Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

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canina82

Feb 20, 2026
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Peyresourde said:
If Pogacar succesfully does a solo attack from Capo Berta, we really won't need to do the actual races anymore in the future. Just award him the victory for every race where he is on the startlist.

The team making the race hard there is already a task which is very difficult to execute correctly. The straight wide road is really a problem for that. I would say that to succesfully harden Berta without just blowing your own team up is even more difficult than doing a good lead-out on Cipressa.
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Exactly this. Capo Berta is not hard at all, hth is Pogacar gonna attack there?
 
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The bald fraud

Jul 25, 2025
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Pantani Attacks said:
They should drill it for sure at Berta to make the race harder, although the team will be weakened severely for it. I feel the plan will be similar to last year and hope Pog is Pog.
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The harder the race, the higher the chances are for Pog's victory. So make the race as hard as possible. If the race is as easy as MSR, the best tactic of UAE would be to use every bit of climbing and drill it. So they should probably set a hard pace on Capo Mele already (continue with Cervo and Capo Berta) to tire legs of competitors and put lactates therein. The Capi are short, but they are the only climbs in MSR before Cipressa (Turchino might be a tad too far).

But it is a big question whether the selected UAE team is capable of doing that.
 
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Rou

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Salvarani

Oct 15, 2017
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Rou said:
cyclinguptodate.com

Change of plans? Isaac del Toro reportedly set for surprise Ardennes call-up for UAE Team Emirates

Isaac del Toro’s 2026 programme at UAE Team Emirates - XRG may already be evolving, with respected journalist Daniel Benson reporting that the Mexican is set to add the Ardennes Classics to his spring...
cyclinguptodate.com cyclinguptodate.com
If this turns out to be true the Pogman should be OBLIGED to do 2 GTs.
They are overusing the young bull while Pog plays the 'fatigue' card.
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He is not obliged. You still underestimate the prep and what racing the cobbles does. Then switching training to be ready for Tour. It is not like he does nothing when he not racing from Jan to end of Tour. Some rest is needed after Tour, before targeting Worlds + Lombardia.

People complain about Del Toro not being leader enough (even though he gets plenty of races).
He potentially gets leadership in Ardennes and people complain anyway.

That would give him a chance to test himself in LBL, if Pog gets removed from line-up, which could be interesting to see. Probably together with Christen and Cosnefroy among others.

Then it also makes more sense that Pog does Romandie after PR imo, rather than doing Ardennes inbetween as well.

Not mad at that schedule. Maybe he will still do LBL, I guess.

Del Toro and others riding Amstel, Fleche and LBL.
 
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Rou

Mar 20, 2024
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Salvarani said:
He is not obliged. You still underestimate the prep and what racing the cobbles does. Then switching training to be ready for Tour. It is not like he does nothing when he not racing from Jan to end of Tour. Some rest is needed after Tour, before targeting Worlds + Lombardia.

People complain about Del Toro not being leader enough (even though he gets plenty of races).
He potentially gets leadership in Ardennes and people complain anyway. That would give him a chance to test himself in LBL.
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Pogacar could do an Armstrong schedule with only the Tour as a main race and you will still cope with having a rest for Lombardia.
A certain rider called Remco Evenepoel back in 2022 won the Vuelta, finished 3rd in the World's TT and won the World's RR.
So is a 22 year old Evenepoel better than Pogacar who can't handle a Vuelta-World's combo?
 
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Salvarani

Oct 15, 2017
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Rou said:
Pogacar could do an Armstrong schedule with only the Tour as a main race and you will still cope with having a rest for Lombardia.
A certain rider called Remco Evenepoel back in 2022 won the Vuelta, finished 3rd in the World's TT and won the World's RR.
So is a 22 year old Evenepoel better than Pogacar who can't handle a Vuelta-World's combo?
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But he is not doing that is he? He is training and racing classics in the spring.

Remco didnt race Tour or classics in the first half of that season.

Pog can do two GTs, but then he probably has to sacrifice the classics and a couple of other races.

He just cant do classics + two GTs + Worlds & Lombardia. Something gotta give.
 
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The bald fraud

Jul 25, 2025
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Salvarani said:
Remco didnt race Tour or classics in the first half of the season.

Pog can do two GTs, but then he probably has to sacrifice the classics and others races.

He just cant do classics + two GTs + Worlds & Lombardia. Something gotta give.
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Exactly. Pogačar CAN do Vuelta + Worlds, but not ALL of main spring classics + Tour + Vuelta + Worlds + Euros (this year in Slovenia) + Lombardia. It would be just too much.

Though I strongly believe he will do spring classics + Tour + Worlds RR + Vuelta NEXT YEAR (Vuelta after Worlds, no Euros in Slovenia).
 
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AmRacer

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The bald fraud said:
Exactly. Pogačar CAN do Vuelta + Worlds, but not ALL of main spring classics + Tour + Vuelta + Worlds + Euros (this year in Slovenia) + Lombardia. It would be just too much.

Though I strongly believe he will do spring classics + Tour + Worlds RR + Vuelta NEXT YEAR (Vuelta after Worlds, no Euros in Slovenia).
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He needs to rest and recharge at some point.
 
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Shortcut

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There is no way Pogi not racing LBL. He is in his prime and every monument is important right now. Del Toro is great but Remco and Seixas are even better for LBL so UAE will not risk it. In maybe two years Seixas could be even stronger than Pogacar so it would be incredibly stupid to skip it. I am 100% he will skip Romandie or Suisse(i think Suisse if he wins Romandie) and i also think he will go to Vuelta. Del Toro can show everything at Amstel and FW but i think he is pretty self aware and knows Pogacar is not Pelizzari or Jorgenson. Jorgenson was huge problem fir Del Toro at Tirreno but we all know how Jorgenson looks when Pogacar is in the race.
 
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The bald fraud

Jul 25, 2025
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AmRacer said:
He needs to rest and recharge at some point.
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Exactly. This is precisely why the Tour-Vuelta double is not on the cards this season, but could be next year.
In 2027, Pog will likely take a break after LBL (no Romandie). Tour will probably take place between July 3 and July 25. Worlds RR then takes place on September 5. So he can take 2-3 weeks off after the Tour and then prepare for the Worlds. And then go YOLO to the Vuelta a week later without specific preparation (keep in mind he should be in good climbing form for the Worlds already!).
 
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canina82

Feb 20, 2026
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The bald fraud said:
Exactly. This is precisely why the Tour-Vuelta double is not on the cards this season, but could be next year.
In 2027, Pog will likely take a break after LBL (no Romandie). Tour will probably take place between July 3 and July 25. Worlds RR then takes place on September 5. So he can take 2-3 weeks off after the Tour and then prepare for the Worlds. And then go YOLO to the Vuelta a week later without specific preparation (keep in mind he should be in good climbing form for the Worlds already!).
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Next year it's the perfect year for Pogacar to do the Vuelta.
I just think it will be strange to see him with just 42 or 43 race days.
 
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canina82

Feb 20, 2026
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Rou said:
Yes, yes.
Next year he will have only 30 race days. Good thing it will be made of 5 Monuments, the Tour, World's and some random prep races in Italy.
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Yeah, I already feel his absence. Remco, Del Toro, Vingegaard, MVP, Wout have been way more active this season. Pogacar is giving me Sydney Mclaughlin vives. He disappears and just shows up in the big moments.
 
Pantani Attacks

Pantani Attacks

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Headwind isn't too kind for a solo raid but at the same time, it means whoever has the watts and can create a gap and sustain that can also have some joy. Plan doesn't change too much in my opinion although it isn't the most ideal of conditions.
 
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vappa

Feb 25, 2026
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Pantani Attacks said:
Headwind isn't too kind for a solo raid but at the same time, it means whoever has the watts and can create a gap and sustain that can also have some joy. Plan doesn't change too much in my opinion although it isn't the most ideal of conditions.
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Without going into some extreme weather, these are pretty much the worst conditions one can get
 
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vappa

Feb 25, 2026
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MariaB said:
Yes, UAE just need to surprise everyone and nuke the Capos.

What can they lose?
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There's no nuking Capos, the first two are 2km each at 3,5 and 2,5%, basically flat for their speeds. Berta they could but it's only 2km at 6,3%, that's 3 minutes, can't put anyone you want to drop under pressure there

They would waste people who will try (and fail) to position the team before Cipressa and for the lead out on pulling all out on useless terrain
 
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James M

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vappa

Feb 25, 2026
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canina82 said:
His best chance is an attack in the last 2 kms.
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And sneaking away? He's the most watched rider in the peloton, maybe ever. Everyone that can still pedal will try to go after him. Especially if there's Philipsen, MvdP might sacrifice himself again
 
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MariaB

Jul 23, 2025
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vappa said:
There's no nuking Capos, the first two are 2km each at 3,5 and 2,5%, basically flat for their speeds. Berta they could but it's only 2km at 6,3%, that's 3 minutes, can't put anyone you want to drop under pressure there

They would waste people who will try (and fail) to position the team before Cipressa and for the lead out on pulling all out on useless terrain
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They will lose a lot of riders anyway on Cipressa.

So why they don't take the bull by the horns and try to break the peloton before Cipressa?
 
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canina82

Feb 20, 2026
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vappa said:
And sneaking away? He's the most watched rider in the peloton, maybe ever. Everyone that can still pedal will try to go after him. Especially if there's Philipsen, MvdP might sacrifice himself again
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I never said he has a good chance of winning MSR with this headwind.
 
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