Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[rafa92]

I expect Pogacar to pull from AGR and FW so he is 100% ready for LBL!
Would make sense...

yes probably it would make sense, maybe he skips one of the two. After all it's true pr was super hard but pog has only done 4 races up to now (plus a single effort in uae tour), so doing just AGR should be fine for him to arrive at liege in great shape

 

[pastronef]

yes probably it would make sense, maybe he skips one of the two. After all it's true pr was super hard but pog has only done 4 races up to now (plus a single effort in uae tour), so doing just AGR should be fine for him to arrive at liege in great shape

or resting until Fleche by skipping Amstel

 

[Red Rick]

Amstel is probably one of the races where Pog vs Evenepoel vs Van Aert could be most interesting.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Amstel is probably one of the races where Pog vs Evenepoel vs Van Aert could be most interesting.

There is a zero chance WVA is able to follow Pogacar in Amstel.

 

[rafa92]

Amstel is probably one of the races where Pog vs Evenepoel vs Van Aert could be most interesting.

maybe but for pog winning a second amstel would make little difference, it's better to focus on lbl and also preserve energy for other goals later on in the season

 

[Peyroteo94]

maybe but for pog winning a second amstel would make little difference, it's better to focus on lbl and also preserve energy for other goals later on in the season

Amstel doesn't add much but winning AGR+FW+LBL makes him the best puncheur ever. He is chasing records! This is what makes him training hard.

 

[pastronef]

Amstel doesn't add much but winning AGR+FW+LBL makes him the best puncheur ever. He is chasing records! This is what makes him training hard.

Gilbert won Brabantse, Amstel, Fleche, Liege in 2011

 

[Cycling111]

There is a zero chance WVA is able to follow Pogacar in Amstel.

If Wout couldn't be with Pogacar in PR, which is more Wout terraint, in Amstel....

I think he'll rest. Remco has been training for weeks.
Remco could have competed earlier but he wanted to arrive rested to Liège.
Pogacar needs a break forLiège .

Gilbert won Brabantse, Amstel, Fleche, Liege in 2011

Gilbert did Flanders and Roubaix? And the most important, his main rival in Liège spent weeks training and resting for Liège like Remco?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Gilbert won Brabantse, Amstel, Fleche, Liege in 2011

I know, Gilbert 2011 was a different kind of monster but we need to look his results during his whole career.
If Pogacar wins the Ardennes Treble, Gilbert can't beat this palmares:
4 GdL
3 LBL
2 AGR
2 FW
1 WC (he won a race for puncheurs)

 

[Cycling111]

In none of Sanremo, RVV or Roubaix was betting against Pogacar insane. In fact, Pogacar being the top favorite for Sanremo was basically proven to be incorrect, and he was shown to be a ways away from MvdP in Roubaix as well, while in RVV Van der Poel helped him out with illness, crashes and overall bad decisions.

In RVV, Pogacar has been superior to VDP since 2023.
And in 2022, although he didn't win, an inexperienced Pogacar had VDP struggling in every section.

If Pogacar didn't lose the VDP wheel until he made a mistake on a more complicated and flat cobbles course,
do you really think he isn´t superior in Flanders?

Pogacar is a better Flandier, why is it so hard to admit?

Pogacar made his debut in Roubaix yesterday. To assess his level in Roubaix, at least one more participation is needed, which is crazy considering he finished second. Van der Poel was overtaken by Colbrelli, and Florian Vermeersch, in his first Roubaix, and that didn't determine his true performance.

 

[Peyroteo94]

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[Red Rick]

In RVV, Pogacar has been superior to VDP since 2023.
And in 2022, although he didn't win, an inexperienced Pogacar had VDP struggling in every section.

If Pogacar didn't lose the VDP wheel until he made a mistake on a more complicated and flat cobbles course,
do you really think he isn´t superior in Flanders?

Pogacar is a better Flandier, why is it so hard to admit?

Pogacar made his debut in Roubaix yesterday. To assess his level in Roubaix, at least one more participation is needed, which is crazy considering he finished second. Van der Poel was overtaken by Colbrelli, and Florian Vermeersch, in his first Roubaix, and that didn't determine his true performance.

Experience is irrelevant to level at a given time, Van der Poel wasn't half the rider he was in 2021 compared to now.

RVV is a race of fine margins that blow up once over the last Kwaremont, and fine margins fell Pogacar's way the last 2 times.

To me it's akin to claiming Nadal is superior to Djokovic at the US Open because of H2H in the finals, rather than looking at overall track record.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Experience is irrelevant to level at a given time, Van der Poel wasn't half the rider he was in 2021 compared to now.

RVV is a race of fine margins that blow up once over the last Kwaremont, and fine margins fell Pogacar's way the last 2 times.

To me it's akin to claiming Nadal is superior to Djokovic at the US Open because of H2H in the finals, rather than looking at overall track record.

Terrible example. In 3 times, Pogacar won RVV 2 times. MVP has 3 wins in 7 participations and lost 2 times against Pogacar and won once. It is better to compare both when Pogacar has 7 participations there. I have a hard time believing Pogacar will not win RVV once in the next 4 participations.

 

[JoãoRamos]

OK, if you think that rules ought to change, that is an opinion.

But the notion that UAE should appeal when the maximum sanction under the rules was applied is clearly erroneous. And for you to aggressively demand of another forum user that they read the rules, while giving a very clear impression that you had either not read, or not understood them, really is not reasonable.


I note your failure to retract or apologise for making unsupported assumptions about my opinion on the application of the rules in this case.

Thank you for your message.

Just to clarify — I never intended to speak aggressively about the rules. On the contrary, I thought I had kept a respectful tone throughout, even ending my comment with “my friend.” Regarding your opinion, I may have misunderstood it. From what I gathered, you had made it quite clear that — in your view — this incident did not affect the integrity of the sport. That’s how it came across to me, and I certainly wasn’t trying to put words in your mouth. If it felt that way, I genuinely apologize — that was never my intention.

That said, if anyone came across as aggressive toward the other’s opinion, I believe it wasn’t me. I’ve tried to keep the discussion civil and focused on perspectives, not personal attacks. At no point did I intend to be disrespectful — nor do I think I was.

I simply believe that what VDP did was cheating — and I find it genuinely upsetting. The decision to break the rule knowingly, in a moment that could decisively alter the outcome of the race, goes beyond a minor infraction in my view. It strikes at the heart of what fair competition should be.

Once again, if I made unsupported assumptions about your opinion, I apologize.

 

[JoãoRamos]

Amstel is probably one of the races where Pog vs Evenepoel vs Van Aert could be most interesting.

Remco yes.

Van Aert? Just so overrated nowadays.

 

[JoãoRamos]

Experience is irrelevant to level at a given time, Van der Poel wasn't half the rider he was in 2021 compared to now.

RVV is a race of fine margins that blow up once over the last Kwaremont, and fine margins fell Pogacar's way the last 2 times.

To me it's akin to claiming Nadal is superior to Djokovic at the US Open because of H2H in the finals, rather than looking at overall track record.

But Rafa is superior

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

big asterisk with the rvv discussion is that MVDP was ill this year. He wasn't 100% that sunday, he needs to be to even stand a chance. He rode away 1m from Pedersen and more than 2 vs Van Aert in E3. He finished with them in RVV. He was not bad but also not superb like the week(s) before. I'd still want to see a 100% MVDP in RVV

 

[Cycling111]

Pogacar crashed at Strade. He could have played the victim, as many rider have done, by exaggerating and
saying that he was affected that week , but he admitted that another rider was superior in Sanremo.
Why is it so hard to do the same with him in Flanders and admit that he´s the best Flandier ?


In Flanders, Pogacar is better than Mathieu. But since last year I read that Pogacar wasn´t superior to Remco in Lombardia, it doesn't surprise me that everything is being questioned to continue underestimating his achievements.

I don't understand why some fans insist on underestimating everything. It seemed obvious that he's better Flandier since 2023, but after yesterday's race, I think there should be no doubt that if he's almost impossible to drope him in a flat section, he's better on sections with some gradient in Flanders.



I'm not going to argue about it any further. Since I started reading this thread, it's been a constant practice to discredit everything. The idea that he's not the best in Lombardia or that he only won because Remco arrived tired after four years of winning... WTF.
If some question him even Lombardia, everything will be undervalued.

 

[Peyroteo94]

big asterisk with the rvv discussion is that MVDP was ill this year. He wasn't 100% that sunday, he needs to be to even stand a chance. He rode away 1m from Pedersen and more than 2 vs Van Aert in E3. He finished with them in RVV. He was not bad but also not superb like the week(s) before. I'd still want to see a 100% MVDP in RVV

C'mon Dekker. He just finished with them due to racing circunstances. He was miles better like we saw in Paterberg (not the last), Koppenberg, Kruisberg.

 

[Cycling111]

Terrible example. In 3 times, Pogacar won RVV 2 times. MVP has 3 wins in 7 participations and lost 2 times against Pogacar and won once. It is better to compare both when Pogacar has 7 participations there. I have a hard time believing Pogacar will not win RVV once in the next 4 participations.

He's won two of three,
and in the only one he hasn't won, in his debut he made VDP suffer in all the sections, who only won him in a sprint. the final sprint. Mathieu has never been better than Pogacar in cobles sections in the three editions of Flanders.

Doubt that Pogacar isn´t better in Flanders when in three editions he´s never been beaten on the cobbled sections is absurd.

And yesterday's Roubaix only serves to confirm that if it is difficult to drope Pogacar on the flat,
In Flanders, the difficult thing is that Pogacar doesn't overtake everyone on gradient sections.

 

[JoãoRamos]

Pogacar crashed at Strade. He could have played the victim, as many rider have done, by exaggerating and
saying that he was affected that week , but he admitted that another rider was superior in Sanremo.
Why is it so hard to do the same with him in Flanders and admit that he´s the best Flandier ?


In Flanders, Pogacar is better than Mathieu. But since last year I read that Pogacar wasn´t superior to Remco in Lombardia, it doesn't surprise me that everything is being questioned to continue underestimating his achievements.

I don't understand why some fans insist on underestimating everything. It seemed obvious that he's better Flandier since 2023, but after yesterday's race, I think there should be no doubt that if he's almost impossible to drope him in a flat section, he's better on sections with some gradient in Flanders.



I'm not going to argue about it any further. Since I started reading this thread, it's been a constant practice to discredit everything. The idea that he's not the best in Lombardia or that he only won because Remco arrived tired after four years of winning... WTF.
If some question him even Lombardia, everything will be undervalued.

There are still those who hesitate to give Pogacar the full credit his talent deserves, perhaps because of his age, or perhaps because his brilliance feels almost too good to be true. His achievements are often downplayed or met with caveats. But slowly, yet surely, he continues to prove himself, not through words, but with his legs, his courage, and his class on the road.

In just three more years, with all due respect to other riders, we MAY be looking at an unprecedented palmarès: perhaps a three-time World Champion, seven Il Lombardia wins, five LBL, four Tour of Flanders, and multiple Grand Tours added to his name. Maybe even a MSR or a P-R, who knows?

VDP is the only rider who still offers serious resistance in MSR and P-R, but he’s already 30. Meanwhile, Pog is entering what could very well be the peak of his form. Over the next three years, we might see him break through even those final barriers.

Time will tell, but history may soon have to find a whole new category for him.

 

[rafa92]

Amstel doesn't add much but winning AGR+FW+LBL makes him the best puncheur ever. He is chasing records! This is what makes him training hard.

honestly the ardennes treble won't do any difference when we analyze his career at the end, it's all about monuments, worlds, olympics and GTs

 

[TiesjBenoot]

C'mon Dekker. He just finished with them due to racing circunstances. He was miles better like we saw in Paterberg (not the last), Koppenberg, Kruisberg.

Did u see Mvdp in E3, SanRemo and Roubaix?
He was not even close in Flanders!

If he would, he would ride away and finish with Pog or X seconds behind him but still way in front of Pedersen,Wva and Stuyven.

To claim, he gots destroyed by Pog(to close to the sun) and thats why he finsihed with group 2 is ridiculous if u consider his races in 2025.....
(that does not mean he would win or finish with Pog... thats something different).

 

[JoãoRamos]

honestly the ardennes treble won't do any difference when we analyze his career at the end, it's all about monuments, worlds, olympics and GTs

I agree, but right now I will love him to slay them all and get the treble.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Did u see Mvdp in E3, SanRemo and Roubaix?
He was not even close in Flanders!

If he would, he would ride away and finish with Pog or X seconds behind him but still way in front of Pedersen,Wva and Stuyven.

To claim, he gots destroyed by Pog(to close to the sun) and thats why he finsihed with group 2 is ridiculous if u consider his races in 2025.....
(that does not mean he would win or finish with Pog... thats something different).

But he finished with them due to racing circunstances. Wasn't Pogacar so much better than Van Baarle in 2022? Well, Pogi ended behind him. Any person using the argument he was at the same level as Wout/Pedersen/Stuyven is just dishonest. Without Pogacar, MVP would be alone after Koppenberg and they would only see him on the podium.