Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[md1975]

I thought he was waiting for something... didn't know what. He just seemed to not be going all out the last 2 mountain stages. I think I see why. He has probably had planned or the team did to go balls out today and win (unless PR could not catch him on a test attack). Sizzler of a ITT, congratulations to him very well earned win in both the TdF and TT.

Next year maybe the TDF will have the top guys who finished oddly low or left back at 100% and then we will see what both he and PR can do. Remco is rumored to not be doing the TdF for a while maybe 2022 or 2023 we shall see, as he is going to be dangerous for everyone.

 

[md1975]

God I hope the lack of a team doesnt force him into the evil hands of Ineos

He signed a 2-3yr deal recently didn't he? If so, he is not going anywhere. Unless he can force it. I don't think Ineos will get him only because the team director hates to be wrong. And if Bernal is 100% and can't win next year, it's going to be too late I would think. By then, someone else will have grabbed him. Plus, if they got him for 2021...he would be doing the Vel or Giro (maybe both). Unlikely that he would be in the TdF and if he was he would be a super domestic for Bernal in 2021.

 

[movingtarget]

Incredible performance by Pogacar. Having guys like Alan Peiper in his corner is a bonus. A highly regarded figure in the pro cycling ranks.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Congrats to him! 21 and on top of the cycling world with some thinking he couldn't even podium and struggle to top 5.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Cruelty of the sport. He wants to secure his future and signs a long term contract last year when he should have bet on himself.

He will be losing millions as he is worth 4 times his current salary.

By the time his contract expires, he may not command a million contract anymore.

Scottie Pippen syndrome.

But I think that he will do rather well for himself out of sponsorship $.

 

[Asero831]

Scottie was 24/25 when he signed that contract.
Pog is only 21 but let's really hope he can re-negotiate his contract.

 

[gregrowlerson]

He signed a 2-3yr deal recently didn't he? If so, he is not going anywhere. Unless he can force it. I don't think Ineos will get him only because the team director hates to be wrong. And if Bernal is 100% and can't win next year, it's going to be too late I would think. By then, someone else will have grabbed him. Plus, if they got him for 2021...he would be doing the Vel or Giro (maybe both). Unlikely that he would be in the TdF and if he was he would be a super domestic for Bernal in 2021.

IF Inneos stole Pogacar, somehow I don't think he would be supporting Bernal...

 

[Krzysztof_O]

haha, true !
Next time this is gonna happen is probably in a few millions years

Statistically it should happen once every 1461 years.

 

[Oldermanish]

I truly appreciate what we've seen with Pogacar for the last 3 years and in other races. Aggression and intelligent opportunism is a strong part of his game up to this point. His new, high profile is going to test him now and only a deep team will allow him to continue to threaten into GTs. The guy is capable of winning a lot of cool races but his apprenticeship is over and he will find out what it's like to be Quintana, Landa, Bardet and... Bernal.
It's tough to be King.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Fun fact: La Gazzetta had already given him Cunego's old nickname "il piccolo principe" and then he takes the jersey on Cunego's birthday. Hopefully not a bad omen.
Ernesto Colnago is over the moon.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Fun fact: La Gazzetta had already given him Cunego's old nickname "il piccolo principe" and then he takes the jersey on Cunego's birthday. Hopefully not a bad omen.
Ernesto Colnago is over the moon.

they can't steal another man's nickname! Did they forget about the original already?

 

[SafeBet]

they can't steal another man's nickname! Did they forget about the original already?

Journos at Gazzetta are so bad that they might have forgotten (some of them perhaps never knew in the first place).

 

[Red Rick]

Ffs Pog isn't even that short.

 

[SafeBet]

Ffs Pog isn't even that short.

He's young though. And that's the original meaning in the book, I guess.

 

[Lequack]

Fun fact: La Gazzetta had already given him Cunego's old nickname "il piccolo principe" and then he takes the jersey on Cunego's birthday. Hopefully not a bad omen.
Ernesto Colnago is over the moon.

 

[Lequack]

Backstage with the team

https://twitter.com/x/status/1307436917298991112

View: https://twitter.com/TeamUAEAbuDhabi/status/1307436917298991112?s=20

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[Salvarani]

Backstage with the team

https://twitter.com/x/status/1307436917298991112

View: https://twitter.com/TeamUAEAbuDhabi/status/1307436917298991112?s=20

Amazing that they can keep it so cool during the race. No screaming. Focused and really true professionals. The emotions and relief afterwards. Great vid.

 

[Salvarani]

Cruelty of the sport. He wants to secure his future and signs a long term contract last year when he should have bet on himself.

He will be losing millions as he is worth 4 times his current salary.

By the time his contract expires, he may not command a million contract anymore.

Everybody cant or wont make that gamble on that bet. At the time he signed it, it was probably the best decision for him. He secured a future for himself and his family. He got to do what he hopefully loves.

We all know this sport. A serious crash and it can all be over.

He has a salary, but he can and will also earn prize money from winning races. Many commercial deals, sponsors and endorsements... Im sure he will have a lot to pick from now on. It is not like he will be poor or have financial problems. I wouldnt worry that much about it is my point, right now.

Im not read up on the details of the contract or if it is known, but could the salary be increasing every year of the contract for example? Bonuses related to performance? No one here probably knows exactly how it could be structured or if it can be renegotiated.

If he gets treated bad, then he will leave. Hopefully the people running the team will keep him happy and they will make sure things are being taken care of. He seems to be at the right place for him. Changing teams for more money isnt always the best, and you might lose whats really driving you when you start to worry too much about that. Even though you should get what you are worth, which will surely come if you have patience, if you are great at what you do.

If he was bamboozled into a really bad deal, because he was young and unaware... then he might want to consider a new agent and a lawyer. Learning for having gone through it. Bad and ugly business exists everywhere I am afraid. Not just in sports or cycling.

 

[Eclipse]

He has a salary, but he can and will also earn prize money from winning races. Many commercial deals, sponsors and endorsements... Im sure he will have a lot to pick from now on. It is not like he will be poor or have financial problems. I wouldnt worry that much about it is my point, right now.

Very much agree with this - yeah he could have been on an absurd contract after this if he hadn't signed up previously but it's not like he's going to struggle. He'll have so many opportunities right now and even if he can't renegotiate his current contract (which lets face it he may be able to - UAE are going to be highly incentivised to keep him happy with them after all) he's going to get great options for the rest of his professional career.

Outside of contractual salary I'd wager even the domestic opportunities alone will tee him up for a long long time.

 

[SafeBet]

Riders winning their first TDF:

1903 Maurice Garin
1904 Henri Cornet
1905 Louis Trousselier
1947 Jean Robic
1949 Fausto Coppi
1951 Hugo Koblet
1957 Jacques Anquetil
1965 Felice Gimondi
1969 Eddy Merckx
1978 Bernard Hinault
1983 Laurent Fignon
2020 Tadej Pogacar

Mind blowing list. From 1949 basically only legends of the sport.

 

[JosephK]

So, would it be a stretch to think that Poga will no longer be considered a domestique for Aru?

 

[richwallone]

Amazing that they can keep it so cool during the race. No screaming. Focused and really true professionals. The emotions and relief afterwards. Great vid.

Show it Marc Madiot, maybe he can learn to keep cool like them

 

[Carols]

Tadej is now a Marked Man. No more free rides and assistance from JV. Well unless Primoz decides to I guess. But he'll be gun shy now!

Tadej will need a real team around him from here on out. Hopefully UAE gets the best they can and gives him every opportunity to fulfill the Incredible talent he has displayed!

 

[masking_agent]

I think he has re-written the book on how "wheel sucking" with no team can win you the tour. In the coming years, I think director sportif's will be strategizing on how to break this format ? He had no UAE team train to take on Jumbo Visma, so I think this format will have to be adjusted which could lead to earlier attacks by "train teams" instead of leaving it to the 2km of summit finishes ? I honestly think Sep Kuss, Dumoulin and Van Aert could have been utilized better to attack him instead of keeping the "train format." Oh well, I guess we'll see next year ?