Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Valv.Piti]

I dont think Vingo ever gets as perfect of a storm like last year against Pogi, but I get what youre saying

 

[Panda Claws]

Slovenia already cleared out two big races they still needed to win this year (Volta a Catalunya and Ronde van Vlaanderen). Will Giro d'Italia be next?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

He already has the most monuments of all active riders (4). Not bad for a 24 yo who's a stage-race specialist!

 

[Red Rick]

Weird that Pogacar would be the favorite for the TdF again after a cobbled race.

 

[Netserk]

Slovenia already cleared out two big races they still needed to win this year (Volta a Catalunya and Ronde van Vlaanderen). Will Giro d'Italia be next?

They miss the Giro, the WCRR, and Roubaix. Only podiums so far in those races have been Rogla and Hauptman.

 

[Panda Claws]

They miss the Giro, the WCRR, and Roubaix. Only podiums so far in those races have been Rogla and Hauptman.

Yes, I've been tracking that but aside from Roubaix these all seem like manageable races.

 

[Lequack]

Amazing win, not that the rest of his wins arent. But this was special. I didn't think he could pull it off against MVDP and Wout, but he did it. Hats off.

 

[tobydawq]

Don't use the term Greatest Of All Time lightly. Maybe in five or ten years. But now it's still too early. Won't even mention the obvious Belgian guy.

I'm not using it lightly.

 

[jmdirt]

GREAT ride young man!

I guess that eliminates a few of the debates.

EDIT: I don't understand how a guy can win a HUGE race, but people want to talk about the TdF?! WTH?!

 

[Cassirer]

EDIT: I don't understand how a guy can win a HUGE race, but people want to talk about the TdF?! WTH?!

I'm as much in awe by his win as anyone here, but the tdf will and has to be his main goal. And I don't want to take anything away from mvdp (or wout or any classics guy), but taking into account prestige, audiences, Marketing value etc etc, this was a sidequest to the coming duel with vingegaard.

 

[Big Doopie]

I guess that eliminates a few of the debates.

Perhaps.

However the opinion was much the same this time last year, and then… ;-)

Riders have different targets. Kudos to him that he is hitting it out of the park so far with his in 2023.

 

[JosefK]

You'll notice no tufts of hair sticking out of his helmet today in Flanders. Increased aerodynamic efficiency! Is it just me, or does Pog look to be a level above where he was at the same time last season (which was still impressive)? Surely he will be the solid favorite for the TDF. I think Jumbo, to have a chance, will need to bring a monster team for Vingo (very possible) to include a crash-free and still-in-form Roglic after the Giro, if that is even possible.

 

[Nick2413]

Epic demonstration today. Probably the 2nd biggest day in his cycling career. Roubaix will happen at some point.

 

[houtdffan]

One of the questions is how exactly is he able to swim against the currents of specialisation? He has some anaerobic capacity & punch, but is not hampered too much by it in GTs. And at the same time he has such a superior aerobic capacity and thus endurance that he can break MVDPs and WVAs from far away in hard classics. Because cycling is an aerobic sport, dammit, the latter is of course more important.

But for the past 30yrs this has not really been the case save for a couple exceptions, but Pogi does it frequently. So, how can some riders become aerobically dominant again: genes? training? wrong subforum?

Or perhaps Pog is one of the best ever (as Remco may also be). These guys are far far better than the specialists of the past 20 years. This is like having Hinault and Merckx in the peloton at the same time

 

[Pantani_lives]

Massive demonstration by a guy who excels on many terrains. His power seemed limitless. However I still don't see him winning the ski jumping in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

 

[Big Doopie]

Or perhaps Pog is one of the best ever (as Remco may also be). These guys are far far better than the specialists of the past 20 years. This is like having Hinault and Merckx in the peloton at the same time

i so agree with this.

and VDP = DeVlaeminck
and WvA = Maertens

 

[veganrob]

What I like like about Pogacar is he looks like he is really having fun. He loves riding and racing. He is not afraid to do crazy attacks. But today was well thought out and it succeeded. I think that also helps being able to be so good at one day races as well as GT's. He's also supremely talented.
Last person who seemed to love racing and not afraid to risk it as Pogi was Alberto Contador. Never knew when he would do something crazy. Loved him.
Go Pogi!..

 

[Elos Anjos]

When was the last time someone had both RVV and Lombardia in their Palmares?

 

[Didinho]

When was the last time someone had both RVV and Lombardia in their Palmares?

Philippe Gilbert?

 

[Poursuivant]

I don’t want to sound too over the top but Pogacar is fast when riding his bicycle.

 

[Didinho]

Wanted to see his climbing times on Strava in the final but he's been flagged lol.

 

[houtdffan]

i so agree with this.

and VDP = DeVlaeminck
and WvA = Maertens

GT stages between those 2 may be fought out over the entire 200km. I could see Pog and Remco attacking from the first climb of the day and staying away

 

[Panda Claws]

Can't wait for Froome to return to form so we can have the ultimate mutant v. alien

 

[Lorzenz08]

What a race today.

Now I really hope there will not be any accident until the tdF because I feel like Pogi passed to an other level this year, can't wait to see what he will achieve.

 

[Big Doopie]

In the spring of 1975, Merckx won:

MSR
Tour de Flandres
Amstel
LBL

...and was second by half a wheel at Roubaix to DeVlaeminck (who took an illegal feed just as he was looking like he was getting dropped). Merkx also had a flat with 7 km to go and still came back...

That spring, he also podiumed Paris-Nice and won Catalunya. His worst placing was sixth at Gent-Wevelgem.

If Pog wins Amstel and LBL this spring, he is getting close but still not quite on par...