Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Peyroteo94]

I will be the first here to say that I don't like Pogacar's spring classics program. When they first announced it I was frustrated and disappointed.
What is there for Pogacar to gain in Gent Wevelgem, E3 Harelbeke and Amstel Gold Race? Nothing except a potential crash to ruin his season.
The gap between Pog and Jonas is too small for Pogi to do all these spring classics. I really hope he doesn't regret his choices in July.
Even if Pog wins 8 spring races it would mean nothing if Vingegaard crushes him in the Tour. In the eyes of the cycling world and media Jonas would be the alpha again.
I know that it's fun for Pogi to do Flanders and the other cobbles classics but I think it would be more fun for him to destroy a healthy Vinge in the TDF.

I get what you say, Pogi fully focused on long mountains (like we saw in 2024) is unbeatable. But Pogacar will focus his training for the Tour only in May, until there he will practise for classics.

 

[Poursuivant]

He can't win LBL before PR

Yes sorry my bad, Ardennes after Flemish.

But that might make it more likely he goes for PR if he has MSR and RVV in the bag, he might try. I hope he tries.

 

[LongtimeLurker]

In the introduction part @ 31 sec into the video he said, "And i think at the level of scientific evidence it is already more than proven that strength work is mandatory to do no?, but the world of cycling has always been very traditional"

A huge dig on san milan and co at uae who held back the greatest talent on the planet
Thanks @jsolalo🙏

I would not say UAE in general, I would say Inigo San Milan. I have spoken with a coach who worked there who left - 2 left due to him (a strong reason was having to work with San Milan) and he mentioned that San Milan "banned" strength work and did not want coaches to prescribe. Same as anything other than Zone 2 and then some 15min intervals in Zone 4 for training. He was never open to anything modern in today's training methods. For UAE in general to agree or allow this is something else, Inigo was never present or added value and was only around on social media taking credit for success that he had little to do with.

 

[scribers]

The bald fraud

 

[Peyroteo94]

I would not say UAE in general, I would say Inigo San Milan. I have spoken with a coach who worked there who left - 2 left due to him (a strong reason was having to work with San Milan) and he mentioned that San Milan "banned" strength work and did not want coaches to prescribe. Same as anything other than Zone 2 and then some 15min intervals in Zone 4 for training. He was never open to anything modern in today's training methods. For UAE in general to agree or allow this is something else, Inigo was never present or added value and was only around on social media taking credit for success that he had little to do with.

But he still is working with UAE. He is coaching Ayuso. Maybe this is the reason Ayuso is not improving.

 

[yaf]

I thought Mcnulty looked stunning very early season last year but then seemed to tail off the rest of the year. Single peak is fairly normal for most athletes

I'm not saying he hadn't got great results this year, in terms of number of wins its probably his best ever season also with the tts and early in the season when he won against vlasov & buitrago but he never reached the level he showed in the tour 2022 when dropping everybody except pog & ving and riding away 2 minutes ahead of geraint thomas & co. That was the most impressive performance i've seen from a domestique.

 

[yaf]

I would not say UAE in general, I would say Inigo San Milan. I have spoken with a coach who worked there who left - 2 left due to him (a strong reason was having to work with San Milan) and he mentioned that San Milan "banned" strength work and did not want coaches to prescribe. Same as anything other than Zone 2 and then some 15min intervals in Zone 4 for training. He was never open to anything modern in today's training methods. For UAE in general to agree or allow this is something else, Inigo was never present or added value and was only around on social media taking credit for success that he had little to do with.

I'm not sure he banned strength work and i assume some riders in the team were doing it but he didn't have the knowhow of gym works benefit. As sola said its more than mandatory to do gym work for a cyclist and thats why pog never looked tired throughout this season finishing lombardy (his last race of the year) as if it was a training ride. He already had the greatest lactate clearance capacity and that was why he survived good the previous years without strength training and now added the gym it seems like he can win 100 races a year.

 

[Unchained]

I thought Mcnulty looked stunning very early season last year but then seemed to tail off the rest of the year. Single peak is fairly normal for most athletes

There appears to be some essence.. Public and within the team that Pogacar needs to spread it around a little, sounds sort of silly, but I am not there, never have been!! In my mind there can't be such a thing as winning too much, but apparently Pog suffering from winning too much syndrome!! McNulty is certainly a rider who is capable of winning, he has some really great TT skills and is a solid overall contender..I hope UAE can get schedule right, many of their riders have some really solid months but don't stay hot for long season.. Ayuso also had some good months ,Soler, Yates, Sivikov, Almedia, all look pretty capable if Pogacar is not the focal point.

 

[2WpK]

In the introduction part @ 31 sec into the video he said, "And i think at the level of scientific evidence it is already more than proven that strength work is mandatory to do no?, but the world of cycling has always been very traditional"

A huge dig on san milan and co at uae who held back the greatest talent on the planet
Thanks @jsolalo🙏

I watched the whole video reading the text but had trouble picking up some details. Can someone who listened to it please tell me what Javier said about maintenance weight lifting during race season. I picked up that he said once a week, 20 minute sessions......but did he also say 10-12 reps total? and not lifting super heavy? I am really curious about these details.

 

[Tymek]

What are the chances of PR in 2025? Maybe if he has MSR, RVV and LBL in the bag and he has a chance of all 5 Monuments in a season?

I think that despite he don’t have PR in his schedule for 2025, it’s possible that he will ride it if he will win MSR and RVV.
It makes chance for him to win all 5 monuments so it’s logical move. He already is legend, but winning 5 monuments and TdF in one season will be the greatest season in history and will made him second cycling GOAT.

 

[Tymek]

What is there for Pogacar to gain in Gent Wevelgem, E3 Harelbeke and Amstel Gold Race? Nothing except a potential crash to ruin his season.
The gap between Pog and Jonas is too small for Pogi to do all these spring classics. I really hope he doesn't regret his choices in July.

Thing that makes him one of the best cyclist in history isn’t winning so many Tours. Froome has even more Tours than Pog and nobody compares him to Merckx or Hinault.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I watched the whole video reading the text but had trouble picking up some details. Can someone who listened to it please tell me what Javier said about maintenance weight lifting during race season. I picked up that he said once a week, 20 minute sessions......but did he also say 10-12 reps total? and not lifting super heavy? I am really curious about these details.

I think he said 8-12 reps with 4 reps in reserve (RIR). He also said he needs to calm down his riders because is in their nature to push until and beyond their limits. Why these 4 RIR? Because Sola doesn't want his riders to be fatigued 3 or 4 days after strenght training.

 

[Tymek]

I really hope that Pogi will win both MSR and RVV, then maybe he will go for PR.
We all know that he can fight for win there after 5th stage of the TdF 2022.

 

[LongtimeLurker]

I'm not sure he banned strength work and i assume some riders in the team were doing it but he didn't have the knowhow of gym works benefit. As sola said its more than mandatory to do gym work for a cyclist and thats why pog never looked tired throughout this season finishing lombardy (his last race of the year) as if it was a training ride. He already had the greatest lactate clearance capacity and that was why he survived good the previous years without strength training and now added the gym it seems like he can win 100 races a year.

Thanks, San Milan personally told a coach(es) not to prescribe strength work as it is bad for cyclists when he came onto UAE.

 

[hayneplane]

I have a feeling that if he wins MSR and RvV he'll try Roubaix.
If anything, he'll see exactly where he is and what he needs for the race.
And if in the VERY outside chance he wins , he puts himself in a position to achieve something truly massive. Even by his standards.

If he was to win MSR and RVV it would be astonishing if he voluntarily passed up the first ever opportunity in the history of cycling to win 5 consecutive monuments. Nobody has ever won more than 3 in a row before whether in same season or over 2 years.

 

[Tymek]

in the history of cycling to win 5 consecutive monuments

In his case even 7 monuments, because he won LBL and Il Lombardia in 2024.

 

[yaf]

I thought Mcnulty looked stunning very early season last year but then seemed to tail off the rest of the year. Single peak is fairly normal for most athletes

View: https://youtu.be/POKHDxjJbYY?si=gIhHc4a9wpKPNkeW

Here u can hear from the horses mouth. From 1:00 jorgenson speaks about his relationship with mcnulty in juniors and when asked if he knows brandons *** in the armour he said at juniors they had the same coach and brandon was worlds stronger than him let alone finding *** in his armour😳 & now we're in 2024 and jorg is perceived as the stronger rider than brandon, if anyone has a brain he can understand it clearly. I know mcnulty's trainer is jeroen swart & i hope he apologizes to one of the best talents in the world and listens to javier sola for an hour.

 

[scribers]

I think he said 8-12 reps with 4 reps in reserve (RIR). He also said he needs to calm down his riders because is in their nature to push until and beyond their limits. Why these 4 RIR? Because Sola doesn't want his riders to be fatigued 3 or 4 days after strenght training.

The reps on reserve is about how many you could do before your muscles fail. Fail muscle mean miniscule damage from which muscle gets added to it in recovery. This means bulk gains which a cyclist would not want. So you focus on tone strength training

 

[yaf]

Uae the best talent acquisition but the worst management and performance staff of all the pro teams!

 

[scribers]

View: https://youtu.be/POKHDxjJbYY?si=gIhHc4a9wpKPNkeW

Here u can hear from the horses mouth. From 1:00 jorgenson speaks about his relationship with mcnulty in juniors and when asked if he knows brandons *** in the armour he said at juniors they had the same coach and brandon was worlds stronger than him let alone finding *** in his armour😳 & now we're in 2024 and jorg is perceived as the stronger rider than brandon, if anyone has a brain he can understand it clearly. I know mcnulty's trainer is jeroen swart & i hope he apologizes to one of the best talents in the world and listens to javier sola for an hour.

Mcnulty is more than a year older than Jorgensen. At juniors age this can make a big difference by itself. Plus, coaches aren’t everything. So much of cyclimg
Is mental and Jorgensen seems very strong mentally compared to McNuggets

 

[yaf]

Mcnulty is more than a year older than Jorgensen. At juniors age this can make a big difference by itself. Plus, coaches aren’t everything. So much of cyclimg
Is mental and Jorgensen seems very strong mentally compared to McNuggets

Mate, just refer to pro cycling stats and see their respective levels at juniors

 

[Peyroteo94]

Bruynel told how some juniors train like professional and then they can't improve a lot when they become pro, leading also to burnouts.
For example, Cian Uijtdebroeks seems a really good example of that.

 

[yaf]

Bruynel told how some juniors train like professional and then they can't improve a lot when they become pro, leading also to burnouts.
For example, Cian Uijtdebroeks seems a really good example of that.

Probably thats why mvdp & wva are humiliating their competition since they started to ride a bike

 

[scribers]

Mate, just refer to pro cycling stats and see their respective levels at juniors

What am I going to find out there?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Probably thats why mvdp & wva are humiliating their competition since they started to ride a bike

They weren't humiliating their competition at all when they started road racing... in fact WVA only won MSR in 2020 and MVP won RVV also in 2020.