Feels like comparing Pogacars average TTs to Thomas' peak TTs this one. Sure I'll take Thomas in a pan flat ITT but he didn't even win the hilly one in the Tour he so called "dominated"
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You know the intermediate times, so I think a better example is the year after in Pau (and I don't expect that to beat either of the Slovenians).
Geraint is better TTer everywere but in TdF, where even Ganna may have problems beating Pogacar in flat TT
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No but he was obviously the best rider on that one with the best intermediate times and then he stopped taking risks in the final part. You can't really blame him for that.
Realistically and historically speaking if there are two cyclists in the peloton that can dominate a GT race. That is usually by itself much more then we can hope for. On who can challenge them in 2022. Here we are getting in specifics and indeed it's currently hard to find a name that clearly satisfies such specifics. There still are other big names involved hence Roglič & Pogačar are the ones that can beat Rogla and Pogi too. On a GT race. And somebody else to profit from that.
Maybe due to lack of training while suffering from the infection…
So the UAE results list will show:
- Pogacar (SLO-W)
- Vlasov (even SLO-WER)
- Almeida (SLO-WEST)
A while back we discussed some shared training data. That i guess is indeed the problem for the competition. On the pros side the data hinted Pogačar is a bit overweight and not in his peak form regarding watts. Confirmation that he does manage his peak and some leverage is left in this area. On the cons side the data hinted that out of shape Pogačar broke records.
Today ultraclimber Campenaerts broke Pogacar's and Ayuso's "out of this world" KOM on Col de Rates. Just as with certain other riders, it's the media that is skewing the discussion in search of clicks.
Geraint is better TTer everywere but in TdF, where even Ganna may have problems beating Pogacar in flat TT
The GC riders that can time trial can usually to better than some specialists in a TT during a GT. Especially if it comes in the middle of the race or at the end, after many hard stages. Which is not really a surprise. The GC riders handles the attrition better than other riders and have good recovery. They are protected on the flat stages and does not do any work in the wind. Where a rider like Ganna does a lot of work in a GT. So specialists might perform a bit worse than you would expect sometimes in a race which should suit him very well. It is more likely is beaten in a time trial during a GT, than lets say Worlds. Which is one race, one day.
Credit where credit is due though. Some of the best GC riders are also great racing against the clock. Which is not a huge surprise either. Most of them are not small and light climbers. They are all-round riders, that can handle most things thrown at them. Strong riders, that have few weaknesses. Thats what its takes to win GTs.
SLO-WEEEEST, life is peaceful there...
Any news if Contador confirmed already to take part in this challenge?
Campanaerts is now the favorite to win the TDF. After Quintana of course.
OTOH Pogacar will be fighting hard to enter top10 while Ayuso will be a grupetto guy.
Interesting interview of Pogacar in today's Gazzetta dello Sport on the eve of the UAE Tour, in the cover picture of which he seems quite fit popping a wheely. He says he only lost 4 training days due to Covid in the Sierra Nevadas, so no big deal. The possibility of a Milano-San Remo victory alla Nibali is an inspiration, but feasably difficult, because even the sprinters go up the Poggio fast. He adores the Strade Bianche and is psyched to be doing a full program in Italy including Tirreno-Adriatico. The pavé of Roubaix are not a priority now, but later in his career he want's to give them a go. He claims he doesn't think he can get much stronger, but last years level will be enough to win a third Tour. He was shocked by Bernals incident and obviously wishes him a speedy return on the bike.
Tom Boonen's favourite for the RVV 2022 is... Tadej Pogacar! Or so he said in a podcast with Belgian comentator legend Michel Wuyts for 'het laatste nieuws'. linky clicky -> dutch only podcast on the opening classics
Other topics:
Other topics:
- Jumbo is (a lot) stronger then previous years. However Tom Boonen argues that to be as succesfull as the wolf pack you need more then 7-8 strong riders. It'll take a few years for Jumbo to learn to ride as a team.
- Boonen even says that because WVA is so strong, he generally tends to not use his team in a propper way and relies to much on his own strenght.
- They (both Wuyts and Tom Boonen) suspect WVA will be the big man in the upcomming cobble classics because of his strong CX winter and because it's the first time ever he had 7 weeks between cross season and classics to build up.
- However Pogacar will win RVV according to Boonen because he has it all; steering skills, big engine, explosive acceleration
- Alaphillipe will focus on winning LBL because it might be one of his last chances to win LBL considering the current strong generation that are all younger then him (they mention Pogacar and Remco, I assume also Hirschi, MVP and WVA) . He will however have a few more chances to win RVV in the coming years. According to Boonen he is suited for RVV more then LBL.
- They expect a strong Colbrelli in Roubaix but Wuyts thinks RVV is to much climbing for him.
Lol. Colbrelli, who could get third on a mountain stage in the Tour and keep up with Remco in the ECRR will find the climbing in Flanders too much... And Alaphilippe better suited to Flanders than LBL?
Sometimes people just ramble when they are on a podcast, apparently.
Agreed. I can follow the alaphilippe RVV one. He could punch away on Paterberg and solo to the finish they way he did in Leuven, Imola and a couple of TdF stages.
But Colbrelli is prolly the best climbing sprinter since, well WVA, but before that I can't remember anyone in recent history.
Hushovd was good on the climbs, but poor on the bergs. It's not unheard of.
Haven't listened to it, but Van Aert won the double Ventoux stage, dropping Mollema. Alahilippe, etc. But he couldn't follow in Overijse.
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