Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[bNator]

Almost nobody is underrating Pogacar. It's the opposite. Almost everybody is underrating Vingegaard.

Well according to betting odds, you will only get 25% yield for Vingegaard's TDF victory. That's hardly underrating...

And let's not forget Vingeaard only managed to establish himself as a dominating force once in his career. If anything, I would say he is a bit overrated compared to Pogacar. But time will tell I guess...

 

[Salvarani]

He is not showing up to go home after a week.

Nobody does.

 

[Salvarani]

Yeah, it's possible that they want to have a shot at the Tour but if sth is wrong they are already preparing plan B (withdrawal and other goals)

If he is still "hurt" or feeling the affects like they are saying now... he will only be starting for the show of it. They will go in knowing the win is unlikely but maybe he can win a couple of stages early on.

Nobody knows how severe it is but him and the closest to him. We will just have to wait and see if he 1) starts the race 2) what is his form/shape is like. I can very much see him winning a stage or two in the beginning, but as the race goes on he still start to look worse. Wrist will start hurting and he will have to withdraw. "I gave it a go guys, but the wrist started to hurt too much. Despite my crash in LBL and setbacks in preparation I really wanted to race and do my best, but this time I couldnt" or something like that.

Everyone involved in the race wants Pog to start the race... or it deads it completely before it even begins.

 

[Nick2413]

He still has another month and these injuries can often be like an illness where all the sudden you get over the hump and are feeling good again. I had a foot surgery once where I had to wait an extra few weeks to start walking due to pain but then it turned a corner and pretty much felt normal out of nowhere.

If he’s already largely training at full intensity and has 4 more weeks, bonus second sprints are the main concern at this point. Obviously it could not heal properly but the worry is a bit exaggerated.

 

[Elos Anjos]

I can see no other way than Pog going to the tour with doubts lingering and then he can have trouble out of nowhere while riding out of the saddle and he looses one of his key means of gaining time.

 

[rokovski]

If Jumbo is smart they should ask Rog to do Nationals, to real test Pog and have numbers to compare.

But i think this is too complicated for Jumbo.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

If Jumbo is smart they should ask Rog to do Nationals, to real test Pog and have numbers to compare.

But i think this is too complicated for Jumbo.

Stages 1 and 2 of the Tour will be a good enough test to see how explosive Pogacar is given his issues. The Skeletor himself can perform such a test.

 

[rokovski]

Stages 1 and 2 of the Tour will be a good enough test to see how explosive Pogacar is given his issues. The Skeletor himself can perform such a test.

Why not, eh?
Rog has good chances to win Slovenian TT, but i think he doesnt care with olympic gold.
At start of the Tour, there will be a lot of fresh riders and teams to take yellow, it will be hard to put such pressure.

 

[Salvarani]

Stages 1 and 2 of the Tour will be a good enough test to see how explosive Pogacar is given his issues. The Skeletor himself can perform such a test.

Stages 1 and 2 is probably where Pog can push through either way, even if he has minor pain. It is early in the race. It is probably at the end of the first week or right after the first rest day, where he would be in the most pain if the wrist is still an issue.

 

[bNator]

I bet Pog is sandbagging. It doesn't make much sense to expose himself to attacks with the news updates like that. He could have taken his braces off for the photo shoot if he wanted. Either that or he'll be very weak and he wants to emphasize upfornt he won't be going for GC at all...

 

[Offline]

He is not showing up to go home after a week.

Agree.

And wouldn't worry if UAE start downplaying him in the press the next 3 weeks.
It would make sense tactical!

 

[Extinction]

I bet Pog is sandbagging. It doesn't make much sense to expose himself to attacks with the news updates like that. He could have taken his braces off for the photo shoot if he wanted. Either that or he'll be very weak and he wants to emphasize upfornt he won't be going for GC at all...

But why say anything then? Silence is the worst adversary.

 

[bNator]

But why say anything then? Silence is the worst adversary.

Well if his intention is to make his opponents relax, have his friends get a good betting odds on his victory and fly under the radar in general then showing a lot of photos of his injured arm, saying he can't get out of saddle or sprint while maintaining the optimism he's going to be ready come the Tour (just to avoid being too obvious) would be one way to achieve that.

 

[Extinction]

Well if his intention is to make his opponents relax, have his friends get a good betting odds on his victory and fly under the radar in general then showing a lot of photos of his injured arm, saying he can't get out of saddle or sprint while maintaining the optimism he's going to be ready come the Tour (just to avoid being too obvious) would be one way to achieve that.

How devious.

 

[Salvarani]

Well if his intention is to make his opponents relax, have his friends get a good betting odds on his victory and fly under the radar in general then showing a lot of photos of his injured arm, saying he can't get out of saddle or sprint while maintaining the optimism he's going to be ready come the Tour (just to avoid being too obvious) would be one way to achieve that.

I feel like this is just wishful thinking, that they are this calculated.

I think they are probably just unsure if the preparation that they have done is gonna be enough, hence the articles/updates is what it is. Neither here nor there atm.

They, just like us, wont know until the racing is underway and Pog/Vingegaard starts to test themselves against each other.

 

[bNator]

How devious.

Almost as devious as spending the entire TDF in the slipstream of your compatriots team claiming you “can achieve great things together” only to drop him mercilessly on the final TT😁

but yeah, I’ll admit I was trying to be poetic in my post…

 

[Andy schleck]

Pogacar fans....don't worry about him. He will be fine in the tour. Check his strava, he is already doing great.

 

[Offline]

Pogacar fans....don't worry about him. He will be fine in the tour. Check his strava, he is already doing great.

Don't know much about it! but this looks good!

Made fastest time today on El Dornajo a Pinos Genil, Full to Pradollano and El purche junction to Pinos Genil.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Don't know much about it! but this looks good!

Made fastest time today on El Dornajo a Pinos Genil, Full to Pradollano and El purche junction to Pinos Genil.

​

Before last year's TdF Teddy collected a few dozens (if not more) KOMs during one ride. Still a long way to go.

 

[Lequack]

Pogacar fans....don't worry about him. He will be fine in the tour. Check his strava, he is already doing great.

 

[Andy schleck]

I gave you the good news pogacar fans. Now it's time to give you the bad news....even a healthy pogacar at 100% will not be enough to beat vingegaard.

 

[bNator]

I gave you the good news pogacar fans. Now it's time to give you the bad news....even a healthy pogacar at 100% will not be enough to beat vingegaard.

As a fan who was more often than not on the receiving end of Pog’s spanking I’m warning you - this guy does things you would never imagine possible… I wouldn’t bet a cent against him.

The entire premise of Vinge’s perceived dominance rests on the fact he was less bad in P-N this year than he was in Tirreno last year. As for TDF last year, Pog had a team of three in the end. I doubt Vinge is gonna get as lucky twice in a row.

 

[BigCoward]

I actually think that he has a better chance now than before the crash. Last year he was clearly inferior to JV and I don't buy that Rog made that much difference, JV had to follow those attacks as well.
But I think that was because of how Pog rides, some rest and specific training after his insane spring is probably for the best.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I actually think that he has a better chance now than before the crash. Last year he was clearly inferior to JV and I don't buy that Rog made that much difference, JV had to follow those attacks as well.
But I think that was because of how Pog rides, some rest and specific training after his insane spring is probably for the best.

If his wrist is 100% then in theory it's possible that a longer break followed by a good training will result in a super strong performance (and freshness throughout the whole race). The main question mark is his wrist condition at the Tour though (and if there's enough of high-quality training before the race).

 

[Gargamel35]

Healthy and in 100% form Pog wins Vinge any time in a 3 week long GT (and 1 week long, and one day long and,...). Vinge had incredible luck last year. Pog was gaining seconds on Vinge day after day. Then Rog crashed and JV used him for bait so Pogačar burned out trying to fight Rog and Vinge at the same time. This won't happen again. There is no Rog. Just one on one.