Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

Page 360 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
He brokethrough as a Grand Tour rider, but now he has much more success as a classics rider, so it is kind of true...
Yet without Vinge he’d be a 3-4 (depending on how Roglic would have went this year) time Tour champion that beat down the competition. Everyone that hasn’t won a GT in the last two years must not be a GT rider, oh wait that’d make Evenepoel one.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Poursuivant
Yet without Vinge he’d be a 3-4 (depending on how Roglic would have went this year) time Tour champion that beat down the competition. Everyone that hasn’t won a GT in the last two years must not be a GT rider, oh wait that’d make Evenepoel one.
But Vinge is here, and I'm telling it just like it is. I'm not saying he's not a GT rider, just that he has more success in classics lately.
Or do you think that isn't true?
 
  • Like
Reactions: SHAD0W93
But Vinge is here, and I'm telling it just like it is. I'm not saying he's not a GT rider, just that he has more success in classics lately.
Or do you think that isn't true?
He has less sucess as a grand tour rider because of vinge, but if he goes to a grand tour without vinge, he will always win with some easiness.
He is the second best grand rider in the world, vinge is the best grand tour rider in the world.

Pogacar should try next year to win the giro, and diversify even more is palmares, because with vinge in the tour, it's almost impossible to somebody beat him. I think there's an era in the Tour, vinge will win consecutive 5/6 tours de france. He wants to be the recordist of the tour de france, and that's the "easy" way for him to stay in the "history books of cycling". Pogacar's path is different, is way to " stay in the history books of cycling" is not by winning a lot of tours de france, but by winning monuments, one day races, and all grand tours.
 
Apart from that it doesn't.

Every WC or Olympic RR that is just after the Tour gets dominated by riders who went to the Tour. It was part of the reason Van Aert didn't race the Giro this year.
They are dominated by guys riding the Tour, yes. But not necessarily for gc. Nibali was great in the Rio Olympics while winning the Giro that season and not being able to beat Steven Cummings in a Tour mountain stage. I think doing the Nibali 2016 program would be a great preparation for the Olympics. It's just that I don't see him doing that.

Pogacar at the peak of his powers will not ride the Tour just to go stage hunting. And this schedule would also demand a very light spring before the Giro which seems the complete opposite of what Pogacar usually likes to do. I can see him doing this in 2028 when he has maybe beaten Vingegaard in the Tour, starts to think of winning all GTs while already having won a ton of spring classics. But for next year I would expect a very similar schedule to this season.
 
He has less sucess as a grand tour rider because of vinge, but if he goes to a grand tour without vinge, he will always win with some easiness.
He is the second best grand rider in the world, vinge is the best grand tour rider in the world.

Pogacar should try next year to win the giro, and diversify even more is palmares, because with vinge in the tour, it's almost impossible to somebody beat him. I think there's an era in the Tour, vinge will win consecutive 5/6 tours de france. He wants to be the recordist of the tour de france, and that's the "easy" way for him to stay in the "history books of cycling". Pogacar's path is different, is way to " stay in the history books of cycling" is not by winning a lot of tours de france, but by winning monuments, one day races, and all grand tours.
Agree 100%. Pog can do things few riders (maybe no riders) since Merckx can do. Winning a couple TdFs is not a big deal, frankly - but being great on every terrain is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
But Vinge is here, and I'm telling it just like it is. I'm not saying he's not a GT rider, just that he has more success in classics lately.
Or do you think that isn't true?
IMO he'd need to focus more on the Tour to confidently beat Jonas. He's capable of that but he's a true racer. He loves the variety and what goes along with winning different challenges. I can't imagine being that talented and needing to narrowly focus on one 3 week race that carries the risk of an entire season. He's awesome.
 
He has less sucess as a grand tour rider because of vinge, but if he goes to a grand tour without vinge, he will always win with some easiness.
He is the second best grand rider in the world, vinge is the best grand tour rider in the world.

Pogacar should try next year to win the giro, and diversify even more is palmares, because with vinge in the tour, it's almost impossible to somebody beat him. I think there's an era in the Tour, vinge will win consecutive 5/6 tours de france. He wants to be the recordist of the tour de france, and that's the "easy" way for him to stay in the "history books of cycling". Pogacar's path is different, is way to " stay in the history books of cycling" is not by winning a lot of tours de france, but by winning monuments, one day races, and all grand tours.
I think we'll see Tadej focus on the Tour when it suits him to do so. He's young and his best GT days are probably ahead of him like Remco and other young guns. I think we saw the Vingegaard peak this year and Pogacar's worst GT.
 
I think we'll see Tadej focus on the Tour when it suits him to do so. He's young and his best GT days are probably ahead of him like Remco and other young guns. I think we saw the Vingegaard peak this year and Pogacar's worst GT.
We can all think whatever we want, but the notion that Jonas has somehow peaked, is more wishful thinking, than anything I can see in reality. He has even ridden at a top level shorter than Pogi.

Now is he going to be easier to manage at the tour, after winning two and giving the impression he will diversify this schedule more, could be.
 
CN speculates that Giro wants to attract Teddy to do Giro Tour double in 2024. Its extremely unlikely next year. Teddy needs a perfect preparation to have a shot at the Tour as Skeletor set the bar highest since Armstrong. Maybe if he wins it next year then he will try sth new in 2025.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
I'm all in for Pogi to do the Giro, lest his oil tycoons allow it, but that will make him forfeit various Spring classics....perhaps focus on Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and RVV. Forget the double. Pogacar is always hungry for new challenges.
 
I'm all in for Pogi to do the Giro, lest his oil tycoons allow it, but that will make him forfeit various Spring classics....perhaps focus on Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and RVV. Forget the double. Pogacar is always hungry for new challenges.
Maybe if he does UAE Tour, they let him go Giro.

Program in the spring being:

UAE Tour, SB (can be removed), T-A, MSR, Dwars or E3, Ronde, Fleche and LBL is possible to do before the Giro.

He will have time to build a peak for Olympics, similar to how he has build a peak for Lombardia.

It is a great opportunity to go Giro with many of the others focusing on Tour+Olympics.

UAE can still send a team consisting of Yates, Ayuso, Almeida, Soler, Hirschi, Politt... to the Tour. A very strong team.

While Pog brings Majka, Sivakov, McNulty, Formolo, Ulissi, Bjerg... and so on to the Giro.
 
Sorry, but i think it's wishfull thinking by your side.
I don't "wish" anything other than a clear competitive environment for all of the good guys and upcoming talents. I do think Jona's physique and training have hit a peak, though. If he gets any lighter he'll evaporate.
I also think (different than wishing) that Pogacar has even more upside. We also have the Primoz and Remco factors lurking out there.
 
What I can say is Pogacar was a little bit better than Vingegaard for one and half week in the Tour. His ceilling is not worse than Vingegaard and these are good news for him. With a better preparation, he can beat Vingegaard.
I have seen people saying this but Pog was still better than he has been before in the Tour this season. Just numbers wise. Despite his preparation. His ITT was one of the best performances he has ever done.

The strength Vinge showed in the ITT is something we have barely seen, ever. It looked like he could have went even faster.

Even if he prepares incredibly well... I dont see him beating July-Vinge, if nothing unforeseen happens to Vinge.

If he can get off the hook for July... Pog should take it next year.

Let them build up the suspense for the Tour with the former teammates Vinge vs Roglic going at each other, with Remco as the "outsider".

Pog can pick up more wins in the classics and the Giro instead. Continuing to add more wins to his already incredible palmares.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nick2413
Pog can definitely lose a couple of kilos to boost his stage race performance. If he completely gives up on his one day race ambitions and alters his physique accordingly, I think he has a good chance to prevail over Vingegaard. Whether he’ll do that or not it’s impossible to predict as it all depends on how annoyed he gets by keeping losing the Tour to Jonas.

I think he could do the Giro-Tour double successfully if he abandons his one day race aspirations. But personally, I don’t want him to just yet…