Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

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Mar 20, 2022
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Yes i would rather see him skip amstel or flech than E3. I want to see him fight with vdp & wva as much races as possible as they used to be called the big 3
This. AGR and FW will be sunday rides to Pogacar. Let him face real classics riders like MVP or WVA.
 
Feb 12, 2025
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Pogi gets the level of support INEOS gave ganna, he would have won last year and this year's editions. two wins. He needs to be with a team that values monuments
Atleast they will not give him a team with laengen and novak thats for sure
 
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The plan was for Wellens, Narvaes and Del Toro to be the lead out on the Cipressa. Del Toro get caught up in the washing machine of the final approach (and no team got more than a couple of riders in the train). Laengen and Novak and Pollitt were there for the previous 260 km but weren't needed overly.

We can fantasise about Pogi getting a 5 man lead out, but given the overall strenght of the peloton, it is not realistic.
 
Oct 30, 2023
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The plan was for Wellens, Narvaes and Del Toro to be the lead out on the Cipressa. Del Toro get caught up in the washing machine of the final approach (and no team got more than a couple of riders in the train). Laengen and Novak and Pollitt were there for the previous 260 km but weren't needed overly.

We can fantasise about Pogi getting a 5 man lead out, but given the overall strenght of the peloton, it is not realistic.
Just look at the postion of Ganna and MVP and look at the results. If Pogi comes into the foot of the cipressa in those postions it is game over this year. If Pogi had come in a better position last year he would have found himself alone by the top of the Cipressa with a substantial lead on a small chase group and we know exactly how he would have handled it with likely results.
 
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Just look at the postion of Ganna and MVP and look at the results. If Pogi comes into the foot of the cipressa in those postions it is game over this year. If Pogi had come in a better position last year he would have found himself alone by the top of the Cipressa with a substantial lead on a small chase group and we know exactly how he would have handled it with likely results.
The problem wasn't Pogacar, it was Del Toro.
 
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The problem wasn't Pogacar, it was Del Toro.
I don't even think the problem was Del Toro. Del Toro did what he could was to stay on the main chase group in case it closed on the front group. If pogi had turned to MVP after the Cipressa and said "I am not going a sprint with you because I can't win that. You enjoy the profit from my effort on the Cipressa and pull us and/or close coming attacks from the chase AND sprint against the chase". Pogi then would have had Del Toro to assist in attacking an MVP who had nose to the wind up until the poggio.

Wellens did an amazing job. He somehow came out of the bottleneck perfectly positioned and forced pressure on the field. He needed binoculars to find Pogi.

Narvaev did an amazing job dragging pogi out of the bottleneck and then shredding the field to launch pogi.

Problem here and always seems to be with team managment. Did not provide the necessary resources in tactics, personnel, and preparation. The team that showed up did what was expected of them and that's why it failed. Mou was telling us it was going to fail and he was right (again). He even told us why it was designed to fail. UAE does not value monuments. They want Pogi to win the tour principly and will sabotage everything else to ensure it is properly attended to by Pogi.
 
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Jul 8, 2017
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The team that showed up did what was expected of them and that's why it failed. Mou was telling us it was going to fail and he was right (again). He even told us why it was designed to fail. UAE does not value monuments. They want Pogi to win the tour principly and will sabotage everything else to ensure it is properly attended to by Pogi.

Sorry but all that doesn't make sense. In what way the team benefits if Pogacar doesn't win San Remo?
It's actually the other way around. The team would benefit much more if Pogacar wins San Remo as if he doesn't win it, he'll come back next year with probably even bigger determination to win it, thus risking the Tour even more. Let alone that, I guess Pogacar isn't stupid (is he?), and if you and Mou can see his team trying to mess him up, he can see it as well, and if this is true he won't be too happy.

Care to explain, as you seem to be familiar with the UAE management, how does the team benefits when they make their star unhappy?


All of that is really common sense, but y'all seem to follow Mou rather than the common sense.
 
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I don't even think the problem was Del Toro. Del Toro did what he could was to stay on the main chase group in case it closed on the front group. If pogi had turned to MVP after the Cipressa and said "I am not going a sprint with you because I can't win that. You enjoy the profit from my effort on the Cipressa and pull us and/or close coming attacks from the chase AND sprint against the chase". Pogi then would have had Del Toro to assist in attacking an MVP who had nose to the wind up until the poggio.

Wellens did an amazing job. He somehow came out of the bottleneck perfectly positioned and forced pressure on the field. He needed binoculars to find Pogi.

Narvaev did an amazing job dragging pogi out of the bottleneck and then shredding the field to launch pogi.

Problem here and always seems to be with team managment. Did not provide the necessary resources in tactics, personnel, and preparation. The team that showed up did what was expected of them and that's why it failed. Mou was telling us it was going to fail and he was right (again). He even told us why it was designed to fail. UAE does not value monuments. They want Pogi to win the tour principly and will sabotage everything else to ensure it is properly attended to by Pogi.
Pogi always raced what he wanted. The problem with UAE is how they manage their riders, specially guys like Narvaez, Vermeersch. They promised leadership in classics to these guys. Not monuments but races like E3, AGR, Omloop, etc
 
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Oct 30, 2023
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Kinda. But if you look at Narvaez, He rode great for pogi at this MSR. I can understand if he doesn't want to do this 100% of the time. Although there is a place in history for 1st lieutenants in what is unfolding in front of us.

Vermeersch rode for a top 10 result just days earlier at a much lesser race. Is that better than contributing to an MSR victory? A lot of folks said he would have been perfect in the positioning train.
 
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Sorry but all that doesn't make sense. In what way the team benefits if Pogacar doesn't win San Remo?
It's actually the other way around. The team would benefit much more if Pogacar wins San Remo as if he doesn't win it, he'll come back next year with probably even bigger determination to win it, thus risking the Tour even more. Let alone that, I guess Pogacar isn't stupid (is he?), and if you and Mou can see his team trying to mess him up, he can see it as well, and if this is true he won't be too happy.

Care to explain, as you seem to be familiar with the UAE management, how does the team benefits when they make their star unhappy?


All of that is really common sense, but y'all seem to follow Mou rather than the common sense.
They don't benefit. They are poorly managed and the consequences of this are for all to see. The solution is a change in management, one way or the other.
 
Jul 8, 2017
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They don't benefit. They are poorly managed and the consequences of this are for all to see. The solution is a change in management, one way or the other.

So why would they sabotage him, as you claimed, if they don't benefit?

Seems like the forum isn't just full of doctors now, but conspiracy theorists as well.
 
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So why would they sabotage him, as you claimed, if they don't benefit?

Seems like the forum isn't just full of doctors now, but conspiracy theorists as well.
Look at INEOS team and compare to UAE for this race. Not giving Pogi the tools to succeed is sabotage. But then again, maybe the tools weren't available because management is promising strong riders leadership in all parts of the calendar. Poor management. Both things can be true at the same time.

There is a video floating around where pogi is describing in a team meeting where he wants to attack on the cipressa. Of course, the conversations about the lead up to the cipressa are missing. Probably because it was so ridiculous and embarrassing to management.
 
Jul 8, 2017
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Look at INEOS team and compare to UAE for this race. Not giving Pogi the tools to succeed is sabotage. But then again, maybe the tools weren't available because management is promising strong riders leadership in all parts of the calendar. Poor management. Both things can be true at the same time.

There is a video floating around where pogi is describing in a team meeting where he wants to attack on the cipressa. Of course, the conversations about the lead up to the cipressa are missing. Probably because it was so ridiculous and embarrassing to management.


Ineos' team (and any other for that matter) isn't built with the purpose to destroy Cipressa, so your comparasion isn't exactly right. With 2 riders for the first 250 kilometres and 3 riders (Del Toro, Narvaez and Wellens) to destroy Cipressa there aren't exactly many riders left to help with positioning.
 
Apr 30, 2011
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The plan was for Wellens, Narvaes and Del Toro to be the lead out on the Cipressa. Del Toro get caught up in the washing machine of the final approach (and no team got more than a couple of riders in the train). Laengen and Novak and Pollitt were there for the previous 260 km but weren't needed overly.

We can fantasise about Pogi getting a 5 man lead out, but given the overall strenght of the peloton, it is not realistic.
EF entered Cipressa with Honoré (2nd), Albanese (6th), Mihkels (12th), Sweeny (16th) and Powless (35th) before Pogi (42nd) and Narváez (51st).
 
Jul 20, 2018
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The expectations for UAE seem a bit unrealistically high. Wellens and Narvaez did a great job on Cipressa and you cannot expect much more than that. You're not gonna get a prime Sky mountain train with 7 riders on Cipressa.
 
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Oct 30, 2023
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Let me type this slowly so that folks can comprehend it.

Ganna and MVP were well positioned at the base of the climb. This is because of their teams.

Because Pogi was not well positioned, also because of his team, it allowed Ganna and MVP to react to the intial attack Pogi.

Pogi wasted energy coming from so far back. His team wasted energy too and was ineffective.

Ganna and MVP took 1st and 2nd in the race because of this precise moment in the race in addition to their general fitness and condition (they were both leaders of their excellent squads)
 
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Sep 4, 2017
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I was really hoping he’d skip Gent and Amstel instead if he’s riding Roubaix but I guess he really wants to tick off the Ardennes triple that eluded him in 2023.
I was hoping to see E3/GW/RVV/PR then mini break and LBL before refreshing for Dauphine
 
Mar 20, 2022
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The expectations for UAE seem a bit unrealistically high. Wellens and Narvaez did a great job on Cipressa and you cannot expect much more than that. You're not gonna get a prime Sky mountain train with 7 riders on Cipressa.
But it is unacceptable when your team is nowhere near the front while Ineos and other teams had 3 or 4 riders in the front.
 
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Mar 25, 2025
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According to Tom Boonen, Pogacar won’t be riding Roubaix this year. Because Colnago is preparing something and that won’t be for this year. He couldn’t say more.
He showed up with a new bike last weekend and is now out of E3. Maybe they are just waiting for Colnago to make an announcement first, hence the hush hush.

(thread lurker here, first post, this is getting too exciting!)