Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Unchained]

I don't remember the reason but TDU is a special race to him.

He did it in 2019 as a first year pro..maybe they don't sell vegemite in his neighborhood grocery?

 

[yaco]

I might have missed something significant about a bucket list, Tour Down Under and Tadej but words and actions say that he wants to start as late as possible, 2 out of last 3 years in March and in 2025 he had to meet team \ national \ sponsor obligations by racing at UAE. TDU was semi problematic because of heat so maybe moving it earlier is better.
This year with all the Del Toro hysteria, Isaac was able to go to UAE tour, win for the UAE team and sponsors and fans, racing public thought they saw a quality racer win. I don't think that Tadej wants to do UAE tour or TDU.
Pogacar is saying he wants to do less, not more.
Semi moronic move by Del Toro to run around Italy racing into October, but his reality was a little different, he needed to train, keep his form for Mexican national races, which he won. Tadej has already put Del Toro on his TDF team and depending on how things unfold, Isaac might be given some space to try for a stage. With Bora, Visma, Decathlon, Trek all ever improving, the idea that Pogacar will have an easy TDF is really questionable.
*** and just speculation but Tour of Oman, UAE, Alula, other races in the region are certainly not guaranteed to take place next year***
Pogacar schedule is Romandie..wait @3 weeks do Suisse, wait 2 weeks do TDF...
If he wins his 5th TDF no telling what he will do with the rest of his racing season.
*** in my opinion UAE tour is not big for the riders it's big for Team UAE***

Taday is likely to do the TDU the year he misses the TDF.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Thats a new high/low for yaco depending on how you look at it. Taday?

 

[Unchained]

Taday is likely to do the TDU the year he misses the TDF.

I agree with that.. It's all about Lance Armstrong.. Does Pogacar want to try for 6 or will a tie with Merckx and Hinault satisfy him? Does anyone really know?

 

[aphronesis]

I agree with that.. It's all about Lance Armstrong.. Does Pogacar want to try for 6 or will a tie with Merckx and Hinault satisfy him? Does anyone really know?

Saying one is “tired” must factor into the larger trajectory.

LA’s moment was a different commercial/celebrity breakthrough that also broke itself down.

 

[canina82]

I still think he will race the Tour in 2028

 

[Ulle97]

I predict Pog will finish his career with
10 GTs
6 Tours, 2 Giro, 2 Vuelta

17 monuments
7 Lombardia, 5 Liege, 3 Flanders, 1 MSR, 1 PR

This will put him very close to status of GOAT.

 

[canina82]

I predict Pog will finish his career with
10 GTs
6 Tours, 2 Giro, 2 Vuelta

17 monuments
7 Lombardia, 5 Liege, 3 Flanders, 1 MSR, 1 PR

This will put him very close to status of GOAT.

Similar palmares to Merckx but today's cycling is different. 55 years ago, cycling was almost a national sport, dominated by 4 nations.

 

[KoopaCycling]

People are so quick to bring down Merckx and his era to elevate another.

 

[Berniece]

Similar palmares to Merckx but today's cycling is different. 55 years ago, cycling was almost a national sport, dominated by 4 nations.

Different race profiles too

 

[canina82]

Different race profiles too

More like a different way of racing. For example MSR would always end with a bunch sprint if it didn't have Cipressa (it was introduced in early 80s).

 

[Berniece]

More like a different way of racing. For example MSR would always end with a bunch sprint if it didn't have Cipressa (it was introduced in early 80s).

You think Eddy Merckx won MSR 7 times in a bunch sprint?

 

[canina82]

You think Eddy Merckx won MSR 7 times in a bunch sprint?

This is why I said the way of racing was very different in Merckx’s era.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Seems similar to me when i watched some old races on youtube

 

[Berniece]

This is why I said the way of racing was very different in Merckx’s era.

Is it though? Reason why Merckx won so much is for the same reason Pogacar wins so much. By making the race as hard as possible.

 

[canina82]

Is it though? Reason why Merckx won so much is for the same reason Pogacar wins so much. By making the race as hard as possible.

Of course it is. I don't even think this is debatable tbh.
Teams are much more important now (e.g. sprint trainings, control the break in the mountains, etc).