Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[JoãoRamos]

Both are huge tasks. GT victories even more unlikely than monuments.

When he gets 6 TdF, then he can focus on Giros and Vueltas.

In 5 years, focusing only on them, he can get around 6 to more GTs. So I think is doable.

6 Tours + 4 Giros + 4 Vueltas

Monuments, imho, are more difficult for him to surpass Merckx.

He needs 12 more, and 2 of them (MSR and P-R) are very tough for him.

 

[JoãoRamos]

He added Roubaix to the schedule so he decided to focus on the monuments. Won't be surprised if he skips Amstel (and maybe Fleche).

I love watching him race, but honestly, I’d be glad if he skips these.

He doesn’t need them — and they’re brutal — to win LBL.

Then it’s 9–10 weeks of full focus on the Tour de France

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I love watching him race, but honestly, I’d be glad if he skips these.

He doesn’t need them — and they’re brutal — to win LBL.

Then it’s 9–10 weeks of full focus on the Tour de France

Flandres + Roubaix is a huge double of races. Cyclists after it normally rest (many of them complete their biggest season goals there and have a longer break) while Pogacar has Ardennes triple, Tour+Vuelta double and WC. Insane. If I were his DS then it's rest and full focus on Liege (he doesn't need races to have top form) and then the Tour. As for the Vuelta, it's flexibie: they may still cancel it (if he feels too tired after the Tour) and focus on WC defense more (which IMO will happen).

 

[JoãoRamos]

Flandres + Roubaix is a huge double of races. Cyclists after it normally rest (many of them complete their biggest season goals there and have a longer break) while Pogacar has Ardennes triple, Tour+Vuelta double and WC. Insane. If I were his DS then it's rest and full focus on Liege (he doesn't need races to have top form) and then the Tour. As for the Vuelta, it's flexibie: they may still cancel it (if he feels too tired after the Tour) and focus on WC defense more (which IMO will happen).

Totally agree.

I read an interview in which Jorgenson said he was totally empty and that he glad he will rest now.
Not only is physically demanding, but mentally as well.

Pog is a huge favorite to win LBL. I love Amstel and La Flèche Wallonne, but he doesn't need the extra physical and mental stress.

Also, I'd love to see him winning Tour + Vuelta + Words this year.
And frankly, he is the favorite, it's totally doable.

Vuelta is tailored-made for him this year.
Worlds will be total carnage, as he loves.
And Tour, he will have the opportunity for a tour of revenge this year.

Can't wait.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Totally agree.

I read an interview in which Jorgenson said he was totally empty and that he glad he will rest now.
Not only is physically demanding, but mentally as well.

Flandres + Roubaix double could be as hard for the body as two weeks of stage-racing. OFC I don't mean total energy output but time needed to recover (riders go really deep in those long races). That's why racing days stat is laughable due to equaling monuments with easy stages.

 

[scribers]

Tour-vuelta-wc is a triple crown by another mother

 

[JoãoRamos]

Flandres + Roubaix double could be as hard to the body as two weeks of stage-racing. OFC I don't mean total energy output but time needed to recover (riders go really deep in those long races). That's why racing days stat is laughable due to equaling monuments with easy stages.

Yes, and that's why he needs to avoid Amstel and La Flèche. He doesn't need the extra stress.

Winning the Vuelta this year is much more important, imho.

If he is able to sit at the end of this year with 6 GT, 10 Monuments and 2 Worlds, he is ideally positioned to break the record in the next years.

 

[Poursuivant]

Running out of superlatives for Pogacar now.

If he stays on his bike and has no serious career injuries or issues, I think his palmares will be outrageous.

Most GT wins, Most monuments, Most TDF wins, Most TDF stage wins, Most wins at RVV, LBL, GDL - these are all goals that he can actually achieve. It’s insane.

 

[Didinho]

For once, he even was the slowest today.

 

[Red Rick]

Even Messi shows up on time to watch his tennis action.

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1909163940421972301

View: https://x.com/DLappartient/status/1909163940421972301

 

[Oldman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1909163940421972301

View: https://x.com/DLappartient/status/1909163940421972301

And the forum will explode when Tadej's number pass Remco's. Not far, now.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I completely ignore Bruyneel since he claimed to have inside info when he was just repeating what he read on this Forum last year.

His source was Mou ahahahah

 

[Peyroteo94]

I know but he's already had 5 seasons of his prime. He will have to end up with 12-13 prime seasons. It hardly ever happens in cycling, not in case of the greatest guys of all time.

The question is: was Pogacar in his prime when he was 21-24 years old (2020 to 2023)? I don't think so.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I don't think in order to be considered GOAT, he needs to win MSR or Vuelta if he manages to win other GTs/monuments several more times in a similarly convincing manner as he does now. Vuelta and MSR are both firmly in the bottom half of GTs/Monuments, ranked by prestige and can easily be compensated by any other race of the same category.

At the same time, I also don't think he needs to match Merckx numbers to be considered GOAT by the majority over Merckx just because times are so different now and it's that much harder to pull off the same results as it was in the 70s. If Pog wins somewhere in the area of 5 TDFs, 5 other GTs, 15 monuments and 2 WCs it's going to be enough IMO. If we ask who is the greatest F1 driver of all times, very few will say Schumacher or Hamilton - most will go with Senna even though his results are no match for the former two gentlemen.

Pog's greatness will be painfully obvious once he stops and we're back to business as usual - classics won by classics specialists and GTs won by stage-race specialists. And at that point, a fair few more people will be on the GOAT bandwagon than they are today.

Pogacar transformed the way we see cycling.
Horrible takes I heard in the last 4 years due to Pogacar's level:
- Giro-Tour is not that hard (because he just trivialized this feat. Normally, we listen about Froome and Dumoulin too but they don't mention they had an extra week to recover in 2018. Froome was clearly fading in the Tour btw).
- Cobbles in RVV are overrated because Pogacar (again) was toying with specialists on cobbles. They also mention Valverde who got a 8th. Don't even know why, specially because he wasn't close to win. Really, how many "Ardennes riders" won RVV (since 2012, the new route) or even did a podium? Only Gilbert!

 

[AmRacer]

Pogacar transformed the way we see cycling.
Horrible takes I heard in the last 4 years due to Pogacar's level:
- Giro-Tour is not that hard (because he just trivialized this feat. Normally, we listen about Froome and Dumoulin too but they don't mention they had an extra week to recover in 2018. Froome was clearly fading in the Tour btw).
- Cobbles in RVV are overrated because Pogacar (again) was toying with specialists on cobbles. They also mention Valverde who got a 8th. Don't even know why, specially because he wasn't close to win. Really, how many "Ardennes riders" won RVV (since 2012, the new route) or even did a podium? Only Gilbert!

First current TdF and World champ winning RVV since Merckx.

 

[James M]

Funny that Trek posted this, lol. On the other hand, it’s probably a good idea to butter up Pogacar for future business and definitely not anger him. Playing the long game.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1908942395791598000

View: https://x.com/LidlTrek/status/1908942395791598000

 

[Peyroteo94]

Funny that Trek posted this, lol. On the other hand, it’s probably a good idea to butter up Pogacar for future business and definitely not anger him. Playing the long game.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1908942395791598000

View: https://x.com/LidlTrek/status/1908942395791598000

Pedersen knows he got beaten by a better rider. MVP was disappointed after his loss.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Funny that Trek posted this, lol. On the other hand, it’s probably a good idea to butter up Pogacar for future business and definitely not anger him.

Absolutely. You should never give a champion like Pog (or MVP for instance) an additional source of motivation. Those guys are beasts and can use it to squeeze an additional % during a race. Praising your rivals and saying their are pre-race favourites is always the best tactic.

 

[Peyroteo94]

And the forum will explode when Tadej's number pass Remco's. Not far, now.

What are you talking about?

 

[AmRacer]

What are you talking about?

Number of pages

 

[James M]

Absolutely. You should never give a champion like Pog (or MVP for instance) an additional source of motivation. Those guys are beasts and can use it to squeeze an additional % during a race. Praising your rivals and saying their are pre-race favourites is always the best tactic.

Definitely agree, but in this case, it’s a bit more—if you anger him, he can eat you alive, literally. Saying others are pre-race favorites, is just as much about putting the pressure on someone else imo. This is more like pure glazing from Trek, but the same indeed applies.

 

[jono]

Pedersen knows he got beaten by a better rider. MVP was disappointed after his loss.

I would hazard a guess that Pedersen was also disappointed, and MVP knows he was beaten by a better rider.

 

[James M]

Pogacar transformed the way we see cycling.
Horrible takes I heard in the last 4 years due to Pogacar's level:
- Giro-Tour is not that hard (because he just trivialized this feat. Normally, we listen about Froome and Dumoulin too but they don't mention they had an extra week to recover in 2018. Froome was clearly fading in the Tour btw).
- Cobbles in RVV are overrated because Pogacar (again) was toying with specialists on cobbles. They also mention Valverde who got a 8th. Don't even know why, specially because he wasn't close to win. Really, how many "Ardennes riders" won RVV (since 2012, the new route) or even did a podium? Only Gilbert!

Your slowly starting to get it.

For the few who don't, you’d end up having to explain the difference between eras, like the 1960s versus now or even 1990 or evne the results in modern time which you have to draw a line in cycling which are quite obvious.

And how could you possibly do that with a straight face, trying to justify how this super-specialized era compares to that one and having to exaplin it. It's a joke at this point—hilarious and nothing else.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Definitely agree, but in this case, it’s a bit more—if you anger him, he can eat you alive, literally. Saying others are pre-race favorites, is just as much about putting the pressure on someone else imo. This is more like pure glazing from Trek, but the same indeed applies.

I don't agree. For me it is just to show respect for others. Just like Pogacar says there is more than Vingegaard (Remco, Roglic, Rodriguez, etc) in the Tour (and vice versa) but we all know only Vingegaard matters. We can say the same about MVP in Ronde.