Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Peyroteo94]

Shouldn't deepl, if not google translate as well, be good enough?
Anyway:

Pogi said:
-Tour is the culminating point, "central point", of the year. I'm aware that I'll have to challenge Vingegaard, it's a huge rivarly; I expect him to get stronger and stronger.
- Sanremo will be in the schedule
- I'll take a few rounds on clobblestones (gazzetta assumes it must mean Flanders)
- South Africa's world championship

Gianetti said:
- he has to catch his breath a bit, he won't start so soon*
- double tour Giro-TdF* or TdF-Vuelta is still on the table. He really liked the giro a lot, he was happy to run the giro because of its atmosphere and the affection he got from the people
- No to Roubaix: we cannot expect him to play the phenom at all times and all places



*I don't know what 'start' or 'soon' are referring to: it came out that they want him to run the damn 'UAE Tour' in 2025.
Reason being he wears the world championship jersey and had skipped it for two years straight.
The problem is that said stupid race takes place the 17th of February, while Sanremo is on the 22nd of March and even Strade Bianche is only on the 8th of March.
I know Pogi doesn't need to run 'UAE Tour' being anywhere close to peak form, but still...
I guess it just means he'll wait a bit longer than usual before training really seriously.


** I doubt he'll do the Giro-Tour double again this year. I exptect Gianetti to have said that mostly because they were talking to Gazzetta.
They must be still pondering whether to do TdF-Vuelta. The south africa's world championship is particularly suited to Pog.
Therefore the obvious dilemma is whether doing the Vuelta (even more so after a Tour) will impact his odds of winning the WC.
Pog is expected to be able to win a Vuelta in years and years to come.
WC.. maybe not so much: in 2027 and 2028 the WC might be way easier, idk, so...

He must win Vuelta now, we don't know what can happen in the future

 

[scribers]

This worlds coming up is a unique opportunity. If it has to be the vuelta or worlds I pick the latter this season.

 

[Peyroteo94]

This worlds coming up is a unique opportunity. If it has to be the vuelta or worlds I pick the latter this season.

Unique opportunity for what?

 

[Jan the Man]

Marketability wise outside of Spain I’d have thought the rainbow bands have significantly more ‘value’. From a purely sporting perspective winning the Vuelta for him when he already has a worlds will enhance the palmares more

Unique opportunity for what?

 

[KZD]

Unique opportunity for what?

To get the rainbow double in the same season.

 

[scribers]

And to collect another WC jersey. Several years into his career it is already demonstrably not-a-given-opportunity annually.

Merckx won it three times. Pogi is counting

 

[Peyroteo94]

Vuelta>WC, just saying.

 

[KZD]

And to collect another WC jersey. Several years into his career it is already demonstrably not-a-given-opportunity annually.

Merckx won it three times. Pogi is counting

He should have three more chances in the next three years and then it will likely be flat routes until the end of the decade so he needs a good strike rate.

Vuelta>WC, just saying.

Arguably bigger than the road race alone but not road race + time trial. Plus it will be easier for Pogačar to peak for the Worlds after taking a break in August than holding a very good shape from early July until early October.

 

[Shortcut]

Vuelta is not worth risking WC ITT, RR gold + 5th Lombardie. There is no way winning Tour-Vuelta, WC ITT+RR and Lombardie even for him. On the other side Giro-Tour, WC and Lombardie is doable.

 

[Tanakka]

Vuelta>WC, just saying.

Is it, though, when you already have 3-4 TdF (plus 1 Giro)?

For someone like, idk, Julian Alaphilippe I'd see the argument.
But for someone like Pog?

I'm not so sure.

 

[AmRacer]

Is it, though, when you already have 3-4 TdF (plus 1 Giro)?

For someone like, idk, Julian Alaphilippe I'd see the argument.
But for someone like Pog?

I'm not so sure.

Pog has 1 WC, and 0 Vuelta.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Risking as if he's not the ludicrous favorite for WC and Lombardia anyway. All you jeopardize is the WC ITT.

This. Pogacar can win everything if he shows a similar level compared to this year.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Is it, though, when you already have 3-4 TdF (plus 1 Giro)?

For someone like, idk, Julian Alaphilippe I'd see the argument.
But for someone like Pog?

I'm not so sure.

Yes, it is. He already won a WC, there will be always a hole in his palmares. Can we imagine a world with Nibali as a winner of all GTs and not Pogacar?

 

[scribers]

Or his running the Vuelta this year results with a career ending crash midway through the race

See? We can both play what-ifs

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1853799623917289772

View: https://twitter.com/my_whoosh/status/1853799623917289772

 

[Peyroteo94]

Or his running the Vuelta this year results with a career ending crash midway through the race

See? We can both play what-ifs

He can win Tour-Vuelta-WC. I don't have any doubt about that. Maybe the TT in Rwanda is out but he can win the road race despite doing the Vuelta.

 

[Salvarani]

Vuelta depends on how much he races in the spring for me.

If he does RVV and other classics. I would just ride the Tour and then Worlds + Lombardia in the fall as the big targets.

I feel like Vuelta is something he could do if Tour doesnt go to plan in the near future. Like he doesnt finish it or has to drop out early for any reason. Roglic-style.

Like Roubaix, the Vuelta is something he can afford to put off for a couple of seasons to maximize his chances in other races.

 

[Peyroteo94]

He should win Vuelta and then focus on whatever he wants. Win all races bar PR and then focus on his favourite races

 

[James M]

If he is not 100% for whatever reason its a fight and they can always pray, only way its remotely close after the level he has reached and the things weve seen in what fashion not the least.. goes without saying.

"Keep on praying because it's not going to change" - Bob Roll & Christian Vande Velde analyse Jonas Vingegaard's chances of beating Tadej Pogacar at 2025 Tour de France

The route and profiles of the 2025 Tour de France are here and we look set for another thrilling spectacle at next summer's edition of the Grand Tour. Can Tadej Pogacar go back to back? Will Jonas Vin...

cyclinguptodate.com

 

[James M]

Evenepoel just as every other pro and legend stating the obvious, though from a first row seat so naturally with a better knowledge than the average Joe:

"But in the valley, actually a bit ahead of me, he rode away another two minutes. At such moments you realise that he is the best rider in the world and that he is slowly becoming the best ever."

"I sent him: I want to know what you really pedalled" - Remco Evenepoel didn't believe Tadej Pogacar's reported wattages were real at Il Lombardia

Tadej Pogacar finished his historic 2024 season in typically scintillating style at Il Lombardia, picking up his second monument victory of the campaign ahead of Remco Evenepoel. Afterwards, the Belgi...

cyclinguptodate.com

 

[Peyroteo94]

Evenepoel just as every other pro and legend stating the obvious, though from a first row seat so naturally with a better knowledge than the average Joe:

"But in the valley, actually a bit ahead of me, he rode away another two minutes. At such moments you realise that he is the best rider in the world and that he is slowly becoming the best ever."

"I sent him: I want to know what you really pedalled" - Remco Evenepoel didn't believe Tadej Pogacar's reported wattages were real at Il Lombardia

Tadej Pogacar finished his historic 2024 season in typically scintillating style at Il Lombardia, picking up his second monument victory of the campaign ahead of Remco Evenepoel. Afterwards, the Belgi...

cyclinguptodate.com

"Best in rolling terrain" asking Pogacar how many watts he was pushing in the valley.

 

[Cookster15]

slowly becoming the best ever.

I’d say the only reason it is “slowly” is it will take time to overhaul the great Eddy’s record. But I still doubt this. Crashes are most likely to stop him else motivation.

For 2025, I hope he targets Tour / Vuelta. Vingegaard seemed capable in 2023 if he wasn’t returning a favour to Sepp Kuss. If Vingo was capable then the 2024 version of Pog most certainly is.

 

[Tanakka]

Yes, it is. He already won a WC, there will be always a hole in his palmares. Can we imagine a world with Nibali as a winner of all GTs and not Pogacar?

Let's face it:
in reality Vuelta, for someone who has multiple GTs and Monuments, is nothing more than lesser GT to TdF.
No one doubts Pog has the skills to easily win a Vuelta.

It's not like with monuments where winning both Sanremo and Roubaix, or Roubaix and Liege, is a completely diffent thing than winning one of the two even multiple time.

I'm not saying it wouldn't be important to add a Vuelta, but it's mostly a marketing, 'face value', thing.
For people in the know, it wouldn't add much.

Now, being able to win a Roubaix is actually something Tadej would have to prove and that would mean a ton.

 

[Salvarani]

Why would he make Vuelta a priority right now? Only if he has to drop out of the Tour early for some reason imo.

Only if he does a lighter spring but it could still be risky with Tour and Vuelta, before worlds this year. Worlds that should suit him to a tee.

I think MSR, RVV and LBL in spring as his main goals.

Tour.

Worlds + Lombardia.

He will try to add one or two stage-races outside of this.

Never know with this guy though, but that is what I would do.

 

[Oldermanish]

Evenepoel just as every other pro and legend stating the obvious, though from a first row seat so naturally with a better knowledge than the average Joe:

"But in the valley, actually a bit ahead of me, he rode away another two minutes. At such moments you realise that he is the best rider in the world and that he is slowly becoming the best ever."

"I sent him: I want to know what you really pedalled" - Remco Evenepoel didn't believe Tadej Pogacar's reported wattages were real at Il Lombardia

Tadej Pogacar finished his historic 2024 season in typically scintillating style at Il Lombardia, picking up his second monument victory of the campaign ahead of Remco Evenepoel. Afterwards, the Belgi...

cyclinguptodate.com

I found that analysis of the ride to the finish pretty much as it looked: Tadej had a gap and it started to grow and Remco backed off. It wasn't like suddenly Pogacar rode some newfound tempo. He knew mechanicals and other crap can happen on the way to finish and Remco rode to stay ahead of the chasers behind him. Not a revelation; more of an admission of capitulation.