Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Cycling111]

He got sick and skipped some TT training. But he said he went to Canada to prepare the RR.

We've already mentioned that the travel to Canada wasn't the best option for the world championships.
For the time trial, it was directly detrimental.

We've been saying this for days, but UAE doesn't seem to notice.
Just yesterday, I said that to give a race in Canada, he'd have been better off training.

 

[Rou]

Yeah. I already told this. Maybe he will leave this talk about retirement.

This talk about retirement and his behaviour for the past 2 months is why I started bashing him like this.

 

[Red Rick]

Er, Red Rick, are you feeling okay?

You know me.

I expect nothing and am disappointed all the same.

So all like the usual

 

[Peyroteo94]

We've already mentioned that the travel to Canada wasn't the best option for the world championships.
For the time trial, it was directly detrimental.

We've been saying this for days, but UAE doesn't seem to notice.
Just yesterday, I said that to give a race in Canada, he'd have been better off training.

He told he needed to race in Canada for the RR so I will wait for his performance next Sunday.

 

[Cycling111]

@KoopaCycling
The difference is that Pogacar spoke about his illness before racing in Canada. He isn´t saying this after losing a race, contradicting himself, as others have done, saying beforehand that everything went perfectly, and then when they lose, it's when they say they were sick or injured.

There's a big difference.
If he had said everything was perfect before Canada and now says he was sick, that contradiction would be an obvious excuse.

Even so, considering all his statements, he admits he wouldn't have won. Remco said he would have won at Amstel

 

[HashRouge]

I'm sorry but he specifically mentioned training extra with his TT bike. he was aiming for it.
Maybe the parcours once seen in person was not as tough as initially led on. But this was a goal.
Not THE goal, but a goal. It's okay. For Pogacar this TT ain't that important, especially with the RR coming up.
But let's not pretend he did not want to win here.

I just don't think his idea of extra practice on the TT bike is the same as Remco's.

I actually wonder whether what we see in the Tour de France also comes from the fact that Remco does less training on the TT bike in the run up, compared to what he would do for Worlds or the Olympics.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I just don't think his idea of extra practice on the TT bike is the same as Remco's.

I actually wonder whether what we see in the Tour de France also comes from the fact that Remco does less training on the TT bike in the run up, compared to what he would do for Worlds or the Olympics.

Nah, I really think Pogacar just doesn't go on his TT bike.

 

[Cycling111]

He told he needed to race in Canada for the RR so I will wait for his performance next Sunday.

I think he's wrong, possibly to avoid contradicting his team, who sent him there.
He needed to race something before the World Championships , and it's true that Montreal is the toughest race before the World Championships.
But I could have done a few races in Italy like Del Toro to get back in shape.

For the time trial, that trip didn't make any sense, we've already said that. But I also know that he's not a specialist who's going to sacrifice other things for a time trial.

Remco is the best specialist and has been training against the clock since the Tour. Pogacar has trained ITT for a week, what could go wrong?

 

[CatchyH]

I officially declare that Pogacar is done. He's not going to win anything anymore until next Sunday.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I think he's wrong, possibly to avoid contradicting his team, who sent him there.
He needed to race something before the World Championships , and it's true that Montreal is the toughest race before the World Championships.
But I could have done a few races in Italy like Del Toro to get back in shape.

For the time trial, that trip didn't make any sense, we've already said that. But I also know that he's not a specialist who's going to sacrifice other things for a time trial.

Remco is the best specialist and has been training against the clock since the Tour. Pogacar has trained ITT for a week, what could go wrong?

The real goal will always be the RR. He looked awful on the cobbled climb though.

 

[BubbaChuck]

i just hope that pog 1 year focuses on tts,he looks mid on that bike on his best day.its clear,he needs work in gym so he can hold that position better.he looks better than in 23 at this point,lol.

 

[Monsi]

i just hope that pog 1 year focuses on tts,he looks mid on that bike on his best day.its clear,he needs work in gym so he can hold that position better.he looks better than in 23 at this point,lol.

Did we forget his TT from the Tour this year?

He doesn't need additional work on his TT. He's fine. He ain't winning any Worlds TT and if that's never a priority, then it's all good.

 

[hayneplane]

I also think people underestimate the difference between a one day TT, and a TT as part of a grand tour. The accumulated fatigue evens the gap a bit between the TT specialists and the grand tour specialists.

Today is the highest finish of his career in an international standalone TT.

That offers some perspective on how much of his ability is sustaining the cumulative efforts in grand tours and how different the one off championship race is.

A disappointing ride for sure but hopefully not a sign of his deeper form for the road race.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

That offers some perspective on how much of his ability is sustaining the cumulative efforts in grand tours and how different the one off championship race is.

Not really, he had monster TTs in the last two Tours (and in 2021) early in the race. It's simply that his Tour form is incredibly high plus his work on TT bike pre-Tour is more intense.

 

[Cycling111]

The real goal will always be the RR. He looked awful on the cobbled climb though.

He also looked very bad on the climb of the Dauphiné time trial.It's not the same riding that bike. Besides, he wasn't fighting to win.

 

[Cycling111]

Today is the highest finish of his career in an international standalone TT.

That offers some perspective on how much of his ability is sustaining the cumulative efforts in grand tours and how different the one off championship race is.

A disappointing ride for sure but hopefully not a sign of his deeper form for the road race.

Even so, I would consider that today's performance was worse than in Australia, where he finished sixth, but lost seconds in a flat time trial with better competence.

 

[hayneplane]

Not really, he had monster TTs in the last two Tours (and in 2021) early in the race. It's simply that his Tour form is incredibly high plus his work on TT bike pre-Tour is more intense.

Even a Stage 5 TT is much more suitable for an endurance athlete non specialist in the TT compared to a Stage 1 TT.

Don’t forget also the shocker in the Dauphine mid race before going on to smash everyone uphill on the aero road bike.

 

[scribers]

This is truly a devastating day. We just got masnada’d

In the Pocagar thread they are talking about how he needs to leave UAE and questioning if he took vaccinations at the wrong time, total meltdown over one single 4th place. Lads my favourite riders best result this year was 23rd

 

[Peyroteo94]

Not really, he had monster TTs in the last two Tours (and in 2021) early in the race. It's simply that his Tour form is incredibly high plus his work on TT bike pre-Tour is more intense.

100% this. For me, it just seems he doesn't care about TTs.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Even a Stage 5 TT is much more suitable for an endurance athlete non specialist in the TT compared to a Stage 1 TT.

Don’t forget also the shocker in the Dauphine mid race before going on to smash everyone uphill on the aero road bike.

Isn't Evenepoel an endurance stage-race athlete. He put 0.5 sec/km on Pogacar on those early Tour TTs. Come on.

 

[scribers]

100% this. For me, it just seems he doesn't care about TTs.

If that were true he would have not bothered with this

 

[CatchyH]

Anyways... how far from the finish will Pogacar launch his winning move next week?

 

[Monsi]

Anyways... how far from the finish will Pogacar launch his winning move next week?

2 or 3 laps from the finish on the Kimihurura

 

[rafa92]

Even so, I would consider that today's performance was worse than in Australia, where he finished sixth, but lost seconds in a flat time trial with better competence.

actually when pogacar is not in top shape and has not done a lot of TT specific training where he really struggles is climbing on a TT bike, so this route was awful for him. You can see it visually that he's fighting against the bike when climbing (in montreal on a road bike he looked much better climbing wise). If today was entirely flat he would have lost anyways but not by that margin. To do great performances on a climbing/rolling terrain on a TT bike he has to be 100% (look at him climbing la turbie in the tour 2024, he looked totally different visually, super composed and very high cadence). But I'm not worried about the RR, on a road bike he's a natural, even if he's not at 100% he's super strong, plus his shape will improve in this week

 

[hayneplane]

Isn't Evenepoel an endurance stage-race athlete. He put 0.5 sec/km on Pogacar on those early Tour TTs. Come on.

Not really. Never won a big 7 one week race, just 2 podiums in Grand Tours so far.

By far his best results and performances have been in championships. His best efforts have mostly been in the Belgian national jersey.

That was a fabulous performance from Remco today and that deserves to be fully appreciated and acknowledged.