Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Red Rick]

Hale bay pure skill issue confirmed.

 

[Salvarani]

Roglic didn't adopt a conservative way of riding in the Tour 2020 because of his crash. He always raced like this, in fact he is becoming more agressive while he is getting older. He simply underestimated Pogacar and got a reality check in the MTT (all of us got a reality check to be honest). In that moment, we saw Pogacar wasn't a normal TdF winner but was a generational talent and probably a future top10 GT riders of all times.

100%

 

[Shortcut]

Roglic didn't adopt a conservative way of riding in the Tour 2020 because of his crash. He always raced like this, in fact he is becoming more agressive while he is getting older. He simply underestimated Pogacar and got a reality check in the MTT (all of us got a reality check to be honest). In that moment, we saw Pogacar wasn't a normal TdF winner but was a generational talent and probably a future top10 GT riders of all times.

Not true. 2018/19/20 he was crazy agressive, amazing and atraktive ride at tdF 2018 when he finished 4 (everybody forgot that), giro 2019 he crashed and was sick, giro 23 he crashed so he needed to adapt to win. TdF 2020 like I said he crashed before. Actually when he rode at P-N 2020 (he crashed) but stages before there were the same comments about him winning to much. At vuelta he always rode agressive. 2023 he was getting conservative but after he went to Bora he went back to attacking.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Not true. 2018/19/20 he was crazy agressive, amazing and atraktive ride at tdF 2018 when he finished 4 (everybody forgot that), giro 2019 he crashed and was sick, giro 23 he crashed so he needed to adapt to win. TdF 2020 like I said he crashed before. Actually when he rode at P-N 2020 (he crashed) but stages before there were the same comments about him winning to much. At vuelta he always rode agressive. 2023 he was getting conservative but after he went to Bora he went back to attacking.

Crazy agressive? And then you talk about TdF 2018? One of the worst Tours ever and Roglic wasn't really making it more attractive. Maybe in 2 stages (when Froome was dead) but that's it.

 

[Cycling111]

Don't take this the wrong way, but Roglic's motive for riding that TDF the way he did doesn't matter.

What's remarkable is that a second-year rider, with a shitty team, alone, managed to reach the final day with a chance to take his individual shot.

In fact, there's hardly any talk about the fact that Pogacar had already recovered time before.
On the day of the schelons, Pogacar lost a minute, because he had an accident just before the schelons.
The next day, he recovered 40 seconds.

When a second-year rider wins a Tour, what counts isn't what Roglic did or didn't do. We have to give credit to what Pogacar did at that age, without experience and without a team.
If it's already difficult to win a Tour as a rookie, consider the situation where the UAE was a rubbish team, with two DNF. The DNFs were Aru and Formolo who were the two best, although Aru is as if he were not there.
He was alone against a terrible Jumbo in almost every stage and they didn't even manage to get a minute on him, even though he lost them one day in an accident.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Don't take this the wrong way, but Roglic's motive for riding that TDF the way he did doesn't matter.

What's remarkable is that a second-year rider, with a shitty team, alone, managed to reach the final day with a chance to take his individual shot.

In fact, there's hardly any talk about the fact that Pogacar had already recovered time before.
On the day of the schelons, Pogacar lost a minute, because he had an accident just before the schelons.
The next day, he recovered 40 seconds.

When a second-year rider wins a Tour, what counts isn't what Roglic did or didn't do. We have to give credit to what Pogacar did at that age, without experience and without a team.
If it's already difficult to win a Tour as a rookie, consider the situation where the UAE was a rubbish team, with two DNF. The DNFs were Aru and Formolo who were the two best, although Aru is as if he were not there.
He was alone against a terrible Jumbo in almost every stage and they didn't even manage to get a minute on him, even though he lost them one day in an accident.

I'm just arguing how can anyone say Roglic was much better than Pogacar. That's silly.

 

[Cycling111]

According to PCS, these are the shortlisted candidates for the TDF.

Narvaez or Novak.
Honestly, I don't see how Narvaez can help Pogacar in a TDF.
His performance in Paris-Nice was disappointing.

I would take Florian Vermeersch for the flat stages.
This year, the Tour starts with sprinter stages, and the UAE has serious positioning problems.

That first week will be very important to avoid accidents and time losses due to schelons or incidents.
They need another rider for flat sections.
Vermeersch > Narvez and Novak


UAE Team Emirates - XRG (WT)

• -SOLER Marc
• -POLITT Nils
• -SIVAKOV Pavel
• -YATES Adam
• -NARVÁEZ Jhonatan
• -WELLENS Tim
• -NOVAK Domen
• -ALMEIDA João
• -POGAČAR Tadej

 

[Peyroteo94]

According to PCS, these are the shortlisted candidates for the TDF.

Narvaez or Novak.
Honestly, I don't see how Narvaez can help Pogacar in a TDF.
His performance in Paris-Nice was disappointing.

I would take Florian Vermeersch for the flat stages.
This year, the Tour starts with sprinter stages, and the UAE has serious positioning problems.

That first week will be very important to avoid accidents and time losses due to schelons or incidents.
They need another rider for flat sections.
Vermeersch > Narvez and Novak


UAE Team Emirates - XRG (WT)

• -SOLER Marc
• -POLITT Nils
• -SIVAKOV Pavel
• -YATES Adam
• -NARVÁEZ Jhonatan
• -WELLENS Tim
• -NOVAK Domen
• -ALMEIDA João
• -POGAČAR Tadej

Pogacar can position himself

 

[AupaPyama]

According to PCS, these are the shortlisted candidates for the TDF.

Narvaez or Novak.
Honestly, I don't see how Narvaez can help Pogacar in a TDF.
His performance in Paris-Nice was disappointing.

I would take Florian Vermeersch for the flat stages.
This year, the Tour starts with sprinter stages, and the UAE has serious positioning problems.

That first week will be very important to avoid accidents and time losses due to schelons or incidents.
They need another rider for flat sections.
Vermeersch > Narvez and Novak


UAE Team Emirates - XRG (WT)

• -SOLER Marc
• -POLITT Nils
• -SIVAKOV Pavel
• -YATES Adam
• -NARVÁEZ Jhonatan
• -WELLENS Tim
• -NOVAK Domen
• -ALMEIDA João
• -POGAČAR Tadej

Agreed, they need people for the flat. You cant expect Wellens to cover the first 100 km (like he did sometimes in 2024). Vermeersch was strong in the spring (medium mountains) and is used to bunch finishes. This list seems a bit mountain-heavy; I miss a guy like Bjerg/Laengen.

My selection would be (if not sick):
Pogacar, Almeida, Bjerg, Novak, Sivakov, Vermeersch, Wellens, Yates
Bjerg, Vermeersch, Novak and Politt for flat and medium mountains.
Sivakov, Yates and Almeida for mountaintrain.

No Soler because he sometimes still has his own agenda. A little doubt about Yates as he doenst seem in great shape this year. Hopefully building up to July. No Wellens because of hot summer and allergies.
Still Soler, Grossschartner, Wellens, Oliveira and Narvaez as reserve!

 

[foxbat]

Don't take this the wrong way, but Roglic's motive for riding that TDF the way he did doesn't matter.

What's remarkable is that a second-year rider, with a shitty team, alone, managed to reach the final day with a chance to take his individual shot.

In fact, there's hardly any talk about the fact that Pogacar had already recovered time before.
On the day of the schelons, Pogacar lost a minute, because he had an accident just before the schelons.
The next day, he recovered 40 seconds.

When a second-year rider wins a Tour, what counts isn't what Roglic did or didn't do. We have to give credit to what Pogacar did at that age, without experience and without a team.
If it's already difficult to win a Tour as a rookie, consider the situation where the UAE was a rubbish team, with two DNF. The DNFs were Aru and Formolo who were the two best, although Aru is as if he were not there.
He was alone against a terrible Jumbo in almost every stage and they didn't even manage to get a minute on him, even though he lost them one day in an accident.

this

 

[Red Rick]

A GT won by 3 weeks of wheelsucking being lionized like the most epic thing ever?

I don't even have to guess which thread this is.

 

[hayneplane]

Agreed, they need people for the flat. You cant expect Wellens to cover the first 100 km (like he did sometimes in 2024). Vermeersch was strong in the spring (medium mountains) and is used to bunch finishes. This list seems a bit mountain-heavy; I miss a guy like Bjerg/Laengen.

My selection would be (if not sick):
Pogacar, Almeida, Bjerg, Novak, Sivakov, Vermeersch, Wellens, Yates
Bjerg, Vermeersch, Novak and Politt for flat and medium mountains.
Sivakov, Yates and Almeida for mountaintrain.

No Soler because he sometimes still has his own agenda. A little doubt about Yates as he doenst seem in great shape this year. Hopefully building up to July. No Wellens because of hot summer and allergies.
Still Soler, Grossschartner, Wellens, Oliveira and Narvaez as reserve!

Don’t think I have ever seen Soler not do his duties properly when Pogacar is the leader.

 

[Salvarani]

Don’t think I have ever seen Soler not do his duties properly when Pogacar is the leader.

He is actually underrated and still suffer from situations that occurred during his Movistar days. People still meme it.

He is very solid and reliable.

 

[hayneplane]

He is actually underrated and still suffer from situations that occurred during his Movistar days. People still meme it.

He is very solid and reliable.

Especially as the most memorable occasion was actually one where Soler was fully entitled to be hacked off about being pulled back from his own chance.

 

[Cycling111]

He is actually underrated and still suffer from situations that occurred during his Movistar days. People still meme it.

He is very solid and reliable.

He also failed, like the entire team, on the Granon stage.
They left Pogacar alone, and it was fatal.

 

[Peyroteo94]

A GT won by 3 weeks of wheelsucking being lionized like the most epic thing ever?

I don't even have to guess which thread this is.

Are you talking about Giro 2023?

 

[Salvarani]

He also failed, like the entire team, on the Granon stage.
They left Pogacar alone, and it was fatal.

Omg... I dont have the energy to even respond.

 

[hayneplane]

He also failed, like the entire team, on the Granon stage.
They left Pogacar alone, and it was fatal.

Not really that realistic to expect him to be there in a group that small when even the likes of Hindley had been dropped.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Don’t think I have ever seen Soler not do his duties properly when Pogacar is the leader.

Soler having his own agenda is a myth since he joined UAE. Soler is always in the Tour for a reason.

 

[Cycling111]

Omg... I dont have the energy to even respond.

I usually think he's overrated as a domestique.

I don't recall him ever helping Pogacar, but he did fail in 2022 or 2023 when he got into breaks stay
and then he was too exhausted to help
He gave Pogacar a lot of support on Loze Day, but he's a domestique who I see as easily replaceable.

I think Bjerg has been a better domestique for Pogacar. I don't understand why Bjerg has become expendable in the Tour and why Soler is indispensable.
I don't think he's as indispensable as Majka was at his peak, and he seems to have that status.

He's at his best in the Vuelta when he's riding solo.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I usually think he's overrated as a domestique.

I don't recall him ever helping Pogacar, but he did fail in 2022 or 2023 when he got into breaks stay
and then he was too exhausted to help
He gave Pogacar a lot of support on Loze Day, but he's a domestique who I see as easily replaceable.

I think Bjerg has been a better domestique for Pogacar. I don't understand why they're letting him go and why Soler is a regular.
I don't think he's as indispensable as Majka was at his peak, and he seems to have that status.

He's at his best in the Vuelta when he's riding solo.

Soler is not supoosed to be his final climber domestique. He is supposed to put a hard tempo before the last climb and he is very good like we saw last year and two years ago (e.g. stage 5).

 

[Cycling111]

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJbxZP-MBTT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

[CyclistAbi]

Vingegaard already showed he is better than Roglic and in pure w/kg shows like Perthus

A neo-pro Pogacar (21) beat Roglic (at his peak) in a Tour de France. It's unrealistic to doubt that he's currently superior or that they can be tied.

...

And in pure BS maybe too, as for neo-pro Pogi, he was beaten consistently by Rogla as neo-pro. Not so much in pro era, but one has to understand some started doubting Rogla, at Visma, Rogla had to sort that issue out first, that was not an environment to flourish anymore, being in such position. Now Rogla is back again, on where he wants to be, spanking Pogi or Jonas, doesn't make much difference to him. It's scheduled for later in the season, currently occupied with Giro.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I mean guys what do you reckon it will happen, at Tour? For Rogla to just let Pogi and Jonas to have all the fun? Or do you reckon he will take that spreadsheet and slice it to oblivion with his big chain ring? We'll see.

 

[Peyroteo94]

...

And in pure BS maybe too, as for neo-pro Pogi, he was beaten consistently by Rogla as neo-pro. Not so much in pro era, but one has to understand some started doubting Rogla, at Visma, Rogla had to sort that issue out first, that was not an environment to flourish anymore, being in such position. Now Rogla is back again, on where he wants to be, spanking Pogi or Jonas, doesn't make much difference to him. It's scheduled for later in the season, currently occupied with Giro.

At this moment, a Pogacar with February legs beats a peak Roglic