• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

Page 742 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
What fatigue? I think he's fresher than Evenepoel, at least he looked fresher after 21 days. He's doing it for his GF because he knows chances for gold are very very slim. If the stage profile would be perfect for him, he would attend the race.
I agree with you but how can you say he is not tired? He did the double, no way he doesn't have fatigue right now, at least way more than MVP and WVA who are tailormade for this route and softpedalling the entire Tour.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
I agree with you but how can you say he is not tired? He did the double, no way he doesn't have fatigue right now, at least way more than MVP and WVA who are tailormade for this route and softpedalling the entire Tour.
Because during the Tour everyone kept saying how he didn't look tired when crossing the finish line first. I agree that he should be more tired than MVDP/WVA, I just don't agree that that is the reason for not attending the Olympics.

Which is fine, and I also get why he doesn't come out and say the real reason because that would basically declare war to the federation which isn't good for his own goals in the future. But we can at least be real, and just say it's for his GF, and because chances for gold are very slim. We don't have to go along with the UAE marketing talk.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Because during the Tour everyone kept saying how he didn't look tired when crossing the finish line first. I agree that he should be more tired than MVDP/WVA, I just don't agree that that is the reason for not attending the Olympics.

Which is fine, and I also get why he doesn't come out and say the real reason because that would basically declare war to the federation which isn't good for his own goals in the future. But we can at least be real, and just say it's for his GF, and because chances for gold are very slim. We don't have to go along with the UAE marketing talk.
I also think he would race if his GF was there but I also think he would race if the route was perfect for him. So these 2 factors made him to withdraw the road race.
 
I don't know which thread to put this in, but I feel the forum is becoming a place with little room for objective insights, peaking in the past few months. Not that they're not there, you're bunch of knowledeagble people with lots of meaningful things to say, but emotions and hysteria reign supreme and bury most things from the cool heads.

Hasn't it always been like that? Probably. Maybe it's the interregnum era - between Froome vs Contador fans war and Rog vs Remco / Pog vs Vinge one -which was the odd calm one, lasting for only few years.

Do I not like it? Hell I do! Talking about Movistar mutiny, Aru's last pain faces, and Fuglsang reborn were boring as hell. For a moment we had nothing, now we have everything again.
 
Pogacar just won two grand tours back to back and as he is just 25 years old he has plenty of time to win an Olympic Gold medal that is as long as his defective federation is pulled into line! what on earth is all this speculation about? he has already beaten the very best in the world twice this year! Despite the Olympics relying on a one-day event to decide its winner, I doubt very much that the Olympic Games will suddenly produce a talent that the world's best cannot beat, that is unless they are tired or out of form.
 
First of all, Pog doesn't deny Urska had something to do with it. But still claims fatigue as the main reason. Fatigue of the head, he says.

I can't understand how people can doubt he wants some time off from the circus. OG would prolong his press duties if nothing else for what, 10 more days at least. Yesterday on his reception event in Ljubljana, he said "sometimes, one just wants an ordinary day. I hope tomorrow, for me, is an ordinary day". And yet here we are: a 25 yo guy who wants to have a bit of vacation and there's suddenly this whole controversy around it.
 
Pogacar just won two grand tours back to back and as he is just 25 years old he has plenty of time to win an Olympic Gold medal that is as long as his defective federation is pulled into line! what on earth is all this speculation about? he has already beaten the very best in the world twice this year! Despite the Olympics relying on a one-day event to decide its winner, I doubt very much that the Olympic Games will suddenly produce a talent that the world's best cannot beat, that is unless they are tired or out of form.

I agree, there should be a RR and a week long stage race. The time would be there to do it. It could also be cool to have the olympics literally touring the country a bit. Other sports don't have to cut their disciplines, so given that the UCI does want to internationalize, it would be a good showcase. But there's probably a million reasons why this won't happen, I'd love to see it nonetheless.
 

It's usually a combination of factors (though some here think it's only because of this). If I say that it's 33% because of fatigue, 33% because of the route and 33% because of Urshka I'm probably closer to truth than those speaking only about one reason.
 
It's usually a combination of factors (though some here think it's only because of this). If I say that it's 33% because of fatigue, 33% because of the route and 33% because of Urshka I'm probably closer to truth than those saying only about one reason.

Pogi was still averring a minute ahead of everybody, per stage, and he is not injured. Medal is almost a given, gold a realistic opportunity. He could still take Urška with him, on holidays at Olympics. Murn was favouring him to the extent he was apologizing and preparing the public not take Rogla, just to support Pogi to the fullest. Rogla, if healthy, would obviously go, but still.

Anyway, it is what it is, a missed opportunity, unless i guess Urška makes him go. But likely Pogi too young and stubborn for that. So indeed lets rather move on.
 
Pogi was still averring a minute ahead of everybody, per stage, and he is not injured. Medal is almost a given, gold a realistic opportunity. He could still take Urška with him, on holidays at Olympics. Murn was favouring him to the extent he was apologizing and preparing the public not take Rogla, just to support Pogi to the fullest. Rogla, if healthy, would obviously go, but still.

Anyway, it is what it is, a missed opportunity, unless i guess Urška makes him go. But likely Pogi too young and stubborn for that. So indeed lets rather move on.
Pog is not stubborn. Someone else seems to be. Make peace with it. He don’t care about this race, this time.
 
He would likely be prepared to trade his 2 PR titles for Olympic gold, future Pogi. Olympics transcend pro sport.

But yes, lets move on.
No, it doesnt. Not for a cyclist. You are wrong on this.

Olympics is big, but not against races with much more history in the sport. This sport.

Also, just let the guy have a break. He don’t care.

Sure, let it go then.
 
Respectfully disagree on the other take. The course is not the best for him I hardly believe he would be the favorite tbh after the double, besides he has a medal from OL,

Besides that I'm sure its a combination of:
- Sticking up for his fiancé which only is respectable
- He is tired mentally aswell,
- And there is no secret about that you even wanne trade in a OL gold for WC anytime in cycling and if you disagree there that's fine but Pogacar himself has made no secret about GIro-Tour and WC was the main goals so wether or not you like OL more you need to call him to alter his view about that. OL is fine sure but not his major goal all that contributes, rest is key to tackle WC and Lombardia it's not deeper than this dude.
 
Guys you are just repeating some passe nonsense. Cycling, and some other pro sports, just don't have much initiative to put Olympics on the pedestal. As that would mean, by them, they get reduced in value. Read get less money. That actually being nonsense by itself, as Olympics and pro sport aren't all that comparable in its core and popularity of one in my opinion doesn't reduce the amount of money in the other side of it.

So all of you repeating, on how much value some events in pro cycling holds and on how little an Olympic gold medal is worth. You have been told a lie and you are repeating it, that is all there is to it.

P.S. Janja is GOAT too and she is doing it. You just don't pass Olympics. If you do, as an elite athlete, then your pro sport franchise is likely making you much richer but also likely a tiny bit dumber.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Cassirer
Guys you are just repeating some passe nonsense. Cycling, and some other pro sports, just don't have much initiative to put Olympics on the pedestal. As that would mean, by them, they get reduced in value. Read get less money. That actually being nonsense by itself, as Olympics and pro sport aren't all that comparable in its core and popularity of one in my opinion doesn't reduce the amount of money in the other side of it.

So all of you repeating, on how much value some events in pro cycling holds and on how little an Olympic gold medal is worth. You have been told a lie and you are repeating it, that is all there is to it.

P.S. Janja is GOAT too and she is doing it. You just don't pass Olympics. If you do, as an elite athlete, then your pro sport franchise is likely making you much richer but also likely a tiny bit dumber.
Respectfully its like saying Argentina would trade in their WC gold for OL gold, its laughable. Or even Spain their EM gold for OL gold its just not how it works sorry.
 
A similar scenario to Glasgow would be possible. Fighting for medals but missing something at the end (MVP peaking on this route would be hard to beat). He was absolutely gassed after the WC last year so they probably don't want him to overexert again after the double.
This says everything perfectly. I was shocked at pogis level in Glasgow but he was still possibly on an upward form trajectory given the circumstances surrounding his LBL crash. This year he has to be on a downward trajectory given his double.