Is it really that clear cut that Pog is the favorite over Roglic? Sure I’d put him a hair above but Roglic just beat him handily in a TT despite stage 20 last year, then Pog lost Itzulia partly because of team issues. I know he won the tour without much of a team last year but almost seems impossible to do again unless the team is much stronger this year. If anything the tour is only going to magnify the issues from Itzulia I would think.
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Is it really that clear cut that Pog is the favorite over Roglic? Sure I’d put him a hair above but Roglic just beat him handily in a TT despite stage 20 last year, then Pog lost Itzulia partly because of team issues. I know he won the tour without much of a team last year but almost seems impossible to do again unless the team is much stronger this year. If anything the tour is only going to magnify the issues from Itzulia I would think.
He’s kidding.
Vuelta 2019 stage 18, he got properly dropped. I forgot who who lead an attack (possibly Lopez?) but there were a couple of guys who could follow (Roglic, Bala, ...) but Pogi couldn’t. Of course two stages later...
Big Doopie
BANNED
no not clear cut, just a gut feeling.
endurance.
recovery.
pog has them in spades.
rog appears somewhat human on both counts.
also, pog at 22, likely to be even stronger at 22 than 21. Rog not so much at 31.
I do not give much weight to team in an era ruled by power meters. If you do not have the strongest rider what’s the point of having the strongest team (like last year).
Mas is very consistent, but his top level is nowhere near Pogacar and Roglic. He's in a tier with Lopez, Landa etc.
Yes, it's Merckx. And he was just 4 days shy of his 23rd birthday when he won his first Giro, so Pogacar is even younger than him.
Do you know of any other rider who was younger than 23?
I know Bartali was 22 and 4 months when winning Lombardia (having already won the Giro).
Hinault, Binda and Gimondi all did it at 23.
Only riders from pre-WW1; Henri Cornet, Francois Faber and Octave Lapize.
So six in total.
I really hope they keep Formolo in the team for the next years. I think his contract is ending this year.There is a real bro bond between Pogacar and Formolo
I am sure Formolo was a bit disappointed still as this is his dream race to win. He had said in an italian interview beforehand he wanted to go his own chance.
He is a very loyal teammate though and so far has proven to be the biggest support for Tadej in UAE, Tirreno and Liege.
Being so young I think Tadej really needs to have riders around him like Formolo.
fun fact: formolo had decorated Tadejs appartment with yellow balloons and had made a yellow cake when he returned to Monaco...
Actually been thinking of this. That UAE Tour and Tour of Slovenia could be standard for him and on his race program every year. UAE as open race and Slovenia as preparation of TDF.
He is very eager to do the Tour of Slovenia and to win. Because 3 participations and no podium, that should be put right
maybe the dauphine is a bit better suited to prepare for the tour, but I think Tadej really choses races he likes: strade, uae (he likes jebel hafeet), slovenia...
I think he will never become a rider solely focussed on the Tour. He seems to love racing and is way too ambitious for that.
maybe the dauphine is a bit better suited to prepare for the tour, but I think Tadej really choses races he likes: strade, uae (he likes jebel hafeet), slovenia...
I think he will never become a rider solely focussed on the Tour. He seems to love racing and is way too ambitious for that.
With him flying from the UAE Tour until LBL it's probably smarter to do a shorter stage race (that is really important to him) with an easier route than the Dauphine. I'm also curious to see how he deals with the heat in a normal Tour, he has said before that he dislikes riding in the heat.He is very eager to do the Tour of Slovenia and to win. Because 3 participations and no podium, that should be put right
maybe the dauphine is a bit better suited to prepare for the tour, but I think Tadej really choses races he likes: strade, uae (he likes jebel hafeet), slovenia...
I think he will never become a rider solely focussed on the Tour. He seems to love racing and is way too ambitious for that.
The reason why Formolo hasn't raced from MSR until LBL is that he's doing Giro-Tour, so the team didn't want to overrrace him during the spring. Stagehunting at the Giro and riding as a domestique for Pogi at the Tour, Formolo can do lots of damage on a hilly stage or if you want someone to set a high pace on multiple longer climbs from the start of the stage.I really hope they keep Formolo in the team for the next years. I think his contract is ending this year.
I am sure Formolo was a bit disappointed still as this is his dream race to win. He had said in an italian interview beforehand he wanted to go his own chance.
He is a very loyal teammate though and so far has proven to be the biggest support for Tadej in UAE, Tirreno and Liege.
Being so young I think Tadej really needs to have riders around him like Formolo.
fun fact: formolo had decorated Tadejs appartment with yellow balloons and had made a yellow cake when he returned to Monaco...
He is very eager to do the Tour of Slovenia and to win. Because 3 participations and no podium, that should be put right
maybe the dauphine is a bit better suited to prepare for the tour, but I think Tadej really choses races he likes: strade, uae (he likes jebel hafeet), slovenia...
I think he will never become a rider solely focussed on the Tour. He seems to love racing and is way too ambitious for that.
I still think he will always do the Tour but will always do a second grand tour and multiple monuments.
I doubt he likes UAE tour, he is forced to race it as long as he races for the team.
He is very eager to do the Tour of Slovenia and to win. Because 3 participations and no podium, that should be put right
maybe the dauphine is a bit better suited to prepare for the tour, but I think Tadej really choses races he likes: strade, uae (he likes jebel hafeet), slovenia...
I think he will never become a rider solely focussed on the Tour. He seems to love racing and is way too ambitious for that.
Better to ride a race he is motivated for and wants to win in Slovenia infront of family, friends and local fans.
Dauphine always seem to take their victims too. Some contenders for the Tour usually ends up crashing out or gets dropped and lose minutes, showing no form. It is a pretty hectic race with a strong field and a lot of coverage around it. It really is like the mini-tour version. Might not be a bad idea to stay away from that circus for a little bit longer.
I assume that Pogacar like most riders enjoy the UAE Tour because they stay in the one hotel, so no travel between stages - This can't be under-estimated.
Yeah, he has said that he likes the organisation of the UAE tour. Nice hotel, good roads, a mountain...
It could also be a good race for him if he struggles with the heat a bit. I think in 2020 there was a stage where he lost time to Yates because he could not stand the heat (he won the next day or so though).
I think the Tour of Slovenia will be a good choice for him. He will have his family around which seems important to him. He will see a lot of old teammates/friends there. It means a lot for him to shine in Slovenia as his popularity is still quite low there. It will give him the relax environment to prepare for the Tour.
Not only preparing in the Tour of Slovenia, it is his goal to win it
.If he does, I think it will give him a very big boost for the Tour. Def when he can then add the national title too.
It’s odd because he generally seems better the harder the conditions are. On that cold stage in TA he almost chased down MVDP’s 50k attack, and he almost seems to specialize in longer brutal stages and last week GT performances, but maybe the heat is finally a weakness.
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