Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Oldermanish]

There is an abyss between Vinge and other guys so even 80% Pog can podium the Tour. The question is: can he beat Vinge?

Jonas' climbing today on Dauphine Stage 7 suggests he still can go harder. Realistically today's stage was not equal to a latter Tour stage simply because the competition hasn't pressed that deeply. I would expect it to be much harder and JV may want to make that effort on earlier stages to tax Pogacar to find out what his tipping point could be. When Vingegaard gets a gap and settles into a tempo there may be no retrieving him.

 

[Lorzenz08]

There is an abyss between Vinge and other guys so even 80% Pog can podium the Tour. The question is: can he beat Vinge?

Let me put it this way, Vingegaard seems way too strong right now to be dropped in his favorite field. I just don't see anyone including Pog able to take him time in long climbs.

So unless accident, a 100% Pog can only count on the smaller climbs to hurt Vingegaard. On the long climbs I think his best hope is to be able to follow Vingegaard.

 

[Peyroteo94]

He doesn't need to drop Vingegaard. He just needs to hang on in the climbs. This is the hard task right now.

 

[Andy schleck]

Another interesting question is....the TT of the Tour france will suit better pogacar or vingegaard. I really don't know.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Another interesting question is....the TT of the Tour france will suit better pogacar or vingegaard. I really don't know.

Pogacar. Specially after the investment UAE made in new equipment. I'm pretty sure Pogi will gain 20 seconds there.

 

[Nick2413]

So did anyone’s take on Pog’s chances actually change after Vingegaard’s Dauphine? Nothing that’s happened so far has been remotely surprising but seems a lot of people needed to be reminded how good Vingegaard is.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

To Norwegian TV2 Vegard Stake Laengen (which will be part of UAEs tour team) says Pogacar is training well in Sierra Nevada and are beating his own previous time on the climbing tests.

We (the fans) need a good Pogacar at the Tour!

 

[Peyroteo94]

To Norwegian TV2 Vegard Stake Laengen (which will be part of UAEs tour team) says Pogacar is training well in Sierra Nevada and are beating his own previous time on the climbing tests.

We (the fans) need a good Pogacar at the Tour!

Sorry but this is just BS. He is in Dauphine and top riders try to hide their numbers even from his teammates.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

The direct quote, you can put it in Google Translate if you want:

– Nå er han veldig i rute. Han trener i høyden i Sierra Nevada. Han har valgt å gjøre det for å få et sammenhengende treningsopphold som ikke blir avbrutt av løp og tilhørende fare for velt. Nå ser det veldig lyst ut. Jeg hører han er i veldig god form i høyden og setter nye rekorder, så jeg tror han har valgt en trygg og fornuftig tilnærming til Touren, sier Stake Laengen.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The direct quote, you can put it in Google Translate if you want:

It's all just based on his Strava uploads isn't it?
Neither Bjerg, Majka or Stake Laengen have actually trained with him.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

It's all just based on his Strava uploads isn't it?
Neither Bjerg, Majka or Stake Laengen have actually trained with him.

I assume the riders talk to each other and with the DS / coaches etc, so it should be more than just the two training sessions Pogacar have put on Strava.

If there was nothing to base the comment on it wouldn't make sense for Laengen to say it that way, just "he's training well" would be enough.

 

[Salvarani]

The uncertainty surrounding Pog at the moment is something they should play into, if that is not what they are doing already.

Try to keep the powder dry in the first week. The second and third week will be really tough.

 

[meat puppet]

While it usually makes sense to sandbag a bit, IMHO UAE objectively have an interest to put out the message that pogi is doing very well. This regardless of the accuracy of the data or lack thereof upon which comments are based. Instilling uncertainty is almost always good. And who knows, with some luck, jumbo folks might get excited and overcook vingo.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I assume the riders talk to each other and with the DS / coaches etc, so it should be more than just the two training sessions Pogacar have put on Strava.

If there was nothing to base the comment on it wouldn't make sense for Laengen to say it that way, just "he's training well" would be enough.

Or maybe it's just a PR strategy to have all the UAE riders tell the same story to their national media.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't think on this parcours the media games matters anything at all. Normally Pogacar should be hunting bonus seconds from literally day 1. And Vingegaard should actually consider attacking too simply because he wants to drop everyone else so that he only finishes 1 spot behing Pog on the bonus sprints.

 

[Offline]

It's all just based on his Strava uploads isn't it?
Neither Bjerg, Majka or Stake Laengen have actually trained with him.

Bjerg has trained on TT bike with Pogacar before the Dauphine.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1663918453814620164

View: https://twitter.com/medicinexthings/status/1663918453814620164

 

[Cookster15]

Well you guys are obviously more clued up than I am but I always had the impression that the reason Pog could win classics was twofold:

1. Pog only had to be 90% to be good enough to win those.
2. Pog is still only 24 (two years younger than Vingegaard)., Unlikely Pog has physiologically peaked at just 24.

So he wasn't becoming a better classics rider at the expense of his ability to ride GTs.

I still believe in 2022 Pog blew himself up with overconfidence and responding to two very strong and almost equal riders [to quote Shadow]. What subsequently happened on Hautacam was a consequence as Pog had been attacking Vingegaard on virtually every mountain after the Granon implosion to claw back time. These attempts to attack and shake Vingo after Granon also showed Pog's self belief. But then JV planned the Hautacam counter punch knowing the bikkies Pog had burned and it was all too much.

Its too bad about Pogacar's LBL crash and injury, I think this might rob us of the showdown we were all looking forward to next month. May have to wait until 2024 for the triple showdown with Remco.

 

[Offline]

Training in + 3k altitude. Climbed EU highest located asphalt road today.

(From Pogacars instagram)

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

I still believe in 2022 Pog blew himself up with overconfidence and responding to two very strong and almost equal riders [to quote Shadow]. What subsequently happened on Hautacam was a consequence as Pog had been attacking Vingegaard on virtually every mountain after the Granon implosion to claw back time. These attempts to attack and shake Vingo after Granon also showed Pog's self belief. But then JV planned the Hautacam counter punch knowing the bikkies Pog had burned and it was all too much.

It’s easy to say in hindsight, but Pogacar should’ve just let Roglic go on Galibier and focused on Vingegaard and trust his team. They had several riders just behind the group where Vingegaard and Roglic attacked him. If he’d let Roglic go and let Soler and Majka (was also McNulty there, I think so?) pace Vingegaard couldn’t take advantage of the attacking and without the action on Galibier Pogacar would’ve lost much less on Granon.

Even with Van Aert up front Roglic started the stage almost 3 minutes down. Majka was very strong that day and even with Van Aert in front and Roglic on normal form he wouldn’t take back 3 min and with the crashes Pogacar should’ve known Roglic wasn’t great after his time loss on La Planche.

But this year will be completely different. The numbers game won’t matter. It’s 1 v 1 and the strongest rider will win.

 

[hayneplane]

So did anyone’s take on Pog’s chances actually change after Vingegaard’s Dauphine? Nothing that’s happened so far has been remotely surprising but seems a lot of people needed to be reminded how good Vingegaard is.

Strange as it may seem I am actually more encouraged about Pogacars chances as Yates was best of the rest and there was nothing scary about the team support from Jumbo Visma in the bigger mountains

 

[rokovski]

Maybe Pog and UAE looking forward to do damage on Stage 10 or 12, to do early selection, downhill attack, long solo on hilly terain.. ?

 

[Colonel]

Sorry but this is just BS. He is in Dauphine and top riders try to hide their numbers even from his teammates.

hahaha no they don't.

 

[Offline]

Pogacar and Yates head to Sestriere to prepare for Tour de France

Slovenian gets green light from doctors

www.cyclingnews.com

Pogacar are doing recon of the key stages this week and after he'll head to Sestriere with Yates and probably Majka.

 

[Peyroteo94]

So he just did 3 days of intense training without the wrist holding him back? Not great news at all...

 

[Miha81]

Even top shape Pogi will have to go for the bonus seconds and rely on covering Vinge in high mountains.

I suspect that he learnt a lot from last years Granon stage mistakes but Vinge also looks like different animal these days with his confidence found since 2022 TDF sucess.

I can't wait for 2023 edition of TDF to start and hope for action filled tour.