Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Fos]

I don't believe Pogacar will gain time on Jonas in the TT.

This is completely biased by the last TT, but it's normal for it to be ahead. It would be more accurate if it were the third week and the route included climbs, at least with the pre-2024 Pogi.

 

[Peyroteo94]

This is completely biased by the last TT, but it's normal for it to be ahead. It would be more accurate if it were the third week and the route included climbs, at least with the pre-2024 Pogi.

It is. Last year, Pogacar crushed Vingegaard in a hilly TT

 

[scribers]

This is a merry go round of comparing injured rider vs fully prepared rider.

We’ll know more in a few weeks with respect to a lot of things. Don’t expect Vingo to not be competitive until we see it with our eyes. The last two decades are full of winners who show up in July and no one remembers what happened in the spring.

 

[scribers]

Well they did with Remco knowing they would lose, but yes you are probably right that UAE wouldn't allow it out of spite. Always found it very perplexing that teams would let Remco ride away at all during that Vuelta but I am probably missing something.

Remco had to beg jumbo to allow it as they kept covering him

 

[Cookster15]

This is a merry go round of comparing injured rider vs fully prepared rider.

We’ll know more in a few weeks with respect to a lot of things. Don’t expect Vingo to not be competitive until we see it with our eyes. The last two decades are full of winners who show up in July and no one remembers what happened in the spring.

Agree, there is no room for fans of Pogacar to be complacent. Who can forget Pogacar demolishing Vingegaard at 2023 Paris-Nice in March and yet still lost the Tour de France by 6 minutes on Combloux and Loze.

Sure Pogacar was much better in 2024 but we also know from history that replicating one's level from one year to the next isn't always assured. If Vingegaard has good preparation and Pogacar for some reason can't peak like he did last year then its game on.

 

[red_flanders]

Agree, there is no room for fans of Pogacar to be complacent. Who can forget Pogacar demolishing Vingegaard at 2023 Paris-Nice in March and yet still lost the Tour de France by 6 minutes on Combloux and Loze.

Sure Pogacar was much better in 2024 but we also know from history that replicating one's level from one year to the next isn't always assured. If Vingegaard has good preparation and Pogacar for some reason can't peak like he did last year then its game on.

It's a fair point, but to my eye he looks even another level up from last year. I think he's untouchable, barring crashing out.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Agree, there is no room for fans of Pogacar to be complacent. Who can forget Pogacar demolishing Vingegaard at 2023 Paris-Nice in March and yet still lost the Tour de France by 6 minutes on Combloux and Loze.

Sure Pogacar was much better in 2024 but we also know from history that replicating one's level from one year to the next isn't always assured. If Vingegaard has good preparation and Pogacar for some reason can't peak like he did last year than its game on.

In 2023, Pogacar broke his hand 9 weeks before the Tour too.
I respect a lot Vingegaard and never underestimated him but looking to Dauphiné and Visma talk, it's hard to see Pogacar getting beaten.

 

[Cookster15]

It's a fair point, but to my eye he looks even another level up from last year. I think he's untouchable, barring crashing out.

Quite possibly true. But in the sport of cycling nothing is certain. There are some crucial stages in the Tour which will settle any doubts - starting with the 33km stage 5 TT. So we won't have to wait long to find out if Pogacar's underwhelming Dauphine TT was just an aberration (or sandbagging).

 

[Peyroteo94]

It's a fair point, but to my eye he looks even another level up from last year. I think he's untouchable, barring crashing out.

Yeah. When I saw his attack on MSR and his performance in RVV/PR, I told myself, no one is gonna beat this monster in the Tour. He can push similar watts like guys 5-10 kg heavier and has an unique ability in recycling lactic acid (his major strenght) so when roads start to incline, we have to wonder who is gonna follow him since he can produce way more watts and weighs 65 kg.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Quite possibly true. But in the sport of cycling nothing is certain. There are some crucial stages in the Tour which will settle any doubts - starting with the 33km stage 5 TT. So we won't have to wait long to find out if Pogacar's underwhelming Dauphine TT was just an aberration (or sandbagging).

For me there is only one crucial stage. Hautacam. It's there where we will see if we have a real race or where It's game over.

 

[Oldman]

It is. Last year, Pogacar crushed Vingegaard in a hilly TT

He accomplished that with some serious descending skills on top of dominant form. Jorgenson had a great TT as well but another minute back from Jonas, 2 to Pogacar. At the Dauphine he was within shouting distance of Remco and Jonas. I think we can count the TT as a fairly good aspect of his '25 Tour game. Hopefully he isn't used up from pointless domestique duty.

 

[Peyroteo94]

He accomplished that with some serious descending skills on top of dominant form. Jorgenson had a great TT as well but another minute back from Jonas, 2 to Pogacar. At the Dauphine he was within shouting distance of Remco and Jonas. I think we can count the TT as a fairly good aspect of his '25 Tour game. Hopefully he isn't used up from pointless domestique duty.

Pogacar didn't go deep in Eze just to smash the second part of the TT.

 

[YavorD]

For me there is only one crucial stage. Hautacam. It's there where we will see if we have a real race or where It's game over.

I would say the TT afterwards is equally crucial.
There will most probably be some very hard pace before Hautacam and attacks there and the recovery will be important.
So the MTT will confirm or deny the tendency set by the first MTF.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Tadej Pogačar is a Global Icon, but the Tour de France Favorite is Uknown to American Collectors

Tadej Pogačar is the most dominant cyclist of his generation. He is a virtual unknown in the United States but can that change?

www.si.com

 

[Peyroteo94]

I would say the TT afterwards is equally crucial.
There will most probably be some very hard pace before Hautacam and attacks there and the recovery will be important.
So the MTT will confirm or deny the tendency set by the first MTF.

I don't believe in big gaps (over 30s) regardless what will be the GC between Pogi and Vingo in the MTT.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I would say the TT afterwards is equally crucial.
There will most probably be some very hard pace before Hautacam and attacks there and the recovery will be important.
So the MTT will confirm or deny the tendency set by the first MTF.

The whole Pyrenean triple will be very important, don't forget the last one (to Superbagneres) will be the most difficult.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Tadej Pogačar is a Global Icon, but the Tour de France Favorite is Uknown to American Collectors

Tadej Pogačar is the most dominant cyclist of his generation. He is a virtual unknown in the United States but can that change?

www.si.com

Since there's only of him those Americans should be looking for other stuff to collect anyway.

 

[scribers]

Americans aren’t going back cycling. It’s difficult to follow and impossible to vette for authenticity.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Americans aren’t going back cycling. It’s difficult to follow and impossible to vette for authenticity.

The biggest thing is the slow pace before the action. Americans enjoy football, basketball, and hockey more due to almost constant action. Even those sports have trouble with the majority when it’s mostly a defensive game. There needs to be an American cyclist again dominating the others. I’m just happy I’m able to watch some races on Peacock.

 

[Fos]

For lack of training on the TT bike, he hasn't even been seen in the black suit since the Dauphiné. They're just gamblers.😏

 

[rafa92]

For lack of training on the TT bike, he hasn't even been seen in the black suit since the Dauphiné. They're just gamblers.😏

the tour will be decided on the mountains, a 33km flat TT is unlikely to be decisive, it's a good thing he's focusing on long climbs

 

[scribers]

The biggest thing is the slow pace before the action. Americans enjoy football, basketball, and hockey more due to almost constant action. Even those sports have trouble with the majority when it’s mostly a defensive game. There needs to be an American cyclist again dominating the others. I’m just happy I’m able to watch some races on Peacock.

Armstrong did well because he not only dominated, he had an unbelievable cancer survival to pinnacle of the sport story. Plus he was this charismatic (to cameras) individual from Texas dedicated (outwardly) to the impact of cancer research/support advocacy. He crossed all intersections of American audiences and this drove viewership and coverage.

Because of his weakness in the playing field that was cycling (probably still is), and the determination of USADA to expose this to the fullest, his story and achievement can never be superseded. There will always be credible doubt and no one wants to invest in that. To this end, we are lucky for ala carte niche sport coverage for a fee. Buyer beware.

 

[Peyroteo94]

For lack of training on the TT bike, he hasn't even been seen in the black suit since the Dauphiné. They're just gamblers.😏

Yeah, I didn't see him doing one hard TT ride.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Other thing very strange is how I didn't spot Yates in Isola. Only Soler, Sivakov and Narvaez.

 

[Rou]

Yeah, I didn't see him doing one hard TT ride.

My opinion is that Pogacar will put 30-40 secs into Vingegaard in the FLAT TT.