Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Bonimenier]

He's actually doing the Tour and Vuelta double this year.

Vuelta will be stacked this year GC-wise, it seems. Really looking forward to that one.

 

[Eeslliw]

Vuelta will be stacked this year GC-wise, it seems. Really looking forward to that one.

Back to his best Remco, Roglic after losing Tour again, confident Pogacar after winning said Tour, upgraded 1-week A. Yates to 3-week A.Yates, and ofcourse 97 years old Valverde in his prime. I think I jizzed a little bit just thinking about that Vuelta.

 

[sir fly]

Back to his best Remco, Roglic after losing Tour again, confident Pogacar after winning said Tour, upgraded 1-week A. Yates to 3-week A.Yates, and ofcourse 97 years old Valverde in his prime. I think I jizzed a little bit just thinking about that Vuelta.

Pay a visit to the practitioner...

 

[wheresmybrakes]

I may get 10 bells knocked out of me for this comment, but I've a feeling he may tire a bit towards the end of the Tour. He been going full pelt more or less since the UAE and still going strong. There's one or two who have not been firing on all cylinders yet but are prepping for the Tour who may just come alive when it matters most, and I ain't talking about the Dawg.

 

[Eeslliw]

There's one or two who have not been firing on all cylinders yet but are prepping for the Tour who may just come alive when it matters most, and I ain't talking about the Dawg.

One is Geraint, who is the other?

 

[will-10]

Is he on trajectory to one of the best seasons in recent times? So far winning UAE Tour, Tireno-Adriatico, now LBL. With no crashes (or wrongly timed mechanical) in TDF, I just can't see him lose it. Then OI and Vuelta. He has proven to have impecable recovery and will be there at Vuelta (take last year Roglics win, so it's possible).

I know I am overreaching, but still. Unbelievable and at that age.

Three months is a long time in cycling.

 

[Gigs_98]

Being one of the worlds best climbers aged 21, winning a Tour de France while still competing in the young riders classification and now winning LBL at that kind of age. He just keeps confirming his claim to become the new Andy Schleck (pls not lol)

 

[Krzysztof_O]

After recent COVID fiasco Tadej was spurred, hungry and...fresh. Good combination and great success.

 

[Panda Claws]

I have to admit that he is getting pretty close to Evenepoel now.

 

[Tinnekeisabella]

I think somebody should start a thread "Will Pogačar win all 3 GTs and all 5 monuments till 2024?"

Only 3 GT’s?...

His win today was impressive. I know he was very eager to show something today but still...

22 years old....

His position in the sprint was very smart and overall he also seems to stay (relatively) calm during the race.

His next goal will be the tour of slovenia, because he participated there 3 times and did not get on the podium yet...#goodluckfortherest

 

[Tinnekeisabella]

I have to admit that he is getting pretty close to Evenepoel now.

Evenepoel still has to prove a lot compared to Tadej, def in grand tours

I am very curious for the giro....

 

[Tinnekeisabella]

I may get 10 bells knocked out of me for this comment, but I've a feeling he may tire a bit towards the end of the Tour. He been going full pelt more or less since the UAE and still going strong. There's one or two who have not been firing on all cylinders yet but are prepping for the Tour who may just come alive when it matters most, and I ain't talking about the Dawg.

Could be of course, but seeing 2019 and 2020, where did he get tired? Ok he lost a bit of time here and there but he is so consistent it is scary...

 

[Sciatic]

Only 3 GT’s?...

His win today was impressive. I know he was very eager to show something today but still...

22 years old....

His position in the sprint was very smart and overall he also seems to stay (relatively) calm during the race.

His next goal will be the tour of slovenia, because he participated there 3 times and did not get on the podium yet...#goodluckfortherest

Tour of Slovenia now = the 4th Grand Tour

 

[johnymax]

Tour of Slovenia now = the 4th Grand Tour

He'll probably be a solid domestique for Ulissi there.

 

[Pinot's goat]

One is Geraint, who is the other?

Thomas was good at Catalunya. Carapaz and Mas are the two top 5 contenders who have been furthest from their top level.

 

[Big Doopie]

Mas?

you cannot be serious.

 

[Pinot's goat]

Mas?

you cannot be serious.

He was top 5 in 3 of his last 4 grand tours and in the other he got ill. In the TDF last year he came in furthest from top form of all the GC contenders and still managed 5th place, if hadn't come out of lockdown in such poor condition he would have ended 3rd.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Could be of course, but seeing 2019 and 2020, where did he get tired? Ok he lost a bit of time here and there but he is so consistent it is scary...

2020 was a completely different season with long COVID break. Still, Pog was too tired to take part in the Vuelta. This year he's been winning from a get go and also had some very energy-sucking performances: i.e. rainy stage at the Tirreno or last stage of Tour of Basque. He should be careful and take a good rest now (which he said he would do).

 

[Tinnekeisabella]

Saw a lot of people in the LBL thread saying they could not like Tadej, well this might help

https://twitter.com/x/status/1386407398621974531

 

[Big Doopie]

He was top 5 in 3 of his last 4 grand tours and in the other he got ill. In the TDF last year he came in furthest from top form of all the GC contenders and still managed 5th place, if hadn't come out of lockdown in such poor condition he would have ended 3rd.

but he will get crushed in the ITTs. simply no way is he on par with pog, rog, G... carapaz also likely to ship major time in the ITTs...

besides it's all moot. pog will crush all.

 

[Pinot's goat]

but he will get crushed in the ITTs. simply no way is he on par with pog, rog, G... carapaz also likely to ship major time in the ITTs...

besides it's all moot. pog will crush all.

In normal circumstances I agree, Mas can't get close to Pogacar but crashes/illness do happen and after the four riders you listed I rank Mas next favourite with Kelderman so they have a good chance of making the podium as bad luck always happens to a couple of riders.

 

[Froome]

I have to admit that he is getting pretty close to Evenepoel now.

You're kidding right? Pogi won the tour, he's the best gc rider in the world, evenepoel needs to prove what is capable of in grand tours.

 

[Nick2413]

but he will get crushed in the ITTs. simply no way is he on par with pog, rog, G... carapaz also likely to ship major time in the ITTs...

besides it's all moot. pog will crush all.

Is it really that clear cut that Pog is the favorite over Roglic? Sure I’d put him a hair above but Roglic just beat him handily in a TT despite stage 20 last year, then Pog lost Itzulia partly because of team issues. I know he won the tour without much of a team last year but almost seems impossible to do again unless the team is much stronger this year. If anything the tour is only going to magnify the issues from Itzulia I would think.

 

[bNator]

You're kidding right? Pogi won the tour, he's the best gc rider in the world, evenepoel needs to prove what is capable of in grand tours.

He’s kidding.

Could be of course, but seeing 2019 and 2020, where did he get tired? Ok he lost a bit of time here and there but he is so consistent it is scary...

Vuelta 2019 stage 18, he got properly dropped. I forgot who who lead an attack (possibly Lopez?) but there were a couple of guys who could follow (Roglic, Bala, ...) but Pogi couldn’t. Of course two stages later...

 

[Big Doopie]

Is it really that clear cut that Pog is the favorite over Roglic? Sure I’d put him a hair above but Roglic just beat him handily in a TT despite stage 20 last year, then Pog lost Itzulia partly because of team issues. I know he won the tour without much of a team last year but almost seems impossible to do again unless the team is much stronger this year. If anything the tour is only going to magnify the issues from Itzulia I would think.

no not clear cut, just a gut feeling.

endurance.

recovery.

pog has them in spades.

rog appears somewhat human on both counts.

also, pog at 22, likely to be even stronger at 22 than 21. Rog not so much at 31.

I do not give much weight to team in an era ruled by power meters. If you do not have the strongest rider what’s the point of having the strongest team (like last year).