Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[mou]

“No one can handle training with him every day”: Tim Wellens about phenomenon and leader Tadej Pogacar


It is of course your leader, but how do you view Tadej Pogacar after a year of being on the road with him?

“What is most striking is how normal he is. He won the Tour, has been the best rider in the world for three years, but how he still keeps his feet on the ground is really nice to see up close. I don't think many people could do that in his place. He is the best at everything he does. If you drive the car with him in Monaco, no one will drive it as well as he does. He started playing padel and was immediately one of the best. Within the team he is the best uphill and downhill too. The day when he sprints fastest will undoubtedly come.”

You also train with him regularly. Does he ever have a bad day?
“Yes, but he is still the best. It sometimes happens that he has nothing to eat during training. Then you still can't do anything to him. That's really impressive. In December I went to train with Adam (Yates) and Tadej. We were gone all day and how fast he keeps going is just really impressive. Then you realize how good his basic condition is

How often do you go out together in Monaco? Do you have a fixed route?
“(laughs) We don't train together that often. That's not a good plan. No one can handle training with him every day. Then he just twists your neck.”

 

[Poursuivant]

The technicians are working to do everything possible and guarantee passage for the Milan Sanremo cyclists on the coastal road. If the intervention is not completed in time, the route of the Classicissima will undergo a change and the bikes will be forced to pass through the Manie.We don't yet know if it will be necessary to divert it ", explains the mayor of Finale Ugo Frascherelli. "If the road remains closed the race will pass through the Manie", he says.

If Le Manie comes back, Pog wins.

 

[mou]

Will you drive faster in a race because you know that Pogacar is your leader?
"Anyway. The level of the entire team increases when Tadej is there. During the winter we did a six-hour training session at an average of 36 to 37 km/h, which means a consistently very high pace. I must say that I have been suffering all day. No one complains, no one makes things difficult, everyone just drives very fast. You really don't find that in every team.”

He also always seems to be in good spirits and rarely nervous. Have you ever seen him stress?
“Tadej has no stress before matches. Busy or no pressure. Training or racing, he drives around in the same way. I see other boys who handle it completely differently when performance is expected of them. Tadej takes everything playfully. That is a gift and a very big advantage. If he can continue to enjoy cycling like this, he can extend his career for a very long time.”

How are things going in the race? What does he want from you and how does he make it known to you?
“He is one of the most fun to race with. He follows you everywhere. Tadej is so technical on the bike that wherever you ride, he is always in your wheel. You can also pedal as hard as you want, he has never said you have to go slower. On the contrary, he will still say that it is allowed faster. And if I have a bad day, he won't get angry either. He realizes and understands that not everyone is as good as him.”

 

[Berniece]

The technicians are working to do everything possible and guarantee passage for the Milan Sanremo cyclists on the coastal road. If the intervention is not completed in time, the route of the Classicissima will undergo a change and the bikes will be forced to pass through the Manie.We don't yet know if it will be necessary to divert it ", explains the mayor of Finale Ugo Frascherelli. "If the road remains closed the race will pass through the Manie", he says.

Interesting, you should share it in the MSR topic

 

[Extinction]

Rewatching the Poggio ascent of last year made me more sceptical of Pog winning tbh. Mainly because I thought I remembered MvdP, Van Aert, and Ganna already being on his wheel but they all had to close a gap when he attacked, and especially Van Aert and MvdP closed like an 8 rider gap to Pogacar when he attacked.

I really just don't see a Poggio final km attack like last year working, because I also don't trust Pog to hold a 5s gap to an MvdP on the descent.

I think you have to consider Pog will be a fair bit stronger this time around and so, he likely will, at least in theory, have the fire power to drop them on the Poggio. Whether or not this actually happens, is anyone's guess. But from what I've seen thus far (he's leaner and consequently has a higher power to weight ratio, is therefore more aerobically efficient), in short, probably the best Tadej yet, I'm not putting it past him.

 

[CHGJ2000]

who can have 8.5W/kg for 12 minutes on a hill with a 5% gradient behind a scooter? that's how much Pog had 3 days before Strade Bianche, I'm telling you they made a monster from a catastrophically trained champion with an adequate trainer at the top level in the ranks of trainers from Visma, and Sola it is definitely that level

I too also have brain worms. I’ve seen some truly abysmal power data before but 8.5 w/kg for 12 minutes would be up there with a dumbass who claimed to do 1070w for a minute at 70KG

 

[Berniece]

I think you have to consider Pog will be a fair bit stronger this time around and so, he likely will, at least in theory, have the fire power to drop them on the Poggio.

Why is he much stronger this time around? Last year he destroyed the classics season.

 

[joseph89]

“No one can handle training with him every day”: Tim Wellens about phenomenon and leader Tadej Pogacar

 

[SHAD0W93]

Even the weather gods want Pog to win with Le Manie potentially coming back.

 

[Froome]

I too also have brain worms. I’ve seen some truly abysmal power data before but 8.5 w/kg for 12 minutes would be up there with a dumbass who claimed to do 1070w for a minute at 70KG

Jeroen swart probably was mocking him when he said Pogacar can do 8.5 w/kg in 12 minutes, and he believed.

 

[Salvarani]

I think you have to consider Pog will be a fair bit stronger this time around and so, he likely will, at least in theory, have the fire power to drop them on the Poggio. Whether or not this actually happens, is anyone's guess. But from what I've seen thus far (he's leaner and consequently has a higher power to weight ratio, is therefore more aerobically efficient), in short, probably the best Tadej yet, I'm not putting it past him.

Seems like he also has a pscychological edge over every rider besides, perhaps, Vinge and MVDP.

Some posters as well.

Mou got them riled up. Lol.

Unexpected hero, but the one we needed.

 

[Froome]

I think you have to consider Pog will be a fair bit stronger this time around and so, he likely will, at least in theory, have the fire power to drop them on the Poggio. Whether or not this actually happens, is anyone's guess. But from what I've seen thus far (he's leaner and consequently has a higher power to weight ratio, is therefore more aerobically efficient), in short, probably the best Tadej yet, I'm not putting it past him.

It would be very strange if that wouldn't happened. The peloton is getting faster year after year, and the top riders are also improving a bit year after year, even guys like Geraint Thomas improved between 2018 and 2023.

 

[mou]

I don't know what got these haters fired up, maybe you don't like the fact that you don't have information about Pog like me, how is it strange to anyone how Pog can be so much better in 2024 and he dominated the spring of 2023, well because he has a new coach who knows the job, unlike the previous one, worked on his 3 weaknesses, which were poorly managed altitude training, higher heat, and unstable TT position and too little TT training. huge funds were invested this year in TT material, a private physiotherapist in Monaco, Alex Baccili, an expert in TT exercises was hired to make it easier to maintain the aero TT position, a study was made of how much 165mm cranks bring him compared to the 172-170 he has so far used it and is one of the few who uses it successfully, his cadence went from 91 to 96 on average, Sola introduced him to heat training with regular training with the Core device, which they had never used before, even though Millan knew about the heat problem on the Tour for the last 3 years and nothing was done, and that's why Pogačar makes a statement that it seems to him that the training and preparation for 2024 is completely new and a shock to the body, a positive shock, and that's why you've already seen Pog on the Strade Bianche like you'll see on the Giro and the Tour only with 20-30 W more and Pog, in whom the heat of the Tour will not consume as much energy from stage to stage as before and who will not come out of the altitude camp before the Tour as overtrained as before, you who believe in what I wrote know that Pog is currently breaking personal records on the TT tests and that it is better on a 25-40min climb by 1.30-2.00min compared to its PB in 2023, remember that the Santa Maria sector in 2022 Pog drove in 21min and in 2024 in 19min, if something is not clear to someone now, never will be.....

 

[Red Rick]

I think you have to consider Pog will be a fair bit stronger this time around and so, he likely will, at least in theory, have the fire power to drop them on the Poggio. Whether or not this actually happens, is anyone's guess. But from what I've seen thus far (he's leaner and consequently has a higher power to weight ratio, is therefore more aerobically efficient), in short, probably the best Tadej yet, I'm not putting it past him.

We have seen 1 race he didnt do last year. Last year he had obliterated everything before Sanremo as well.

I dont doubt hed be the fastest if everyone had to do the Poggio solo, but they dont.

 

[Salvarani]

We have seen 1 race he didnt do last year. Last year he had obliterated everything before Sanremo as well.

I dont doubt hed be the fastest if everyone had to do the Poggio solo, but they dont.

Cool, it is just entertaining whatever happens.

 

[Berniece]

I don't know what got these haters fired up, maybe you don't like the fact that you don't have information about Pog like me,

lol

 

[mou]

Del Toro stepped in instead of Mcnulty, let the games begin, that's what was wanted, when Isaac lights Cipressa, let's see how many will remain

 

[Salvarani]

Del Toro stepped in instead of Mcnulty, let the games begin, that's what was wanted, when Isaac lights Cipressa, let's see how many will remain

You calling the shots! Lets gooo

 

[mou]

if I were Pog, I would request from the team that Del Toro be my assistant in all the races until the Tour, for Catalonia, Liege and the Giro, I would also include him for the Tour instead of Ayuso, but then these old-fashioned experts on the forum would get excited

 

[mou]

if Matxin had my IQ to put together a team for the Giro it would look like this:

Bjerg, Novak, Baroncini, Morgado, Majka, Del Toro, Vine, Pogacar

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Luckily UAE isn‘t a labour camp and people can still ride races for themselves.

 

[Froome]

lol

Dude, someone kidnapped CyclistAbi, he disappeared since this comedian started posting. This is not a coincidence.

 

[Salvarani]

if Matxin had my IQ to put together a team for the Giro it would look like this:

Bjerg, Novak, Baroncini, Morgado, Majka, Del Toro, Vine, Pogacar

GO MOU!

 

[Netserk]

remember that the Santa Maria sector in 2022 Pog drove in 21min and in 2024 in 19min, if something is not clear to someone now, never will be.....

If Kuss was a ~minute faster this year than Pogi was in 2022, conditions were not comparable.

 

[Froome]

if Matxin had my IQ to put together a team for the Giro it would look like this:

Bjerg, Novak, Baroncini, Morgado, Majka, Del Toro, Vine, Pogacar