Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[theyoungest]

Remco and Vingo made sure pogi was a protected rider. There was nothing left for the team to do but drop back and stay out of trouble

Visma were protecting the break. So in that sense yeah, there was not much to do for UAE. But this is just symptomatic for that team, they don't operate as a team.

 

[Peyroteo94]

The climbing level of the domestics will not determine if Vingegaard or Pogacar will win the TDF. If these two are in form then they will dominate the race. You refer to 2023. That was a case of Pogacar having an injury affected preparation. He could have had the best climbing domestics of all time but he was not going to win that TDF.

Yup. When Pogacar or Vingegaard attack, domestiques will be 2 minutes down in 5 km.

 

[jmdirt]

I think it's worth keeping in mind that who's better now is less important than who improves or stays in top form over the next six weeks. I think Lefevre was exactly right in making that point. We have over a month until the Tour really bites in the mountains. I think all of these guys want to be undercooked a bit right now.

True, but if they are all roughly the same undercooked, now is an important marker in time.

 

[Salvarani]

What a win today! GOAT

 

[Peyroteo94]

What a win today! GOAT

It was a very normal win eheheh. What is more impressive about him is how he always finds a way to win even when he is not trying. He's such a killer!

 

[scribers]

I didn’t expect mvp to sag at that moment

 

[Peyroteo94]

I didn’t expect mvp to sag at that moment

I was. He was leading out the group.

 

[rafa92]

I was. He was leading out the group.

btw today it showed me that if pog and vdp do a similar effort at the end of a though race, pog can beat him in a sprint. The only problem is that in the race where that would matter (MSR), pog had to do all the work with vdp in his wheels for many Kms

 

[Peyroteo94]

btw today it showed me that if pog and vdp do a similar effort at the end of a though race, pog can beat him in a sprint. The only problem is that in the race where that would matter (MSR), pog had to do all the work with vdp in his wheels for many Kms

MVP normally plays more smartly.

 

[Lorzenz08]

MVP normally plays more smartly.

Maybe he thought that Pogi being in climbing shape (lost weight, trained for long climbs...) he would get the sprint easily and less need for smart tactic

 

[Peyroteo94]

Maybe he thought that Pogi being in climbing shape (lost weight, trained for long climbs...) he would get the sprint easily and less need for smart tactic

No. He just didn't have another option so he played the right card (if he doesn't cooperate, he would lose to the peloton). However, he should have gambled more in the final Km, specially due to Remco's naiveness

 

[Peyroteo94]

Visma looks very good for the mountains.
If they add Tullett, their team is so stacked. Pogacar must be careful in the Tour. He should build a minute gap and then just follow Vingegaard.

 

[BubbaChuck]

almeida will have to cover kuss,yates and jorg.he will be cooked.adam yates was getting dropped by van aart in giro.yesterday pog already had to cover jorg and tullet on a easy hilly stage.

 

[scribers]

well pogi didn’t have to cover them at all. This race isn’t won yesterday. It’s on far more decisive stages later.

 

[Mina.S]

I kind of wonder if they will change up their tour team. Vermeersch was at training camp and Narvaez was training at home. Yesterday was just like every other year of Pog sticking himself to the Visma train because his team just evaporate when needed.

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

I think one of UAE's challenges is, and always has been, to build a TdF team that can make a difference when Tadej has an issue. VLAB's TdF team is really good, but what's more; they are really good for Jonas or a rider like Jonas, specifically.

Also, wasn't Trentin good or at least better at positioning the team, when he was racing for UAE, or did I just make that up in my mind?

 

[Mina.S]

I think one of UAE's challenges is, and always has been, to build a TdF team that can make a difference when Tadej has an issue. VLAB's TdF team is really good, but what's more; they are really good for Jonas or a rider like Jonas, specifically.

Also, wasn't Trentin good or at least better at positioning the team, when he was racing for UAE, or did I just make that up in my mind?

I think Almedia and Yates are a significant improvement for the team. They are both proven to work for Pog and are good climbing support.

Trentin was good at UAE I think he just wanted to leave. To me they brought a whole team of rouleurs and they can't even position him properly. Politt was there and Soler and Wellens did have Mechanicals but.

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

I think Almedia and Yates are a significant improvement for the team. They are both proven to work for Pog and are good climbing support.

Trentin was good at UAE I think he just wanted to leave. To me they brought a whole team of rouleurs and they can't even position him properly. Politt was there and Soler and Wellens did have Mechanicals but.

Almeida and Yates are fine climbing support; really hope both are in top form for the TdF.

My point is more that VLAB seems better at compensating and supporting in situations where Jonas historically has shown some vulnerability. Like gravel/cobbler stages.

The UAE team issue with positioning Tadej is something I do not understand at all.

 

[theyoungest]

Visma looks very good for the mountains.
If they add Tullett, their team is so stacked. Pogacar must be careful in the Tour. He should build a minute gap and then just follow Vingegaard.

They're not going to add Tulett. He's probably the backup for if one of the other climbers gets injured.

In the mountains there shouldn't really be a problem for Pogi, his team will probably be stronger than Visma there. His main concern should be in flat stages like yesterday, where his team always abandons him and he has to do everything on his own. So far this hasn't really cost him. At some point your luck runs out though.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I think Almedia and Yates are a significant improvement for the team. They are both proven to work for Pog and are good climbing support.

Trentin was good at UAE I think he just wanted to leave. To me they brought a whole team of rouleurs and they can't even position him properly. Politt was there and Soler and Wellens did have Mechanicals but.

Pogacar will have Almeida in top shape. Unfortunately he will need to sacrifice his own GC in the Alps, I think Visma will go crazy in the Loze stage.

 

[Peyroteo94]

They're not going to add Tulett. He's probably the backup for if one of the other climbers gets injured.

In the mountains there shouldn't really be a problem for Pogi, his team will probably be stronger than Visma there. His main concern should be in flat stages like yesterday, where his team always abandons him and he has to do everything on his own. So far this hasn't really cost him. At some point your luck runs out though.

I think he can be in the Tour team to be honest but Visma will probably choose a rouleur

 

[Peyroteo94]

I kind of wonder if they will change up their tour team. Vermeersch was at training camp and Narvaez was training at home. Yesterday was just like every other year of Pog sticking himself to the Visma train because his team just evaporate when needed.

Nah. UAE have too many guys for the flat already.
I believe more in Novak.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

well pogi didn’t have to cover them at all. This race isn’t won yesterday. It’s on far more decisive stages later.

Like today: Ramco, Vingegaard, VdP and Pogi enter the break on Côte de Saint Jacques d'Ambur, just for the lolz, their teams won't work and everyone else ships 5 minutes. Somehow Pogi doesn't win but a random rider from the break and everybody is happy. This is how it will be, and if not here, in a better, more adequate timeline.

 

[theyoungest]

I think he can be in the Tour team to be honest but Visma will probably choose a rouleur

Their Tour team is already pretty much a certainty, barring injury. Laporte will be replaced by Affini. They don't believe in stacking your team with climbers like UAE do.

Vingegaard - Yates - Kuss - Jorgenson - Van Aert - Affini - Campenaerts - Benoot.

 

[Mina.S]

Pogacar will have Almeida in top shape. Unfortunately he will need to sacrifice his own GC in the Alps, I think Visma will go crazy in the Loze stage.

I think Visma will just go for the typical isolate Pog and roll attacks on him. It basically always works because he is almost always isolated early. Even yesterday he was isolated and they tried to roll him but he didn't respond to Jorgenson. Not sure if he will be able to get away with that in the tour.