Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[snipeheem]

This is a bad example because his poor record in championships is exactly why LeBron is not in the goat convo. He's more like the Valverde of hoopers.

At worst he is 2nd best in history.

 

[AmRacer]

At worst he is 2nd best in history.

Valverde?

 

[snipeheem]

Valverde?

Hahaha Lebron

 

[Lequack]

What did he do to his hair?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1856449753350914283

View: https://twitter.com/SapFred18/status/1856449753350914283

 

[Wyndbrook]

No need to worry for the next couple of years, he's signed up for military service.

 

[Peyroteo94]

What did he do to his hair?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1856449753350914283

View: https://twitter.com/SapFred18/status/1856449753350914283

At least he is bad at something

 

[Tricycle Rider]

At least he is bad at something

I don't think that kind of haircut (or its severity) is flattering on anyone, where's a helmet when you need it?

 

[yaf]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1856676225764208677

View: https://x.com/CyclingUpToDat3/status/1856676225764208677?t=7D2ctira7NrnxqcvozbPAQ&s=19

Eddy dont fall for this trap🤣

 

[Tim Cahill]

PSA for any young lads out there, you aren't meant to turn up a the hairdressers 5 minutes before it closes, please make sure the barber is using scissors and clippers, rather than a knife and fork.

 

[Peyroteo94]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1856676225764208677

View: https://x.com/CyclingUpToDat3/status/1856676225764208677?t=7D2ctira7NrnxqcvozbPAQ&s=19

Eddy dont fall for this trap🤣

It's obvious Pogi is better than Merckx. Only difference that makes Merckx the GOAT (yet) is his palmares compared to Pogacar. Pogacar winning all GTs (and 5 Tours) and monuments is enough to change this paradigm.

 

[YavorD]

He said he will probably race 2 GTs in the next couple of years. Can't wait for another triple crown in 2026

He said that he will probably ride 2 GT's next year and then maybe one or possibly no GT at all as he "doesn't like to be away from home".
Or so I read at least.

 

[yaf]

It's obvious Pogi is better than Merckx. Only difference that makes Merckx the GOAT (yet) is his palmares compared to Pogacar. Pogacar winning all GTs (and 5 Tours) and monuments is enough to change this paradigm.

Its ironic how people consider merckx a goat and armstrong a froud when both actually got caught doping multiple times in their career with only the later getting the stick for his behavior to cover up his sh**😖 If it wasn't for his bad attitudes towards some riders we would've still considered him the greatest GT rider with 7 consecutive tdf wins🤭. Even if i'm a die hard pogi fan i wouldn't even mention his name amongst the best if he got caught doping 3 times as merckx was.

 

[Oldermanish]

If Pogacar rides like he did this year, he does what he wants regardless of what the others do.

Pogacar succeeded in some races because other riders chose not to take him on directly. Not all events but the Giro was a sad promenade behind him. The Tour was a closer reality for about 2 weeks and then everyone settled into their petty fights for the lower placings. So, yes; if they do that in 2025 the results could be the same.
They will all start out healthy save for the unknowns of Vindegaard's recovery to form. That could take some time and, if it does Visma will need to be realistic and pick a #1 rider that they'll give full support.

 

[Tanakka]

Its ironic how people consider merckx a goat and armstrong a froud when both actually got caught doping multiple times in their career with only the later getting the stick for his behavior to cover up his sh**😖 If it wasn't for his bad attitudes towards some riders we would've still considered him the greatest GT rider with 7 consecutive tdf wins🤭. Even if i'm a die hard pogi fan i wouldn't even mention his name amongst the best if he got caught doping 3 times as merckx was.

To be fair, though, 'doping before 1989' =/= 'doping after 1989'.
Amphetamines etc. vs. blood doping.
Even Coppi and Ferdi Kübler were, admittedly, taking 'The Bomb'.
"Too bad that" Coppi's bomb was most likely closer to caffeine than to EPO, and not for a lack of trying (to make it more potent).

Also I personally think of Lance as a 7 TdF winner. Even more so given that the wins of Mr60%, Jan, Pantani and such, weren't scraped off, and those 7 weren't given to anyone else either (and we all know why).
Though, yeah, especially during 1990-2010 (or at least till 2008) you must consider all results as having an asterisk*.

 

[Tanakka]

They will all start out healthy save for the unknowns of Vindegaard's recovery to form. That could take some time and, if it does Visma will need to be realistic and pick a #1 rider that they'll give full support.

Wait... what?

1) Vingo is fine.
It's not like what happened to him was the same as Egan Bernal, who 12 months later was still struggling to stay with the "mid" group.
Jonas might've not been 100% but in 2024 he was the only one able to follow Pog on the 'San Luca', he won a stage, and ended the GT at second place.

2)Let's assume for the moment Vingegaard will only be at "90%" at the next Tour:
who else could Visma pick as a #1 TdF rider?
Outbid Redbull and offer Remco 13 million per year, betting on him improving a ton uphill?

I don't get it.

 

[scribers]

Is this now the doping forum? Because it will just spiral into an abyss of conspiracy and innuendo. I am not naive to where we have been and what could be going on, but I find forum threads about what anonymous randos think riders might be doing based on whatever to be uninteresting at best.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Vingegaard will be better than ever. My question is how much can Pogacar improve? If he improves, no one will give him a fight.

 

[YavorD]

Vingegaard will be better than ever. My question is how much can Pogacar improve? If he improves, no one will give him a fight.

There should be a limit up to where Pogacar and Vingegaard (and Evenepoel for that matter) improve. I find it hard to believe that Pogacar can improve any further (without visiting different part of the forum) and Vingegaard being 28 should be close to his limit as well.

 

[Cookster15]

There should be a limit up to where Pogacar and Vingegaard (and Evenepoel for that matter) improve. I find it hard to believe that Pogacar can improve any further (without visiting different part of the forum) and Vingegaard being 28 should be close to his limit as well.

There are always outliers. Nobody knows when Pogacar will reach his physiological peak.

Another outlier was Valverde. AV’s career longevity was off the charts. Turned pro very young and was competitive well into his late 30s. But AV was only a 2nd tier Grand Tour contender.

Another example I can think of is Cadel Evans. Cadel won the Tour at 34 but apparently his best numbers were in 2007, aged 30.

No idea when Pogacar will begin to decline but my guess would be after he turns 30.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Pogacar only has to improve if Vingo or Remco are in better shape next year than Pog was this year. Curious how realistic everyone thinks that is, because Pog was at an astronomic level in 2024.

 

[Oldermanish]

Wait... what?

1) Vingo is fine.
It's not like what happened to him was the same as Egan Bernal, who 12 months later was still struggling to stay with the "mid" group.
Jonas might've not been 100% but in 2024 he was the only one able to follow Pog on the 'San Luca', he won a stage, and ended the GT at second place.

2)Let's assume for the moment Vingegaard will only be at "90%" at the next Tour:
who else could Visma pick as a #1 TdF rider?
Outbid Redbull and offer Remco 13 million per year, betting on him improving a ton uphill?

I don't get it.

Jonas isn't "fine" until he proves his form. It's also Visma's problem if he can't.

 

[Oldermanish]

Its ironic how people consider merckx a goat and armstrong a froud when both actually got caught doping multiple times in their career with only the later getting the stick for his behavior to cover up his sh**😖 If it wasn't for his bad attitudes towards some riders we would've still considered him the greatest GT rider with 7 consecutive tdf wins🤭. Even if i'm a die hard pogi fan i wouldn't even mention his name amongst the best if he got caught doping 3 times as merckx was.

This would be funny if you didn't believe it.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Pogacar only has to improve if Vingo or Remco are in better shape next year than Pog was this year. Curious how realistic everyone thinks that is, because Pog was at an astronomic level in 2024.

Vingo may match Pogacar as far as GTs are concerned. Other than that, I see no big threat for Pog except "versatile sprinters" races like MSR or Quebec.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Pogacar only has to improve if Vingo or Remco are in better shape next year than Pog was this year. Curious how realistic everyone thinks that is, because Pog was at an astronomic level in 2024.

They are all improving year after year. If they don't improve, they will have worse results and performances. What Vingo, and specially Remco have to do is improving significantly more than Pogacar.

 

[Shortcut]

Vingo may match Pogacar as far as GTs are concerned. Other than that, I see no big threat for Pog except "versatile sprinters" races like MSR or Quebec.

I think, Pogacar wants to improve in those races. This year he won everything what he should except maybe WC. Strade, LBL, Giro, Catalunya and Montreal who was actually there to challenge him? Lombardia, Emilia where Remco and Roglic looked already tired after everything what happened this season and Tour where everybody came after big crashes except Pogi. He looked really disapointed after Quebec and MSR and he said it too. WC is other story and that is also why he looked so happy after finish line. Flanders 2023 and WC 2024 are also only races where i have see him being crazy happy and totally on the limit.