In my opinion he should clearly aim for La Vuelta this year. I totally get that he wants to win the worlds and that he thinks they suit him but he probably has a chance that comes once in a lifetime. He can win the worlds most years but winning all three grand tours in one year? With crashes, illness, opponents calendar and so on, I'm not sure he will get the opportunity again. Winning all three grand tours in a single year would make him absolutely immortal and could be something that some will remind of him as the goat at the end of his career. No one ever did it, no one ever really came close.
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I hope he wins the world championship this year. I want to see him in the rainbow jersey.
Nah, he shouldnt do that for many reasons. Would be stupid.
The double is already amazing and what he aimed for.
He has a decent chance to win either Olympics or Worlds and he will be the favorite for another Lombardia.
What a season that would be if he wins anything of the above as well and what a rider he is. Just incredible.
I don’t have a problem with it, but can’t help imagining the hate toward Vingegaard, Remco, or Roglic if they were able to do something equivalent giving out so few scraps.
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Going for the Vuelta is by and large retiring 1-2 years earlier than it might've happened IMO. Completely no reason to do the Vuelta. No matter how much talented he's, everyone has the limit.
Valverde rode all three grand tours in 2016 and 2 grand tours every year the 4 years before also. At which age did he retire?
Of course he should look closely how he feels but there were enough guys the last years who rode all three grand tours and where it didnt seem as it hurt them too much. Kuss rode all three grand tours last year and won La Vuelta. With worlds and Lombardia, also scheduled for Montreal and Quebec right now according to PCS, it isnt as he would relax the next months.
You will see him only on first day in rainbow jersey, other time he will be in leaders jerseys 😉
Valverde raced like Valverde. Pogacar races like Pogacar. It's a completely different kind of effort.
And it's not just the physical fatigue you have to take into account. If he takes back tdf and wins both the GTs he still didn't had all in the same year, all with little to no competition, what kind of motivation does he have left for next year?
Becoming a full time classics rider and maybe a sprinter for the lolz?
velaso montador
BANNED
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Give me any example of Valverde doing any Grand Tour all out, going for multiple attacks, long-range solos etc... It was mostly surviving in the mountains and sprinting for the stage from a small group. With all due respect, that can not be compared to the way Pogacar rides... Valverde's style was far more energy-saving.
Doing the Vuelta is a bad idea from next season's perspective. Riding all three doesn't add up his chances to win the 2025 Tour or who knows one more Giro-Tour double.
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Is that because you're a big fan of Pogacar, or a big fan of riders not called Pogacar?
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As already said: It wasnt only Valverde.Give me any example of Valverde doing any Grand Tour all out, going for multiple attacks, long-range solos etc... It was mostly surviving in the mountains and sprinting for the stage from a small group. With all due respect, that can not be compared to the way Pogacar rides... Valverde's style was far more energy-saving.
Doing the Vuelta is a bad idea from next season's perspective. Riding all three doesn't add up his chances to win the 2025 Tour or who knows one more Giro-Tour double.
But even talking about Valverde. Pogacar seems completely in control and doesnt need to go in the red during the mountain stages while Valverde was at his absolute limit on most days. So you could also have a different look at it.
But anyway, I dont believe that Pogacar will try the Giro/Tour double again next year. If he doesnt ride the Vuelta this year, as should be expected right now, a Tour/Vuelta double is probably much more likely next year.
Pogacar said he wants to be remembered as the greatest of all time. Winning all grand tours in one year would be a milestone on his way to this target. Winning the worlds once doesnt do that much for his palmares. Winning Milano-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix would be another milestone but right now seems much more unlikely than the triple this year. Worlds, Lombardia, Tour de France etc., he needs a lot more wins to even get close to someone like Merckx.
In the end I dont think Pogacar will do the Vuelta this year but I think that would be a mistake. No one knows how much years he has left at the top. Strong riders are upcoming and a career changing injury can occur every day.
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As I wrote before.
Pog: " I did not want to hunt today but that deer jumped directly in front of my truck. What could I do?"
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Of course I'm a Pog fan, how can you not be?
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