Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Before today's stage

The interview: https://sporza.be/nl/2019/09/02/wie-is-tadej-pogacar/
He answers 20 or so questions in quick succession.

He likes cold weather and mountains... that explains the last stage, lol.

 

[Lequack]

Great showing today, was hoping he'd still lose a bit less especially after that awesome first split time, but nonetheless an amazing ride from the young man. Now only a minute down on the possible podium.

Pogačar : "It was a hard TT but I felt great so I went as hard as I could. To wear my national TT champions jersey in a Grand Tour was a dream."

 

[Noddy97]

He was great. Gove him 2 years and he will be a world class time triallist

 

[JosephK]

It was a very good TT effort from Poga today. It might have even been great (within a minute of Roglic) if he could have held back just a wee bit on the first kilometers uphill. Still, he held it together very well in the final kilometers.

 

[movingtarget]

Nice performance in the TT even though he went out a bit too hard in the first third of the race. He is only 6 seconds behind Quintana now.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Started off too fast, but he'll learn from this. Still a really solid TT. I think he could end up on the podium unless he collapses in the final week.

 

[Lequack]

Even Dan Martin will miss him after he moves to Israel Cycling Academy

From yesterday

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He's the best 20yo stage racer I've seen in a long long while.

 

[Lequack]

I keep being speechless by this young man. Just amazing.
UAE must be over the moon that they brought him to the Vuelta.

 

[tobydawq]

They have soon ridden two weeks, so it's time to take him out of the race so as not to over-exert such a young rider.

 

[Lequack]

They have soon ridden two weeks, so it's time to take him out of the race so as not to over-exert such a young rider.

Hah imagine the outrage!

 

[JosephK]

I keep being speechless by this young man. Just amazing.
UAE must be over the moon that they brought him to the Vuelta.

It looks like he is going to podium this grand tour! He may be upstaging Remco for the year's most sensational neo-pro/rookie rider on the world tour--though it's really apples vs. oranges.

 

[tobydawq]

Imagine the hype Marc Hirschi would have generated in every other season with his performances as a 20-year-old.

This season it's just good but in the shadow of Pogi and Remco.

 

[Lequack]

He's gotten a new hat as well

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1170003323631652864

View: https://twitter.com/DanyProCycling/status/1170003323631652864

 

[ppanther92]

He's the best 20yo stage racer I've seen in a long long while.

Probably Schleck.

 

[tobydawq]

Probably Schleck.

Probably Schleck.

He was 21 in the 2007 Giro, just one month away from 22.

 

[dercuforever]

This was mighty impressive, he went in front of the group and just dropped them all except Roglic.

 

[Bolder]

The explosion of young/new talent this year has been incredible. I was getting a bit tired of Froome/Nibali/Quintana/Valverde over the past few years, but 2019 has really gotten me excited about WT racing again. Can you imagine a 2021 TdF with Carapaz, Bernal, Sivakov, Pogacar, the two CX stars and maybe Remco? Then add in Roglic, Dumoulin, and grandpa Froomey?

 

[Brullnux]

I can't imagine that because four of the riders you mentioned all ride for the same team

 

[shalgo]

For under-23 GT top-10 GC performances in recent years, we have:

Pogacar, 2019 Vuelta, 20 years, 11 months: ??
Bernal, 2019 Tour, 22 years, 6 months: 1st (also 2018 Tour, 21 years, 6 months: 15th)
Sivakov, 2019 Giro, 21 years, 11 months: 9th
Barguil, 2014 Vuelta, 22 years, 11 months: 8th
Pinot, 2012 Tour, 22 years, 2 months: 10th
Gesink, 2008 Vuelta, 22 years, 4 months: 7th
Schleck, 2007 Giro, 21 years, 11 months: 2nd

Am I missing anyone?

Only Bernal's and Schleck's performances would be comparable to a potential podium finish from Pogacar, and in both cases they were at least a year older.

 

[KZD]

I wonder what will be his schedule next year. Personally I think a Giro+Olympics approach would be great with then probably racing the Worlds in the end of the season

However with the way he is racing I wouldn't be surprised if they send him to the Tour.

 

[Lequack]

I wonder what will be his schedule next year. Personally I think a Giro+Olympics approach would be great with then probably racing the Worlds in the end of the season

However with the way he is racing I wouldn't be surprised if they send him to the Tour.

Also UAE are losing Dan Martin next year.

 

[KZD]

Also UAE are losing Dan Martin next year.

Yeah, maybe they end up sending Aru to the Giro, Pogacar plus Gaviria and Kristoff to the Tour, Aru+Ardila to the Vuelta. This could make the Olympics almost impossible for Pogacar but he could prepare for the Worlds afterwards

 

[Mayomaniac]

A 2016 Nibali schedule wouldn't be the worst option, Giro for the gc and Tour just as a stagehunter as a learning experience (big sprinttrain for Gaviria) to prepare the Olympics. Of couse he is young enough to ride the Tour one year later and go Giro-Vuelta, as long as he doesn't end up like MAL who still hasn't started the Tour even once...

 

[SafeBet]

I'll focus on this Vuelta before even thinking about next year. Roglic has looked incredibly consistent so far, but watch out in case he shows any sign of fatigue. Pogi is a killer.