Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Krzysztof_O]

Without MVP, Pedersen and WVA probably not at his best in the first week, who is gonna threat Pogacar in those hilly finishes?

Vingo became a sprinter during last year's Tour (see stage 11) so 3 stage wins in week #1 guaranteed (no chances for others when he rebuilds his muscle mass). Teddy will seek his chances on long, steady climbs.

 

[Salvarani]

Without MVP, Pedersen and WVA probably not at his best in the first week, who is gonna threat Pogacar in those hilly finishes?

You been missed. Nice to have you back champ

 

[Peyroteo94]

Romain Bardet said in this French interview that Pogi didnt know how to train up to 2024 lol

"I'm surprised, but at the same time, he put together the immense potential that we saw in him. Apparently, he didn't know how to train. Now he knows." "He's so superior... It's hard to explain. I don't spend a lot of time looking for explanations."

Bardet : "Apparemment, Pogacar ne savait pas s'entraîner"

Romain Bardet a été, comme beaucoup si ce n'est tous, impuissant face à Tadej Pogacar en 2024. Le Français de DSM-Firmenich PostNL nous en parle, entre autres.

www.eurosport.fr

Unfortunately the gap is massive. They all realize it now. Even MVP starts to think Pogacar is on a different level compared to him. And if he somehow doesn't race MSR in order to be in his peak shape before RVV, it is due to Pogacar.
Other thing very important to say, it is getting more clear that Pogacar was held back by San Millan

 

[Peyroteo94]

Girmay, Matthews, De Lie and Nys will all be there in the easier semi selective finishes and the like of Remco, Roglic and Skjelmose can give it a dig on the harder ones.

I would still back Pogi on most unless some of those above step up hugely this year.

Those climbs are too hard for Girmay. He is becoming more and more a pure sprinter (by his own words). Of course he can still climb better than most pure sprinters but I don't think he can contest stages with 1km climbs (at 9% slopes) in the final 10 km. De Lie and Matthews can be challengers in a final sprint though.
Roglic, Remco, Nys and Skjelmose really?

 

[KZD]

Those climbs are too hard for Girmay. He is becoming more and more a pure sprinter (by his own words). Of course he can still climb better than most pure sprinters but I don't think he can contest stages with 1km climbs (at 9% slopes) in the final 10 km. De Lie and Matthews can be challengers in a final sprint though.
Roglic, Remco, Nys and Skjelmose really?

It will depend on UAE pacing or Pogačar attacking, if they do it the versatile sprinters listed above should drop but I don't expect them to do so on every hilly stage in the first week so those guys should still have a chance or two.

If Nys goes to the Tour he might end up being Pogi's biggest challenger on the hilly stages, he climbs better than any versatile sprinter and should be a bit faster than Pogačar in a sprint. Roglič is also a threat on stage 6 steep uphill finish and I wouldn't rule out Van Aert either even with the Giro on his legs.

 

[Peyroteo94]

It will depend on UAE pacing or Pogačar attacking, if they do it the versatile sprinters listed above should drop but I don't expect them to do so on every hilly stage in the first week so those guys should still have a chance or two.

If Nys goes to the Tour he might end up being Pogi's biggest challenger on the hilly stages, he climbs better than any versatile sprinter and should be a bit faster than Pogačar in a sprint. Roglič is also a threat on stage 6 steep uphill finish and I wouldn't rule out Van Aert either even with the Giro on his legs.

He will not be in top shape and even if he was, he is not a threat in any climb against July Pogi.

 

[hayneplane]

Those climbs are too hard for Girmay. He is becoming more and more a pure sprinter (by his own words). Of course he can still climb better than most pure sprinters but I don't think he can contest stages with 1km climbs (at 9% slopes) in the final 10 km. De Lie and Matthews can be challengers in a final sprint though.
Roglic, Remco, Nys and Skjelmose really?

If not the names I mentioned who do YOU think will be the closest threats in the punchy finales.

 

[Peyroteo94]

If not the names I mentioned who do YOU think will be the closest threats in the punchy finales.

I agree with you but I don't really think Pogacar will have a opponent unless MVP shows up

 

[Peyroteo94]

Pogačar’s Deadliest Weapon: Jhonatan Narváez to UAE Emirates Is the Most Explosive Transfer of 2025

Narváez debuts for UAE Emirates at Tour Down Under ahead of high-profile role as Pogačar's policeman at Flanders, Tour de France.

velo.outsideonline.com

Enlighten me. He is explosive everyone knows that, he's also strong, when hes 6 at E3, competes in RVV etc (how much is that duo to hes explosive and can potentialy wheelsucking his way into the group more than others) question im wondering and curious about I guess is, just how strong/horsepower does he have on pure flat terrain as a domestique.

He is versatile and does the 2-3000 vertical stages/medium mountain stages extremely well as a dom and can go decent distance into the hardest mountain stages and be of big value early and mid stage on those, and I suspect even more with the new team but remains to be seen if he improves or not. I dont doubt his two way value, or value in itself, he is versatile and brings alot throughout, its just that im curious about him on pure flat terrain as a domestique relative to others in lets say a crosswind or caught behind scenario, humour me.

He will Pogacar's leadout man in the classics. Something like Yates in the Tour.

 

[James M]

He will Pogacar's leadout man in the classics. Something like Yates in the Tour.

Yes ofcourse, that wasnt it. This was in the Tour not the classics - it was just, simply how good is he on pure flat terrain as a domestique relative to others in lets say a crosswind or caught behind scenario, humour me.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Yes ofcourse, that wasnt it. This was in the Tour not the classics - it was just, simply how good is he on pure flat terrain as a domestique relative to others in lets say a crosswind or caught behind scenario, humour me.

Pogacar doesn't need riders for flat stages. He already has Politt and Wellens for that. I believe Narvaez will be important in the first week and medium mountains stages.

 

[James M]

Pogacar doesn't need riders for flat stages. He already has Politt and Wellens for that. I believe Narvaez will be important im the first week and medium mountains stages.

I dont disagree with that obviously, as I said the same but it wasnt what I meant, was just curious to hear opinions how good / strong he was in that what if scenario. Nevermind was just a made up scenario anyway, rather pointless and not related to Pog.

 

[Rou]

Pogacar doesn't need riders for flat stages. He already has Politt and Wellens for that. I believe Narvaez will be important in the first week and medium mountains stages.

Personally I think that Narvaez is overrated. He is a great puncheur but I don't think he is very reliable on a mid mountain or rolling terrain. I rate Tiesj Benoot higher than him. In fact currently Visma's TDF team looks stronger than UAE's selection. If I am the manager I would put these 8 riders in the squad:
Pogacar
Almeida
Yates
Soler
Wellens
Pollitt
Majka
Sivakov
Which riders would you guys select?

 

[KZD]

He will not be in top shape and even if he was, he is not a threat in any climb against July Pogi.

You may be right but if there is one thing I've learnt about Roglič is to not underestimate him on steep uphill finishes.

 

[Peyroteo94]

You may be right but if there is one thing I've learnt about Roglič is to not underestimate him on steep uphill finishes.

Yeah, but this a new Pogacar too. Not the one who lost to Roglic in 2023 Emilia. And Roglic will have the Giro in his legs against a full peak Pogacar.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Personally I think that Narvaez is overrated. He is a great puncheur but I don't think he is very reliable on a mid mountain or rolling terrain. I rate Tiesj Benoot higher than him. In fact currently Visma's TDF team looks stronger than UAE's selection. If I am the manager I would put these 8 riders in the squad:
Pogacar
Almeida
Yates
Soler
Wellens
Pollitt
Majka
Sivakov
Which riders would you guys select?

Majka out and I could possibly accept Bjerg. But I like Narvaez so Tour's team is perfect with:
Pogacar
Yates
Almeida
Sivakov
Soler
Politt
Wellens
Narvaez

 

[Shortcut]

Personally I think that Narvaez is overrated. He is a great puncheur but I don't think he is very reliable on a mid mountain or rolling terrain. I rate Tiesj Benoot higher than him. In fact currently Visma's TDF team looks stronger than UAE's selection. If I am the manager I would put these 8 riders in the squad:
Pogacar
Almeida
Yates
Soler
Wellens
Pollitt
Majka
Sivakov
Which riders would you guys select?

He is not overrated, he was just at Ineos...he had really good Giro and was only one beside Jonas who could beat Tadej in GT stage where Pogi was favourite. I think he is the best possible Tadej's lead out for races like MSR, Amstel, Quebec.

 

[hayneplane]

I agree with you but I don't really think Pogacar will have a opponent unless MVP shows up

Even if he turns up he will be July MVDP not peak form, shape and motivation RVV/PR version.

 

[hayneplane]

Yeah, but this a new Pogacar too. Not the one who lost to Roglic in 2023 Emilia. And Roglic will have the Giro in his legs against a full peak Pogacar.

We have not really seen the evidence of that yet as in Emilia 2024 he solved that problem by being so strong he just rode them all into the dirt and doing a 37km solo from lap 1 of the 5 finishing laps.

Given he is doing 5-10 minutes effort focused training for the classics primarily the first 4 months of this year I do expect him to be 2-3 levels better than he was on those 1-2km 7-10% climbs both on cobbles and asphalt.

 

[Peyroteo94]

We have not really seen the evidence of that yet as in Emilia 2024 he solved that problem by being so strong he just rode them all into the dirt and doing a 37km solo from lap 1 of the 5 finishing laps.

Given he is doing 5-10 minutes effort focused training for the classics primarily the first 4 months of this year I do expect him to be 2-3 levels better than he was on those 1-2km 7-10% climbs both on cobbles and asphalt.

Yes. Roglic is no longer better than Pogacar in any type of climb

 

[yaf]

Without MVP, Pedersen and WVA probably not at his best in the first week, who is gonna threat Pogacar in those hilly finishes?

nys🤣

 

[yaf]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1882041535879156057

View: https://x.com/mou55981652/status/1882041535879156057?t=uWCVfTjUwIvvss7FWlALeg&s=19

@mou, it seems Jorgensen & co are still on the hangover from 2023 but one thing is for sure there wont be any gifts to their camp this year.

 

[snipeheem]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1882041535879156057

View: https://x.com/mou55981652/status/1882041535879156057?t=uWCVfTjUwIvvss7FWlALeg&s=19

@mou, it seems Jorgensen & co are still on the hangover from 2023 but one thing is for sure there wont be any gifts to their camp this year.

Mou claim 7,5w/kg during Tour TT in 2025. Crazy time ahead of us

 

[snipeheem]

Mou claim 7,5w/kg during Tour TT in 2025. Crazy time ahead of us

https://twitter.com/x/status/1881468446581698898

View: https://x.com/mou55981652/status/1881468446581698898

 

[Tymek]

Without MVP, Pedersen and WVA probably not at his best in the first week, who is gonna threat Pogacar in those hilly finishes?

Nobody. He will dominate.