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Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

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These two sprints are brought up alot in this context. If you look at them, they seem more like Mads messing up, than difference in straight up sprint strength.
Closing my eyes, my retina have a clear picture of Mads continuing his trend here into 2025 of strong man displays with close, but no cigar at the finish line, even with his DS in both his ears, a megaphone in each.
But I would be delighted to be corrected.
 
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He's locked in. He looks hungry. For the characteristic that defines Pogacars type that means only one thing.

GmbJgKIWwAAhXoK
You know what they say about big hands..

..big watts!
 
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I just tried to listen to LRCP and these guys are stuck on the idea that Pedersen, MVP, and anyone else they consider to be a favorite is also going sub 9 minute on the cipressa climb by following Pogi.

I had to just stop listening there.
 
I watched last years Cipressa again before. UAE took about 4/500m into the start of the climb before Covi piloted Pog to the front and put in a great turn and had it all in single file.

Del Toro and Wellens latched on just as Covi relented and Del Toro done about 2km on the front. After he had it strung out, He was dying after about 1.5km and then what was left of the peloton started to bunch on the front. Wellens then came to the fore but Pog was in discussions with him and it seemed like he didn’t want Wellens to kill himself before Poggio.

Apparently last year the peloton climbed Cipressa in 9:26. Considering last year Pogi didn’t want all the team to go full gas as he didn’t plan to attack there, and that Del Toro did too long a pull, and that their positioning cost them at the start, I think if they play it perfectly, Pog will go under 9 minutes and break the Cipressa record.

They will need to get to the front early, have Narvaez, Del Toro and Wellens do crazy strong pulls and move off fluidly, and the peloton will be whittled right down before Pog can attack and we see who can match him.
 
Today I watched all Pog's attacks on Poggio in the last 3 editions. Some of them were very strong and yet he couldn't get a decisive gap. It's especially difficult vs MVP (who's the biggest problem as he's also stronger in the section after Poggio top) but there are also a few other guys who are able to minimize the gap and catch Pog downhill. I really don't know if Poggio alone is enough to separate Pog from the rest. They may try thermonuclear pace and attack on Cipressa indeed.
Agree. Not sure I agree with Ewan. He is a sprinter so maybe not the best opinion on Pogacar's chances even though he's a professional who has contested MSR.

Pogi is a rider who wins grand tours. Only 3 or 4 riders in the peloton are capable of that. Sprinters capable of thermonuclear pace are abundant.

Pogi's best chance is to attack on the Cipressa to gap and tire out the sprinters and their teams before the Poggio. And knowing Pogi, he can attack a second time on the Poggio if needed. Only MVDP has the engine to hang with him. So Pog will have to drop MVDP by attacking Poggio at the bottom. A tough ask. But this is Pogacar.
 
Pogi drags Mathieu, Pidcock and Mads down Poggio. Tadej is the first to attack towards the finish line and he wins because the other three look at each other.

U never watch each other when a rainbow Jersey is attacking in the front. All eyes on him
With Mads there I think he is the first to chase but Mathieu and Pidcock plus another might each look at each other for a while. I am sure you could think of a fairly possible combo of riders who would pull the second group fiasco.
 
Fair point.
On these descents you can lose as much as you gain on the shallow climbs, and even more, if it's raining.
So I'm not sure why rain would benefit Pogacar exactly in MSR.
Plus all of the other big favorites bar Pippo are very good in rain and bad weather.
Pog might have a competitive advantage over Vingo or other GC guys in bad weather, but not over VdP, Pedersen and Pidcock.