Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Peyroteo94]

Some more info:
Watts2win have Pogacar's numbers on Cipressa as follows: 7,52W/KG for 8:56 -
Performance index 88. This is the best climbing performance of the season so far.
MVDP and Ganna also recorded their career best performances on that climb.

Very hard to know his w/kg when there is so much draft.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Tadej Pogačar to decide on Paris-Roubaix imminently after Milan-San Remo defeat

'In the next two or three days we'll decide' says UAE team manager Mauro Gianetti

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[scribers]

Wishy washy managment

 

[Arvid Falk]

Would be great to see him in PR. RVV suits him better, hard to see him riding away from MVDP and Wout on flat cobble sections, but PR is more unpredictable and tactical, so I would still give him a decent chance.

If he does PR he could skip one or both of AGR and FW, so he will be fresh enough for a battle with Remco in LBL.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Would be great to see him in PR. RVV suits him better, hard to see him riding away from MVDP and Wout on flat cobble sections, but PR is more unpredictable and tactical, so I would still give him a decent chance.

If he does PR he could skip one or both of AGR and FW, so he will be fresh enough for a battle with Remco in LBL.

Wout will be his biggest helper to win PR.

 

[Jan the Man]

Will be good to see him try - would not be one of the top top favourites-

I have MvP clear favourites then Wout, Mads and Phillipsen. After them he is right up there even for Roubaix- luck can play a bigger part than in other races in Roubaix- that can of course go both ways. Still difficult to see past Alpecin with 2 of the 4 top favourites

 

[pelotonIQ]

Tadej Pogačar to decide on Paris-Roubaix imminently after Milan-San Remo defeat

'In the next two or three days we'll decide' says UAE team manager Mauro Gianetti

www.cyclingnews.com

It's a crime against cycling if they don't give the one the best riders in history the opportunity to race PR.

 

[yaf2]

Will be good to see him try - would not be one of the top top favourites-

I have MvP clear favourites then Wout, Mads and Phillipsen. After them he is right up there even for Roubaix- luck can play a bigger part than in other races in Roubaix- that can of course go both ways. Still difficult to see past Alpecin with 2 of the 4 top favourites

After yesterday i am convinced that pog should stick to his original plan by skipping roubaix and focusing on what suits him best for now i.e flanders and liege. His total power is just not better than vdp,wva & ganna. With roubaix being even more flatter than msr i dont think he drops either of the 3 on a total power test rather than a watts per kilo test.

 

[Peyroteo94]

After yesterday i am convinced that pog should stick to his original plan by skipping roubaix and focusing on what suits him best for now i.e flanders and liege. His total power is just not better than vdp,wva & ganna. With roubaix being even more flatter than msr i dont think he drops either of the 3 on a total power test rather than a watts per kilo test.

He just wasn't explosive enough to drop MVP. His engine is completely better than everyone else, including MVP.

 

[Salvarani]

Would be great to see him in PR. RVV suits him better, hard to see him riding away from MVDP and Wout on flat cobble sections, but PR is more unpredictable and tactical, so I would still give him a decent chance.

If he does PR he could skip one or both of AGR and FW, so he will be fresh enough for a battle with Remco in LBL.

I think he will just ride a first attempt/participation in PR to see what happens. See where he ends up and go from there in the future.

 

[Shortcut]

After yesterday i am convinced that pog should stick to his original plan by skipping roubaix and focusing on what suits him best for now i.e flanders and liege. His total power is just not better than vdp,wva & ganna. With roubaix being even more flatter than msr i dont think he drops either of the 3 on a total power test rather than a watts per kilo test.

I have a feeling you would see Pogi's 4th place as bad? Also why does he need to attack ? I think he should follow MvDP without attacking. I am 99% sure that would be enough for podium.

 

[yaf2]

He just wasn't explosive enough to drop MVP. His engine is completely better than everyone else, including MVP.

Its not about how much explosive u are its about the total power you have that matters on low gradient climbs. Even the most explosive rider vdp can't drop anyone on a 2% climb but he could win a sprint due to his explosiveness on such gradients and the same works for pog he cant drop vdp on a 4% climb because he is 65 or 66kg and 10 kg lighter than vdp. As he said at the finish line the laws of physics restricted him from dropping vdp.

 

[Arvid Falk]

Wout will be his biggest helper to win

I think he will just ride a first attempt/participation in PR to see what happens. See where he ends up and go from there in the future.

UAE are an ambitious team and maybe the idea is that with Pog in the lineup

I have a feeling you would see Pogi's 4th place as bad? Also why does he need to attack ? I think he should follow MvDP without attacking. I am 99% sure that would be enough for podium.

Pogi not attacking doesn't seem to be in his DNA. If he feels good he will try because going solo is probably his best chance of winning considering he would likely be up against MVDP and/or WVA in a sprint. But otherwise I agree with you, UAE should go on the offensive with Politt and Vermeersch and force Alpecin and MVDP to chase.

 

[kn0s]

UAE are an ambitious team and maybe the idea is that with Pog in the lineup

Pogi not attacking doesn't seem to be in his DNA. If he feels good he will try because going solo is probably his best chance of winning considering he would likely be up against MVDP and/or WVA in a sprint. But otherwise I agree with you, UAE should go on the offensive with Politt and Vermeersch and force Alpecin and MVDP to chase.

There are some challenges with doing RP as a stick-figure. Pog is physically incapable of doing the watts of the guys in the final select group. MvdP puts it in the other ditch and does 1000w plus for a minute, what is he going to do? He has to make it a TT somehow and hope for some group two shenanigans.

 

[Peyroteo94]

There are some challenges with doing RP as a stick-figure. Pog is physically incapable of doing the watts of the guys in the final select group. MvdP puts it in the other ditch and does 1000w plus for a minute, what is he going to do? He has to make it a TT somehow and hope for some group two shenanigans.

There is a lot of draft in Roubaix. He doesn't need to produce the same watts. He needs to follow and play defensive and try a sneaky attack later.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So will Teddy try Roubaix already this year? It will tell us who is in charge in UAE team: he or the directors?

 

[Arvid Falk]

Interview with Matxin

"The Cipressa lent itself to throwing all the fast men overboard. More so than the Poggio, where you can't easily achieve that with barely five minutes of climbing. You can't ride away sprinters with power and substance there. Then you take them to the finish and you get a completely different scenario."

"Racing is not a PlayStation. It didn't surprise me at all that Van der Poel hung on. He's a different type of rider than Tadej. A little less of a climber, but more explosive. You can safely put the two at the same height."

On Paris-Roubaix

"Don't ask me again if he's going to ride Paris-Roubaix, please. The fact is that both Tadej and Mathieu are even more suited for those kinds of races. Van der Poel is a real 'crack' on those hills and cobblestones. So it won't be easy for us there either."

 

[Peyroteo94]

Interview with Matxin

"The Cipressa lent itself to throwing all the fast men overboard. More so than the Poggio, where you can't easily achieve that with barely five minutes of climbing. You can't ride away sprinters with power and substance there. Then you take them to the finish and you get a completely different scenario."

"Racing is not a PlayStation. It didn't surprise me at all that Van der Poel hung on. He's a different type of rider than Tadej. A little less of a climber, but more explosive. You can safely put the two at the same height."

On Paris-Roubaix

"Don't ask me again if he's going to ride Paris-Roubaix, please. The fact is that both Tadej and Mathieu are even more suited for those kinds of races. Van der Poel is a real 'crack' on those hills and cobblestones. So it won't be easy for us there either."

So he wil race PR. This what I take from this.

 

[kn0s]

There is a lot of draft in Roubaix. He doesn't need to produce the same watts. He needs to follow and play defensive and try a sneaky attack later.

The margin of error is just so unbelievably small. Being out of position or on the wrong wheel and the gap is there. What do you do? You are not capable of closing it in the short-term as you can't do the watts, very quickly you become a donkey for group two. Things can happen in RP, it's a battlefield but my guess is he will be wishing for the shallow gradients of MSR before the race is over.

 

[scribers]

Yesterday was an incredible race. I’m done being pissed off about it. Group 2 had over 40 riders in it with the same time. The race was entirely directed by pogi. I’m not sure what to do different besides a team of all flat drivers and strong pack riders. Basically a lead out train for pogi and two uphill sprinters to take him to launch. And maybe the team is there the whole week training together?

 

[Froome]

Yesterday was an incredible race. I’m done being pissed off about it. Group 2 had over 40 riders in it with the same time. The race was entirely directed by pogi. I’m not sure what to do different besides a team of all flat drivers and strong pack riders. Basically a lead out train for pogi and two uphill sprinters to take him to launch. And maybe the team is there the whole week training together?

Pace hard capo berta. There is the only thing left they can do better next year.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Yesterday was an incredible race. I’m done being pissed off about it. Group 2 had over 40 riders in it with the same time. The race was entirely directed by pogi. I’m not sure what to do different besides a team of all flat drivers and strong pack riders. Basically a lead out train for pogi and two uphill sprinters to take him to launch. And maybe the team is there the whole week training together?

They cannot simulate a race day in training. Are they going full gas to Cipressa with 100 riders in training sessions? Of course not. But I agree with you. He just needs Wellens and Narvaez, all other riders should race just to position Pogacar/Wellens/Narvaez.

 

[Peyroteo94]

The margin of error is just so unbelievably small. Being out of position or on the wrong wheel and the gap is there. What do you do? You are not capable of closing it in the short-term as you can't do the watts, very quickly you become a donkey for group two. Things can happen in RP, it's a battlefield but my guess is he will be wishing for the shallow gradients of MSR before the race is over.

He just needs a hard race all day. Then, do what MVP does every time he races against Pogacar in MSR.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

They cannot simulate a race day in training. Are they going full gas to Cipressa with 100 riders in training sessions? Of course not. But I agree with you. He just needs Wellens and Narvaez, all other riders should race just to position Pogacar/Wellens/Narvaez.

Unexpectedly only two helpers were enough for Pogi on Cipressa (his positioning at the start of the climb could've been much better though). Two were enough because of an incredibly strong pull by Narvaez and the fact that the best place to attack is like 2 km from the top (so no long pulls needed).

 

[Arvid Falk]

Everyone will know what tactic UAE will use next year and will try to f**k it up by not letting UAE doms be infront going into Cipressa. Question is if they will succeed. If Pog can get a clean and perfect leadout on Cipressa he might get 10-15 seconds on top of the climb. Then they question is if the closest followers quickly can organize a chase on the flat before Poggio.

Anyhow, many things must fall in place for Pog to win MSR. That's the difference to Mathieu in this race.

Would be fun if Remco participates next year.