Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Samu Cuenca]

I think he should just sit back and relax for 297 km before pulling off a Haritz Azurmendi on Via Roma:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2028452194958159928

View: https://x.com/tatxu73/status/2028452194958159928

 

[SHAD0W93]

What are everyone’s thoughts on the second place gap? Over or under 1:30?

 

[Pozzovivo]

What are everyone’s thoughts on the second place gap? Over or under 1:30?

Won by 1:24 last year after bad crash. 2:44 year before. I take the "over" on 1:30 on even odds.

 

[Netserk]

What are everyone’s thoughts on the second place gap? Over or under 1:30?

zero to del toro

 

[SHAD0W93]

zero to del toro

Will they sprint or is Del Toro letting Pogacar win for a return favor at MSR?

 

[Red Rick]

Strade is either the biggest race he may gift or the smalles he simply won't.

 

[memyselfandI]

What are everyone’s thoughts on the second place gap? Over or under 1:30?

1 sec to Seixas and 15 to IDT. Jersey and shorts and skin open once again after trying to show something to aforementioned two lads with some bike handling skills.

 

[Cycling111]

He's not the favorite for San Remo, he's not the favorite for Roubaix. It's always important to start the season with confidence. He can't start the season giving anything away and will put pressure on himself in Flanders because of that.

Not to mention that it's a race with a higher risk of accidents. If he goes there, it's to win.
Besides, if he wins, he'll surpass Cancellara with four victories.

It's a different context than Montreal, which is at the end of the season after winning rhr Tour, etc.

 

[HashRouge]

Strade is either the biggest race he may gift or the smalles he simply won't.

I don't think he'd gift Strade, assuming he'd even be in that situation. I think at the start of the season he wants to start with a win or at least a strong performance.

 

[canina82]

What are everyone’s thoughts on the second place gap? Over or under 1:30?

Over 1:30. Last year the gap was under because he crashed otherwise he would win with more than 2 minutes.

 

[Cycling111]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2028777101440991243

View: https://x.com/i/status/2028777101440991243

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Sinner on the list? Call me surprised. He had a doping ban last year.

 

[Pantani_lives]

What are everyone’s thoughts on the second place gap? Over or under 1:30?

Pogacar should be capable of staying within a minute of Seixas.

 

[canina82]

Pogacar should be capable of staying within a minute of Seixas.

The forum would crash.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Is Romandie the same as PN/TA/Catalunya/Basque? Not in my book, but if you feel that's the same, then go ahead.

He wants to win all 7 important one-weekers and he's never done Romandie and Suisse so...
Basque race win is also missing but it's not really feasible now (it's between Flandres and Roubaix).
Still, I prefer him taking up the cobbled monuments challenge to winning Basque race with his eyes closed.
But I agree that he should do Vuelta rather sooner than later, his window won't last forever.

BTW: I moved my post to the proper thread to avoid further off-topic in Seixas discussion.

 

[The bald fraud]

I do not think he will or should go to Vuelta this year. It is abundantly clear that the record (third consecutive) WC RR title is a priority over Vuelta, for Pogačar at least. And there is a small matter of European Championships in his native Slovenia - of course he will want to go for the EC double in his home backyard. Add to that a chance to claim the Lombardia record outright. Vuelta participation would compromise all these goals - he will definitely opt for the Canadian classics (which are the perfect preparation for WC anyway, but even more so this year).

I agree he should not wait too much to contest Vuelta. So I personally think he will return there next year. WC 2027 will take place slightly earlier and Vuelta 2027 will start only mid-September, after the WC - so Vuelta participation will not compromise the WC ambitions. There will also be no motivation for competing at the EC in 2027.

 

[snipeheem]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2029279970304925707

View: https://x.com/velofacts/status/2029279970304925707

 

[canina82]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2029279970304925707

View: https://x.com/velofacts/status/2029279970304925707

Probably motorpaced. It's truly insane if he broke the record without a moto or teammates in front of him.

 

[Cycling111]

Yes. He is training with moto.

 

[canina82]

There is any chance he will give the win to Del Toro? Or will he just ride away after a strong leadout from Del Toro?

 

[Berniece]

There is any chance he will give the win to Del Toro? Or will he just ride away after a strong leadout from Del Toro?

I personally think the best chance for UAE would be Pogacar and Del Toro being co-leaders, with them attack separately to fatigue MVDP, but I don't think that's the tactic they will use. Del Toro will be used to launch Pogacar, with the idea that this time it will go faster and longer than last year, and if Pogacar then launches, MVDP would break.

 

[Alexandre B.]

There is any chance he will give the win to Del Toro? Or will he just ride away after a strong leadout from Del Toro?

Which race are we talking about? The Mexican needs to prove he's above the competition in both.

 

[canina82]

I personally think the best chance for UAE would be Pogacar and Del Toro being co-leaders, with them attack separately to fatigue MVDP, but I don't think that's the tactic they will use. Del Toro will be used to launch Pogacar, with the idea that this time it will go faster and longer than last year, and if Pogacar then launches, MVDP would break.

I'm talking about SB.
Regarding MSR, I don't know of Del Toro has what it takes to decimate a peloton like Pogacar did on Cipressa. You can't use the numbers card against MVP in a big group IMO.

 

[Berniece]

I'm talking about SB.
Regarding MSR, I don't know of Del Toro has what it takes to decimate a peloton like Pogacar did on Cipressa. You can't use the numbers card against MVP in a big group IMO.

In case of SB I think they'll just do their default approach. Make the race hard and Pogacar attacks. Del Toro will have to play domestique too.

In case of MSR, I agree that you can't do numbers in a big group. That's why they still need to launch hard with UAE on Cipressa, so most riders will drop. Then Del Toro launches with Pogacar just sitting in the wheel of MVDP.

 

[Shortcut]

In case of SB I think they'll just do their default approach. Make the race hard and Pogacar attacks. Del Toro will have to play domestique too.

In case of MSR, I agree that you can't do numbers in a big group. That's why they still need to launch hard with UAE on Cipressa, so most riders will drop. Then Del Toro launches with Pogacar just sitting in the wheel of MVDP.

MVDP is not normal rider to let Del Toro like this, he will attack both of them if they try something like that. Everybody forgot, MvDP attacked Pogi two times on the Poggio, first time he won easily, last year Tadej could reach him but MVDP was flying in a sprint. Also i don't believe Del Toro is 3rd favourite at MSR, i don't know where this narrative is coming from, he still showed nothing at races longer than 210km, but even so, there i guys who can still follow him on cipressa or Poggio if MvDP and Pogi are looking at each other (never going to happen). MVDP and Pogi love helping each other when they are going solo (last year MSR, Flanders, P-R) because is better for both of them in big picture. On the other hand SB could be great rave to try with Del Toro attacking first and let the guys looking at each other as Pogi is sitting with them. I really don't know how important is SB for Pogi and winning it 4th times would be a record, but since it is not a monoument but would be biggest win for Del Toro in his carrer, maybe it would buy his loyalty even more. It would be also good tactic to show other teams that Pogi is capable of letting Del Toro go, if nobody is working with him.