Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

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Mar 20, 2022
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Guys like Pogacar only come every few decades. I dont understand why people expect every new guy perfoming well to be the next Pogacar.

It is of course possible, but statistically it is very unlikely that we have a new Pogacar within the next 20 years at least.
Of course and I'm pretty sure Del Toro cannot be so good in every terrain like Pogacar. From what I see in TTs, he doesn't have an incredible engine to fight for MSR, RVV and PR.
 
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Apr 13, 2025
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Adam Yates is definitely a domestique at the Giro.
He helped Ayuso after Ayuso dropped.

For this, it would have been better if he hadn't gone to the Giro.
 
Apr 13, 2025
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@assisting Pedersen once again shows that he's improved at 30.
Pedersen was good before, but not at this level.

The most obvious example is what I told you about in De Ronde. In 2023, he was a rider who needed the advantage of a break to fight for the podium; this year, he's done it head-to-head with the best.

Pedersen used to win sprints, but now he wins very hard sprints uphill.
 
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Rou

Mar 20, 2024
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The main point from today is again van Aert. If he keeps improving his shape he will be a real menace for UAE in the Tour.
 
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Soler drops Wout in every mountain stage. I'm not worried.
I think Van Aert isn't at his best; the problem is that there are many who are even worse than him.

The fact that only Del Toro finished ahead of Rochas speaks volumes about the rest of the GC riders.

We'll see Adam in week three, but for now, he doesn't look good at all.
Let's hope Sivakov has recovered from his problems, because if Adam arrives in this version, and
having done Giro-Tour they could´ve a problem.
In the Giro, they simply have no rivals as a team. BORA is terrible, Dani Martinez's poor performance is incomprehensible. Visma will be a strong team in the Tour.
 
Apr 3, 2009
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Double standards. Remember how Hincapie was crying when Pogacar destroyed Jonas and Matteo on Isola 2000.
Seems reasonable to be bothered by a rider dominating the race so that there's no GC suspense left, versus a sprinter or sprinter+++ winning stages and not threatening the overall in any way.

Not sure I get the parallel people keep drawing here. Sprinters win a lot of stages in GC's we've seen dominant sprinters in every era. Mads is obviously more than a sprinter, but the overall vibe is the same.

The GC remains exciting. Pogi dominating stages kills the race. Unless you're a huge Pogi fan, then it's fantastic!
 
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Apr 13, 2025
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Double standards. Remember how Hincapie was crying when Pogacar destroyed Jonas and Matteo on Isola 2000.
Of course they have double standards. Last year they were crying and telling him not to win any more stages in the Giro. This year they're not saying anything to Pedersen.

In the end, Pogacar had to give away a stage to Steinhauser. He finished second on purpose so he wouldn't beat him.

Seems reasonable to be bothered by a rider dominating the race so that there's no GC suspense left, versus a sprinter or sprinter+++ winning stages and not threatening the overall in any way.

Not sure I get the parallel people keep drawing here. Sprinters win a lot of stages in GC's we've seen dominant sprinters in every era. Mads is obviously more than a sprinter, but the overall vibe is the same.

The GC remains exciting. Pogi dominating stages kills the race. Unless you're a huge Pogi fan, then it's fantastic!

Pedersen isn't just a sprinter. He's won two stages that other riders could´ve won.
That's what happens when they have double standards.

Kooij, at 23, has 40 wins. We've normalized that a sprinter should win everything they can, while others don't.

It's a professional sport. The normal thing would be for everyone to win whatever they can, not to ask a rider to let them win like they did last year.
In other sports, it would be inconceivable to ask that a result be fixed because a team or athlete lets themselves be beaten.
 
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Rou

Mar 20, 2024
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Seems reasonable to be bothered by a rider dominating the race so that there's no GC suspense left, versus a sprinter or sprinter+++ winning stages and not threatening the overall in any way.

Not sure I get the parallel people keep drawing here. Sprinters win a lot of stages in GC's we've seen dominant sprinters in every era. Mads is obviously more than a sprinter, but the overall vibe is the same.

The GC remains exciting. Pogi dominating stages kills the race. Unless you're a huge Pogi fan, then it's fantastic!
Of course it's fantastic. I have no problem with Mads winning 10 stages. I also want him to destroy the Vuelta field later in the year as well. I enjoy watching dominating performances.
My problem is with crying about it when a GC rider does it.
 
Mar 20, 2022
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Seems reasonable to be bothered by a rider dominating the race so that there's no GC suspense left, versus a sprinter or sprinter+++ winning stages and not threatening the overall in any way.

Not sure I get the parallel people keep drawing here. Sprinters win a lot of stages in GC's we've seen dominant sprinters in every era. Mads is obviously more than a sprinter, but the overall vibe is the same.

The GC remains exciting. Pogi dominating stages kills the race. Unless you're a huge Pogi fan, then it's fantastic!
Because breakaway riders are not getting any chance of winning in this Giro and Lidl is partly responsible for that. Are they gonna cry like they did in GTs where Pogacar was dominating and didn't let (he did sometimes) the break wins?
And keep the same narrative when Remco wins/dominates a GT (I don't think it will ever happen though).
 
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Apr 13, 2025
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Of course it's fantastic. I have no problem with Mads winning 10 stages. I also want him to destroy the Vuelta field later in the year as well. I enjoy watching dominating performances.
My problem is with crying about it when a GC rider does it.
Furthermore, Bardet complained last year that breaks weren't being allowed to win.

The day Carapaz win, it was LIDL that prevented the breakaway from winning. Today, LIDL was also one of the teams that made the most effort to prevent the breakaway from winning.

I don't care if Pedersen wins 6 or 21 stages. It's professional sport; he has to win every one he can and wants to compete.
What matters is the double standard.
 
Mar 20, 2022
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Furthermore, Bardet complained last year that breaks weren't being allowed to win.

The day Carapaz win, it was LIDL that prevented the breakaway from winning. Today, LIDL was also one of the teams that made the most effort to prevent the breakaway from winning.

I don't care if Pedersen wins 6 or 21 stages. It's professional sport; he has to win every one he can and wants to compete.
What matters is the double standard.
Tomorrow Lidl will try again and no one will complain. I also think riders can win how many stages they want so if teams want to win, they should go crazy to achieve their goals
 
Apr 3, 2009
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Because breakaway riders are not getting any chance of winning in this Giro and Lidl is partly responsible for that. Are they gonna cry like they did in GTs where Pogacar was dominating and didn't let (he did sometimes) the break wins?
And keep the same narrative when Remco wins/dominates a GT (I don't think it will ever happen though).
Again, the parallel between not giving the break a chance on a sprint stage, and a rider totally dominating the GC and swallowing the break on key mountain stages to the point of making the race boring isn’t one I see. Or rather they’re meaningfully different, and quite easy to see where someone would be bummed about one and not the other.

Of course it's fantastic. I have no problem with Mads winning 10 stages. I also want him to destroy the Vuelta field later in the year as well. I enjoy watching dominating performances.
My problem is with crying about it when a GC rider does it.
That’s totally fine, some folks like domination, others don’t.

For both, asking if other forum members are going to “cry” or accusing them of “crying”, which literally no one is doing, verges into trolling and making things personal, so please back off that language. Thank you.

About the last, please don’t reply in this thread, if you have an issue, DM.

EDIT: It's been shared that the crying reference was RE a rider, not a forum user. Appreciate the clarification. Again, in DM only please. Thank you.
 
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Apr 3, 2009
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Pedersen isn't just a sprinter. He's won two stages that other riders could´ve won.
That's what happens when they have double standards.
You may have missed “sprinter+++++” or my comment than "Mads is more than just a sprinter". Obviously I’m making a distinction.
 
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Jun 24, 2024
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The main point for today is seeing everybody happy about Pedersen 4 stage wins. On the other hand, some teams criticized Pogacar for being too greedy. If I was UAE, I would not let the break sniff a single stage in the Tour.
I don't have a dog in the fight, or better said I don't hold it against Pog (going for so many stage wins), but it's kind of a different ball-park when you are the guy who is winning multiple GT's GCs.

You cannot compare, idk, Indurain with Zabel.
 
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I don't have a dog in the fight, or better said I don't hold it against Pog (going for so many stage wins), but it's kind of a different ball-park when you are the guy who is winning multiple GT's GCs.

You cannot compare, idk, Indurain with Zabel.
GC and stage wins against PC (points) and stage wins. There is hardly any difference IMHO.
Why riders assume sprint stages should be won by sprinters and nowadays we don't even have breaks sometimes, but in mountain stages they expect dominant GC riders to let the win for breakaway riders.
For the lack of breaks in flat stages, they are reducing sprint stages because they are boring and predictable as hell!
 
Apr 30, 2011
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Double standards. Remember how Hincapie was crying when Pogacar destroyed Jonas and Matteo on Isola 2000.
Those who are blind to merit can only see double standards. It's also not double standards to only flirt with people you are attracted to.
 
Jul 10, 2014
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He is doing some car racing around Monaco

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