Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Peyroteo94]

I never said you said anything different.
You're initial response to my comment didn't make sense.
@Cycling111 was complaining about Wellens' schedule being too heavy blaming it for crashes and I simply pointed out that this is a very typical schedule for Wellens.

I agree. It is just bad luck.

 

[pelotonIQ]

Sorry but he didn't win in a mano a mano. Almeida did.

Doesn't have to be a ''mano a mano''. Vingegaard was the favorite, got attacked, failed to close the gap (he tried), lost.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Doesn't have to be a ''mano a mano''. Vingegaard was the favorite, got attacked, failed to close the gap, lost.

It's not relevant if it wasn't in a mano a mano. It is like saying Dylan Teuns beat Pogacar when he delivered his best performance ever (in time gap to his rivals) in a mountain stage (TdF 2021 Grand Bornand).

 

[Peyroteo94]

Aerodynamics in a road bike, Tadej's weakness according with Blythe.

Why riders should be 'worried' about 'scary' Pogacar ahead of Liege-Bastogne-Liege

Adam Blythe said that other riders should be "worried" by Tadej Pogacar’s ability ahead of Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

www.tntsports.co.uk

 

[scribers]

Thanks for the warning about Blythe. lol

 

[Leinster]

11 is the lowest cumulative total. So he has quite a bit to play with.
Anyone know why EM didn't ride Lombardia in 69 when he already had 3 1sts and a 2nd?

“The Monuments” weren’t really a thing in those days; Lombardy was a Classic, but no particular reason to group it with the spring classics.

He DNF’d at Worlds in August, and tbh, his big goal for that autumn was probably the Trofeo Baracchi, which was a big deal at the time.

 

[Oldman]

Time gaps show this was an otherworldly performance. He is starting to make (only) seated attacks on the cobbles and climbs with very steep gradients.

Re watching that move it looked like he knew that corner could be taken much faster seated than out of the saddle. It makes total technique sense but hard to dial up the cadence if you have a trailing competitor. He got such a quick jump before he hit that bend he managed to carry speed. Following riders had to accept the line through the corner they could ride out of the saddle or among other guys. Brilliant instinct on that on top of serious power.
Seems like the foundation for the gap was created in about 20 meters!

 

[Peyroteo94]

11 is the lowest cumulative total. So he has quite a bit to play with.
Anyone know why EM didn't ride Lombardia in 69 when he already had 3 1sts and a 2nd?

At this moment he has 6 points in monuments. He needs two 2nd places or one 1st and one 3rd

 

[Lequack]

This guy

 

[Peyroteo94]

This guy

Ready to rock Liege!

 

[Cookster15]

Aerodynamics in a road bike, Tadej's weakness according with Blythe.

Why riders should be 'worried' about 'scary' Pogacar ahead of Liege-Bastogne-Liege

Adam Blythe said that other riders should be "worried" by Tadej Pogacar’s ability ahead of Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

www.tntsports.co.uk

Interesting article.

I think if you look at the Fleche that’s just gone, it’s one climb again. He knows he can do that pretty much any climb. He’ll be able to drop Remco [Evenepoel] - all due respect to Remco. There’s no climb like that at Liege

Pogi needs steeper climbs to drop Remco but better aero can help him maintain or build a gap on the flats when he does a solo attack. I notice there is a poll - 61% think Pogi is the GOAT . So its not just a few regulars in the Pogacar thread. For the record I still think "not yet".

 

[Medvind]

In PR, when he was tired in the end, he got more upright and lost a good aero position.

 

[Cycling111]

However, in Lombardy he made more difference in the flattest section.

PR is a special race, the cobbles would leave his body aching.

 

[Froome]

This guy

Honestly, what's funny about this?

 

[Salvarani]

This guy

Great photo

Comedic genius!

 

[Peyroteo94]

He was tired after PR

However, in Lombardy he made more difference in the flattest section.

PR is a special race, the cobbles would leave his body aching.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Great photo

Comedic genius!

Amen to you!

 

[Peyroteo94]

I already said this, Remco is in his best spring shape ever. He was at altitude to win these races and what he showed in his first race was a rider in his peak level (he toyed with WVA).

'I didn't expect to be at this level already' – Remco Evenepoel still improving ahead of Liège-Bastogne-Liège clash with Tadej Pogačar

Olympic champion has surprised himself with such good shape after returning to racing from injury

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[Froome]

I already said this, Remco is in his best spring shape ever. He was at altitude to win these races and what he showed in his first race was a rider in his peak level (he toyed with WVA).

'I didn't expect to be at this level already' – Remco Evenepoel still improving ahead of Liège-Bastogne-Liège clash with Tadej Pogačar

Olympic champion has surprised himself with such good shape after returning to racing from injury

www.cyclingnews.com

He is not in peak level, like he said in that interview.

 

[scribers]

This guy

If this were physically possible him and remco could have a conversation as pogi motored (lol) away

 

[Sciatic]

If this were physically possible him and remco could have a conversation as pogi motored (lol) away

Rally helmet?

 

[Peyroteo94]

His strategy for Liege will be similar to RVV. Take Remco with him (in La Redoute) and drop him in Roche aux Faucons.

 

[scribers]

His strategy for Liege will be similar to RVV. Take Remco with him (in La Redoute) and drop him in Roche aux Faucons.

Remco should do generous pulls for and give gels to pogi after how he lost Amstel for both him and Pogi.

 

[Medvind]

His strategy for Liege will be similar to RVV. Take Remco with him (in La Redoute) and drop him in Roche aux Faucons.

If he feels good and his doms are spent, yes, then I think he will go on La Redoute. Otherwise, he might wait to Faucons.

Question is if Remco believe he can win by following Pog from La Redoute, knowing the distance from La Redoute to Faucons is only 20k and quite hilly. If Remco is sure he can come back after Faucons, thinking he can limit the loss on Faucons to only 5-10s, then he might let Pog dictate the race and just follow him and take turns.

But something tells me that Remco will not let Pog dictate the race. He might bet on Pog's shape worsening a bit after a long spring campaign and that a really hard race is to Remco's benefit. So I wouldn't rule out an attack by Remco before La Redoute, baiting Pog in to a long mano a mano where Remco can use his tt skills and great aero position, like he did against WVA in BP. If it will work is another question, but it might be his best chance.

Lets say we have a La Redoute attack by Pog and Remco manages to follow him, If UAE doms a spent, I'm open for Remco not working with Pog, let other strong riders come back and make it a chaotic situation where riders start attacking and let Pog cover the attacks, or force him to attack away again, and when the situation is right he should attack himself. But I'm of course very doubtful Remco would try this tactic because it would signal he can't win by his own strenght over Pog, and Remco is a proudful guy so he will probably just work with Pog and believe he can beat him in a mano a mano battle from La Redoute to the finish. I give Remco 10-20 % chance of winning in this scenario.

 

[Medvind]

Do we know if Pog comes in heavier this year to LBL than last year? Last year he hade done Catalunya and was going to the Giro. This year the schedule have been different, focus during the spring has been one day races, doing both RVV and PR.

Question is if Pog is less prepared for LBL this year than last year. Is he a kilo heavier? Is his climbing shape at this time as good as it was last year. After all LBL is about 4300 m elevation gain. I wonder if the race this year will take a bit more of a toll on him than last year.