Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Carrick-On-Seine]

That era has been tremendously shaken in the last few years.
Using the 2010s way of defining riders, we can't even tell what kind of rider Pidcock or Madouas exactly are, and Remco after thousands pages

The 2010's Sky years were grim. It was almost as if there were two distinct road disciplines that never met (apart from Thomas at E3 but then he wasn't a Tour leader) and whenever you would tell someone your favourite sport was cycling all they'd say was Tour de France. I guess a huge percentage of people will always think that way but it's great that a champion like Pog could maybe elevate some of the other races. Dare I say it's also kind of good that he didn't win the two Monuments this year even though he was the attacking force in both...if that makes sense.

 

[Velolover2]

Like van Aert, the specialist time trialist/climber/sprinter/cross rider? Or more like Pidcock who specialised in winning the Olympic Gold in XC MTB, World Championship in cross, plus winning Brabantse Pijl and second in Amstel Gold on the road in the last 12 months?

It would be fun to see what Pog could do in cross or MTB races. As a test if he has any limits.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Giro is super winable.

Flanders is super winable.

MSR is winable, but a lottery as we all know.

Roubaix ??

 

[Extinction]

It would be fun to see what Pog could do in cross or MTB races. As a test if he has any limits.

It would be fun, but he could only do it if he stops going for the Tour (hopefully Giro-Tour after Tour-Vuelta). That's why he is on an entirely different freakish level.

 

[Red Rick]

Giro is super winable.

Flanders is super winable.

MSR is winable, but a lottery as we all know.

Roubaix ??

Winnable. But also super hard to win. Although I'm not entirely sure being heavier is literally beneficial or if it's just all rouleur ability and endurance.

But all the W/kg edges he has just melt away completely. And he's not gonna win a reduced group sprint in that race.

 

[Extinction]

Good performance by Slovenian Pozzovivo today, finishing 4th in a 2 man sprint.

Sure, but sometimes Pozzovivo got 3rd in a 2 man sprint. And he could even timetrial in his day!

 

[Extinction]

Giro is super winable.

Flanders is super winable.

MSR is winable, but a lottery as we all know.

Roubaix ??

Don't know till I see him ride it, although I bet he's got at least the same odds as Moscon, who but for a puncture had it in the bag last year. What about Giro-Tour double, the question of the century (for me anyway)?

 

[Big Doopie]

The thing is he so seems to enjoy himself.

so confident in his ability.

but also not calculating when dispersing his energy.

neither were Merckx or Hinault.

however both of them seemed to spend a fair amount of time angry, morose or sulking. Not our Pog.

 

[Extinction]

The thing is he so seems to enjoy himself.

so confident in his ability but also not being calculating.

neither were Merckx or Hinault.

however both of them seemed to spend a fair amount of time angry, morose or sulking. Not our Pog.

He doesn't have to be grumpy, because his easy manner betrays the cold blooded focus of a world class assassin.

 

[KZD]

Don't know till I see him ride it, although I bet he's got at least the same odds as Moscon, who but for a puncture had it in the bag last year. What about Giro-Tour double, the question of the century (for me anyway)?

I really hope that Pogi does the double already next year and I think that there is a fairly good chance of that happening if he wins his third Tour this year.

 

[Extinction]

Just watched the video of the finish. Boy Tadej was pissed at Van Baarle at the finish. He later realised it was his own fault.

 

[johnymax]

Poor Pogi. I feel for him. He was by far the strongest rider in the race today and ended out of the podium. He knows it's one of his last chances for a big win this season, that's why he is in peak form atm. Maybe he has a slight chance in L-B-L, too. But he knows he'll probably need a miracle to beat The Roglinator aka The Roglstomp in July and August. Pogi is smart...He knows...

 

[roundabout]

Van der Poel hit 1470 watts last year in the sprint and still lost, so it's not all about peak power obviously.

Problem for Pogacar though that it is indeed in my opinion almost impossible for him to compete in a flat sprint against guys almost 10kg heavier than him if they do a normal sprint

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

You have to go back to the 80s for a reference. Yet since specialization started to creep in from that time forward, the general level grew on the key dates for the various targeted events, which makes it all the more remarkable that someone can come along and be as good across specialties as Tadej is demonstrating.

I said this earlier in the Flanders topic but doesn't the change in material also change some of the specialisation?
Wider tyres, more gears. More 'comfortable' material for cobbles etc... Kinda takes away the specialty no?

Although the combination of GC riding and (sprinting) explosivity like Pogacar and in lesser sense Roglic show hasn't been seen in decades.
Neither people like WvA who can TT, sprint, climb etc as well.

 

[Extinction]

I said this earlier in the Flanders topic but doesn't the change in material also change some of the specialisation?
Wider tyres, more gears. More 'comfortable' material for cobbles etc... Kinda takes away the specialty no?

Although the combination of GC riding and (sprinting) explosivity like Pogacar and in lesser sense Roglic show hasn't been seen in decades.
Neither people like WvA who can TT, sprint, climb etc as well.

I think the material gains have just contributed to increasing the general level across the peleton, but not that the cream always rises to the top. Not since Hinault, however, have we really seen a rider who could compete in the classics and win the Tour like Tadej. To do this today makes it all the more remarkable.

 

[Ripper]

I think the material gains have just contributed to increasing the general level across the peleton, but not that the cream always rises to the top. Not since Hinault, however, have we really seen a rider who could compete in the classics and win the Tour like Tadej. To do this today makes it all the more remarkable.

It does that

 

[Big Doopie]

I think the material gains have just contributed to increasing the general level across the peleton, but not that the cream always rises to the top. Not since Hinault, however, have we really seen a rider who could compete in the classics and win the Tour like Tadej. To do this today makes it all the more remarkable.

Lemond was after Hinault. Never won a monument but 2nd at MSR and Lombardia and 4th at Roubaix.

but I agree with your comment, don’t get me wrong.

basically since the 80s. And it is damn good to see it happening again.

 

[Panda Claws]

I really hope Pogacar rides RVV again next year.
It sucked that top GT riders ignored these races for decades because we've seen what Valverde and Nibali could do here. We've seen Contador at Eneco Tour which was fun too.

Granted the old parcours was less suited to climbers but still.

 

[roundabout]

is he the first rider over 4000 points in the CQ rolling ranking

CQ Ranking - POGACAR Tadej

CQ Ranking is the world's leading cycling ranking and extensive results database. Also known as Cycling Quotient.

cqranking.com

 

[Netserk]

is he the first rider over 4000 points in the CQ rolling ranking

CQ Ranking - POGACAR Tadej

CQ Ranking is the world's leading cycling ranking and extensive results database. Also known as Cycling Quotient.

cqranking.com

Yes. Before Pogi, Rogla held the record after Flèche '21 with 3861 points. So Pogi took the record after Dwars.

Roglič had the advantage of the different calendar, but in that rolling year he lost at least 232 on the last day of P-N, 260 points (and more) in Dauphiné.

 

[Panda Claws]

Sadly CQ Ranking has not been immune to inflation.
A PN victory gives 260 points today but only 240 in 2011.

 

[SHAD0W93]

The good news for Pog if he can sustain this form into his late twenties is he is younger then MVDP and WVA. He’s a remarkable rider that has the potential to win everything. He would have benefited from WVA being in the race and with them.

 

[Netserk]

Sadly CQ Ranking has not been immune to inflation.
A PN victory gives 260 points today but only 240 in 2011.

An Itzulia victory gives 220 points today but 240 in 2011. So the two together gives the same now and back then.

 

[Extinction]

Lemond was after Hinault. Never won a monument but 2nd at MSR and Lombardia and 4th at Roubaix.

but I agree with your comment, don’t get me wrong.

basically since the 80s. And it is damn good to see it happening again.

I know, I would have mentioned Lemond, but, as he himself admitted, not winning a monument was the big miss of his career. He certainly had it in him though, but he either had bad luck, wasn't quite in shape when he should have been or after the hunting accident wasn't quite as good as before.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

is he the first rider over 4000 points in the CQ rolling ranking

CQ Ranking - POGACAR Tadej

CQ Ranking is the world's leading cycling ranking and extensive results database. Also known as Cycling Quotient.

cqranking.com

He'll also be the first to break 6000 points in UCI world ranking this week - absolute record by far.