Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Wasn't he pulled from the Giro - and a chance to ride for his own GC - specifically to go to the Tour?

He was pulled from the Giro squad selection, not from the Giro.

I'm eager to see what they have planned for McNulty. Not convinced he'll be a big help in the mountains, but he could be of help in hilly stages, or he could go for a stage. Or they could try and get him ready for the Vuelta. He started the season very strong but after his demise in Pais Vasco we haven't seen a lot of him anymore.

 

[titan31]

He was pulled from the Giro squad selection, not from the Giro.

I'm eager to see what they have planned for McNulty. Not convinced he'll be a big help in the mountains, but he could be of help in hilly stages, or he could go for a stage. Or they could try and get him ready for the Vuelta. He started the season very strong but after his demise in Pais Vasco we haven't seen a lot of him anymore.

McNulty should still be quite a capable 3rd mountain domestique though. Majka will likely be the last left with Pogacar and Formolo/De La Cruz as 2nd last, leaving McNulty as 3rd last. He should be able to contribute in that role I'd imagine, along with hilly stages and flat help if Pogacar is distanced somewhere due to crosswinds or an untimely mechanical

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I could actually see a role of bodyguard in flat stages for Kristoff if they decide to bring him.

 

[tobydawq]

Or maybe he will somehow get the yellow jersey after the TT and Pogi will have to sacrifice himself so as not to hurt McNulty's feelings.

 

[titan31]

I could actually see a role of bodyguard in flat stages for Kristoff if they decide to bring him.

Ya, that's where I'd see him or Trentin. Feels like it suits Kristoff more and he's got plenty of experience so he should be quite decent in a Rowe or Martin like role.

 

[Extinction]

Should they? Will they?

I know it's not really comparing like-with-like since Roglic and VanAert have been pretty much in hiding since the Ardennes, and Dumoulin is only now back on the road, but J-V's support crew, ie the guys that they'll be relying on to get Primoz to the crucial points in the race, haven't been exactly lighting fires since. All the while, Ineos, UAE, Bahrain, Movistar, even EF and ISN have been picking up GC results, or at least a few mountain stage wins.

Well, as with every team at the Tour, Jumbo Visma will have calculated that each rider shows up on June 26 firing on all cylnaders. Of course, there are no gaurantees, as getting it right requires great technical nous and alchemy, but that is the plan. Now, should that happen, then Pogacar will be pressed to produce something extraordinary, which he is quite capable of doing and this would make the spectacle all the more interesting. Ineos should also play a fundamental role in who wins or loses the Tour. I think Thomas is going to perfrom superlatively, whether it will be enough to topple Pogacar remains to be seen. Then there is also Alaphilippe, who may yet cause shockwaves, but he doesn't seem to have the climbing class to pull off the upset.

PS. I neglected to mention Roglic, who naturally will lead Jumbo Visma, has shown he can fight for the win, but will he succeed in pulling it off? At any rate, I'd like to see a peak Roglic against peak Pogacar and peak Thomas (and perhaps peak Carapez). It would be great and almost a vindication for what we did not get to see in 2014 in a battle between Contador and Froome.

 

[Cookster15]

Pogacar looks ominous for the TdF. Roglic will obviously be a big factor with a still strong JV behind him. But what I want to see is some discussion if Ineos can doing anything to offset these two? They have Thomas, Carapaz, Porte and TGH. But what good is that is you can't keep up on MTFs and TTs? Hopefully it means some courageous attacks and team tactics.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Ya, that's where I'd see him or Trentin. Feels like it suits Kristoff more and he's got plenty of experience so he should be quite decent in a Rowe or Martin like role.

It should suit Kristoff more and if he's still there at the end of a stage he could be good for a stagewin as well.

 

[Offline]

It should suit Kristoff more and if he's still there at the end of a stage he could be good for a stagewin as well.

UAE is weak in crosswind.

Trentin is one of the worlds best crosswind riders. Kristoff's stamina is amazing but he never been so good in crosswind.

Besides that, Trentin can climb a bit too.

I would bring Trentin everyday!

 

[tobydawq]

When did Kristoff ever help someone else?

 

[Red Rick]

When did Kristoff ever help someone else?

Has he ever refused to?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

UAE is weak in crosswind.

Trentin is one of the worlds best crosswind riders. Kristoff's stamina is amazing but he never been so good in crosswind.

Besides that, Trentin can climb a bit too.

I would bring Trentin everyday!

Fair enough. I'd rather be hiding behind Kristoff all day, than Trentin. Don't know if Trentin being able to get over weak mountains would really be consequential. But i get what you're saying.

 

[JosefK]

The Babyfaced Assassin needs no team. He'll suck onto the leaders of the Jumbo or Ineos trains, whichever is ahead, ride along in their slipstream, and then crush everyone in the final kilometers of the big hilltops. And no prisoners will be taken in the TTs. It's going to be a beatdown at the 2021 TDF. . . . In the bag. There, I've put the hex on him.

 

[Nick2413]

There's one reason I'd bring Hirschi and that's for descents. But he's not even good there this season, as far as I've seen.
But in general it could pay out to have a world class descender in front of you, because I think Pogacar is okay there but not great?

From what I’ve seen he has amazing descending and bike handling skills but had to stick with McNulty at Basque which might’ve been misleading. I do think there’s going to be more complex strategy going on now that he’s a marked man plus with Ineos not having the strongest rider anything could happen, so probably key to have an aggressive descender leading him down.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

The Babyfaced Assassin needs no team. He'll suck onto the leaders of the Jumbo or Ineos trains, whichever is ahead, ride along in their slipstream, and then crush everyone in the final kilometers of the big hilltops. And no prisoners will be taken in the TTs. It's going to be a beatdown at the 2021 TDF. . . . In the bag. There, I've put the hex on him.

Last year JV was basically his team. Let's see if he can make Ineos work for him this year.

 

[IndianCyclist]

alchemy

You mean chemistry. Alchemy is for the middle ages

 

[IndianCyclist]

The cycling equivalent of Tsar Bomba is coming

 

[Extinction]

You mean chemistry. Alchemy is for the middle ages

No because chemisty is law-abiding pharmacological practice, sanctioned by the authoritues, whereas alchemy is done in secrecy and deemed fraudulent.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

The cycling equivalent of Tsar Bomba is coming

What do you mean? 7 watts/kg on Ventoux by Pogi? Or 3 Ineos drones on the podium following Slovenians' crashes?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Ya, that's where I'd see him or Trentin. Feels like it suits Kristoff more and he's got plenty of experience so he should be quite decent in a Rowe or Martin like role.

Kristoff is surprisingly bad in cross wind, though. He's not very good at positioning himself either. All in all, not a very good bodyguard type rider. I'd much prefer Trentin in that role.

 

[Offline]

Kristoff is surprisingly bad in cross wind, though. He's not very good at positioning himself either. All in all, not a very good bodyguard type rider. I'd much prefer Trentin in that role.

Exactly!

 

[CyclistAbi]

I will cheer for Primož on TDF 2021, there is just no realistic way around that. Said that if a Slovenian will win, that Slovenian is the best pro cyclist of the 2021 season.

All in all make it special guys and may the best man win!

 

[Sciatic]

No because chemisty is law-abiding pharmacological practice, sanctioned by the authoritues, whereas alchemy is done in secrecy and deemed fraudulent.

Alchemy in cycling involves turning donkeys into racehorses (tin to gold), and thus is most appropriately discussed in the clinic

 

[Tinnekeisabella]

Does anyone know if the slovenian national time trial championships are today or tomorrow?

 

[Landeirovic]

Tommorow