Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[tobydawq]

Yeah I agree that last year a lot of stars aligned for Pogacar to actually win de Ronde. It's gonna be an uphill battle for him.

Why?

Apart from Van Aert catching Covid, the outcome of the race was entirely the cause of Pogacar wielding his power.

 

[RedheadDane]

Did I miss last year or did he not actually win the Flanders?

He actually did not win the Flanders.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Why?

Apart from Van Aert catching Covid, the outcome of the race was entirely the cause of Pogacar wielding his power.

With no Van Aert and QS at an all-time low, there wasn't a single team capable of shaping the race in any way with their numbers which is unusual for Ronde. Makes it a lot easier to brute force your way to a near-victory like Pogacar did. Having said that, the fact that he had that brute force to begin with means he's going to be a threat pretty much any year he targets the race, although he will need to find a way to either drop or outsprint both Van Aert and Van der Poel to convert that into a win.

 

[Nick2413]

He actually did not win the Flanders.

Maybe his TV cut out the second MVDP fell back a few meters on the last climb

 

[tobydawq]

With no Van Aert and QS at an all-time low, there wasn't a single team capable of shaping the race in any way with their numbers which is unusual for Ronde. Makes it a lot easier to brute force your way to a near-victory like Pogacar did. Having said that, the fact that he had that brute force to begin with means he's going to be a threat pretty much any year he targets the race, although he will need to find a way to either drop or outsprint both Van Aert and Van der Poel to convert that into a win.

Fair enough. And Jumbo isn't only strengthened by Van Aert going into this year.

QuickStep will be interesting to see where they stand.

 

[Red Rick]

Why?

Apart from Van Aert catching Covid, the outcome of the race was entirely the cause of Pogacar wielding his power.

Because if you ask me, Pog, MvdP, WvA, Alaphilippe and Evenepoel are the 5 best guys on that parcours, and 3 of them weren't there and 1 of them barely managed to scrape a peak together for de Ronde. Now Evenepoel doesn't appear likely to contest it in the near future, but the stars already aligned for him and he didn't win.

I do rate his chances to be in the 1st group again on any given year, but in a Ronde sprint field I really don't fancy his chances.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Because if you ask me, Pog, MvdP, WvA, Alaphilippe and Evenepoel are the 5 best guys on that parcours, and 3 of them weren't there and 1 of them barely managed to scrape a peak together for de Ronde.

Absolutely not, Evenepoel doesn't go well on the cobbles at all. Even those in Brabantse Pijl were enough to sink him last year.

 

[tobydawq]

Because if you ask me, Pog, MvdP, WvA, Alaphilippe and Evenepoel are the 5 best guys on that parcours, and 3 of them weren't there and 1 of them barely managed to scrape a peak together for de Ronde. Now Evenepoel doesn't appear likely to contest it in the near future, but the stars already aligned for him and he didn't win.

I do rate his chances to be in the 1st group again on any given year, but in a Ronde sprint field I really don't fancy his chances.

Asgreen is absolutely better than Alaphilippe and Remco on that parcours.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Because if you ask me, Pog, MvdP, WvA, Alaphilippe and Evenepoel are the 5 best guys on that parcours, and 3 of them weren't there and 1 of them barely managed to scrape a peak together for de Ronde. Now Evenepoel doesn't appear likely to contest it in the near future, but the stars already aligned for him and he didn't win.

I do rate his chances to be in the 1st group again on any given year, but in a Ronde sprint field I really don't fancy his chances.

The best 5 are MVDP, Pogacar, Alaphilippe, Asgreen, and Van baarle

 

[Red Rick]

Asgreen is absolutely better than Alaphilippe and Remco on that parcours.

Absolutely not, Evenepoel doesn't go well on the cobbles at all. Even those in Brabantse Pijl were enough to sink him last year.

With Evenepoels results on moderately hilly parcourses I don't buy at all that what little cobbles de Ronde has would prohibit him from winning.

Asgreen over Alaphilippe could be okay I guess. But Asgreen was also mighty *** last year so that point still stands.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

With Evenepoels results on moderately hilly parcourses I don't buy at all that what little cobbles de Ronde has would prohibit him from winning.

However, Evenepoel himself very much buys it…

It was a day to forget. It was really difficult. I have learned that I don’t want to do the Flemish classics. Here [in Brabantse Pijl] I already struggled with two cobbled sectors, in Vlaanderen there are so much more.

But I’m sure you know more about Evenepoel’s potential in Ronde than he himself does…

 

[topcat]

De Ronde: MVDP vs Ala. I have the last say because I am king.

 

[Red Rick]

However, Evenepoel himself very much buys it…

But I’m sure you know more about Evenepoel’s potential in Ronde than he himself does…

I'm probablay #1 on this forum for thinking I know better than the riders, so...

To me all it says is he's not a natural on the cobbles and he was super tilted cause he was used to everything else being easy.

He also used to be a complete meme descender until this year happened and there was no problem.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So UAE's golden boy, who guarantees GC and stage victories, is absent from their home Tour? Teddy has seriously declined and is scared of Remco, it seems.

 

[pastronef]

I'd take Vine off the Algarve team and send him to UAE to fill Pog's place

look, I knew it. Vine is riding UAE, no more Algarve

 

[Lequack]

look, I knew it. Vine is riding UAE, no more Algarve

How many UAE top riders does it take to beat one Remco?

 

[Landeirovic]

How many UAE top riders does it take to beat one Remco?

if I compare Vine's start to the season with Evenepoel's? then I say Vine

 

[Big Doopie]

remco will not be winning uae.

first signs of form will be catalunya.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

How many UAE top riders does it take to beat one Remco?

Would be humorous to see Evenepoel just softpedalling his way up Jebel Jais/Hafeet somewhere at the back of the peloton while all the UAE guys are trying to murder each other at the front.

 

[DNP-Old]

Pogacar chamboule ses habitudes de reprise et reste en Espagne en février

Le Slovène Tadej Pogacar, qui a étonnamment choisi de zapper l'UAE Tour, effectue sa reprise ce lundi sur les chemins de terre d'une semi-classique andalouse. Avant d'autres surprises pour la suite de son programme ?

www.lequipe.fr

l'Equipe are quite sure he will do the unfathomable double of Strade > Paris-Nice, and that his presence in the latter is to remain a secret between UAE and ASO for God knows what reason(s).

 

[tobydawq]

Pogacar chamboule ses habitudes de reprise et reste en Espagne en février

Le Slovène Tadej Pogacar, qui a étonnamment choisi de zapper l'UAE Tour, effectue sa reprise ce lundi sur les chemins de terre d'une semi-classique andalouse. Avant d'autres surprises pour la suite de son programme ?

www.lequipe.fr

l'Equipe are quite sure he will do the unfathomable double of Strade > Paris-Nice, and that his presence in the latter is to remain a secret between UAE and ASO for God knows what reason(s).

That would be a nice variation of his usual schedule.

 

[Oliver]

Parijs-Nice instead of Tirreno. Another surprise.

 

[Lequack]

He will do everything to avoid Remco.

 

[tobydawq]

He will do everything to avoid Remco.

Remco is not riding TA?

 

[Red Rick]

Remco is not riding TA?

No that's been known for a while. He's doing Catalunya.