Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Cycling111]

I’m mentally exhausted and I only post here

Now Mour says Pogacar shouldn't go to the 2026 Tour when he has been saying for months that next year he should go with Del Toro as a domestique .

Pogacar knows he is competing against history and has to win 5.

 

[jotafap]

Judging by this and by everything that happened this Tour and this season, I think the rumours about skipping the Vuelta due to mental fatigue might actually be true.
Think about this, he is already on a long season that started with the UAE Tour which I am sure he would have liked to skip, Strade where he fell so that sure wasn't easy, MSR + Flanders + PR where he fell again and I'm sure it was really hard and exhausting for him to go against MVDP, Ardennes which started again very exhausting with the defeat in Amstel and then Dauphine where the expectations were so high and now this crazy Tour where he had to face his best domestique retiring early in the race, a stupid but 100% annoying crash which we still don't know how much it affected him and a possible cold, all these on top of being pushed every day by Visma's tactics, which again, even himself called annoying.
If we also add the other comments that he made like "the route was made to scare me because they put all the climbs where I've been dropped by Vingegaard", "I am not SuperMan" etc., heck, even the story he posted yesterday with Urska, I am 100% sure he must really feel mentally exhausted and might want a break and to go fresh for Worlds and Lombardia.
We must all understand that he really is a human after all and look what happened with Vingegaard after he was really pushed by Visma last year, he literally broke in tears in Trine's arms after Pogacar crushed him at Isola and this year I am not sure that he is the same.
As others have said, I think the decision is 100% his and if he feels that he wants to skip the Vuelta, I would 100% understand that.

100% agree, no one is superman, and i'd rather a Pogacar managing his carreer for now within the limitations he already has (considering all the races you have mentioned, which most of them were super demanding, and for sure he will repeat most of them year after year), than going full send it all year and than we risk to see him falling from his peak sooner than he needs to, pysically or mental, or both.

And still about the Vuelta, ofc it's important to win it someday to solidify is legacy, but i'd much rather see him winning wc again (+ lombardia) without having to have such a demanding calendar. And don't get me wrong, but i even had to doublecheck how many wins mercx had at vuelta, because i really don't take that race as relevant for his palmares, for example.

 

[scribers]

Now Mour says Pogacar shouldn't go to the 2026 Tour when he has been saying for months that next year he should go with Del Toro as a domestique .

Pogacar knows he is competing against history and has to win 5.

The sheikh will keep adding money and he’ll keep riding the tour

 

[scribers]

The vuelta wasn’t as important during Merck’s times. I think it’s a great race now. And to me, is as interesting as the giro.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Vuelta is a must in his palmares. One ride and he never needs to ride it again.

 

[jotafap]

The vuelta wasn’t as important during Merck’s times. I think it’s a great race now. And to me, is as interesting as the giro.

And i agree with you, maybe just a little less than giro. Anyway, let's look at 2024, let's pretend he didn't do giro + tour, but tour + vuelta. What would have happened at worlds? Hard to believe he would win from 100Kms to go or other lesser long range attack, no way he would be able to be so good at that race. And tbh, the way i see it, if he wins more worlds, it's very likely it will be from long range attacks. If he does Vuelta (after Tour), i see it as wayyyy more difficult.

I guess it's all debatable, and maybe he can do it all in one season, even the 3 GT'S, but it's also a risk for his longevity.

 

[Cycling111]

100% agree, no one is superman, and i'd rather a Pogacar managing his carreer for now within the limitations he already has (considering all the races you have mentioned, which most of them were super demanding, and for sure he will repeat most of them year after year), than going full send it all year and than we risk to see him falling from his peak sooner than he needs to, pysically or mental, or both.

And still about the Vuelta, ofc it's important to win it someday to solidify is legacy, but i'd much rather see him winning wc again (+ lombardia) without having to have such a demanding calendar. And don't get me wrong, but i even had to doublecheck how many wins mercx had at vuelta, because i really don't take that race as relevant for his palmares, for example.

Lombardia is there every year, and it's just one day race. Doing the Vuelta after the Tour is very difficult. It's better to win it now in his peak than in three years when he don't know what shape he´ll be in.

The sooner he wins the Vuelta, the sooner he'll be able to forget about it. Otherwise, it'll be like Indurain.

It's Pogacar's decision, but I have the feeling that with the Ayuso problme, the team hasn't advised Pogacar well and saw an opportunity as soon as Pogacar told them he didn't want to go.
They should advise him to go. One less problem for the future. He'll always have that pressure to win the three GTs.

 

[scribers]

He takes motivation from challenges not yet achieved. So the Vuelta might actually keep him going for the second half of seasons, even if he doesn't get it right away.

This Worlds is a problem. Because of team depth, he is required to separate himself from strong threats he can't cover or outsprint.

 

[Cycling111]

The vuelta wasn’t as important during Merck’s times. I think it’s a great race now. And to me, is as interesting as the giro.

It was just as important as it is now. The least important, but Merckx had to do it one year to have the Big Three.
The same situation Pogacar finds himself in.

On the current calendar, it's very difficult to win the Vuelta after the Tour. When will he do it? Lombardia will be there every year, and the next two World Championships favor him. 2028 is a long way off in professional sports. Many things can happen, especially accidents.

UAE should advise him that it's the right year and that once he wins, he can forget about the Vuelta. But with the Ayuso problem, they must have seen the solution as soon as Pogacar told them he was tired.
That team has been operating like this for three years. Pogacar said in an interview that he's often changed things to keep his teammates happy, and this shouldn't be the case. A leader like that must be above any second and third leader.

 

[Peyroteo94]

WC RR is not a given even if he doesn't race the Vuelta. If he had a good team, he would win by 2 minutes at least but things can get nasty for him with 107 km to go.

 

[Cycling111]

WC RR is not a given even if he doesn't race the Vuelta. If he had a good team, he would win by 2 minutes at least but things can get nasty for him with 107 km to go.

Besides, travel to Rwanda. And Slovenia has a very weak this year. He won´t always surprise them with an 100 kilometer attack. And we already saw in Lioran or Amstel that these attacks have a risk

Pogacar said at Dauphine that this World Championship would be difficult because of the trip and because he wouldn't be able to see the circuit as well. It's obvious he was thinking about doing the Vuelta at the time.

It's a mistake. I hope he doesn't regret it in the future when he sees how difficult it is and has to do it at 30.
The same thing happened to Indurain. By the time he wanted to win the Vuelta, it was already too late.

I think he made this decision out of the fatigue of the moment, but it's a decision he should make with the future in mind.
That's why I think the team should give him better advice, but with the Ayuso problem, they'll have seen the solution. Knowing how UAE has made decisions due to conflicts with the second leaders...
As soon as Pogacar told them he was tired, instead of advising him, Matxin would have said that it was perfect, Ayuso to the Vuelta

 

[Peyroteo94]

Besides, travel to Rwanda. And Slovenia has a very weak this year. He won´t always surprise them with an 100 kilometer attack

Pogacar said at Dauphine that this World Championship would be difficult because of the trip and because he wouldn't be able to see the circuit as well. It's obvious he was thinking about doing the Vuelta at the time.

It's a mistake. I hope he doesn't regret it in the future when he sees how difficult it is and has to do it at 30.
The same thing happened to Indurain. By the time he wanted to win the Vuelta, it was already too late.

I think he made this decision out of the fatigue of the moment, but it's a decision he should make with the future in mind.
That's why I think the team should give him better advice, but with the Ayuso problem, they'll have seen the solution. Knowing how UAE has made decisions due to conflicts with the second leaders...

That's BS. He is racing on a circuit, they all do recons 2 or 3 days before the race and in the actual race (they have what? 7 laps?)

 

[Cycling111]

That's ***. He is racing on a circuit, they all do recons 2 or 3 days before the race and in the actual race (they have what? 7 laps?)

Pogacar said at Dauphiné that it was a difficult World Championship for those reasons.

Be that as it may, I think this is the year to stop betting the entire fall on the World Championship. It's the hardest year of the next three.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

He should absolutely do the Vuelta, what's this whole noise about now not going, what is he doing?
Even if he drops his level by 5%, so would Vingegaard, and as for the rest, there's no real challenge. He'd sleepwalk the Vuelta if he is even close to the level he is right now. Just pushing it away even further will just add more risk of something actually going wrong, especially as UAE will always demand he'll do the Tour.
I thought with Roubaix this year he had realized that in order to win a race you actually need to start it. Can't keep pushing it into the future till all stars align.

Very weird and passive style of racing this Tour if he ends up not doing the Vuelta after all.

 

[jmdirt]

GREAT ride today TP!

 

[hayneplane]

Always in total control today. Would have been amazing to watch them truly 1vs1 for the last 72 kms but not to be.

Shame he has taken the greedy and bullying accusations to heart and left clear stage wins out there on the road.

 

[Monsi]

He should absolutely do the Vuelta, what's this whole noise about now not going, what is he doing?
Even if he drops his level by 5%, so would Vingegaard, and as for the rest, there's no real challenge. He'd sleepwalk the Vuelta if he is even close to the level he is right now. Just pushing it away even further will just add more risk of something actually going wrong, especially as UAE will always demand he'll do the Tour.
I thought with Roubaix this year he had realized that in order to win a race you actually need to start it. Can't keep pushing it into the future till all stars align.

Very weird and passive style of racing this Tour if he ends up not doing the Vuelta after all.

Just some leaks that it's slightly pointing to the direction that Pogi may not do the Vuelta. It's from the tweet below. No final decision though until the Tour is over so Pogi may still end up riding the Vuelta in the end.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1948353991085039880

View: https://x.com/laflammerouge16/status/1948353991085039880

 

[Peyroteo94]

Just some leaks that it's slightly pointing to the direction that Pogi may not do the Vuelta. It's from the tweet below. No final decision though until the Tour is over so Pogi may still end up riding the Vuelta in the end.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1948353991085039880

View: https://x.com/laflammerouge16/status/1948353991085039880

Let’s wait and see

 

[SHAD0W93]

It was just as important as it is now. The least important, but Merckx had to do it one year to have the Big Three.
The same situation Pogacar finds himself in.

Didn’t Merckx only start go to the Vuelta in 1973 due to his contract?

 

[scribers]

OK. Time for the WAY too early planning phase for next year's programme.

Classics Combo Meal:
SB (prep race for MSR)
MSR
E3
Flanders
P-R
LBL
Daupeniee
Tour
Worlds
Lombardia

OR

Stage Race Special (wait out MVP another year):
PN
MSR
LBL
Giro
Tour
Vuelta
Worlds (maybe skip depending on profile and condition)
Lombardia


2028 will look like this 100% and maybe most years thereafter until he can't prevail in the cobbled monuments. At which time he slips back into stage racing.
SB (prep race for MSR)
MSR
E3
Flanders
P-R
LBL
Daupeniee/Suisse
Tour
Vuelta
Lombardia

 

[scribers]

The presence of pogacar reshapes races. Sometimes it’s the things he does like let loose on the cipressa or launches 100km attacks. Sometimes it’s like today where teams turn their tactics on their ears to make any possibility

 

[No Excuses]

Tadej, if you win the stage on la plagne, we have chocolate and crunchy bar.

 

[Mina.S]

I really can’t see Tadej doing the Vuelta. He is already talking about being over this tour in some recent interviews and then in a new escape collective article Urska said that she was really reducing the days she comes to his races- this year only 3 days at the tour. Can’t imagine he will want to do all that again in a few weeks.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

OK. Time for the WAY too early planning phase for next year's programme.

Classics Combo Meal:
SB (prep race for MSR)
MSR
E3
Flanders
P-R
LBL
Daupeniee
Tour
Worlds
Lombardia

OR

Stage Race Special (wait out MVP another year):
PN
MSR
LBL
Giro
Tour
Vuelta
Worlds (maybe skip depending on profile and condition)
Lombardia


2028 will look like this 100% and maybe most years thereafter until he can't prevail in the cobbled monuments. At which time he slips back into stage racing.
SB (prep race for MSR)
MSR
E3
Flanders
P-R
LBL
Daupeniee/Suisse
Tour
Vuelta
Lombardia

What I don't get is that you don't have him ride the Vuelta in the classics set up, yet have him ride all GTs plus the WC in the stage racer set up.

 

[Rob5091]

https://www.24ur.com/sport/kolesarstvo/tega-kar-mi-daje-urska-mi-ne-more-dati-nihce.html

"What Urška gives me, no one can give me"​