Or rides themselves into it. I believe he can win the Giro even if he goes into it more undercooked than he should be. Vingegaard was the best (or at the very least equal best) at the Vuelta last year with essentially the Tour as his preparation.
The Giro is a three week race that tires to much, it's very dificult to be in top shape in the Tour with the giro in the legs. Froome tried that (even going undercooked to the Giro)¹, and was not successful, contador the same, and others since pantani.
no one can know if he’s being paid. But yes. It’s widely understood rcs pays participation fees to riders and/or teams
Pogi thrives in experimenting new environments. It's the 5th time he will go to the Tour and every time he had a different approach.
Most of the guys they took weren’t prepared to ride at all according to bruyneel. When bruyneel protested to his bosses they basically told him to do as they say or prepare to swims with fishes
And not advisable to replicate the 2023 one.
Perhaps the most impressive recent Giro-Tour double performance is Dumoulin's 2nd places in 2018.
Also interesting, didn't hear it before: Pog suggested his breakdown on Col de la Loze was (partly) caused by overeating (I think he mentioned he tried to get 140g of carbohydrates instead of 120g). By eating too much, his stomach blocked and didn't take up any food.
The problem is vinge. If he didn't exist I think many would believe in pogs bid for the double, because of what you said. Its just that if vinge shows up in his usual form and doesn't have major mishaps, it's hard to see - if he does, handling roglic, evenepoel etc. might still be tough, but seems a lot more doable.
In 2018 the break between Giro and Tour was 1 week longer than in normal seasons, making the double slightly easier. There was also no hard GC stages until stage 11 in that Tour. Very different to this year.
But it IS courageous to try and win BOTH Giro and Tour. For it's historically the ultimate test in GT racing, until somebody, somehow, manages the triple crown. Once upon a time the greats of cycling, had to win the Giro-Tour double to enter the pantheon of the sport. In the modern age the Tour has become such an overbearing focus that a Giro-Tour double has become an overstretch. That Pantani was the last to achieve it in 98, alone says how courageous Pogacar is for attempting it now.
The Vingegaard as Bogeyman belief, which I subscribe to as well if he comes to the Tour in 2024 in the same form as 2023, doesn't only spell likely doom for a Pogacar double, it also makes a sole-focused Tour bid highly unlikely. So why not do the Giro first?
My suggestion to settle your disagreement is to simply refrain—unless you’re talking about Gino Bartali saving lives and other pros who rode bikes for the resistance during WWII—from ever using the word courageous to describe pro cyclists. Yes, they takes risks with their racing and their race schedules—just as we all takes risks in our jobs or livelihoods. Maybe you can say it’s ballsy of Pogacar to tackle his proposed scheduled, but that’s what he seems to like to do and wants to do. That’s just good living, trying to make the most of what he’s got.
So who will Pogacar's likely rivals in the Giro be? Geraint Thomas - who else?
Hmm...I didn't delete anything...but I confess that I have a weak spot for punching bags like your posts
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