAN Peter
48 TOSATTO Matteo
49 VALGREN Michael

2016
31 CONTADOR Alberto
32 SAGAN Peter
33 BODNAR Maciej
34 GATTO Oscar
35 KIŠERLOVSKI Robert
36 KREUZIGER Roman
37 MAJKA Rafał
38 TOSATTO Matteo
39 VALGREN Michael

But did any teammate ride for Sagan during the 2015 Tour? I can't recall a single moment where the team rode for him during that Tour, but plenty of stages where green was secondary (echelons, cobbles).

 

[tobydawq]

Closest comparison currently I think would be a better, more explosive Cadel Evans with less endurance.

I dunno, I think the guy who resembles him the most by far is 10 years younger and of the same nationality.

 

[roundabout]

But did any teammate ride for Sagan during the 2015 Tour? I can't recall a single moment where the team rode for him during that Tour, but plenty of stages where green was secondary (echelons, cobbles).

I think you are very likely correct, going over the live reports in CN it seems that Tinkoff did a bit of work on the easier stages, but without reviewing the race it is difficult to know whether it was to keep Contador on the front

 

[Lequack]

 

[BlueRoads]

Oh god I love that photo, that exchange of looks between Mohoric and baby Roglic is so lovely.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

They only raced together in 2015 and 2016 IIRC. In the 2015 Tour he was a dead man riding after the Giro anyway, and in 2016 he was a big underdog.

IMO Roglic' record vs Pogacar is better than Contadors vs Froome in that period.

True. Roglic just doesn't have the important GT wins and almost mythical racing style to give him a Contador-like status. It affects the level of support you're likely going to get as a rider.

Roglic does have a cult-like following, but it's quite small compared to Contador's fanbase, or even Van Aert's.