Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Honestly UAE needs to drill tomorrow and 20 with everything they got and everyone bar Adam to drop Jumbo’s doms. Then if it all pans out Adam takes over until it’s just Vinge and Pog 1 on 1 for 50 kms.

that sort of slogfest is in the advantage of Vinge tho

 

[SHAD0W93]

that sort of slogfest is in the advantage of Vinge tho

Either that or just sit there till Vinge either marks or drops you unless he has a bad day.

 

[Lorzenz08]

What's for sure is that if tomorrow Pogi puts 1 min on Vingo this would definitely become the most thrilling GT in the history of the sport by a large margin.

 

[Peyroteo94]

What's for sure is that if tomorrow Pogi puts 1 min on Vingo this would definitely become the most thrilling GT in the history of the sport by a large margin.

For the love of cycling I hope he lose time or at least he doesn't drop Vingegaard. If he does... cycling is in a very dark and muddy place.

 

[The Clogger]

For the love of cycling I hope he lose time or at least he doesn't drop Vingegaard. If he does... cycling is in a very dark and muddy place.

He already did multiple times. It is especially wild compared to how he looked at stage 5, getting dropped himself on Col de Marie Blanque.

Considering he broke his wrist in late april and still managed to ride like he has in this tour de france is a story in itself.

 

[Miha81]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1681399565688160264

View: https://twitter.com/cycIingpics/status/1681399565688160264

I think he knows his best numbers so he knows that even on his best day he could not win this ITT.

This kind of realisation can be even more devastating than loss itself.

 

[JimPanzen]

If he cannot reverse the situation, I wonder if he does giro/Vuelta double next year to win all three.

Leaving the door open for Ayuso at TDF.

To me it's crazy how so many here think that he should shy away from the challenge ("He should leave the Tour now and concentrate on worlds." "He should focus on Giro and Vuelta in the future." Etc ). Those athletes, and especially Pogacar, are a different breed. Not only on a physical but also mental level. Especially the top guys. Going up against the best is what drives them and the Tour remains the biggest stage. Plus it isn't like Pogacar isn't constantly getting his ass whooped by Vingegaard.

Honestly, sometimes to me this all feels more like a coping mechanism by his fans. "I'd rather see him win "smaller" races than having the risk of seeing him loose."

 

[KZD]

If he cannot reverse the situation, I wonder if he does giro/Vuelta double next year to win all three.

Leaving the door open for Ayuso at TDF.

I think the only way UAE can win the Tour against a top shape Vingegård is if Pogačar and Ayuso are both racing.

Vingegård is on a level of his own at the moment, so they need to bring the guy that comes closer to him (Pogačar) and the Spanish super talent. Just look at Adam Yates for instance, he is at his best, fighting for third place overall, yet almost 9 minutes back and I doubt Almeida could do better.

Of course, I hope Pogačar goes to the Giro at least once and returns to the Vuelta (perhaps already this year), but his rightful place is being UAE's Tour leader because if something happens to Vingegård, he is the likely winner.

 

[Poursuivant]

I think he knows his best numbers so he knows that even on his best day he could not win this ITT.

This kind of realisation can be even more devastating than loss itself.

It’s fascinating to see what he does in 2024. Vingegaard is such a tough opponent, incredible climber, excellent descender, strong on flat, great in TT, and of course he has an unbelievable team. How do you go about beating him? It doesn’t seem like anyone has the answer at the minute.

 

[ice&fire]

What's for sure is that if tomorrow Pogi puts 1 min on Vingo this would definitely become the most thrilling GT in the history of the sport by a large margin.

1989 says hello. The yellow jersey changed hands between Lemond and Fignon 4 times.

 

[LookProGoSlow]

It’s fascinating to see what he does in 2024. Vingegaard is such a tough opponent, incredible climber, excellent descender, strong on flat, great in TT, and of course he has an unbelievable team. How do you go about beating him? It doesn’t seem like anyone has the answer at the minute.

R.E.M.C.O.

 

[Gargamel35]

R.E.M.C.O.

There is no chance Remco goes head to head against these two in the mountains. Pogačar looked invincible in last 3 years and then comes Vinge that looks invincible against former alien (who is still A LOT better then anyone else in peloton). How do you beat that?

 

[Trofonios]

Maybe Pog must just concentrate more on the tour if he wants to beat Vinge.
Skip MSR and Belgium classics. Take the same approach as Vinge and add in LBL. Skip Tour of Slovenia and do Dauphine.
Maybe he must realize he can't do it all, be less ambitious.

 

[Trofonios]

R.E.M.C.O.

If Remco wins the Vuelta with at least 3 minutes, then I might start to believe. Otherwise nah.

 

[Miha81]

It’s fascinating to see what he does in 2024. Vingegaard is such a tough opponent, incredible climber, excellent descender, strong on flat, great in TT, and of course he has an unbelievable team. How do you go about beating him? It doesn’t seem like anyone has the answer at the minute.

A lot can change in a year but currently it seems like TJV and their golden boy are just playing with the rest of the field, UAE and Pogi included. I haven't seen him so devastated after a loss.

I am interested if they fed him with data or kept him in dark during the ITT.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Maybe Pog must just concentrate more on the tour if he wants to beat Vinge.
Skip MSR and Belgium classics. Take the same approach as Vinge and add in LBL. Skip Tour of Slovenia and do Dauphine.
Maybe he must realize he can't do it all, be less ambitious.

If Vingegaards level is that of yesterday, truly there is probably nothing to be done, outside a 220km Roubaix stage with cobbles starting from 100km away from the finish. And that might not be nearly enough.

 

[Gigs_98]

Maybe Pog must just concentrate more on the tour if he wants to beat Vinge.
Skip MSR and Belgium classics. Take the same approach as Vinge and add in LBL. Skip Tour of Slovenia and do Dauphine.
Maybe he must realize he can't do it all, be less ambitious.

I thought about that too but then this might simply be as good as he can be. I don't really see why racing classics in March should hamper him at the Tour. If Vingegaard wasn't here it would seem crazy to suggest this isn't his peak level.

 

[Trofonios]

If Vingegaards level is that of yesterday, truly there is probably nothing to be done, outside a 220km Roubaix stage with cobbles starting from 100km away from the finish. And that might not be nearly enough.

If the tt was flat yesterday, you think Vinge would have gained more than 15-20s?

 

[Trofonios]

I thought about that too but then this might simply be as good as he can be. I don't really see why racing classics in March should hamper him at the Tour. If Vingegaard wasn't here it would seem crazy to suggest this isn't his peak level.

Well, we really don't know. UAE probably must change something and this might be it. Add to that an injury-free build up to the tour, then some of Pog's attacks week 1 and 2 might create more distance and get him in yellow with a minute or two, that changes the dynamic. And add to that a fairly flat tt the 3rd week and I can see Pog winning his 3rd tour.

I'm definitely not giving up on Pog winning the tour again.

 

[Peter von]

Maybe Pog must just concentrate more on the tour if he wants to beat Vinge.
Skip MSR and Belgium classics. Take the same approach as Vinge and add in LBL. Skip Tour of Slovenia and do Dauphine.
Maybe he must realize he can't do it all, be less ambitious.

Yeah this is probably the answer. Aside for not breaking any bones before TdF stage 21 is over, which will also help one would assume.

He won Flanders, he proved he could do it. Now bring it back, focus on le Tour, Pogi will still win bike races all year and have a great chance of taking the laurels at LBL, Worlds and Lombardia. He’ll still beat Jonas in one week races as well.

If he wants to win Roubaix he can do it when he is a seasoned veteran aged 27 🤣.

I love pogi for his ambition to do classics that doesn’t really suit a traditional tour winner.

 

[Miha81]

It looks like Vinge is beating him even in cool down phase

https://twitter.com/x/status/1681329085149052929

View: https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1681329085149052929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1681329085149052929%7Ctwgr%5Eb8e3e381b47bc22e86a4ef5c9fb6342f8e5667e8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsportklub.n1info.si%2Fkolesarstvo%2Fsmrtna-tisina-med-rivaloma-pogacarju-ni-bilo-do-smeha-video%2F

 

[CyclistAbi]

It's a GT not an ITT. So lets see how week three goes.

 

[Berniece]

Besides his fall in LBL, I wonder what the impact is of having ridden such a densely pact classics season. I have a feeling he'll ride way less classics next season with the idea to completely focus on the TDF, like Jumbo did.

 

[lenric]

bonking

think this will wake up the beast inside him for next year.
but vingegaard attacking now would make the guy even madder. welcome to the dark side pogacar

 

[Lorzenz08]

Pogacar is not feeling well.
Maybe he messed up his rest day in the pool and caught something.