Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Mina.S]

Wasn't that more like bandage for his wound on the left leg?

Yea they are proper compression garments they are just to protect all the road rash while out riding.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Let's talk about the Flandres for a while, particularly about last two Kwaremonts by Pogacar. It seems this hill really suits him very well:
In 2022 he had a huge surge on the penultimate climb (over 50 km from the line) but a few guys managed to follow. On the last one only MVP followed (and on the Paterberg he barely managed to hold on).
In 2023 he performed a proper attack on the penultimate Kwaremont, went solo but was caught later (also probably realizing the chasing group was too strong to go solo for a long time). On the last Kwaremont he was unstoppable.
In 2025 he set a big pace on the penultimate Kwaremont but a few guys managed to stay with him. The last Kwaremont was deadly due to cumulative fatigue (despite being slower than the penultimate one).

There's a pattern of setting big pace on earlier climbs before launching. I don't think he wants to go solo over 50 km from the line as some suggest (the chase in this terrain would be very strong). Strong surges on Kwaremont and Kruisberg before trying to go solo on the last Kwaremont are expected. Obviously he must drop Van der Poel: if the Dutch has great legs and somehow manages to stay with Pogacar he will stomp the Slovenian at the end.

 

[canina82]

Let's talk about the Flandres for a while, particularly about last two Kwaremonts by Pogacar. It seems this hill really suits him very well:
In 2022 he had a huge surge on the penultimate climb (over 50 km from the line) but a few guys managed to follow. On the last one only MVP followed (and on the Paterberg he barely managed to hold on).
In 2023 he performed a proper attack on the penultimate Kwaremont, went solo but was caught later (also probably realizing the chasing group was too strong to go solo for a long time). On the last Kwaremont he was unstoppable.
In 2025 he set a big pace on the penultimate Kwaremont but a few guys managed to stay with him. The last Kwaremont was deadly due to cumulative fatigue (despite being slower than the penultimate one).

There's a pattern of setting big pace on earlier climbs before launching. I don't think he wants to go solo over 50 km from the line as some suggest (the chase in this terrain would be very strong). Strong surges on Kwaremont and Kruisberg before trying to go solo on the last Kwaremont are expected. Obviously he must drop Van der Poel: if the Dutch has great legs and somehow manages to stay with Pogacar he will stomp the Slovenian at the end.

But if he goes solo, no one can catch him so unless MVP doesn't cooperate at all with Pogacar, the winner will be Pogacar.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

But if he goes solo, no one can catch him so unless MVP doesn't cooperate at all with Pogacar, the winner will be Pogacar.

If he's solo after the last Kwaremont he's a very likely winner. Going solo from the penultimate Kwaremont could be too much to handle. It's not Liege, WC and Lombardy type route, his chief rivals won't have been dead by then.

 

[canina82]

If he's solo after the last Kwaremont he's a very likely winner. Going solo from the penultimate Kwaremont could be too much to handle. It's not Liege, WC and Lombardy type route, his chief rivals won't be dead yet.

3 km until Paterberg, then 7 km until Koppenberg, then 7 km until Taienberg. Too little kms of flat sections to catch him. Don't forget he would gain, at least 6/7" any time they go uphill in these cobbled hills. Other thing very important, this isn't 2023 anymore.

 

[canina82]

A little dig on WVA. He thinks he is like Pogacar.

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[Pantani_lives]

It wouldn't shock me if Pogacar wasn't entirely up to snuff in the Tour of Flanders. It's possible that the adrenaline boost after the crash gave him energy for that fantastic final in San Remo, but the morning after he might have felt some pain resulting from the crash, possibly with a swollen knee. Mentally he will be more occupied with Roubaix than with Flanders. So I wouldn't just assume his RvV will be another demonstration like last year. He's only human. But we'll see what happens.