Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Sciatic]

That's really the only race outside of the Tour you used to see Andy Schleck in. Compared to him Vingegaard is an all season superstar.

I was responding to the statement “ Contador’s rivals didn’t do much in monuments either,” and I think a win and another podium in a monument fora GC guy of that era counts as “much.” Wasn’t trying to imply anything beyond that.

 

[Landeirovic]

Pogacar will do the NC ITT and road race slovenia. The ITT is the same profil 2020. The mountain itt

 

[Lequack]

Nice. Although UAE have the worst netional jerseys ever, hardly even different from the regular jersey.

 

[Landeirovic]

Nice. Although UAE have the worst netional jerseys ever, hardly even different from the regular jersey.

Vine ITT jersey is nice!

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Pogacar will do the NC ITT and road race slovenia. The ITT is the same profil 2020. The mountain itt

So a very limited pre-Tour schedule, as expected. I'm curious if he will drop a watt bomb during the TT or take it easy sandbagging ahead of the Tour.

 

[how yes no?]

I've heard some rumors, that he might still do the tour of Slovenia... I guess it could be a "promotional training ride", but he would probably win it on an unicycle without using his arms at all anyway.

 

[Lequack]

It's a good race to get some motivation with the local fans and not having to go so deep like he would in other races like Dauphone or Suisse, who are both much longer races too.

 

[Offline]

I would stay away from races with many non-pro teams and riders so close to the tour bc of covid.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I've heard some rumors, that he might still do the tour of Slovenia... I guess it could be a "promotional training ride", but he would probably win it on an unicycle without using his arms at all anyway.

He lost 2-3 weeks of training. Spending time on the altitude is too precious right now.

 

[Miha81]

I would stay away from races with many non-pro teams and riders so close to the tour bc of covid.

Valid concern. I did not thought of that perspective.

 

[Offline]

UAE Emirates bullish on Tadej Pogačar hitting Tour de France form: 'We remain very optimistic'

Team performance chief lifts lid on Pogačar's physiological prowess: 'His big strength is his ability to recover and adapt.'

www.velonews.com

Jeroen Swart, performance coordinator at UAE remain optimistic.

 

[Lorzenz08]

If Pogacar is not in at least good form this tdF will be extremely boring as I don't see anyone who can do anything against Vingegaard.

 

[Filippo_3467]

If Pogacar is not in at least good form this tdF will be extremely boring as I don't see anyone who can do anything against Vingegaard.

The hard thing for Pogacar is that the Tour has more difficult stages in the first week then I can remember in any other edition. So even if he's at 95% he can loose here some time and the later mountain stages are better for Vingegaard. Normally you would expect Pogacar to gain some time in the first week and then he has to try to fight of the aggression of Vingegaard.

On the other hand this Tour is more open to a third contender emerging then it would be on other routes. It has absolutely no flat TT kms, difficult to control stages throughout and leans more punchy in it's climbs then normal. So would me more advantageous to Pogi but if he's not his normal self (or of course crashes and abandons can happen at any point see Remco) this route gives in my eyes at least the chance of someone like Gaudu, O'Connor, Yates or Hindley to emerge with a career best performance.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Pogacar will be ready in July since day one but I really think he would win the Tour if his crash did not happen. Now, I'm not sure if he can follow Vingegaard

 

[Rackham]

Pogacar will be ready in July since day one but I really think he would win the Tour if his crash did not happen. Now, I'm not sure if he can follow Vingegaard

I think the Tour is going to be much more condensed in terms of GC than last year, at least over the first part of the race.

Granon really did nuke the time gaps in every direction last year. I'm not sure the route in 2023 favors these sorts of massive differences, so there are other ways for Pog to win in July as well, i.e. for example tactically.

I think a lot of people look at the Vinge versus Pog duel & believe it all comes down to relative strength of one versus the other but the parcours (& serious lack of ITT km's) will make this TdF a little bit more 'precarious' for the pre-race super favorites, at least IMO.

Even stage 1 in Bilbao looks like a potential screw-up just waiting to happen if one of the favorites has some bad positioning in the final.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

UAE Emirates bullish on Tadej Pogačar hitting Tour de France form: 'We remain very optimistic'

Team performance chief lifts lid on Pogačar's physiological prowess: 'His big strength is his ability to recover and adapt.'

www.velonews.com

Jeroen Swart, performance coordinator at UAE remain optimistic.

Yeah, UAE is upbeat regarding his level. I'm curious if it's sandbagging though - maybe they want to hide possible shortcomings, esp. earlier in the race.

 

[Taxus4a]

I think the Tour is going to be much more condensed in terms of GC than last year, at least over the first part of the race.

Granon really did nuke the time gaps in every direction last year. I'm not sure the route in 2023 favors these sorts of massive differences, so there are other ways for Pog to win in July as well, i.e. for example tactically.

I think a lot of people look at the Vinge versus Pog duel & believe it all comes down to relative strength of one versus the other but the parcours (& serious lack of ITT km's) will make this TdF a little bit more 'precarious' for the pre-race super favorites, at least IMO.

Even stage 1 in Bilbao looks like a potential screw-up just waiting to happen if one of the favorites has some bad positioning in the final.

The question is that I just see one anti Pogacar stage..and that day just people as Vingegaard or maybe Landa if he is on one of his magical moments could beat him if he doesnt make mistakes like last year. The rest are stages, even first ones in Pais Vasco, where he can get time. Anyway he has difficult to beat Vingegard, but it will be a great battle.

 

[Oldermanish]

He lost 2-3 weeks of training. Spending time on the altitude is too precious right now.

and avoiding crowds and Covid.

 

[Peyroteo94]

The question is that I just see one anti Pogacar stage..and that day just people as Vingegaard or maybe Landa if he is on one of his magical moments could beat him if he doesnt make mistakes like last year. The rest are stages, even first ones in Pais Vasco, where he can get time. Anyway he has difficult to beat Vingegard, but it will be a great battle.

Oh c'mon... Landa?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So instead of majestic Alps this time Sierra Nevada. No Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo but maybe Teddy will go from Granada to Pico Veleta (mere 42 km of climbing and 2800 m of elevation gain) during one of his morning rides?

 

[RedheadDane]

So, Cycling Weekly has been doing a series of "21 things you didn't know about [rider]", and today the turn has come to Pogacar:

21 things you didn't know about Tadej Pogačar

The chilled out former unicyclist with a penchant for cleaning up at the biggest races. Read on...

www.cyclingweekly.com

This bit in particular caught my attention:

10. He is the only rider ever to have broken the 6,000 point ceiling for UCI points.

He's earned more points than you can? Why is there a ceiling?

 

[Tem]

So, Cycling Weekly has been doing a series of "21 things you didn't know about [rider]", and today the turn has come to Pogacar:

21 things you didn't know about Tadej Pogačar

The chilled out former unicyclist with a penchant for cleaning up at the biggest races. Read on...

www.cyclingweekly.com

He was born in town called Klanec? Ffs 😋

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

Vingegaard basically said in an interview last week that the Tour is only thing that are important to him, and he'll go for Tour every year. I through the times with Lance Armstrong or Team Sky only riding for 1 goal a year was over, and new riders like Pogacar and Remco and their programs was the new normal. But I guess not.

Team Sky?
Froome actually tried 2 GTs almost every year

2011: 2nd Vuelta (later changed to 1st)
2012; 2nd TdF 4 Vuelta
2013 1 TdF, no Vuelta
2014: Out of Tour, 2nd Vuelta
2015: 1 Tour, out of Vuelta
2016: 1 Tour, 2 Vuelta
2017: 1 Tour 1 Vuelta
2018: 1 Giro, 3rd Tour

So basically except for the year he won his first Tour he tried to get the Vuelta win every year. Finally got it in 2017, and then what did he do? Go for only one goal? Which would have been the 5th Tour win? No, he tried the Giro-Tour double. Already Froome alone shows how ridiculous the "Sky only cared about the Tour" charge is.

The Giro less successful but tried with Wiggins in 13, Uran then got second, later Porte and Landa were there, crashing out basically.

Of course the Tour has always been Sky's most important goal, as it is for most, now with no Italian teams left probably all, teams aiming for GC in GTs..

 

[Nick2413]

Team Sky?
Froome actually tried 2 GTs almost every year

2011: 2nd Vuelta (later changed to 1st)
2012; 2nd TdF 4 Vuelta
2013 1 TdF, no Vuelta
2014: Out of Tour, 2nd Vuelta
2015: 1 Tour, out of Vuelta
2016: 1 Tour, 2 Vuelta
2017: 1 Tour 1 Vuelta
2018: 1 Giro, 3rd Tour

So basically except for the year he won his first Tour he tried to get the Vuelta win every year. Finally got it in 2017, and then what did he do? Go for only one goal? Which would have been the 5th Tour win? No, he tried the Giro-Tour double. Already Froome alone shows how ridiculous the "Sky only cared about the Tour" charge is.

The Giro less successful but tried with Wiggins in 13, Uran then got second, later Porte and Landa were there, crashing out basically.

Of course the Tour has always been Sky's most important goal, as it is for most, now with no Italian teams left probably all, teams aiming for GC in GTs..

I looked at his profile and even with his minimal classics riding it’s surprising he’s never been #1 in the rankings for any year

 

[Lequack]

Broken bones brothers are back together