Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[James M]

Personally, this might be a hot take and not a popular opinion, but based on results: Visma looks like a team with a bunch of washed riders in 2025—relatively speaking, not just one but a bunch.

 

[snipeheem]

You are probably right, but I still think it's the best gamble. Still believing that a hard tour can set Pog down a notch in the 3rd week.

Maybe it's a doomed strategy nowdays when Pog have improved further.

But what strategy is better? I'm curious to know.

There is no strategy. Nobody can beat him.

 

[scribers]

Kuss has been quiet for two months and nothing on the calendar. Visma needs him to level back up for the tour for Vingo to stand a chance

 

[Peyroteo94]

Personally, this might be a hot take and not a popular opinion, but based on results: Visma looks like a team with a bunch of washed riders in 2025—relatively speaking, not just one but bunch.

I think they are all peaking for the Tour.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

You are probably right, but I still think it's the best gamble. Still believing that a hard tour can set Pog down a notch in the 3rd week.

Maybe it's a doomed strategy nowdays when Pog have improved further.

But what strategy is better? I'm curious to know.

Drilling climbs (like in 2023 for example) is the way if they think they can crack Pogacar at some point. If Pog is superior then nothing will work of course.

 

[hayneplane]

I think they are all peaking for the Tour.

Which year, 2027?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Pogacar had a suboptimal preparation. This year, he will not have the Giro or a broken wrist before the Tour.

 

[Cycling111]

It was disturbing. He ate wind in chase of his leader up the road (who was without bottle for quite a while) and didn’t even show at the finish.

I didn't understand his attitude.
First, he didn't help his leader at all.

Then he chased like no one else.
What if Pogacar had collapsed like he did at Amstel? Or an accident, or a puncture?

It was irresponsible of him pulling in a chasing group and keep the gap to Pogacar within a minute. He shouldn't have pulled at any point.

In the TDF on the gravel stage, I remember Ayuso and Almeida pushing because they were left behind in the final stretch, and Remco was on their wheel.
Imagine if Remco beat Pogacar by 30 seconds in that Tour.

Domestiques who put their position first can't go to the TDF. Therefore, if Pogacar needs Almeida to sacrifice himself, I doubt he'll do it. He'll prioritize his position even if it indirectly benefits a rival, as they did on the gravel stage.

It's hard to imagine that situation in Visma.

Today Pogacar could´ve had a puncture while McNulty helped to prevent the gap from increasing. WTF

 

[James M]

I think they are all peaking for the Tour.

That’s reminiscent of Visma from last year: 'Next stage will suit us better.'

 

[James M]

Also, I fail to see how this holds ground, as if others aren’t in the same situation too and gonne peak for that and it implies Vismas dont care about the classics where they’ve made no secret of how highly they value the Flemish Classics season and how crucial success there is for them since they have so little in the monuments there.

Yet, I see a bunch of 'washed' (dont mean to offend with the word washed but its relative speaking to others)riders on their roster as well—none of them close to their 2022–2023 level relative to others. Van Baarle, Laporte, and WVA are all severly relatively worse compared to their competition now. A bunch, Kuss and more same faith too, all struggle to further improve and not just this year its a trend.

 

[Medvind]

Vingegaard can only beat Pogacar by doing better W/Kg, this is how he can beat him. The first TT will also be very important to Vingegaard. If he can gain time on Pogacar, he will enter in Pog's mind.

Vinge will not take time on Pog in a 33k flat tt, he will lose time and then he must take it back somewhere. Vinge is a good timetrialist but a 59 kilo Vinge won't take time on Pog in a flat tt.

So the fatigue thesis on hard mountain stages with long climbs and at altitude late in the tour, counting on Pog's extra kilos will have effect, is something Visma should give up?

Doing better W/kg against a relatively fresh Pog, good luck with that.

 

[scribers]

I didn't understand his attitude.
First, he didn't help his leader at all.

Then he chased like no one else.
What if Pogacar had collapsed like he did at Amstel? Or an accident, or a puncture?

It was irresponsible of him pulling in a chasing group and keep the gap to Pogacar within a minute. He shouldn't have pulled at any point.

In the TDF on the gravel stage, I remember Ayuso and Almeida pushing because they were left behind in the final stretch, and Remco was on their wheel.
Imagine if Remco beat Pogacar by 30 seconds in that Tour.

Domestiques who put their position first can't go to the TDF. Therefore, if Pogacar needs Almeida to sacrifice himself, I doubt he'll do it. He'll prioritize his position even if it indirectly benefits a rival, as they did on the gravel stage.

It's hard to imagine that situation in Visma.

Today Pogacar could´ve had a puncture while McNulty helped to prevent the gap from increasing. WTF

Mcnulty looked strong by the pulls. He couple have made his own placement run if he had just sat in like a normal teammate

 

[scribers]

There is no strategy. Nobody can beat him.

On a side note I always get a good laugh when I zoom in on your avatar

 

[Medvind]

There is no strategy. Nobody can beat him.

I actually agree because I see no weaknesses in Pog any more.
After the loss against Vinge in 2023, Pog realized he must up his game to actually win the tour again. And the improvement he made was, well, extraordinary to say the least.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I didn't understand his attitude.
First, he didn't help his leader at all.

Then he chased like no one else.
What if Pogacar had collapsed like he did at Amstel? Or an accident, or a puncture?

It was irresponsible of him pulling in a chasing group and keep the gap to Pogacar within a minute. He shouldn't have pulled at any point.

In the TDF on the gravel stage, I remember Ayuso and Almeida pushing because they were left behind in the final stretch, and Remco was on their wheel.
Imagine if Remco beat Pogacar by 30 seconds in that Tour.

Domestiques who put their position first can't go to the TDF. Therefore, if Pogacar needs Almeida to sacrifice himself, I doubt he'll do it. He'll prioritize his position even if it indirectly benefits a rival, as they did on the gravel stage.

It's hard to imagine that situation in Visma.

Today Pogacar could´ve had a puncture while McNulty helped to prevent the gap from increasing. WTF

Almeida is getting leadership everywhere he goes in order to help Pogacar in the Tour without thinking in himself.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Also, I fail to see how this holds ground, as if others aren’t in the same situation too and gonne peak for that and it implies Vismas dont care about the classics where they’ve made no secret of how highly they value the Flemish Classics season and how crucial success there is for them since they have so little in the monuments there.

Yet, I see a bunch of 'washed' (dont mean to offend with the word washed but its relative speaking to others)riders on their roster as well—none of them close to their 2022–2023 level relative to others. Van Baarle, Laporte, and WVA are all severly relatively worse compared to their competition now. A bunch, Kuss and more same faith too, all struggle to further improve and not just this year its a trend.

A washed WVA is still better than any other domestique.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Vinge will not take time on Pog in a 33k flat tt, he will lose time and then he must take it back somewhere. Vinge is a good timetrialist but a 59 kilo Vinge won't take time on Pog in a flat tt.

So the fatigue thesis on hard mountain stages with long climbs and at altitude late in the tour, counting on Pog's extra kilos will have effect, is something Visma should give up?

Doing better W/kg against a relatively fresh Pog, good luck with that.

I hope so but I already saw Vingo doing monster TTs in the Tour.

 

[pelotonIQ]

Yeah, Pogi would be a 5 time TdF winner if Javier Sola came to UAE earlier. Inigo San Millan wasn't doing his job properly. Tadej Pogacar himself said that he wants a new trainer.

​

Inigo San Milan is a fraud, zone 2 cycling is weight loss training for fat people not a pro cyclist, let alone TdF champion.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Inigo San Milan is a fraud, zone 2 cycling is weight loss training for fat people not a pro cyclist, let alone TdF champion.

He still spends 80% of his training doing zone 2.

 

[Cycling111]

Almeida will not give 100% and by 100% I mean risking blowing up.

And what do you think about Almeida extending his spring to Romandy?
And then he'll do Switzerland.

He puts his achievements first. Jorgenson is preparing the Tour to be a domestique. He'll even do the Dauphine as a domestique; he's not going to Switzerland.

 

[Peyroteo94]

And what do you think about Almeida extending his spring to Romandy?
And then he'll do Switzerland.

He puts his achievements first. Jorgenson is preparing the Tour to be a domestique. He'll even do the Dauphine as a domestique; he's not going to Switzerland.

His coach is Sola, I am not worried.

 

[scribers]

If Wout was the old Wout, Jorgensen could be a bit more ambitious this spring. But visma is making a last ditch effort at the tour. If they fall well short I expect totally different things on 2026 with visma

 

[hayneplane]

Also, I fail to see how this holds ground, as if others aren’t in the same situation too and gonne peak for that and it implies Vismas dont care about the classics where they’ve made no secret of how highly they value the Flemish Classics season and how crucial success there is for them since they have so little in the monuments there.

Yet, I see a bunch of 'washed' (dont mean to offend with the word washed but its relative speaking to others)riders on their roster as well—none of them close to their 2022–2023 level relative to others. Van Baarle, Laporte, and WVA are all severly relatively worse compared to their competition now. A bunch, Kuss and more same faith too, all struggle to further improve and not just this year its a trend.

Arguably none of their ten biggest riders are clearly better this year than previous with only Jorgensen clearly at a similar level to last year.

 

[BubbaChuck]

pog under 4 on redoute soft pedaling.tour numbers are gonna be crazy.his climbing is becoming insane level.

 

[Cycling111]

He will probably overtake De Vlaeminck next year. And De Vlaeminck will say something rude, as usual.

Meanwhile, Hinault has no problem acknowledging Pogacar's talent. Even Merckx is gentle with his words, but De Vlaeminck is always disrespectful.

When he surpasses him, he won't be able to stand it.

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