Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Cookster15]

He easily beat him in Tirreno last year and also in Lombardy (so after the Tour). It doesn't matter that much cause Vinge at the Tour is a different beast,

I suppose Pog knows this now. He didn't really rate him in 2022 else he would not have ridden as he did on the Col du Granon stage. Interesting to see how Pog responds. Then it also comes back to the earlier discussion of has Pog already reached his physiological peak - at 24? If he hasn't, I say he will overcome Vingegaard on the return bout. If he does it will be one of cycling's great rivalries.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I suppose Pog knows this now. He didn't really rate him in 2022 else he would not have ridden as he did on the Col du Granon stage. Interesting to see how Pog responds. Then it also comes back to the earlier discussion of has Pog already reached his physiological peak - at 24? If he hasn't, I say he will overcome Vingegaard on the return bout. If he does it will be one of cycling's great rivalries.

My take is that Pog has already reached his peak (engine-wise) but if he's motivated (he surely is) there may still be room for improvement (i.e. slight weight loss, tweaks in build-up, change in tactical approach).

 

[Roku]

Great he focuses on Paris Nice. I think it's more relevant to add this race to his resumé rather than another try at Strade + Tirreno. Plus, I think he is trying to switch races to keep his program somewhat "fresher" and maintain motivation.

Pogi said it would be only "Tier 1" races after Andalucía, so I guess he is probably riding Dauphiné or Suisse this year, probably the former. I think it would be a wise choice, since Slovenie doesn't seem to be the best preparation in terms of competition.

Contador also said afterward he thought he was going for the stage win. Had he known he was 2 minutes back, he said he would have focused on taking even more time out of Nibali. He probably would have got a good 20 seconds had he raced from the bottom instead of thinking he was sprinting for a stage win

Contador was a notorious liar so I wouldn't take that remark seriously. That was probably part of his own mistic agenda where there was no one able to defeat him bar crashing, technical incidents, and so on.

 

[Berniece]

Seems as if he shies away from any encounter with the best cyclists in the world.

 

[Netserk]

Sporza reports that Tadej will skip Strade Bianche because he wants to win Paris-Nice.

But, but, but Strade is just below the monuments in prestige!?

 

[Andy schleck]

Clearly in his head, he needs to beat Vingegaard now, to go with more confidence in july, that he can beat Vingegaard at the tour.

 

[Andy schleck]

What he does to beat Vingegaard. He wants to beat him, he doesn't care about Paris Nice, it's all about beating a guy who gave him deep mental wounds after that 2022 Tour.

That's it.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Strade is just below the monuments in prestige!?

Below? Below? It's the seventh Monument. The seventh!

 

[Cookster15]

My take is that Pog has already reached his peak (engine-wise) but if he's motivated (he surely is) there may still be room for improvement (i.e. slight weight loss, tweaks in build-up, change in tactical approach).

Engine wise? Then it is also a matter of how we define a "peak". The scientific literature shows most endurance athletes' VO2 max peaks at early 20s. Until recently most assumed grand tour riders peaked between 26 and 30. Now I am not so sure, also per the earlier discussion of the rise in youngsters.

We can also look at Vinge who is nearly two years older but came into the sport later. Vinge might also struggle to reach his peak of 2022. And he will be forced to work harder in 2023 as won't be gifted an opportunity like Granon again.

But as a neutral observer (I am neither Danish nor Slovenian), I prefer Pog because of how he rides and the fact he is good all races and not just peak at the TdF which is just too much like Armstrong for my liking.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

But, but, but Strade is just below the monuments in prestige!?

If prestige means having the GCN team go gaga then I suppose so.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Engine wise? Then it is also a matter of how we define a "peak". The scientific literature shows most endurance athletes' VO2 max peaks at early 20s. Until recently most assumed grand tour riders peaked between 26 and 30. Now I am not so sure, also per the earlier discussion of the rise in youngsters.

Yup, I meant VO2 max and AnT power (absolute values). If he's able to reduce his weight a bit then relative values may still improve OFC.

 

[Red Rick]

But, but, but Strade is just below the monuments in prestige!?

He knows he can't win when the big boys show up.

It's like Nadal dodging Djokovic off clay

 

[Tim Cahill]

Running scared because he heard Golden Greg was back in his 2017 form

Realised to win he would have to do a bit more than dust off Mikel Landa in a sprint finish this time and didn't fancy the scrap.

 

[Andy schleck]

He knows he can't win when the big boys show up.

It's like Nadal dodging Djokovic off clay

But a big boy that already beat him, is gonna show up at PN.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

But a big boy that already beat him, is gonna show up at PN.

You mean a thin boy?

 

[fmk_RoI]

Pogačar's plan for back-to-back wins in Strade Bianche and Paris-Nice - dangled in front of us only a week ago - was to be the Dauphiné and Bordeaux-Paris double bill of our day, marking him out as the new Jacques Anquetil, minus the appeal of monsieur Chrono's libertine leanings. We'll just have to wait, I guess.

 

[Salvarani]

P-N and MSR would be something.

 

[Extinction]

The cosmos has given a trine configuration and so the cycling world gets prepared for Armageddon.

 

[fmk_RoI]

P-N and MSR would be something.

Eddy Merckx, 1969 and 1971
Sean Kelly, 1986
Laurent Jalabart, 1995

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Little bit disappointed that we won‘t see Pog vs MvdP vs WVA in 2023 Strade, because Pog doesn‘t start.

But Paris-Nice with Pog vs Vingegaard is great, of course.

Now Pog wants to add a P-N victory. Just like Primoz who wants to add his missing two, Catalunya and TdS, in near future.

 

[Oldermanish]

Seems as if he shies away from any encounter with the best cyclists in the world.

Arrrrr, Matey! You'll need a heavier downrigger to snag one....!

 

[Oldermanish]

He knows he can't win when the big boys show up.

It's like Nadal dodging Djokovic off clay

A moment ago

Berniece said:
Seems as if he shies away from any encounter with the best cyclists in the world.

Arrrrr, Matey! You'll need a heavier downrigger to snag one....!

 

[Extinction]

Everybody knows the World Tour is a gimmick, to sell cycling in markets that have no cycling culture following the neoliberal doctrine. Today, for example, I watched an Arab, bless his soul, who clearly hasn't ridden a bike once in his life, thwab clad, commenting on the results today. It was surreal.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Today, for example, I watched an Arab, bless his soul, who clearly hasn't ridden a bike once in his life, thwab clad, commenting on the results today. It was surreal.

You don't have to have been a cyclist to commentate (we can all name commentators who haven't raced), you don't need to have ridden a bike to be able to commentate (there are more commentators that don't ride bikes than you might think), but are we now making it a requirement that you don't wear non-western dress if you want to commentate?

 

[Panda Claws]

Seems as if he shies away from any encounter with the best cyclists in the world.

Would love to see him race this forum