State of the Peloton 2026

[E_F_]

The Giro has gone so far without any "WTF moments" (apart from crashes and finishing parcours). It's almost like what pro-cycling was before Pogi and UAE.
Stage 7 is the first "porridge breakfast" stage - will some unexpected guy surprise us all up the Blockhaus, or will Vingegaard win by a large margin as predicted?

No major gaps for Jonas. Not very WTF.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

No major gaps for Jonas. Not very WTF.

Gall's performance actually was.

 

[Rob5091]

Gall's performance actually was.

That was the stand out performance of the day. Now Decathlon with big money backing are obviously getting hold of "the good stuff".
Pellizzari tried to do what Lenny M did, but this was a harder climb and a different Vingegaard.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

That was the stand out performance of the day. Now Decathlon with big money backing are obviously getting hold of "the good stuff".
Pellizzari tried to do what Lenny M did, but this was a harder climb and a different Vingegaard.

Yeah, it seems Decathlon has new porridge. UCI president being a French, well...

 

[AlpRaid]

Yet another climbing time crushed.

It’s just amazing how some riders/teams keep improving by huge steps and yet others seem to remain the same but are now completely overwhelmed.

Early EPO days flashback.

 

[meat puppet]

Bernal supposedly did a career best 40min at about 6w/kg on the blockhaus. Remember when he was considered the next one?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Bernal supposedly did a career best 40min at about 6w/kg on the blockhaus. Remember when he was considered the next one?

While Bernal is just 29 yo he seems like a relic from the past cycling era, who got overtaken by newer "models". His life threatening crash could be affecting his level till this day: while he can have the best absolute numbers (better nutrition) relatively to the competition he's not as good as during his early GTs. It's not like there are just 2-3 guys (the mutants) better than him but many more. Normally I would expect him to be a strong top5 stage-racer nowadays.

 

[Rob5091]

Bernal supposedly did a career best 40min at about 6w/kg on the blockhaus. Remember when he was considered the next one?

I remember a few days ago he was nearly dying ...

 

[Tim Cahill]

While Bernal is just 29 yo he seems like a relic from the past cycling era, who got overtaken by newer "models". His life threatening crash could be affecting his level till this day: while he can have the best absolute numbers (better nutrition) relatively to the competition he's not as good as during his early GTs. It's not like there are just 2-3 guys (the mutants) better than him but many more. Normally I would expect him to be a strong top5 stage-racer nowadays.

Bernal still on whatever bottle of mystery pills Gianni Savio gave him back in the day, shaking them in his face take these young man they will make you big and strong. “They’re next levelling it somehow”. *** doesn’t even work, him and Arensman are actually convincing.

Sky do look a bit behind the times, apart from the French guys and the one leaving for Quickstep, sort it out Rozman. Gannas had like one and a half decent days all season, the plan should be to get a now much wealthier Geogheghan Hart back in after he’s scammed Lidl and put him on whatever he was fed in 2020/23.

There’s a rumour that one of their junior riders fathers was involved in the same circle that Soler Sr was, so that’s done good news for them at least.

 

[Pozzovivo]

Early EPO days flashback.

After the Grand Départ in Edinburgh in 2027, while the riders and sports directors are travelling to France by ferry, a soigneur driving a team car will be stopped at border control.

 

[AlpRaid]

Bernal supposedly did a career best 40min at about 6w/kg on the blockhaus. Remember when he was considered the next one?

I came here to post exactly this. A TDF winner who does his best 40 min power and said he “felt good” but ended, what, 21st on the day?

Memories of Greg Lemond in 1991-92 spring to mind.

 

[Pozzovivo]

I came here to post exactly this. A TDF winner who does his best 40 min power and said he “felt good” but ended, what, 21st on the day?

Memories of Greg Lemond in 1991-92 spring to mind.

Yeah, but he was much more competitive against guys like Arensman and Storer one year ago. He was stronger than them on climbs but spent too many bullets early in the race. He's just out of top shape and have not adapted to the new reality. If he hadn't crashed so many times, and so severely one time, he would surely have been a much better rider than he is today.

Edit: He is also saying things that serve his own interest and standing. He had a bad run-in to this race and shouldn't go for GC. Poor team management.

 

[meat puppet]

I'll probably regret asking, but how can one be out of shape if they post a pb power?

 

[Rob5091]

I'll probably regret asking, but how can one be out of shape if they post a pb power?

Guys are claiming personal best power etc and coming in like 60th place in races nowadays.

 

[AmRacer]

Guys are claiming personal best power etc and coming in like 60th place in races nowadays.

Those upfront are out of shape.

 

[Pozzovivo]

I'll probably regret asking, but how can one be out of shape if they post a pb power?

It’s a good question. I’d say he is out of shape relative to the competition.

I tend to think of performance as relative, rather than as something determined by watts alone or by W/kg for a fixed duration. Also, his power meter may have been reading high.

The short version is that the watts a rider can produce are partly shaped by the conditions they are riding in. A lot of riders set PBs on the Blockhaus stage, which suggests the conditions were very good for producing high numbers. Bernal def performed better for certain other durations, just in worse conditions.

Look at stage 2, for instance. Bernal was dropped on a relatively easy climb by riders like Martin Tjøtta. That is clearly not Bernal at his best. He was also dropped by Ben Turner on stage 4 on a 15 km climb. So I think he is saying some of this to protect his image and defer criticism.

Bernal was much better in last years giro.

 

[AlpRaid]

Guys are claiming personal best power etc and coming in like 60th place in races nowadays.

Exactly the point that is being argued. An eye-popping jump seems to have been made by some (many?).

Bora don’t appear to have found the magic yet seeing how they performed today.

 

[Rob5091]

I seem to remember the breakaway king, Thomas De Gendt saying that he was doing his best ever numbers when he retired, and getting dropped from the peloton.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I seem to remember the breakaway king, Thomas De Gendt saying that he was doing his best ever numbers when he retired, and getting dropped from the peloton.

He also said that he had to push watts he won races with just to join breakaways and could hardly do that anymore.

There has been a general jump in performance, some didn't make it or ended up being behind even though they are/were doing their best ever watts (according to them). But the overall leap is IMO inexplainable by just some top teams having better programs. This is why I find Pogicentrism frustrating, Or just looking at the aliens.

 

[Pozzovivo]

The general rise in level is not too concerning from a clean sport perspective. For certain, the riders are better trained and fueled than before, and more optimized for their equipment. If the peloton improves by half a percent a year for legitimate reasons, it only takes a decade or so for huge differences to be visible.

The mega outlier performances by TP and JV are much harder to explain than general improvement.

Probably, imo, most riders are improving little by little in legitimate ways. Over many years it looks very striking by may not be suspect at all.

 

[Rob5091]

The general rise in level is not too concerning from a clean sport perspective. For certain, the riders are better trained and fueled than before, and more optimized for their equipment. If the peloton improves by half a percent a year for legitimate reasons, it only takes a decade or so for huge differences to be visible.

The mega outlier performances by TP and JV are much harder to explain than general improvement.

Probably, imo, most riders are improving little by little in legitimate ways. Over many years it looks very striking by may not be suspect at all.

If all the guys in the peloton are improving, then the riding of Pogi off into the distance and winning from 30, 50, 75 km out, is even more suspect.

 

[Pozzovivo]

If all the guys in the peloton are improving, then the riding of Pogi off into the distance and winning from 30, 50, 75 km out, is even more suspect.

Half agree. Like I said, the exceptional perf by TP and a few others are harder to explain than the general rise. We agree there.

The race dynamics pattern we observe is pretty noisy to draw an inference from. Given how strong he is, and how strong UAE is, the way they win races seem pretty logical to me. The fact he is that strong is what need to be explained/understood better.

 

[AlpRaid]

The general rise in level is not too concerning from a clean sport perspective. For certain, the riders are better trained and fueled than before, and more optimized for their equipment. If the peloton improves by half a percent a year for legitimate reasons, it only takes a decade or so for huge differences to be visible.

The mega outlier performances by TP and JV are much harder to explain than general improvement.

Probably, imo, most riders are improving little by little in legitimate ways. Over many years it looks very striking by may not be suspect at all.

Remco was an absolute alien. No possible arguments.

And now he’s not.

Third at LBL outsprinting all the also-rans. Reminds me of LeMond’s last gasp finishing 8 secs behind Indurain in the first (70+ km!!) ITT in the 1991 TDF before becoming pack fodder for the rest of his career.

Very reminiscent of early EPO days.

 

[Pozzovivo]

Remco was an absolute alien. No possible arguments.

And now he’s not.

Third at LBL outsprinting all the also-rans. Reminds me of LeMond’s last gasp finishing 8 secs behind Indurain in the first (70+ km!!) ITT in the 1991 TDF before becoming pack fodder for the rest of his career.

Very reminiscent of early EPO days.

I really don't see the the Lemond - Remco comparison as a fitting one, or persuasive in arguing your point.

Remco has been very unlucky with numerous crashes for many years - that shows in his development imo.

While Pogacar has basically always been superior GC and climbing wise. They arguably should be more evenly matched in one-days than they are.

This can be explained by several factors:
- Remco injuries
- Difference in team support and equipment (in race)
- Difference in team support and prep (out of race)
- Innate difference in the key race winning trait (explosiveness on climbs)
- Tactical astuteness (Pogacar is 10x smarter than Remco in races)
- Difference in PED's or banned methods?

Don't see why it has to be the latter or why that is the most likely option for their difference in level. I still think Remco can grow to another level if he gets a long clean run without crashes, setback etc.

 

[Rob5091]

So was Gall's and Decathlon's performance more due to the fact Vingegaard was ill? We shall see on stage 14.