Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Tanakka]

I'm not saying Pogacar should wait for the sprint against MVDP, but given that how MVDP climbing Cipressa this year, he'll have no choice but to consider putting in a good sprint. And that's when I say that if he could sell Pedersen, he can do it with MVDP.
It's difficult, just as it's very difficult for someone like Pogacar to beat Pedersen twice in the sprint.

In those two instances, Pedersen was exausted.
Once your legs are cooked spaghetti...

I mean, if we are putting it that way, Pog beat MVDP too, for his 100th win.
But on top of being a slightly uphill finish, there had been some ramps before.

Can MSR be conductive in any way to a scenario where, when they arrive to San Remo, MVDP is as cooked? as beatable?
Idk... after the 'Poggio' there are 6 more kms etc. etc.


*https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-de-france/2025/stage-4

 

[Cycling111]

Pogacar doesn't weigh 60 kg even in the Tour.

 

[Rou]

Stage 11 was great but it was an exception. This year he didn't win a stage but was able to put up more of a fight, especially in the last week. Last year he got smoked every mountain stage.

This year he wasn't dropped in the third week because Pogacar was sick and had crashed. 2024 Pogacar would have smoked 2025 Vingegaard in the third week.

 

[CatchyH]

This year he wasn't dropped in the third week because Pogacar was sick and had crashed. 2024 Pogacar would have smoked 2025 Vingegaard in the third week.

Maybe. Maybe not. Crashing and getting sick is a part of racing. If we're going there we might as well say that without his crash last year Vingo could've won the Tour. It's a cool hypothetical but not the reality.

 

[Red Rick]

Someone should run the numbers correlating average gradient to W/kg estimates because the numbers on >25kph climbs are getting more and more out there by the minute.

 

[Rou]

Maybe. Maybe not. Crashing and getting sick is a part of racing. If we're going there we might as well say that without his crash last year Vingo could've won the Tour. It's a cool hypothetical but not the reality.

No, he wouldn't have won it IMO. He would have been closer (for example on Isola).

 

[Rou]

Maybe. Maybe not. Crashing and getting sick is a part of racing. If we're going there we might as well say that without his crash last year Vingo could've won the Tour. It's a cool hypothetical but not the reality.

For the same reason I think Pogacar without a broken wrist in 2023 still loses the Tour (although with less than 2 mins).

 

[rafa92]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1977050316161139070

View: https://x.com/wattsincycling/status/1977050316161139070?s=61&t=ZKEjWhZs_lhx6xYjfM44ig

Doing this in October is insane stuff.

this performance is better than anything he did at the tour this year, better than hautacam and peyragudes. It's top 3 in his career. Pdb is a tiny bit better, today's performance was probably even better than in isola 2000

 

[Peyroteo94]

For the same reason I think Pogacar without a broken wrist in 2023 still loses the Tour (although with less than 2 mins).

I have my doubts.

 

[Rou]

I have my doubts.

He was on the bald fraud protocol, mate.

 

[Tanakka]

Explain this to me. How was Vingegaard less competitive last year when he showed his highest level ever, caught Pogacar and won a stage against him?

Meh... people got excited at the time, but in retrospect stage 11 in 2024 was kind of a fluke.
Pog likely didn't eat properly, pushed too hard on Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol, or whanot.

Despite never winning in 2025's tdf, Vingo looked way more of a threat this year, on Ventoux and such.

Recensy bias is real here. Yes, this was the best Classics season ever but the Grand Tours are 10 times bigger and more important than Monuments. Let's not kid ourselves.
Giro - Tour double with 6 stages in each is insane.

Do you mean "money wise" (we know GTs are BIG, even more so the TdF), or what?
Otherwise it's all arguable.

And who would argue that Pogi getting 2° at his first PR wasn't way more impressive?
Especially when he didn't get 1° in PR only because MVDP is around.
No matter how good he was, just a few months prior people had doubts about Tadej at PR: they thought he wasn't big enough and so on.
Instead, everybody knew that Pogi could win the Giro against a 2024 Geraint Thomas, Daniel Martinez, Tiberi and O'Connor, while smoking a pipe.

For someone who wins 4 TdF, winning a PR in this era would epic.
In reality winning a Vuelta doesn't actually add much, at least to the eyes of those in the know.
It mostly looks good on paper to some casual fans.

 

[Peyroteo94]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1977050316161139070

View: https://x.com/wattsincycling/status/1977050316161139070?s=61&t=ZKEjWhZs_lhx6xYjfM44ig

Doing this in October is insane stuff.

His VAM was better than this. It was close to 1900 m/h.

 

[Rou]

Do you mean "money wise" (we know GTs are BIG, even more so the TdF), or what?
Otherwise it's all arguable.

Not only money wise. The prestige, the scale, the attention and the glory are all multiplied in Grand Tours.

 

[rafa92]

His VAM was better than this. It was close to 1900 m/h.

yes, i have a VAM of 1894, which is crazy on 7.2% gradient. This is top 3 in his career just behind Pdb

 

[Peyroteo94]

Someone should run the numbers correlating average gradient to W/kg estimates because the numbers on >25kph climbs are getting more and more out there by the minute.

VAM is an objective measure. I handtimed the entire climb. 21'22" for 675m

 

[Rou]

One more thing. You guys are overreacting to the Paris - Roubaix performance.
I'm sure that Pogacar 1.0 (coached by San Millan) could have podiumed Roubaix if he had focused on it.
The real differences with Pogacar 2.0 are the way he handles fatigue and the w/kg difference (which is massive).

 

[rafa92]

VAM is an objective measure. I handtimed the entire climb. 21'22" for 675m

yes but VAM is heavily dependet on the average gradient, it's easier to do an high vam on high gradients

 

[Krzysztof_O]

If it's 659 vertical meters then it's 1865 m/h. Superb on a 7%-ish climb but likely not as crazy as his top3 climbs ever at the Tour.

 

[Cycling111]

I hadn't realized that he dedicated it to Majka.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1977029865095471328

View: https://x.com/Il_Lombardia/status/1977029865095471328?t=dKT90Xpn1dJkWIC6dMucaA&s=19

 

[Cycling111]

Italy and tifosi 😍

https://twitter.com/x/status/1977052286905209285

View: https://x.com/Il_Lombardia/status/1977052286905209285?t=4iD4mlytMBMa5-tDfULNdg&s=19

 

[Salvarani]

"Thank you Rafa" on the way to victory is some iconic words.

What an amazing tribute to a great friend and mentor.

The salute during the race when Majka was finished with his work as well.

Pog showing him a lot of love, gratitude and respect.

What an end to an amazing career for Majka.

 

[rafa92]

If it's 659 vertical meters then it's 1865 m/h. Superb on a 7%-ish climb but likely not as crazy as his top3 climbs ever at the Tour.

https://watts2win.eu/cyclist/2043/performance
yes it is, only Pdb was better, isola very similar. This year at hautacam his level was lower. The peyragudes TT was better in terms of pure watts but it can't be compared, this was a 240 km race

 

[Krzysztof_O]

https://watts2win.eu/cyclist/2043/performance
yes it is, only Pdb was better, isola very similar. This year at hautacam his level was lower. The peyragudes TT was better in terms of pure watts but it can't be compared, this was a 240 km race

I would still rate Isola higher due to its position at the end of the Tour. As for Hautacam, maybe it was worse number-wise but the way he demolished competition there suggested the conditions were really difficult there (heat).

 

[rafa92]

I would still rate Isola higher due to its position at the end of the Tour. As for Hautacam, maybe it was worse number-wise but the way he demolished competition there suggested the conditions were really difficult there (heat).

yes isola is better if you take into account it was week 3 of the tour. But imo this was better than hautacam

 

[Peyroteo94]

"Thank you Rafa" on the way to victory is some iconic words.

What an amazing tribute to a great friend and mentor.

The salute during the race when Majka was finished with his work as well.

Pog showing him a lot of love, gratitude and respect.

What an end to an amazing career for Majka.

He will miss him next year for sure.