Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[James M]

I gotta admit Pogi often talk about how much he loves the spring classics, and now he also talked about how much he dreams to defend his jersey in the WC.
But when he talks about the TdF he is always saying " yea well the TdF is the biggest race so I have to be there..." . Like it is a chore haha

I think its safe to say he enjoys it more, goes for classics in general over GT. Hes said while he loves Grand Tours, its alot of time without action many stages and that he has a tendency to get bored during stages he dont find hard, and lets be real most of the stages other struggles he dont even understand why they dont go faster.

In classics theres full gass to the finish, he can do his social distancing with 40-60-80km solos without having to save energy for next day, and race without using his head and just have fun going full-gas eating people alive.

 

[Lequack]

Meanwhile in Pog world

 

[Salvarani]

Naked chef!

 

[Lequack]

Pog: I made you this to eat, so eat it!
Me (POV): Why do you have a knife?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Got to love the quotes about Gent-Wevelgem. Pure ciclismo.

What quotes?

 

[James M]

What quotes?

"Gent-Wevelegem is a bit of a strange race for me. I see it as a challenge, we'll see how it goes. Maybe it will go horribly wrong, but I'm looking forward to that too. I think that trying new races makes me more complete as a rider. In general, it feels good for me on the bike."

If only everyone had no fear, nice approach. Pure ciclismo

 

[Peyroteo94]

I think its safe to say he enjoys it more, goes for classics in general over GT. Hes said while he loves Grand Tours, its alot of time without action many stages and that he has a tendency to get bored during stages he dont find hard, and lets be real most of the stages other struggles he dont even understand why they dont go faster.

In classics theres full gass to the finish, he can do his social distancing with 40-60-80km solos without having to save energy for next day, and race without using his head and just have fun going full-gas eating people alive.

This seems so true when we see him race. I think this is the reason why he doesn't understand Vingegaard and his way of racing and despite respecting him as rider, his racing style and personality doesn't attract him. Pogi is a racer, he races based on feeling, he is "pure ciclismo" just like Alberto, Bettini, Pantani. This is why he is so loved. Vingegaard is the opposite, always so clinical, so cold, following always the plan. Classics rider are closer to Pogi and GT riders are closer to Vingegaard when we talk about racing style and this is another reason for him to like classics even more.

 

[Peyroteo94]

"Gent-Wevelegem is a bit of a strange race for me. I see it as a challenge, we'll see how it goes. Maybe it will go horribly wrong, but I'm looking forward to that too. I think that trying new races makes me more complete as a rider. In general, it feels good for me on the bike."

If only everyone had no fear, nice approach. Pure ciclismo

What does this even mean? A possible crash? Or him not being able to contest the win? I think he will win GW if MVP and WVA aren't there

 

[Poursuivant]

What does this even mean? A possible crash? Or him not being able to contest the win? I think he will win GW if MVP and WVA aren't there

125 km attack as training for RVV incoming

 

[Peyroteo94]

125 km attack as training for RVV incoming

I hope so eheheh. GW needs early action to be interesting

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Meanwhile in Pog world

Epic pic but is Teddy ready? Or grupetto rides incoming?

 

[Shortcut]

Tadej Pogacar wenst nieuwe wereldtitel, denkt aan WK tijdrijden en deelt zwaarste koersdag ooit

Video Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, wereldkampioen op de weg en de felbegeerde KOM op de Coll de Rates nabij Calpe. Perfecter kon het jaar 2024 niet voor Tadej Pogačar. Veel tijd om naar de kapper te gaan was er niet en dus kwam hij samen met zijn vriendin Urška Žigart vlotjes om de hoek van […]

www.wielerflits.nl

Though, I don't understand how/why the Giro is still on the table for 2025.
Makes no sense to me. I'm hoping he is mostly saying it for the sake of it, for good PR and 'cause you never know.

I thought before the season that Giro-TdF is really obvious choice and i was really suprised when he presented his spring calendar. I an still thinking if he wins MSR or Flanders, he will go to Giro. He will 100% not compete against Jonas at Vuelta and than go to WC. He can win Vuelta easily next 10 years, WC route like this (both ITT and RR) happens once in decade.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I thought before the season that Giro-TdF is really obvious choice and i was really suprised when he presented his spring calendar. I an still thinking if he wins MSR or Flanders, he will go to Giro. He will 100% not compete against Jonas at Vuelta and than go to WC. He can win Vuelta easily next 10 years, WC route like this (both ITT and RR) happens once in decade.

It's too hard to make spring classics and still race Giro-Tour. Impossible to be in peak shape for the Tour.

 

[Red Rick]

I thought before the season that Giro-TdF is really obvious choice and i was really suprised when he presented his spring calendar. I an still thinking if he wins MSR or Flanders, he will go to Giro. He will 100% not compete against Jonas at Vuelta and than go to WC. He can win Vuelta easily next 10 years, WC route like this (both ITT and RR) happens once in decade.

WC routes like this are just completely unlosable for Pog. In addition, the Vuelta route just isn't hard.

 

[Shortcut]

WC routes like this are just completely unlosable for Pog. In addition, the Vuelta route just isn't hard.

Is not about Vuelta route, it's about Jonas. In that case he is going the hardest way possible. At E3, MSR, Flanders against MvDP and VWA (-MSR), then ardennes clasics against Remco, after that Dauphine, TdF and Vuelta against Jonas, than WC ITT and RR + Lombardia against rested Remco&co.

 

[Red Rick]

Is not about Vuelta route, it's about Jonas. In that case he is going the hardest way possible. At E3, MSR, Flanders against MvDP and VWA (-MSR), then ardennes clasics against Remco, after that Dauphine, TdF and Vuelta against Jonas, than WC ITT and RR + Lombardia against rested Remco&co.

Vingegaard is going Tour-Vuelta too, it's not like he has an inherent advantage, and the route should make it pretty damn hard for Pogacar to lose that simply because it's almost more bonus sprints than actualy hard climbs.

Also, banking on Rwanda WC to happen seems already like a risky bet right now

 

[Salvarani]

It is never that easy in reality.

If he pulls off classics, Dauphine, Tour, Vuelta, WC and Lombardia... incredible.

But I would skip Vuelta this season to be able to be more fresh for WC + Lombardia.

Winning 1-2 monuments in the spring and potentially Dauphine-Tour... he could take a break in August, which have worked every time for him to be fresh for the last part of the season.

Makes the most sense to me, when another WC is there for the taking.

 

[Shortcut]

Vingegaard is going Tour-Vuelta too, it's not like he has an inherent advantage, and the route should make it pretty damn hard for Pogacar to lose that simply because it's almost more bonus sprints than actualy hard climbs.

Also, banking on Rwanda WC to happen seems already like a risky bet right now

You can't be serious if you don't think Jonas doesn't have big advantage because of his schedule. His only goal is TdF and if he wins Vuelta (with Pogi at race) is just bonus. If Pogi would have TdF and Vuelta as his only goals there would be no discussion at all who is gonna to win it.,Instead he has 8(!!!) goals (4 monuments, 2 GTs and WC double) + 3 big races (Strade, Fleche, Amstel) where everybody else would die just to win one of this races. And on top of that everybody will race against him.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Vingegaard is going Tour-Vuelta too, it's not like he has an inherent advantage, and the route should make it pretty damn hard for Pogacar to lose that simply because it's almost more bonus sprints than actualy hard climbs.

Also, banking on Rwanda WC to happen seems already like a risky bet right now

Backup route is even more suited to Pogacar.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Yes, Vingegaard is already preparing the Tour. Pogacar is just doing specific training for classics. From what I saw in 2023 (yes 2023 and not 2024), I have a hard time seeing Vingegaard beating Pogacar, specially after his big improvements under Sola. Vingegaard was in big troubles even in 2023 before the TT, and that was against an undercooked and not well prepared Pogacar. But it will be a big fight and Pogacar must be at 100% in both Tour and Vuelta to win. Maybe this heavy schedule will take a tool on him before Rwanda.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Already preparing his spring goals

Tadej Pogacar in Flanders to recon one of 2025's biggest goals

Tadej Pogacar's season will begin soon at the UAE Tour but before the World Champion makes his debut with the new UAE Team Emirates - XRG gear in competition, he is still doing some training and explo...

cyclinguptodate.com

 

[Didinho]

Testing the new bike on cobbles might be smart. All gradients down 1% after his training.

 

[Froome]

You can't be serious if you don't think Jonas doesn't have big advantage because of his schedule. His only goal is TdF and if he wins Vuelta (with Pogi at race) is just bonus. If Pogi would have TdF and Vuelta as his only goals there would be no discussion at all who is gonna to win it.,Instead he has 8(!!!) goals (4 monuments, 2 GTs and WC double) + 3 big races (Strade, Fleche, Amstel) where everybody else would die just to win one of this races. And on top of that everybody will race against him.

The problem for pogacar this year, if things go in normal conditions, is that Vingegaard will not do the Tour/ Vuelta injured.

 

[Red Rick]

You can't be serious if you don't think Jonas doesn't have big advantage because of his schedule. His only goal is TdF and if he wins Vuelta (with Pogi at race) is just bonus. If Pogi would have TdF and Vuelta as his only goals there would be no discussion at all who is gonna to win it.,Instead he has 8(!!!) goals (4 monuments, 2 GTs and WC double) + 3 big races (Strade, Fleche, Amstel) where everybody else would die just to win one of this races. And on top of that everybody will race against him.

Why are we applying common cycling theory on Pogacar when he's basically violating every piece of cycling common sense every year

 

[Shortcut]

Why are we applying common cycling theory on Pogacar when he's basically violating every piece of cycling common sense every year

Because last year he won Giro and LBL without real opponents there, on TdF everybody except him was not in top shape, and then he was 100% rested and prepared for Zürich and Lombardia which again i can't say for others. He didn't compete against Jonas or MvDP in their best form or on the races that suits them better.