Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[bNator]

Is the route exaclty the same as it was in 2020? There will be some comparison in this case... Though weather factor could play a big role. In 2020 it was much cooler. Currently it's hot as hell here...

 

[Nick2413]

You mean 1.5 weeks before?

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00663.2013

You’re right but my point stands.
“Specifically in endurance athletes, recent data from Prommer et al. (38) have shown that, in a group of elite Kenyan runners descending from moderate altitude (2,090 m) to near sea level (340 m), the total hemoglobin mass began to decrease after 14 days at sea level, reaching a nadir at about 30 days (Fig. 1)”

So by day 4 his RBCs/hemoglobin should be in decline and by the final mountain stages down to normal level. Plenty of time to come down a week later and still have a couple days to ride and get acclimated.

 

[bNator]

Pog doing Pog things:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[Peyroteo94]

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00663.2013

You’re right but my point stands.
“Specifically in endurance athletes, recent data from Prommer et al. (38) have shown that, in a group of elite Kenyan runners descending from moderate altitude (2,090 m) to near sea level (340 m), the total hemoglobin mass began to decrease after 14 days at sea level, reaching a nadir at about 30 days (Fig. 1)”

So by day 4 his RBCs/hemoglobin should be in decline and by the final mountain stages down to normal level. Plenty of time to come down a week later and still have a couple days to ride and get acclimated.

Pogi is a strange rider. He didn't do an alttitude camp before his spring campaing and he completly nailed his spring goals.

 

[Nick2413]

Pogi is a strange rider. He didn't do an alttitude camp before his spring campaing and he completly nailed his spring goals.

I’m a Pog fan but I don’t think an altitude camp is necessary to win the biggest races in cycling

 

[Krzysztof_O]

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00663.2013

You’re right but my point stands.
“Specifically in endurance athletes, recent data from Prommer et al. (38) have shown that, in a group of elite Kenyan runners descending from moderate altitude (2,090 m) to near sea level (340 m), the total hemoglobin mass began to decrease after 14 days at sea level, reaching a nadir at about 30 days (Fig. 1)”

So by day 4 his RBCs/hemoglobin should be in decline and by the final mountain stages down to normal level. Plenty of time to come down a week later and still have a couple days to ride and get acclimated.

Normally Pogacar is at altitude camps from mid May to mid June. All those guys do such things so I suppose they know what they do.

 

[Jan the Man]

Nah. Don't believe for a second we will get a clearer picture. He will not have any competition there.

I agree the competition is weak but at least in a TT you race yourself. His time up the climb will give an indication of his shape. Of course that is nowhere as good an indicator as if he had raced a prep race. That being said his prep race would have been Slovenia and we’d have little reference against direct competitors.

 

[Gigs_98]

I know the national TT isn't the most telling competition, but I'm still really really interested in how today goes.

 

[Cookster15]

I’m a Pog fan but I don’t think an altitude camp is necessary to win the biggest races in cycling

I am sure this is right but I was still surprised to read this knowing sports science and the development of the sport amongst the pro ranks these days? I know Remco does altitude camps before major races, what about Vingegaard? Then we could ask similar of other podium contenders, Hindley, Gaudu etc?

 

[glassmoon]

I am sure this is right but I was still surprised to read this knowing sports science and the development of the sport amongst the pro ranks these days? I know Remco does altitude camps before major races, what about Vingegaard? Then we could ask similar of other podium contenders, Hindley, Gaudu etc?

all of the serious contenders do... and majority of domestiques too. as far as i know.

 

[pelotonIQ]

Anyone know where to watch the slovenian nationals?

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1671616788507815937

View: https://twitter.com/eurosport/status/1671616788507815937?s=20

 

[Samu Cuenca]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1671616788507815937

View: https://twitter.com/eurosport/status/1671616788507815937?s=20

So does this mean Van der Poel will finish second?

 

[Vudy]

Pogi won and bested his TT time compared to three years ago by 1:30 minutes.

 

[Miha81]

Pogi won and bested his TT time compared to three years ago by 1:30 minutes.

And it was the hottest day this year in Slovenia.

We will see what that means very soon

 

[Andy schleck]

And it was the hottest day this year in Slovenia.

We will see what that means very soon

The myths being broken.
Colnago was a bad bike, now it's a good bike.
Pogacar was bad in hot days, now he is good in hot days.

 

[Miha81]

The myths being broken.
Colnago was a bad bike, now it's a good bike.
Pogacar was bad in hot days, now he is good in hot days.

He was faster than 2020 but what does this mean in 2023?

It was fairly short TT so the heat myth will be further tested in TDF.

 

[pelotonIQ]

The myths being broken.
Colnago was a bad bike, now it's a good bike.
Pogacar was bad in hot days, now he is good in hot days.

Haha the truth is that all the bikes are the same, just a different brand sticker.

 

[Poursuivant]

He was faster than 2020 but what does this mean in 2023?

It was fairly short TT so the heat myth will be further tested in TDF.

Poggy third MJ confirmed.

 

[Gigs_98]

I expected the result to be useless for predictions but I didn't expect it to be that useless. Should have checked the startlist

 

[Miha81]

I expected the result to be useless for predictions but I didn't expect it to be that useless. Should have checked the startlist

It is not as useless. He bettered his previous time from 2020 by almost 5% in arguably less favourable conditions.

It tells me he is in good shape but this relatively short TT is not 21 days of racing grand tour so it could never give any answer if he is on level for TDF glory.

 

[Cookster15]

About Pog's wrist injury and Contador's Tweet, how much prep did he actually miss anyway?

No doubt this was discussed weeks ago, but IMO as soon as he could push hard on an indoor trainer in theory he could arrest any natural decline in his level due to lack of training? You can push pretty hard on an indoor trainer without putting much strain on your wrist - he has the other arm for stability. I guess it would be difficult (mentally) to replicate long rides in the mountains but not impossible?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

About Pog's wrist injury and Contador's Tweet, how much prep did he actually miss anyway?

No doubt this was discussed weeks ago, but IMO as soon as he could push hard on an indoor trainer in theory he could arrest any natural decline in his level due to lack of training? You can push pretty hard on an indoor trainer without putting much strain on your wrist - he has the other arm for stability. I guess it would be difficult (mentally) to replicate long rides in the mountains but not impossible?

As you said, mentally it's super difficult but one can simulate high intensity and large duration indeed. He definitely was trying to stay as fit as possible but I'm not really sure how a dedicated training weeks before a GT look like (I suppose there's a larger number of higher-zone workouts than normally). The ITT today showed that his anaerobic threshold isn't affected by the injury. But the impact on his performance and recovery during difficult stages of a long race is unknown yet (one can hope that the base training that he's done since last autumn is enough for that).

 

[Rob5091]

"My hand is feeling better, it's not quite right yet, but it doesn't bother me during training. For now, I just have to make sure I don't fall or hit the bone.”

Will this be sitting in the back of his mind to begin with at the Tour? Contodor should know what he's talking about so we'll see in July.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

I think he means Pog is chasing form after his injury interruption. So Pog will still be riding into form early in the tour. That is when Pog would be most vulnerable to a JV ambush. If they wait until the 3rd week, he might have his best legs back and may not fall into the trap of Granon 2022. I still wonder what might happen on Loze (stage 18)?

My comment was not ment seriously, just a heartly pun on the comment that Pogi MIGHT attack
Back on the serious slopes, Pogi definitely needs some time to fiddle on before the Loze stage.
Unless Pogi have improved enormously in the high altitudes.

I've followed his Strava profile on UAE's 'vacation' in Sierra Nevada and all looks very impressive I must admit.

But what is not seen from Strava data is the state of his wrist. He's been able to follow very targeted training program since the crash at L-B-L and ascents and bodybikes will not affect training.
It's a completely other level of demands in a +180 rider stressfull first week Tour peleton, not do speak of quircky descents...