Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Froome]

Personally I think he needs to consider if he wants to win the tour above everything else, if so he needs to focus on it to the exclusion of all spring ambitions.
Without that it will be the same as the last two years and Vinegard will be winning tour number three.

He doesn't need to exclude the spring classics, because that doesn't interfere in a negative way for him in July. He's always in peak shape in the tour. This year he was actually more stronger than in the tour 2022, except for la loze stage.

 

[Rob5091]

This year he was actually more stronger than in the tour 2022, except for la loze stage.

and the ITT when he lost over a minute and stage 5 when he lost 30 seconds or so.
This aint the Mercx era anymore. If he wants to win the Tour again, then he needs to focus more on it and forget winning evey race from February to May. 2024 Tour is starting early as well and if he wants to do the Olympics afterwards, he should definitely re-think his Spring racing.

 

[Froome]

and the ITT when he lost over a minute and stage 5 when he lost 30 seconds or so.
This aint the Mercx era anymore. If he wants to win the Tour again, then he needs to focus more on it and forget winning evey race from February to May. 2024 Tour is starting early as well and if he wants to do the Olympics afterwards, he should definitely re-think his Spring racing.

What's the problem with stage 5 or the TT? In the TT he won 1 min and 12 s to van aert. If you forget about vingegaard, he did a great performance. Thr only problem of pogacar is that vingegaard is a better grand tour rider than him. He can be dropped by vingegaard, it's normal, that doesn't mean he was in bad shape.

 

[Red Rick]

and the ITT when he lost over a minute and stage 5 when he lost 30 seconds or so.
This aint the Mercx era anymore. If he wants to win the Tour again, then he needs to focus more on it and forget winning evey race from February to May. 2024 Tour is starting early as well and if he wants to do the Olympics afterwards, he should definitely re-think his Spring racing.

If he doesn't corner like an old nan and doesn't change his bike to a road position with his climbing positon of an aircraft carrier he loses under a minute.

 

[Bolder]

Personally I think he needs to consider if he wants to win the tour above everything else, if so he needs to focus on it to the exclusion of all spring ambitions.
Without that it will be the same as the last two years and Vinegard will be winning tour number three.

Maybe just a lighter program? I want to see him in the Ardennes at least.

I don’t think we’ve ever seen him do the Tour as his main peak; maybe he has another GT level? If so, he’s going to need it against Vingegaard. The last 2 years it was clear that he couldn’t match him in the second half of the race.

 

[Red Rick]

There is basically no reason to assume his good days at the Tour weren't his actual peak level.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

There is basically no reason to assume his good days at the Tour weren't his actual peak level.

Yup, he was very strong in the first two weeks: going toe to toe with Vingo, even dropping him on some occasions. The goal is to be that strong for 3 weeks though and maybe an optimal preparation could solve it.

 

[ice&fire]

Pogacar should take a week without a bike after the Ardennes classics, after that a light week of mix zone two (fat max) and zone 1, after that a week exclusively training at the fat max limit for 3 hours while he goes to see 4-5 stages for the tour in his camper with his maser and Hauptman, after that 13.5 visit altitude in sierra nevada until 28.5 and in the camp every day exclusively train 5-6 hours zone 2 with a couple of days zone 1, after that 5 days of rest and at Dauphine train intervals and race paces, after that take 4 days of rest in Sestriere at altitude and from 16.6-23.6 do the last part of the preparations where you need to focus on intervals and race simulation, measuring lactate and glucose at 10-30 min intervals, 5w/kg, 6w/kg, 6.5w/kg and the last week before the Tour, rest, zone 1 and 6 min 40-20 intervals to maintain sharpness and I guarantee that he would sweep everyone, even a fisherman, with exactly this kind of preparation, with the fact that he will be in fitness for altitude, as he was this year in the Ardennes until the fall

One thing is sure: this year would have been better if he had taken a week without a bike during the Ardennes classics.

 

[Salvarani]

One thing is sure: this year would have been better if he had taken a week without a bike during the Ardennes classics.

Still crossed off two races he hadnt won before in Fleche and Amstel. Crashing in Liege was just unfortunate, but it will happen to every rider. Nobody escapes during a career, without going down at some point.

He also crossed off PN and Ronde. It was probably his best spring ever, so far.

2nd again in the Tour and 3rd at Worlds.

It is an incredible season.

 

[mou]

Pogačar broke all records today in training, simulation of the race for Lombardy, 4-5 times over 8-8.5 w/kg on hills 6-10 min long, 37 km/h average speed at 130 km in 3 and a half hours

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Pogačar broke all records today in training, simulation of the race for Lombardy, 4-5 times over 8-8.5 w/kg on hills 6-10 min long, 37 km/h average speed at 130 km in 3 and a half hours

Imho he‘s the big favourite for Lombardia. I‘d even say that everything else than a Pog victory would be quite a surprise.

I cheer for Roglic of course, but cannot imagine he‘ll beat Pogi. Evenepoel will be super strong after his GC loss in the Vuelta, but Pogi obviously was born to race and win Il Lombardia…

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Imho he‘s the big favourite for Lombardia. I‘d even say that everything else than a Pog victory would be quite a surprise.

I cheer for Roglic of course, but cannot imagine he‘ll beat Pogi. Evenepoel will be super strong after his GC loss in the Vuelta, but Pogi obviously was born to race and win Il Lombardia…

If the merge turns out to be true Primoz will say "f**k it, I'm going back to ski-jumping.". It's his last Lombardy chance!

 

[mou]

Pogacar will dominate next season more than this one, he has a stronger team for Pollit and Sivakov, healthy Wellens and Soler and now he knows he has to produce 7.5w/kg for 15 min on the hill, 7w/kg for 20 min and 6.6 for 30+ min to beat fisherman

 

[ice&fire]

Pogačar broke all records today in training, simulation of the race for Lombardy, 4-5 times over 8-8.5 w/kg on hills 6-10 min long, 37 km/h average speed at 130 km in 3 and a half hours

This looks like an excerpt from the book of Contador of the latter days

 

[mou]

#This activity has been flagged#​

Strava took down Pogacar's driving today as suspicious hahaha, dad of the game

 

[mou]

This looks like an excerpt from the book of Contador of the latter days

VAM 2300 on 2.5 km 7.1% climb
VAM w/kg 2300:271= 8.51w/kg

 

[Breh]

Imho he‘s the big favourite for Lombardia. I‘d even say that everything else than a Pog victory would be quite a surprise.

I cheer for Roglic of course, but cannot imagine he‘ll beat Pogi. Evenepoel will be super strong after his GC loss in the Vuelta, but Pogi obviously was born to race and win Il Lombardia…

Hot take right there

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Pogačar broke all records today in training, simulation of the race for Lombardy, 4-5 times over 8-8.5 w/kg on hills 6-10 min long, 37 km/h average speed at 130 km in 3 and a half hours

FFS. Not looking good for a fausto revenge

 

[Nick2413]

#This activity has been flagged#​

Strava took down Pogacar's driving today as suspicious hahaha, dad of the game

It’s funny since they made a post specifically about him saying they’ve made upgrades that will prevent legit activities like his being taken down. He’s too powerful for algorithms.

 

[kn0s]

Pogacar will dominate next season more than this one, he has a stronger team for Pollit and Sivakov, healthy Wellens and Soler and now he knows he has to produce 7.5w/kg for 15 min on the hill, 7w/kg for 20 min and 6.6 for 30+ min to beat fisherman

Now you're done it. The magic numbers are out there. I will win next year, cus I know the numbers.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I think Pogačar had one segment on his most recent ride where the KOM was ~4:40 and he went under 3:40 (GPS error?) and that got his ride flagged.

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

Usually not really interested in riders outside races, also a bit late, but thought this was nifty.

Fe.tte Instagram birthday greeting and drawing of small Pogačar on a big bike, dreaming of TdF yellow.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxdoNUXuivA/?igshid=NjIwNzIyMDk2Mg==

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Usually not really interested in riders outside races, also a but late, but thought this was nifty.

Fe.tte Instagram birthday greeting and drawing of small Pogačar on a big bike, dreaming of TdF yellow.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxdoNUXuivA/?igshid=NjIwNzIyMDk2Mg==

Big Pogačar looks as massive as Van der Poel.

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

Big Pogačar looks as massive as Van der Poel.

Not every dream comes true!

ETA: I suppose this might be the reference picture of small Pogačar.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1704804183935680666

View: https://twitter.com/LosBrolin/status/1704804183935680666?t=wvNvLAWxZvhES7p3WKWcuw&s=19

 

[Berniece]

Weird story, but the manager of Pogacar said that INEOS asked if he was a free agent. The manager said, no he's under contract.

As if INEOS wouldn't know this... Looks more as if the manager is trying to arrange a better contract for Pogacar by talking to the press about interest from INEOS. But why would UAE open his contract for a better one if he has a contract until 2027... Just a weird story in general.