Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Peyroteo94]

I would also usually think Giro-Tour double is a one time thing, especially since he pulled it off.

I think a classics-Tour-worlds+Lombardia schedule is more sustainable or that has at least been the traditional thinking. But Pogi is special, so maybe Giro is just optimal prep for the lad.

Vuelta is a must next year so classics+Tour+Vuelta+WC

 

[velaso montador]

Watching cycling races without Pogacar just dont hit the same. Evenepoel is closest.

But watching cycling without Pogacar now is just like when you got used to watching prime Barcelona 2009-2012 and then having to go back to Dortmund after it just dont hit the same haha the quality is just different. .

 

[velaso montador]

Also its gone a litte while now and I still cant quite believe what we witnessed. I still remember big greats like Froome, Contador try the double and Pogacar just did it which was historic yes but also the way he did it us hard to comprehend.

The memory of Contador and Froome trying and other greats are still fresh its madness the fashion Pogacar did it in.

 

[Lequack]

Found this nice blast from the past, Pogacar when he was still in his conti team, before all the glory. It's great too look back every once in a while. Also in the video you can spot young Roglic, who already signed with LottoNL at that time.
PS: Video has English subtitles, make sure you enable them.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mq7E8ID7Fo

 

[Peter von]

Vuelta is a must

Is it though?

Vuelta is not that big compared to what's already on Pogi's palmares, ticking off all three GTs is nice and all, but it's also not that big of a deal(when you have Pogi's insane Palmares).

I guess it depends a lot how he feels now having recently finished two GTs compared to previous years.

Also its gone a litte while now and I still cant quite believe what we witnessed. I still remember big greats like Froome, Contador try the double and Pogacar just did it which was historic yes but also the way he did it us hard to comprehend.

The memory of Contador and Froome trying and other greats are still fresh its madness the fashion Pogacar did it in.

Indeed, Froome going in half baked to Giro to try and not be overtired for the Tour and all that. Or even before, Simoni, being strongest dude in the Giro, and a total non-factor at the Tour.

Pogi just smashed the Giro and returned even stronger for the Tour, amazing stuff and his season is far from over and I am NOT betting against him for Worlds and Lombardia or any other races he might do before winter.

 

[Purito91]

I dont want him to do the giro and tour in one season again. It was nice but now its done.

The giro would probably be really boring again. There is no competition for him.

The classics are much more exciting with him. This year was too easy for van der poel.
i want to see a battle between van der poel, pogacar, van aert and evenepoel there.

After that do the tour and vuelta. I think its much harder for him to do that double because the competition at the vuelta nowadays is much harder than at the giro an he probably has to beat vingegard at both grand tours.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I dont want him to do the giro and tour in one season again. It was nice but now its done.

The giro would probably be really boring again. There is no competition for him.

The classics are much more exciting with him. This year was too easy for van der poel.
i want to see a battle between van der poel, pogacar, van aert and evenepoel there.

After that do the tour and vuelta. I think its much harder for him to do that double because the competition at the vuelta nowadays is much harder than at the giro an he probably has to beat vingegard at both grand tours.

Good joke. Pogacar only has competition when Vingo is racing so every GT is/will be a walk in the park if Vingo is not there.

 

[Lequack]

What if Remco gets even better and goes for the Giro?

 

[Peyroteo94]

What if Remco gets even better and goes for the Giro?

A even better Remco is gonna get destroyed by Pogacar. If not 10 minutes, it will be 5 minutes. People can hope, can pray but Remco is so far behind Pogacar that it is more probable to see Yates, Almeida, Roglic getting to Remco's level and beating him than Remco getting strong enough to be able to compete with Pogacar.

 

[Purito91]

Good joke. Pogacar only has competition when Vingo is racing so every GT is/will be a walk in the park if Vingo is not there.

Thats probably right.
And i dont think vingegard will do the giro and the tour.
Because of that i think we get the most entertaining racing if he goes for the classics and the vuelta.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Thats probably right.
And i dont think vingegard will do the giro and the tour.
Because of that i think we get the most entertaining racing if he goes for the classics and the vuelta.

Vingegaard is the opposite of Pogacar. He is robotic, likes to do the same thing every year, same races, etc

 

[Froome]

A even better Remco is gonna get destroyed by Pogacar. If not 10 minutes, it will be 5 minutes. People can hope, can pray but Remco is so far behind Pogacar that it is more probable to see Yates, Almeida, Roglic getting to Remco's level and beating him than Remco getting strong enough to be able to compete with Pogacar.

Clearly you do a better job, "stalking" my profile when you have to much time free.

Now, seriously, those guys will never come close to Remco. Remco has room for improvement, and also because just like Vingegaard he didn't had a proper preparation for the Tour.

Don't do meaningless predictions.

 

[Fos]

Clearly you do a better job, "stalking" my profile when you have to much time free.

Now, seriously, those guys will never come close to Remco. Remco has room for improvement, and also because just like Vingegaard he didn't had a proper preparation for the Tour.

Don't do meaningless predictions.

So nobody from Tour podium had an optimal preparation. Crashes, injuries, Giros, Covid...

Just kidding, but not too much😅

 

[velaso montador]

Indeed, Froome going in half baked to Giro to try and not be overtired for the Tour and all that. Or even before, Simoni, being strongest dude in the Giro, and a total non-factor at the Tour.

Pogi just smashed the Giro and returned even stronger for the Tour, amazing stuff and his season is far from over and I am NOT betting against him for Worlds and Lombardia or any other races he might do before winter.

Yes exactly just pure facts and with that in mind the magnitude of this and the way its hard to grasp how special it was. He is truly something else.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Contador absolutely smashing the Giro in 2011, but being halfway mediocre for his standard later in France. That was also on a way harder route though and against tougher competition which actually could compete in the mountain: Scarponi, Antón, Rujano and Nibali. In 2015, he was pressured more in the Giro by Astana especially, and was actually not the strongest climber (that was Mikel Landa). That was a tell-tell that he was not gonna win the Tour, and he kinda looked like a shadow of his former self.

Pog is obviously better than Contador ever was, even on his peak in say 2009 or 2011, but Contador also had to go against tougher competition on routes which also required to dig way deeper than Pog was in 2024. That should be taken into consideration as well, but still, Contador was way off the mark when he tried the double in his second GT, and Pog got better in his second GT.

 

[James M]

Don't do meaningless predictions.

Ive yet to see you have a single meaningful prediction you have been right on the entire time ive been here but thats just imo

 

[Cookster15]

Contador absolutely smashing the Giro in 2011, but being halfway mediocre for his standard later in France. That was also on a way harder route though and against tougher competition which actually could compete in the mountain: Scarponi, Antón, Rujano and Nibali.

Agree. But Scarponi was a long way behind the level of AC - 6 minutes on GC. Nibali was still young and developing then and Antón and Rujano not on the same page except for when Contador gave them space. Contador rode like a madman that Giro, combined with the much tougher course took its effect at the Tour - as did his crash in the first week. AC was still amazing in the 3rd week except for the Galibier stage that Andy won. But when the 2011 Tour started Contador was the overwhelming favorite.

But definitely Pogacar 2024 is on a much higher level than anything we saw from Contador.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Clearly you do a better job, "stalking" my profile when you have to much time free.

Now, seriously, those guys will never come close to Remco. Remco has room for improvement, and also because just like Vingegaard he didn't had a proper preparation for the Tour.

Don't do meaningless predictions.

Pogacar and Vingegaard have room for improvement too. Gap is massive, Remco is 0,3 w/kg slower than Pogacar. Not gonna close this gap.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Pogacar is going to make two mistakes this season. Not racing Olympics and not doing the Vuelta. Zero competition there.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Don Pogione is a good man but nobody wants to be on his black list!

 

[proffate]

Pogacar and Vingegaard have room for improvement too. Gap is massive, Remco is 0,3 w/kg slower than Pogacar. Not gonna close this gap.

I don't know where you're getting this number with such assuredness, but TBH that doesn't sound that big of a difference, only like 20w in absolute terms. Let's not forget Remco is 16 months younger. What's the gap to Pogacar from 16 months ago?

And besides, Remco doesn't need to completely close the gap on the climbs. He will always have a more aero position (and skin).

 

[Berniece]

A even better Remco is gonna get destroyed by Pogacar. If not 10 minutes, it will be 5 minutes. People can hope, can pray but Remco is so far behind Pogacar that it is more probable to see Yates, Almeida, Roglic getting to Remco's level and beating him than Remco getting strong enough to be able to compete with Pogacar.

So far behind that he is riding better than Pogacar last year… maybe he’s just 1 year behind? Instead of it being more likely that the older guys will close the gap instead of the younger one…

 

[Cookster15]

I don't know where you're getting this number with such assuredness, but TBH that doesn't sound that big of a difference, only like 20w in absolute terms. Let's not forget Remco is 16 months younger. What's the gap to Pogacar from 16 months ago?

And besides, Remco doesn't need to completely close the gap on the climbs. He will always have a more aero position (and skin).

Of course Remco should improve. But.

Not sure about watts but Remco finished the Tour 9 minutes behind Pogacar. That is an absolutely massive gap and lets not forget Pog had the Giro in his legs. It is quite scary what a fresh Pog might be capable of.

Also, yes Remco is more aero simply because he is shorter, has smaller frontal area. But what do you mean by "skin" ? Pretty clear that UAE did a lot of work on Pogacar's TT bike.

 

[velaso montador]

Pogacar and Vingegaard have room for improvement too. Gap is massive, Remco is 0,3 w/kg slower than Pogacar. Not gonna close this gap.

Gap is massive to Pogacar dont get it twisted.

Vingegaard is closer to Evenepoel. And from data Evenepoel along with Pogacar has most room from improvement even. Vingegaard cant cut more so to reach a new top level is very hard for him he will have a better base other years without the crash but that wont improve his top level more so his endurance week 3.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Of course Remco should improve. But.

Not sure about watts but Remco finished the Tour 9 minutes behind Pogacar. That is an absolutely massive gap and lets not forget Pog had the Giro in his legs. It is quite scary what a fresh Pog might be capable of.

Also, yes Remco is more aero simply because he is shorter, has smaller frontal area. But what do you mean by "skin" ? Pretty clear that UAE did a lot of work on Pogacar's TT bike.

This. Without Vingegaard, Pogacar would win even more time (San Luca, gravel stage). 9 minutes is a lot!