Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Escarabajo]

I am going to get a lot of hate for this but putting the Olympics at the same level with a GT or even a monument is Rubbish.

Let's do this simple exercise. Pick 10 riders and ask them if they would trade, not the Tour, but a Vuelta or a Giro for the Olympic gold? and record their answers.

I understand that in some countries the gold is very important like Ecuador and Colombia, but even there, there is no comparison. Some people would want to make it look like it is very, very important, but simply put, they would choose a GT. Hec, I would choose the rainbow jersey for that matter.

Pogi, do you want to go in history and do the double with the Olympics, or do you want to do the double with the WC?
I think He already decided.

 

[James M]

I am going to get a lot of hate for this but putting the Olympics at the same level with a GT or even a monument is Rubbish.

Let's do this simple exercise. Pick 10 riders and ask them if they would trade, not the Tour, but a Vuelta or a Giro for the Olympic gold? and record their answers.

I understand that in some countries the gold is very important like Ecuador and Colombia, but even there, there is no comparison. Some people would want to make it look like it is very, very important, but simply put, they would choose a GT. Hec, I would choose the rainbow jersey for that matter.

Pogi, do you want to go in history and do the double with the Olympics, or do you want to do the double with the WC?
I think He already decided.

Dont think you will get any hate for that I couldnt agree more myself. Makes 100% sense. OL is simply below in that pecking order for sure.

 

[Salvarani]

I’ve heard these estimates somewhere here before back in the winter

And they laughed and ridiculed him for those claims!

[[deleted content]]

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1815736147764474052

View: https://x.com/IntermarcheW/status/1815736147764474052/photo/1

 

[Salvarani]

I am going to get a lot of hate for this but putting the Olympics at the same level with a GT or even a monument is Rubbish.

Let's do this simple exercise. Pick 10 riders and ask them if they would trade, not the Tour, but a Vuelta or a Giro for the Olympic gold? and record their answers.

I understand that in some countries the gold is very important like Ecuador and Colombia, but even there, there is no comparison. Some people would want to make it look like it is very, very important, but simply put, they would choose a GT. Hec, I would choose the rainbow jersey for that matter.

Pogi, do you want to go in history and do the double with the Olympics, or do you want to do the double with the WC?
I think He already decided.

Olympics is the biggest race now all of a sudden, havent you heard?

 

[James M]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1815736147764474052

View: https://x.com/IntermarcheW/status/1815736147764474052/photo/1

Hahaha is that for real? Talk about whos the boss.

 

[James M]

Pogačar has an FTP close to 7w/kg oh dear god

 

[Peyroteo94]

Well, he is more successful. And Roglič is very successful. Pogačar has just been crushing it.

Pogacar is a lot more popular. No one comes close to Pogacar's popularity nowadays. Not even Remco

 

[Scarponi]

I am going to get a lot of hate for this but putting the Olympics at the same level with a GT or even a monument is Rubbish.

Let's do this simple exercise. Pick 10 riders and ask them if they would trade, not the Tour, but a Vuelta or a Giro for the Olympic gold? and record their answers.

I understand that in some countries the gold is very important like Ecuador and Colombia, but even there, there is no comparison. Some people would want to make it look like it is very, very important, but simply put, they would choose a GT. Hec, I would choose the rainbow jersey for that matter.

Pogi, do you want to go in history and do the double with the Olympics, or do you want to do the double with the WC?
I think He already decided.

If it was Rio course he would do the Olympics too though I assume

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

From a scheduling perspective it makes a lot of sense to skip Olympics. And I don't give two fecks about the dumbass patriotic "gotta show up for your country" nonsense.
However, while not the biggest pinnacle in cycling, the Olympics are the Olympics and for every athlete a special event. With the 4 year cycle the opportunities to win a medal are pretty scarce and even for the greatest often a tricky thing to achieve (e.g. neither Djokovic nor Federer have managed a Singles Gold in their career). To voluntary skip now while being on great form might definitely be he'll regret later, he might only have 1-2 more chances to win gold in his career.
And while I don't think Urska being snubbed was the sole reason, there's definitely something amiss with regards to his relation to the National team, I remember a few years ago already reading how there are different camps within the federation. His message on instagram also reads a bit cold and maybe a slight snub regarding the federation.

 

[vwpe]

Insane numbers.
Even though least impressive sure among the other but at Col d'Eze basically 8w/kg for 4min at the end of the Giro- Tour double and at the end of the stage.

stage 15 aka the best climbing performance of all time: he did 7.27W/kg for 40min! at the end of that hard stage in the heat haha dude is a xxxxx monster.

Its just what weve seen his treshold is just so much better he can ride away with ease almost on every mountain we saw it before stage 15 too so no surprise at all they simple cant sustain the numbers he can for any amount before blowing up!

Power Analysis: Pogačar's Power Numbers Are the Highest We've Ever Seen in Professional Cycling

In this column, we dive into the power numbers of Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, and more at the Tour de France.

velo.outsideonline.com

While it is the best numbers in history and his FTP is out of this world im not sure people are ready for this.

I have it from several people in cycling that its even hard to judge his max from a competitor standpoint as he wasnt ever in red and max out some people say and in fact has more watts, how much its hard to know.

 

[vwpe]

But its easy to tell for everyone that his climbing is next level from anyone in history and that he most likely only will get better vs the rest as he has more room for improvement is a scary thought.

He is just as the youth says the goat, dont think you will find anyone inside cycling today who wont immidiately say Pogacar.

 

[Oldermanish]

I am going to get a lot of hate for this but putting the Olympics at the same level with a GT or even a monument is Rubbish.

Let's do this simple exercise. Pick 10 riders and ask them if they would trade, not the Tour, but a Vuelta or a Giro for the Olympic gold? and record their answers.

I understand that in some countries the gold is very important like Ecuador and Colombia, but even there, there is no comparison. Some people would want to make it look like it is very, very important, but simply put, they would choose a GT. Hec, I would choose the rainbow jersey for that matter.

Pogi, do you want to go in history and do the double with the Olympics, or do you want to do the double with the WC?
I think He already decided.

You can ask athletes of almost any sport and they mostly acknowledge the WC as the pinnacle of the competitive effort; particularly in head to head events like track, WC Football, alpine skiing, etc. They occur annually and generally reward a great season of prep and athletes can control their access without ruining 4 years of a career, especially when arbitrary national federations make selections. The Olympics occur every 4 years and some events, like cycling are subjects of available team talent and occasionally vague team alliances that skew results. Individual talent can get lost in the event quickly.
The Olympics are the biggest payday for emerging talent, niche sports (figure skating, gymnastics) or for someone that has already won a WC and wants to burnish a reputation before they retire (NBA) and get endorsement value.
Cycling's WC RR is not an easy win unless your country is stacked with talent and they all play to win. Spain has that reputation and Italy is noteworthy for less dedication. It can be a very hard event to win and IMO riders know that.
Monuments occupy a different status (also MO) because they tend to define more specific talents. Most riders capable of winning PR would definitely hold that as pre eminent. You will be remembered for winning MSR and others by fans and peers forever. Most couldn't recite the Olympic TT winner past the most recent event unless it was their country.

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

I am going to get a lot of hate for this but putting the Olympics at the same level with a GT or even a monument is Rubbish.

Let's do this simple exercise. Pick 10 riders and ask them if they would trade, not the Tour, but a Vuelta or a Giro for the Olympic gold? and record their answers.

I understand that in some countries the gold is very important like Ecuador and Colombia, but even there, there is no comparison. Some people would want to make it look like it is very, very important, but simply put, they would choose a GT. Hec, I would choose the rainbow jersey for that matter.

Pogi, do you want to go in history and do the double with the Olympics, or do you want to do the double with the WC?
I think He already decided.

Hm, I think the Olympic road race has gained a lot of prestige since it's open for pros, it's not like when Pascal Richard won and nobody really cared. Mathieu Van der Poel did a Tour similar to the one in 2023. Why? In 23 preparing for Glasgow. What do you think he's preparing now? Zürich in 2 month? No, he's sacrificed Tour stage chances for the second year in a row, to be at the top in early August. So I wouldn't be too sure that all these 10 cyclists wouldn't trade a monument for the Olympics. A Giro or a Vuelta, different thing

Pogacar not going most likely 3 reasons, not necessarily in this order:
1 Tired
2 The route is not really for him, the plan probably was more to help Mohoric anyway
3 Girlfriend trouble

As for Zürich, I really don't see the route as all that favorable to him there either, seems a bit on the easy side, but we'll see.

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

I think Pogacar is unquestionable the most popular rider in the peloton thats just a fact nothing else.

What is the fact? The "I think" part or the what follows? If it's what I fear, maybe adding "I think" wasn't the best way to start? Makes it sound like you didn't think actually. Be that as it may, seems highly speculative and highly irrelevant. Rominger was pretty much hated in the peloton, he still did what he wanted.

 

[James M]

What is the fact? The "I think" part or the what follows? If it's what I fear, maybe adding "I think" wasn't the best way to start? Makes it sound like you didn't think actually. Be that as it may, seems highly speculative and highly irrelevant. Rominger was pretty much hated in the peloton, he still did what he wanted.

Sorry i meant from the peloton. That he was the most popular rider in cycling.

 

[Escarabajo]

Hm, I think the Olympic road race has gained a lot of prestige since it's open for pros, it's not like when Pascal Richard won and nobody really cared. Mathieu Van der Poel did a Tour similar to the one in 2023. Why? In 23 preparing for Glasgow. What do you think he's preparing now? Zürich in 2 month? No, he's sacrificed Tour stage chances for the second year in a row, to be at the top in early August. So I wouldn't be too sure that all these 10 cyclists wouldn't trade a monument for the Olympics. A Giro or a Vuelta, different thing

Pogacar not going most likely 3 reasons, not necessarily in this order:
1 Tired
2 The route is not really for him, the plan probably was more to help Mohoric anyway
3 Girlfriend trouble

As for Zürich, I really don't see the route as all that favorable to him there either, seems a bit on the easy side, but we'll see.

MVDP is a very bad example because He didn't win the Tour and has no chance of winning it any time soon. The Olympic makes a lot of sense for him.

 

[Berniece]

As for Zürich, I really don't see the route as all that favorable to him there either, seems a bit on the easy side, but we'll see.

273km's and 4500 meters in altitude? That alone makes it a race for a select few of which Pogacar is one. Not to mention that the climb has sections of up to 18%

 

[Miha81]

And while I don't think Urska being snubbed was the sole reason, there's definitely something amiss with regards to his relation to the National team, I remember a few years ago already reading how there are different camps within the federation. His message on instagram also reads a bit cold and maybe a slight snub regarding the federation.

The recent sucess of Slovenian men's cycling especially Rogla and Pog but also Mohoric and some other guys prompted appetites inside national cycling association. Some "old guns" returned when they smelled the money and this lead to internal fight and some changes (not necessary for the better).

By seeing women's selector's choice to send his 37 year old business (rumored also "private") partner to Olympics rubbed whole lot of people wrong way.

It was not a big deal since Slovenian women's cycling is few levels lower than men's but since Pog is somehow involved it is news of the day. Hopefully public will get to know what the return of "old guns" with mentality dating back in ex-Yugoslavia can do to this sport in Slovenia.

Only luck future generations have is that sport is becoming increasingly internationalized and young talents from these parts can find fine teams abroad at relatively young age (which was not a case few decades ago).

 

[Peyroteo94]

Roglic is not even close in popularity compared to Pogi in countries like Portugal, Spain, France and Italy.
I would love to see him in Portugal to start the Vuelta. I will be there but now I'm a little bit disappointed despite having riders like Roglic, Almeida and Yates racing it.

 

[James M]

The coronation is full underway. Cant go anywhere on social media or internett without see people popping up saying stuff.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PrsDAkGhb4

 

[scribers]

You can ask athletes of almost any sport and they mostly acknowledge the WC as the pinnacle of the competitive effort; particularly in head to head events like track, WC Football, alpine skiing, etc. They occur annually and generally reward a great season of prep and athletes can control their access without ruining 4 years of a career, especially when arbitrary national federations make selections. The Olympics occur every 4 years and some events, like cycling are subjects of available team talent and occasionally vague team alliances that skew results. Individual talent can get lost in the event quickly.
The Olympics are the biggest payday for emerging talent, niche sports (figure skating, gymnastics) or for someone that has already won a WC and wants to burnish a reputation before they retire (NBA) and get endorsement value.
Cycling's WC RR is not an easy win unless your country is stacked with talent and they all play to win. Spain has that reputation and Italy is noteworthy for less dedication. It can be a very hard event to win and IMO riders know that.
Monuments occupy a different status (also MO) because they tend to define more specific talents. Most riders capable of winning PR would definitely hold that as pre eminent. You will be remembered for winning MSR and others by fans and peers forever. Most couldn't recite the Olympic TT winner past the most recent event unless it was their country.

In most federations the olympics is a bigger goal than a worlds championship. Cycling is different in that it has a rich world championship history and is coveted. Being a professional sport, the pros were not allowed to compete for a large part of its history. So the answer is complicated and narrow to cycling itself.

 

[pihi42]

Eddy did the Giro/Tour/WC triple, Teddy wants it.

 

[chris_sssss]

Sorry i meant from the peloton. That he was the most popular rider in cycling.

He is the most popular and the most hated rider in the peleton - from praising him as the goat of cycling to rejecting him in every aspect because he kills cycling we can read everything about him in these days...this is more or less normal after such a TDF

 

[ManicJack]

In most federations the olympics is a bigger goal than a worlds championship. Cycling is different in that it has a rich world championship history and is coveted. Being a professional sport, the pros were not allowed to compete for a large part of its history. So the answer is complicated and narrow to cycling itself.

USAC's rider development budget is very much centered around Olympic medals.