Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Peyroteo94]

That's the problem with signing leaders as domestiques.

Visma also gives space to Van Aert and Yates, but Jorgenson will arrive at the TDF very rested.

Pogacar needs a domestique like Jorgenson, rested, or Almeida or Yates. And one will be doing the Giro and the other will be doing Romandie and Switzerland in a short space of time.

Visma gave Jorgenson a Big race in Paris-Nice, and once he has won that important victory and some classics, he is preparing TDF.

This year, the UAE has all the principal domestiques in his own objetives.
Either Yates or Almeida should´ve a similar schedule to Jorgenson's. The Tour leader needs a fresh man at his side.

You have to look the other way. Who else will have a domestique like Almeida? Did you see how strong was UAE with Pogacar, Almeida, Yates and Ayuso last year in Galibier? They get their own chances but when they ride for his leader (Pogacar), they just kill the field.

 

[Cycling111]

You have to look the other way. Who else will have a domestique like Almeida? Did you see how strong was UAE with Pogacar, Almeida, Yates and Ayuso last year in Galibier? They get their own chances but when they ride for his leader (Pogacar), they just kill the field.

There were already problems with Ayuso in the last TDF.

Almeida seems more resigned to being a domestique in GT, but in reality, he barely had to work as a domestique last year because Pogacar was far superior, and Yates was the decisive domestique the following stage after Lioran. The day that Pogacar had more doubts and needed the punctual sacrifice of a teammate.

If Yates is fatigued this year and Pogacar has a problem and needs Almeida to do what Yates did, sacrificing time, we'll see if Almeida does it or if problems arise like those with Ayuso.

For Pogacar, having Ayuso or no one is the same. For him is better to have someone of a lower level than Ayuso, since he won't act as a domestique.

Last year, Almeida was fortunate enough not to have to be decisive. If he has to be this year, that's when he'll have to prove he'll sacrifice his chances, and in good shape, not fatigued from competing all the one-week races.

 

[Peyroteo94]

There were already problems with Ayuso in the last TDF.

Almeida seems more resigned to being a domestique in GT, but in reality, he barely had to work as a domestique last year because Pogacar was far superior, and Yates was the decisive domestique the following stage after Lioran. The day that Pogacar had more doubts and needed the punctual sacrifice of a teammate.

If Yates is fatigued this year and Pogacar has a problem and needs Almeida to do what Yates did, sacrificing time, we'll see if Almeida does it or if problems arise like those with Ayuso.

For Pogacar, having Ayuso or no one is the same. For him is better to have someone of a lower level than Ayuso, since he won't act as a domestique.

Last year, Almeida was fortunate enough not to have to be decisive. If he has to be this year, that's when he'll have to prove he'll sacrifice his chances, and in good shape, not fatigued from competing all the one-week races.

Almeida will work for Pogacar if he has to.

 

[hayneplane]

Dont think A. Yates will ride Giro with GC ambitions, so it might not be a bad decision.

On the contrary I don’t think he would be riding it without GC ambitions and will go in as co-leader. It might be his best remaining chance to ever win a grand tour.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Yates will be better than Ayuso.

 

[Cycling111]

Yates will be better than Ayuso.

Ayuso is better in the ITT. I don't think there's much difference between them in the mountains.

 

[James M]

He just said the same thing again, which aligns with what he mentioned when the schedule was released—how much he enjoys working for/with Pog.

Almeida is not dreading taking a step back in the hierarchy. "No, I'm actually looking forward to it. It's a pleasure to train and race with Tadej

 

[James M]

At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if he drops Evenepoel in the Tour. Pogacar has a stud like no one else in the mountains, and Almeida is going to be a rich, rich man if he means what he says about he love to work for Pog as much as he describe with how good he’s getting.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Ayuso is better in the ITT. I don't think there's much difference between them in the mountains.

We will see. I'm yet to see Ayuso being good in the high mountains (a stage with multiple long climbs).

 

[Peyroteo94]

He just said the same thing again, which aligns with what he mentioned when the schedule was released—how much he enjoys working for/with Pog.

Almeida is not dreading taking a step back in the hierarchy. "No, I'm actually looking forward to it. It's a pleasure to train and race with Tadej

He said this week he didn't have his best legs and he still won TdR.
I don't want him to leave UAE unless he goes to Redbull. He is not going to beat Tadej any time soon.

 

[pelotonIQ]

Yates will be better than Ayuso.

Either way they will battle it out a la Vine and Almeida in Tour de Romandie.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Either way they will battle it out a la Vine and Almeida in Tour de Romandie.

When do we have the first real mountain stage?

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Before Sola Pog was getting cooked on the queen stages with a lot of fatigue. His conditioning was worse, he did very little gym work, he could not handle the heat.
Examples: Ventoux 2021, Granon 2022, Hautacam 2022, Loze 2023.
The eye opener for me was the Giro 2024 Stage 15 where he destroyed the field on a brutal high mountain stage.
Some youtubers did not pay attention to that because of the ''weak field'' but 1 month later they woke up.

He also got dropped on Loze in 2020. Pre-2024, he basically was dominant in cold rain, and on par with a couple others outside of that, exposed on queen stages, with the gaps getting bigger each year. 2024 forward he is better than everyone possibly at everything.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Pogacar is very dominant in any mountain stage since 2022. Only Vingegaard is equal with him

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Pogacar is very dominant in any mountain stage since 2022. Only Vingegaard is equal with him

He got dropped on the queen stage of the Tour in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

 

[scribers]

I didn't follow cycling too much before 2024. What was his profile before Sola vs today?
What has changed in his training?

Type or altitude training. Heat training not only for better in hotter weather but also oxygen delivery. Core strength training. Effective gym work. Types of regular training not just focused on zone 2 under the previous coach. He’s added sports psychology. UAE better at nutrition science and marginal details, finally catching op with visma professionally. He’s paying more attention to staff he’s working with at all levels. Tending more to details himself.

In other words. He was doing almost none of that stuff above.