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Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

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I never said its just down to the riders. Its up to the riders when you have this kind of finale - if the climbers want to sit there and attack with 3 km to go of Peyresourde, im not blaming the route on this one, but the riders considering the landscape of the GC and the remaining mountain stages.

Look I have been very critical of many routes, and I miss proper queen stages. Im probably what you'd call very conservative regarding routes, and I dont like shorter and shorter stages and I agree with your overall sentiment about routes generally getting easier and easier (in the high mountains, not outside of that). But on the other hand, there definitely are opportunity and it wouldn't make sense to me to blame the route if the riders soft-pedal the Alps.
 
I never said its just down to the riders. Its up to the riders when you have this kind of finale - if the climbers want to sit there and attack with 3 km to go of Peyresourde, im not blaming the route on this one, but the riders considering the landscape of the GC and the remaining mountain stages.

Look I have been very critical of many routes, and I miss proper queen stages. Im probably what you'd call very conservative regarding routes, and I dont like shorter and shorter stages and I agree with your overall sentiment about routes generally getting easier and easier (in the high mountains, not outside of that). But on the other hand, there definitely are opportunity and it wouldn't make sense to me to blame the route if the riders soft-pedal the Alps.
The terrain is good enough for end of the stage action. But with Pogi and Rogla, we could hope to have more than that, unfortunately we won't.
 
His team looks far from unbeatable when it comes to the mountain stages. If Ineos play their cards right and JV don't go full Rabofail, the can put him under pressure.
Now if you just wait for the final climb you're probably not gonna beat this version of Pogi (unless he has a meltdown, gets sick or crashes).
 
...a poster here has been saying that for quite a while... ;-)

even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Yeah but Roglic is crippled.

I mean a mummified crippled Roglic only lost 44 seconds today, so that "convincing Pogacar win" scenario only came about because Roglic went into the ditch. That was not predictable.

2013 Froome meanwhile was inherently head & shoulders above all his rivals. He was in 2014 as well, but he himself went into a ditch & had a DNF which made Nibali look like a Terminator.

Just some food for thought.
 
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Yeah but Roglic is crippled.

absolutely. i do not disagree. perhaps the extent of the gap between them would not end up as much ultimately, but it would be waaaaaay wider than last year.

i posted elsewhere -- it is silly to think Rog would be much (if any) improved on last year. meanwhile the only variable likely to be in ascendence is an amazing 21 year old, now 22.

this has been the history of cycling forever. and for the umpteenth time I suggest you look at the difference between the manner of Fignon's two wins.
 
He will be the next man to do the Giro Tour double

He will do triple Giro, Tour and Vuelta in one season :D.

On a serious note (or not). He is on trajectory to one of the greatest seasons in history. So far he won:

  • UAE Tour
  • Tirreno-Adriatico
  • LBL
  • Tour of Slovenia
What he can still win:

  • TDF (very likely, but still has to bring it home)
  • RR OI or TT OI (maybe even both :tearsofjoy:)
  • Vuelta (if he will even go, this one is really unlikely)
  • Il Lombardia (don't know if he will even ride it, but still)
Scary at 22y old. Beating everyone on climbs and TTs. How can you beat this guy?
 
Theoretically there are only 2 people who 'may' be able to beat him over next few years. Remco if his TT is even better than Pog and he can just follow in the mountains/learn to descend. Or Bernal if the tour rigs it so there are only 30km of TT and a few proper 7/hour 5 or 6 climb stages at altitude.
 
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Wow,

We already knew about his skills & potential before last year's tour-yet he raised the bar by winning it in the last stage when all odds declared Roglic ......

& here we are on stage 5 of this year's Tour thinking he's going to be marked & Challenged by INEOS & Jumbo............. SO it happens he's already a minute + 45 secs ahead of his nearest challenger - and we haven't gotten to the mountains yet...... o_O


So what are the "limits" for this new rider Superstar? Should we start calling it the "Pogacar Reign" already? given what we've seen so far, who can realistically stop him?
Imagine if Pogacar goes to INEOS? o_O
 
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