Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Red Rick]

"Cipressa won't work, so you should attack earlier" is one of the more questionable pieces of advice I've seen on a cycling forum.

 

[Peyresourde]

If Pogacar succesfully does a solo attack from Capo Berta, we really won't need to do the actual races anymore in the future. Just award him the victory for every race where he is on the startlist.

The team making the race hard there is already a task which is very difficult to execute correctly. The straight wide road is really a problem for that. I would say that to succesfully harden Berta without just blowing your own team up is even more difficult than doing a good lead-out on Cipressa.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

If Pogacar still manages to win this year even with all these factors pointing against him, it would be an incredible achievement. It is probably easier for him to win by being lucky in some kind of way than by being strong.

It could be the easiest if he's underrated before the race (and can make a surprising move at some point: even in the last 2 kms). No chance for it until he's declined: maybe then his chances will be better!

 

[The bald fraud]

In case of headwind, attack from Capo Berta is even less likely (and significantly so) to succeed than Cipressa attack. It is more likely UAE will try to reduce the peloton there and then attack repeatedly with two options (DelToro/Pogacar) on Poggio.

But yes, for Pogacar to win MSR, he needs a decent share of luck in any case. So far, he only has bad luck (especially injuries to Wellens and Narvaez).

 

[MariaB]

If Pogacar succesfully does a solo attack from Capo Berta, we really won't need to do the actual races anymore in the future. Just award him the victory for every race where he is on the startlist.

The team making the race hard there is already a task which is very difficult to execute correctly. The straight wide road is really a problem for that. I would say that to succesfully harden Berta without just blowing your own team up is even more difficult than doing a good lead-out on Cipressa.

I agree, but it less predictable.

Everyone knows they are going to attack on Cipressa, everyone is prepared, so the surprise factor of last year is gone.

 

[rafa92]

I agree, but it less predictable.

Everyone knows they are going to attack on Cipressa, everyone is prepared, so the surprise factor of last year is gone.

there was no surprise effect last year, everybody knew pogacar would attack on cipressa already last year, just look at the position of ganna and vdp, they were both in top 5 entering cipressa, that is not the problem, the problems are headwind+bad team+level of mvdp on a false flat (I refuse to call anything in this parcour a climb). Vdp seems even stronger this year and honestly dropping him while going at 45-50 km/h seems impossible, the draft is huge, you save 15-20% (or more) in the wheel at those speeds

 

[canina82]

If Pogacar succesfully does a solo attack from Capo Berta, we really won't need to do the actual races anymore in the future. Just award him the victory for every race where he is on the startlist.

The team making the race hard there is already a task which is very difficult to execute correctly. The straight wide road is really a problem for that. I would say that to succesfully harden Berta without just blowing your own team up is even more difficult than doing a good lead-out on Cipressa.

Exactly this. Capo Berta is not hard at all, hth is Pogacar gonna attack there?

 

[Pantani Attacks]

They should drill it for sure at Berta to make the race harder, although the team will be weakened severely for it. I feel the plan will be similar to last year and hope Pog is Pog.

 

[The bald fraud]

They should drill it for sure at Berta to make the race harder, although the team will be weakened severely for it. I feel the plan will be similar to last year and hope Pog is Pog.

The harder the race, the higher the chances are for Pog's victory. So make the race as hard as possible. If the race is as easy as MSR, the best tactic of UAE would be to use every bit of climbing and drill it. So they should probably set a hard pace on Capo Mele already (continue with Cervo and Capo Berta) to tire legs of competitors and put lactates therein. The Capi are short, but they are the only climbs in MSR before Cipressa (Turchino might be a tad too far).

But it is a big question whether the selected UAE team is capable of doing that.

 

[Rou]

Change of plans? Isaac del Toro reportedly set for surprise Ardennes call-up for UAE Team Emirates

Isaac del Toro’s 2026 programme at UAE Team Emirates - XRG may already be evolving, with respected journalist Daniel Benson reporting that the Mexican is set to add the Ardennes Classics to his spring...

cyclinguptodate.com

If this turns out to be true the Pogman should be OBLIGED to do 2 GTs.
They are overusing the young bull while Pog plays the 'fatigue' card.

 

[Salvarani]

Change of plans? Isaac del Toro reportedly set for surprise Ardennes call-up for UAE Team Emirates

Isaac del Toro’s 2026 programme at UAE Team Emirates - XRG may already be evolving, with respected journalist Daniel Benson reporting that the Mexican is set to add the Ardennes Classics to his spring...

cyclinguptodate.com

If this turns out to be true the Pogman should be OBLIGED to do 2 GTs.
They are overusing the young bull while Pog plays the 'fatigue' card.

He is not obliged. You still underestimate the prep and what racing the cobbles does. Then switching training to be ready for Tour. It is not like he does nothing when he not racing from Jan to end of Tour. Some rest is needed after Tour, before targeting Worlds + Lombardia.

People complain about Del Toro not being leader enough (even though he gets plenty of races).
He potentially gets leadership in Ardennes and people complain anyway.

That would give him a chance to test himself in LBL, if Pog gets removed from line-up, which could be interesting to see. Probably together with Christen and Cosnefroy among others.

Then it also makes more sense that Pog does Romandie after PR imo, rather than doing Ardennes inbetween as well.

Not mad at that schedule. Maybe he will still do LBL, I guess.

Del Toro and others riding Amstel, Fleche and LBL.

 

[Rou]

He is not obliged. You still underestimate the prep and what racing the cobbles does. Then switching training to be ready for Tour. It is not like he does nothing when he not racing from Jan to end of Tour. Some rest is needed after Tour, before targeting Worlds + Lombardia.

People complain about Del Toro not being leader enough (even though he gets plenty of races).
He potentially gets leadership in Ardennes and people complain anyway. That would give him a chance to test himself in LBL.

Pogacar could do an Armstrong schedule with only the Tour as a main race and you will still cope with having a rest for Lombardia.
A certain rider called Remco Evenepoel back in 2022 won the Vuelta, finished 3rd in the World's TT and won the World's RR.
So is a 22 year old Evenepoel better than Pogacar who can't handle a Vuelta-World's combo?

 

[Salvarani]

Pogacar could do an Armstrong schedule with only the Tour as a main race and you will still cope with having a rest for Lombardia.
A certain rider called Remco Evenepoel back in 2022 won the Vuelta, finished 3rd in the World's TT and won the World's RR.
So is a 22 year old Evenepoel better than Pogacar who can't handle a Vuelta-World's combo?

But he is not doing that is he? He is training and racing classics in the spring.

Remco didnt race Tour or classics in the first half of that season.

Pog can do two GTs, but then he probably has to sacrifice the classics and a couple of other races.

He just cant do classics + two GTs + Worlds & Lombardia. Something gotta give.

 

[The bald fraud]

Remco didnt race Tour or classics in the first half of the season.

Pog can do two GTs, but then he probably has to sacrifice the classics and others races.

He just cant do classics + two GTs + Worlds & Lombardia. Something gotta give.

Exactly. Pogačar CAN do Vuelta + Worlds, but not ALL of main spring classics + Tour + Vuelta + Worlds + Euros (this year in Slovenia) + Lombardia. It would be just too much.

Though I strongly believe he will do spring classics + Tour + Worlds RR + Vuelta NEXT YEAR (Vuelta after Worlds, no Euros in Slovenia).

 

[AmRacer]

Exactly. Pogačar CAN do Vuelta + Worlds, but not ALL of main spring classics + Tour + Vuelta + Worlds + Euros (this year in Slovenia) + Lombardia. It would be just too much.

Though I strongly believe he will do spring classics + Tour + Worlds RR + Vuelta NEXT YEAR (Vuelta after Worlds, no Euros in Slovenia).

He needs to rest and recharge at some point.

 

[Shortcut]

There is no way Pogi not racing LBL. He is in his prime and every monument is important right now. Del Toro is great but Remco and Seixas are even better for LBL so UAE will not risk it. In maybe two years Seixas could be even stronger than Pogacar so it would be incredibly stupid to skip it. I am 100% he will skip Romandie or Suisse(i think Suisse if he wins Romandie) and i also think he will go to Vuelta. Del Toro can show everything at Amstel and FW but i think he is pretty self aware and knows Pogacar is not Pelizzari or Jorgenson. Jorgenson was huge problem fir Del Toro at Tirreno but we all know how Jorgenson looks when Pogacar is in the race.

 

[The bald fraud]

He needs to rest and recharge at some point.

Exactly. This is precisely why the Tour-Vuelta double is not on the cards this season, but could be next year.
In 2027, Pog will likely take a break after LBL (no Romandie). Tour will probably take place between July 3 and July 25. Worlds RR then takes place on September 5. So he can take 2-3 weeks off after the Tour and then prepare for the Worlds. And then go YOLO to the Vuelta a week later without specific preparation (keep in mind he should be in good climbing form for the Worlds already!).