Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Lequack]

That's cycling. If you want to win you have to race, If you race you can crash. Pog had never crashed out of any race before, which was rare.

What about Vingegaard? I don't remember him crashing out of any race.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

What about Vingegaard? I don't remember him crashing out of any race.

Not many people paid attention to him during the 2017 Tour des Fjords, 2018 Giro della Valle d'Aosta or 2019 Tour of Norway. Since then he had DNFed other races, because he didn't have the legs or was sick or whatever reasons were given.

 

[Gratemans]

Things like random potholes on 260k routes aren’t ever going away. Using that as an example of the need for increased safety is not an accurate reflection of what can actually be fixed. Other things sure, better designed finishes and potentially certain other things.

All in all, yeah in an ideal world it would be nice if organisers or local government could check the entire course for potholes. But do you have hands-on experience with the Belgian roads? In general, they're in an abismal state. It's completely unrealistic to expect them to have the course in pristine shape each year.
(no offense meant btw, we have our own problems here with an obscene amount of roundabouts and road-furniture for example.)

Potholes happen, sh*t happens. Let's not get our panties in a twist because this time it was a big name that went down.
The only thing that can actually make me furious regarding safety is the part I bolded in the quote: The finishes on some sprint stages. Those designers at times willfully put cyclists in danger.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Pogacar out for 4-6 weeks, probably no altitude training in May:

UPDATED: Doctors confirm six-week recovery for Tadej Pogačar after Liège-Bastogne-Liège surgery

Slovenian star undergoes successful surgery, crucial pre-Tour de France altitude camps at question.

www.velonews.com

Not good but it still depends on how quickly it actually heals. He can skip Slovenia and spend the whole June at an altitude. If the preparations turn out to be not enough there's still Vuelta.

Bad news. Probably no Tour de France for him. he can't recognize Tour climbs if he will do an alttitude camp in June

 

[Gigs_98]

Mission attack on the Basque walls is now officially aborted. Instead it's now all about the 3rd week mega peak and mission havoc in the rainy Vosges. I think I prefer it this way.

 

[Unchained]

If a good attitude have healing power his wrist will be 100% by the end of the week!!

 

[Extinction]

That's cycling. If you want to win you have to race, If you race you can crash. Pog had never crashed out of any race before, which was rare.

He was multiplying the risk for a Tour contender.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

He was multiplying the risk for a Tour contender.

None Tour contender in decades was capable of winning almost all races in the calendar. He's a phenom who was having an amazing spring. There are other goals than the Tour and it's obvious that with each passing season he's less and less focused on July. Next season he may try Roubaix actually. If his preparations are hampered it's not the end of the world and he still hasn't won the Vuelta.

 

[Extinction]

None Tour contender in decades was capable of winning almost all races in the calendar. He's a phenom who was having an amazing spring. There are other goals than the Tour and it's obvious that with each passing season he's less and less focused on July. Next season he may try Roubaix actually. If his preparations are hampered it's not the end of the world and he still hasn't won the Vuelta.

I doubt his sponsors are less focused on the Tour. He should go for the Giro-Tour double, if he's the phenom folks think he is.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I doubt his sponsors are less focused on the Tour. He should go for the Giro-Tour double, if he's the phenom folks think he is.

Hypothetically with everything going right; winning MSR, RVV, LBL, TDF, and Lombardi all in the same year > Giro-Tour.

 

[Extinction]

Hypothetically with everything going right; winning MSR, RVV, LBL, TDF, and Lombardi all in the same year > Giro-Tour.

No. The Giro is a distant GT second, but combined with the Tour in victory is the ultimate feat in the sport.

 

[CyclistAbi]

All in all, yeah in an ideal world it would be nice if organisers or local government could check the entire course for potholes. But do you have hands-on experience with the Belgian roads? In general, they're in an abismal state. It's completely unrealistic to expect them to have the course in pristine shape each year.
(no offense meant btw, we have our own problems here with an obscene amount of roundabouts and road-furniture for example.)

Potholes happen, sh*t happens. Let's not get our panties in a twist because this time it was a big name that went down.
The only thing that can actually make me furious regarding safety is the part I bolded in the quote: The finishes on some sprint stages. Those designers at times willfully put cyclists in danger.

Wrong. Such attitude toward safety in pro peloton will change. Such talk might be suitable for some forum. Certainly not for governing bodies responsible for safety in pro peloton. This is an obscene take on safety.

 

[spalco]

Bad news. Probably no Tour de France for him. he can't recognize Tour climbs if he will do an alttitude camp in June

From a completely egoistic point of view (as a cycling fan) I'll say it's fine actually. A month and a half break after such a spectacular early season is well deserved, and if he goes to the Vuelta (and wins), that would start to round out his palmares nicely.

However, he seems to be confident he can still go to the Tour.

 

[tobydawq]

Of course he can still go to the Tour. He can begin pedalling already now.

 

[CyclistAbi]

From a completely egoistic point of view (as a cycling fan) I'll say it's fine actually.

As a cycling fan. Why wouldn't you want to see Pogi and Jonas, among others, going all out at the Tour this year?

 

[spalco]

As a cycling fan. Why wouldn't you want to see Pogi and Jonas, among others, going all out at the Tour this year?

Sure. I meant, if because of this injury he can't go to the Tour in top form, that wouldn't necessarily be so bad.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Sure. I meant, if because of this injury he can't go to the Tour in top form, that wouldn't necessarily be so bad.

Objectively it would be rather bad.

 

[Bolder]

Things like random potholes on 260k routes aren’t ever going away. Using that as an example of the need for increased safety is not an accurate reflection of what can actually be fixed. Other things sure, better designed finishes and potentially certain other things.

The only solution is to race on closed circuits, like ars. But I'd much rather watch the Targa Florio than some sanitized GP in Bahrain or wherever...

 

[Berniece]

No. The Giro is a distant GT second, but combined with the Tour in victory is the ultimate feat in the sport.

I would think Giro-TDF-Vuelta is the ultimate feat. No one has ever done that.

 

[Extinction]

The only solution is to race on closed circuits, like ars. But I'd much rather watch the Targa Florio than some sanitized GP in Bahrain or wherever...

But that still doesn't remedy riding amongst 185 cyclists at speed. I think cycling is from another time and those that choose thid craft should remain in the times of Epics. You don't risk your skin otherwise. It's like preparing for war.

 

[Extinction]

I would think Giro-TDF-Vuelta is the ultimate feat. No one has ever done that.

And probably never will. But historically the Giro-Tour double is the ace that wins the match. Add Worlds it is the trump card.

 

[Wyndbrook]

And probably never will. But historically the Giro-Tour double is the ace that wins the match. Add Worlds it is the trump card.

In theory it should be easier now with the gap between the two being greater since the Vuelta was moved.

 

[Bonimenier]

He should go for the historic combo MSR-RVV-PR-LBL-Giro-Tour-Vuelta-WC-IL

 

[Rob5091]

Chris Horner thinks that after his own experience with a busted wrist, Pogacar will be lucky to be at the Tour. Even then, he'll probably not be at 100%.

 

[tobydawq]

Objectively it would be rather bad.

Yeah, I don't really get how anyone can say that it wouldn't be a big deal...