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Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

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That era has been tremendously shaken in the last few years.
Using the 2010s way of defining riders, we can't even tell what kind of rider Pidcock or Madouas exactly are, and Remco after thousands pages
You have to go back to the 80s for a reference. Yet since specialization started to creep in from that time forward, the general level grew on the key dates for the various targeted events, which makes it all the more remarkable that someone can come along and be as good across specialties as Tadej is demonstrating.
 
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That era has been tremendously shaken in the last few years.
Using the 2010s way of defining riders, we can't even tell what kind of rider Pidcock or Madouas exactly are, and Remco after thousands pages
The 2010's Sky years were grim. It was almost as if there were two distinct road disciplines that never met (apart from Thomas at E3 but then he wasn't a Tour leader) and whenever you would tell someone your favourite sport was cycling all they'd say was Tour de France. I guess a huge percentage of people will always think that way but it's great that a champion like Pog could maybe elevate some of the other races. Dare I say it's also kind of good that he didn't win the two Monuments this year even though he was the attacking force in both...if that makes sense.
 
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Giro is super winable.

Flanders is super winable.

MSR is winable, but a lottery as we all know.

Roubaix ??
Winnable. But also super hard to win. Although I'm not entirely sure being heavier is literally beneficial or if it's just all rouleur ability and endurance.

But all the W/kg edges he has just melt away completely. And he's not gonna win a reduced group sprint in that race.
 
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Don't know till I see him ride it, although I bet he's got at least the same odds as Moscon, who but for a puncture had it in the bag last year. What about Giro-Tour double, the question of the century (for me anyway)?

I really hope that Pogi does the double already next year and I think that there is a fairly good chance of that happening if he wins his third Tour this year.
 
Poor Pogi. I feel for him. He was by far the strongest rider in the race today and ended out of the podium. He knows it's one of his last chances for a big win this season, that's why he is in peak form atm. Maybe he has a slight chance in L-B-L, too. But he knows he'll probably need a miracle to beat The Roglinator aka The Roglstomp in July and August. Pogi is smart...He knows...
 
Van der Poel hit 1470 watts last year in the sprint and still lost, so it's not all about peak power obviously.

Problem for Pogacar though that it is indeed in my opinion almost impossible for him to compete in a flat sprint against guys almost 10kg heavier than him if they do a normal sprint
 
You have to go back to the 80s for a reference. Yet since specialization started to creep in from that time forward, the general level grew on the key dates for the various targeted events, which makes it all the more remarkable that someone can come along and be as good across specialties as Tadej is demonstrating.
I said this earlier in the Flanders topic but doesn't the change in material also change some of the specialisation?
Wider tyres, more gears. More 'comfortable' material for cobbles etc... Kinda takes away the specialty no?

Although the combination of GC riding and (sprinting) explosivity like Pogacar and in lesser sense Roglic show hasn't been seen in decades.
Neither people like WvA who can TT, sprint, climb etc as well.
 
I said this earlier in the Flanders topic but doesn't the change in material also change some of the specialisation?
Wider tyres, more gears. More 'comfortable' material for cobbles etc... Kinda takes away the specialty no?

Although the combination of GC riding and (sprinting) explosivity like Pogacar and in lesser sense Roglic show hasn't been seen in decades.
Neither people like WvA who can TT, sprint, climb etc as well.
I think the material gains have just contributed to increasing the general level across the peleton, but not that the cream always rises to the top. Not since Hinault, however, have we really seen a rider who could compete in the classics and win the Tour like Tadej. To do this today makes it all the more remarkable.
 
I think the material gains have just contributed to increasing the general level across the peleton, but not that the cream always rises to the top. Not since Hinault, however, have we really seen a rider who could compete in the classics and win the Tour like Tadej. To do this today makes it all the more remarkable.

Lemond was after Hinault. Never won a monument but 2nd at MSR and Lombardia and 4th at Roubaix.

but I agree with your comment, don’t get me wrong.

basically since the 80s. And it is damn good to see it happening again.
 
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is he the first rider over 4000 points in the CQ rolling ranking

Yes. Before Pogi, Rogla held the record after Flèche '21 with 3861 points. So Pogi took the record after Dwars.

Roglič had the advantage of the different calendar, but in that rolling year he lost at least 232 on the last day of P-N, 260 points (and more) in Dauphiné.
 
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