Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Peyroteo94]

« Là, je peux comprendre s’il arrête le vélo » : la mère de Tadej Pogacar se confie sur la fatigue mentale de son fils

Le double champion du monde et quadruple vainqueur du Tour a montré des signes de lassitude après sa nouvelle saison de dingue. En Slovénie,

www.leparisien.fr

 

[HashRouge]

If you’re Pog and you’ve acheived what you have it is natural you want to focus on MSR and Roubaix - it keeps the motivation. Going for the Tour is also a given for the next couple of years- maybe he will give the Tour a miss in 2028 if he wants to focus on LA depending on parcours.

I don’t see the Vuelta in the next couple of years. The worlds are a big objective and they suit him for the next 2 years. After that they probably won’t suit him for the rest of his careeer.

I was listening to the Lanterne Rouge podcast and they were hypothesising about what he might do next year. They reckoned he'd have done the Vuelta this year if he'd come out of the Tour the way he did in 2024 and I think they're probably right. Last year I think he'd have gone for it if it hadn't been for the internal politics of the team. So I don't think it's impossible that the Vuelta is on his schedule again next year, then it will depend on how the Tour goes.

 

[Monsi]

I was listening to the Lanterne Rouge podcast and they were hypothesising about what he might do next year. They reckoned he'd have done the Vuelta this year if he'd come out of the Tour the way he did in 2024 and I think they're probably right. Last year I think he'd have gone for it if it hadn't been for the internal politics of the team. So I don't think it's impossible that the Vuelta is on his schedule again next year, then it will depend on how the Tour goes.

I think the Vuelta will always be in consideration but it all depends on how he feels both physically and mentally coming out of the Tour. Now, if Jonas rides the Giro-Tour which could free up the possibility of Pogacar cruising through the Vuelta and still winning it, then it could increase the chance of Pogacar riding the Vuelta even with the Worlds as a target.

 

[Unchained]

It's super cool to see so many comments from all angles about some version of Tadej Pogacar's almost immortality.He is given an unbeatable God like status by some, but in his own words he is far from it, was suffering in pain he considered quitting the TDF.
Other riders too have discussed knee and back issues and at 27 if Pog is hurting that bad his discussion of possible retirement makes that much more sense.
Have not heard anything about issues with MVP in a while either.

 

[James M]

It's super cool to see so many comments from all angles about some version of Tadej Pogacar's almost immortality.He is given an unbeatable God like status by some.

Pogacar has 98 PCS points per race day he enters. Merckx's best year was 80 PCS points. I dislike PCS points, blah blah, but it somewhat showcases how dominant he really is at the moment in a historic perspective. Its another level of dominance.(Yes, Merckx rode alot more races, most of them small ones cause Pog covers every major race)

 

[AmRacer]

It's super cool to see so many comments from all angles about some version of Tadej Pogacar's almost immortality.He is given an unbeatable God like status by some, but in his own words he is far from it, was suffering in pain he considered quitting the TDF.
Other riders too have discussed knee and back issues and at 27 if Pog is hurting that bad his discussion of possible retirement makes that much more sense.
Have not heard anything about issues with MVP in a while either.

Maybe the crash had a bigger impact.

 

[James M]

In fact, hes cemented the greatest and most dominant run in cycling during 2024 through 2025. His current run/version is unmatched even if he's not unbeatable in every race, its the closest we've ever seen ever from a factual, numbers-based standpoint.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I took a quick look for the Tour's route next year and it's very possible Pogacar can lead the race for 21 stages.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I took a quick look for the Tour's route next year and it's very possible Pogacar can lead the race for 21 stages.

I dont think he would like to. Better to give it to other guys for a week or so.

 

[Monsi]

I took a quick look for the Tour's route next year and it's very possible Pogacar can lead the race for 21 stages.

He could very well lead for the first two stages but I expect the yellow jersey to be given away on Foix but then get it again on Gavarnie.

 

[andrew_s]

I was listening to the Lanterne Rouge podcast and they were hypothesising about what he might do next year. They reckoned he'd have done the Vuelta this year if he'd come out of the Tour the way he did in 2024 and I think they're probably right. Last year I think he'd have gone for it if it hadn't been for the internal politics of the team. So I don't think it's impossible that the Vuelta is on his schedule again next year, then it will depend on how the Tour goes.

I think he didn't do the Vuelta last year because the main priority was the Worlds, and doing the Vuelta wouldn't have left enough training time to switch from GT mode to Classics mode between the two.

Next year will depend on whether he views a 3rd Worlds as a higher priority than a 1st Vuelta or not.

 

[jmdirt]

The spirit itself is fun but a world champion should take wind for longer than 150 metres and not be totally reliant on their team setting them up for victory.

Unless the wind blows how many will tune in for more than the final couple of laps?

Even as a Brit with the novelty of a first road world champion in my lifetime Copenhagen was a deathly dull race unworthy of resulting in a rainbow jersey.

I think that we need to be more specific:
-100 racer field sprint that starts with 5-10 K to go
-20 racers drilling it for 30+ K, attacking for the last 5 K and 5 racers sprinting at the end
-One of several other scenarios in between the two above
*I'll take choice two, and then maybe one from choice three.

Watching 2-5 climbers and then one climber destroy everyone is IMPRESSIVE, but less exciting than any sprint, IMO.

 

[jmdirt]

It's weird that the Olympics are being discussed in context to Tadej, but stranger still the Olympics is being discussed and the games evolution because of rampant cheating is not.
There appears to be another generation gap and that thing that happens, people just choose to forget.
The Olympics used to pride itself on being completely amateur and professionals were banned.
The Olympic police would voice anger at Eastern bloc countries and Chinese for having state sponsored athletic programs that for all intents and purposes were professional athletes.
All this talk of prestige of gold medals has completely misses the mark. Name a sport in the Olympics, cycling, basketball, hockey, endless.. everything was better before the Olympics gave up, completely rolled over and allowed professionals to come in and destroy the spirit of the games.
Countries that had a chance in some sports still do, but to a lesser degree because pros have ruined everything, not made it more prestigious.
It's like gravel racing, it started with all kinds of fellowship vibe, grassroots, have fun, self supported, you get it, not professional.
Now some of the discussion surrounding gravel racing is that it lost it's soul.
The idea that Remco or Tadej could contest an Olympic medal against some kid from Turkey, Malaysia or Iran is certainly soulless.
What a national dilemma for countries who still are training, thinking along some old school Olympic soul, having car washes and bake sales to raise money so their athlete can go to the Olympics and Tadej shows up to destroy them.
Many, many, too many federations will rethink spending enormous time and money to send a rider to the Olympics after witnessing Kigali.
Majority of countries it's completely symbolic, no long shot is going to happen. Tiny countries can use UCI WT standings to calculate their chances at Olympic games.
Maybe Tadej will lay in his Olympic village room or luxury hotel and ask himself the ugly question about Olympic bike racing.. Why would these guys even show up? They know that they have no chance of winning but they still show up.
Guys showing up to Kigali with rim brakes and aluminium box section rims..that's terrible but at the Olympics when riders like that show up and Tadej and the others destroy them it's shameful.
Olympics should be amateur.

While I completely understand what you are saying, should the Olympics be the best athletes, or the best 12-18 year olds? I prefer it being the best athletes.

I'm old so I can remember watching a lot of Olympics with the 12-18 year olds getting destroyed by the professional armatures.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I dont think he would like to. Better to give it to other guys for a week or so.

I agree with you. He probably just wants to gain time on his rivals and then let a big break fight for the yellow jersey in one MM stage.

 

[Lequack]

We have the GCN video.

How Did A 40 Year Old Lawyer Beat Pogacar?​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSQp044GUI8

 

[Peyroteo94]

The move had a podcast talking about Del Toro and Pogacar and how can they coexist in the same team. For me it's clear they can't when Del Toro reaches Pogacar's level (a big if).
Del Toro looks to be a future contender in hilly monuments and he will never fight for them in the same of Pogacar. GTs is another story.