Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[canina82]

He just flies over those bergs

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[yaf2]

But this lineup is strange. Who is gonna be the first to work? I was expecting Julius or Rune to do that work. Bjerg has been injured and I wasn't expecting him to do the dirty work for 150 km.
Nevertheless, Cosnefroy is a nice addition for the hilly part.

It’s the matxin syndrome. He always finds something to surprise pogi fans, and now it’s the inclusion of bjerg who has been a passenger the last weeks instead of Julius who has been the protagonist in the lead up races.

 

[Pantani_lives]

For the fans, Pogacar is on national tv in Belgium. He joined the "Vive le velo, leve de ronde" panel, where they have been discussing De Ronde van Vlaanderen the past few days. Obviously the interview is in English, so everyone can enjoy it.

VRT MAX

www.vrt.be

He was there for 5min, nothing really interesting was said besides him saying that he expects to be less motivated in a couple of years.

And that he's recognized in Belgium more often than in Slovenia.

 

[Rou]

In his press conference he said something interesting:
'Even if I don't win Roubaix this year it won't be guaranteed that I will go next year. Maybe I will have a completely different program.'
Maybe the 3 GTs in a year is actually crossing his mind?

 

[vappa]

In his press conference he said something interesting:
'Even if I don't win Roubaix this year it won't be guaranteed that I will go next year. Maybe I will have a completely different program.'
Maybe the 3 GTs in a year is actually crossing his mind?

I think we all know and agree that the perfect and most logical year for a GT triple was 2024 but he decided against it. This year he's clearly not doing it, in 2028 he's not sacrificing OG RR for it, in 2029 and beyond he might be too old to pull it off. So it's either next year, 2027 or probably never

 

[canina82]

It’s the matxin syndrome. He always finds something to surprise pogi fans, and now it’s the inclusion of bjerg who has been a passenger the last weeks instead of Julius who has been the protagonist in the lead up races.

Julius deserves a chance. On the other hand, Bjerg's level fell off a cliff. I don't think UAE will renew his contract.

 

[canina82]

I think we all know and agree that the perfect and most logical year for a GT triple was 2024 but he decided against it. This year he's clearly not doing it, in 2028 he's not sacrificing OG RR for it, in 2029 and beyond he might be too old to pull it off. So it's either next year, 2027 or probably never

Very interesting assessment. I thought next year was the year he finally races the Vuelta but I never thought about the GT treble.

 

[The bald fraud]

Next year (2027) was always the best one to try the Tour-Vuelta double due to longer break between them (and a small matter of WC). And well, Pogačar was always likely to add a preparatory race before the Tour, it might as well be Giro.

 

[vappa]

Next year (2027) was always the best one to try the Tour-Vuelta double due to longer break between them (and a small matter of WC). And well, Pogačar was always likely to add a preparatory race before the Tour, it might as well be Giro.

I don't think Tour-Vuelta is the problem but the fact that he has WC RR (in whichever order with Vuelta) and Lombardia after. That combo is long and hard

 

[canina82]

I don't think Tour-Vuelta is the problem but the fact that he has WC RR (in whichever order with Vuelta) and Lombardia after. That combo is long and hard

Next year, he will have 6-7 weeks between the Tour and Vuelta. He can use the Vuelta to prepare the GdL.

 

[yaf2]

In his press conference he said something interesting:
'Even if I don't win Roubaix this year it won't be guaranteed that I will go next year. Maybe I will have a completely different program.'
Maybe the 3 GTs in a year is actually crossing his mind?

The thing is pogacar doesn’t want to compromise his teammates programs/ goals by forcing them to help him and i assume deltoro will ride giro next year. I know pog is a cannibal in the race but outside it they always say he is a super nice guy who also would love to help them achieve their goals.

 

[Rou]

The thing is pogacar doesn’t want to compromise his teammates programs/ goals by forcing them to help him and i assume deltoro will ride giro next year. I know pog is a cannibal in the race but outside it they always say he is a super nice guy who also would love to help them achieve their goals.

If Pogacar was such a humble and generous guy he could have left Paris- Roubaix leadership to Vermeersch or even LBL leadership to del Toro.
But he doesn't, right?
Him giving GT leadership to his teammates is just an excuse for him not going there.
If the plan is a GT treble del Toro will be doing donkey work for Pogacar.

 

[AmRacer]

If Pogacar was such a humble and generous guy he could have left Paris- Roubaix leadership to Vermeersch or even LBL leadership to del Toro.
But he doesn't, right?
Him giving GT leadership to his teammates is just an excuse for him not going there.
If the plan is a GT treble del Toro will be doing donkey work for Pogacar.

It's only one season, and Pogi won't race much else besides Itzulia so lot's of one-weeks for Toro and the rest.

 

[canina82]

If Pogacar was such a humble and generous guy he could have left Paris- Roubaix leadership to Vermeersch or even LBL leadership to del Toro.
But he doesn't, right?
Him giving GT leadership to his teammates is just an excuse for him not going there.
If the plan is a GT treble del Toro will be doing donkey work for Pogacar.

This is silly. We all know Veermersch doesn't have the ability to win PR or Del Toro to win LBL. Pogacar really cares about his teammates, always sending messages after races, leaving important races for them to lead. Veermersch (for example) had plenty of opportunities to lead UAE and he was alwayd beaten by someone stronger. How the hell will he be able to win the "Queen of Classics"?
Veermersch was the leader in Omloop, E3, GW, KBK, DDV. The same can be said about Politt, Morgado, Wellens. It's not like they don't have chances to prove their level.

Regarding Del Toro, do you really think Del Toro can win LBL? Last year he was humiliated by Remco in both GdL and WCRR, are you really thinking he has a chance of beating Remco in LBL? He will probably race AGR and he will not win it.

I think next year, Del Toro will lead the Giro because this year he is sacrificing himself to help Pogacar in the TdF.

 

[canina82]

It's only one season, and Pogi won't race much else besides Itzulia so lot's of one-weeks for Toro and the rest.

For a rider like Del Toro, one week stage races are not enough. He already showed the level to win a GT and if he can race one GT without Pogacar and Vingegaard,he has a good chance of winning it.

 

[YavorD]

For a rider like Del Toro, one week stage races are not enough. He already showed the level to win a GT and if he can race one GT without Pogacar and Vingegaard,he has a good chance of winning it.

Sorry, but Del Toro hasn't shown more ability to win a GT than to win a monument.
He may improve already this year, but last year he won a lot of time (due to crash) in a sterrato stage and got some time in an explosive finales.
He lost plenty in the high mountains and in the Time trails and GT's are usually decided there.

So unless he improved, his Giro 2025 is a testament that he doesn't have the abilities to win one.

 

[canina82]

Sorry, but Del Toro hasn't shown more ability to win a GT than to win a monument.
He may improve already this year, but last year he won a lot of time (due to crash) in a sterrato stage and got some time in an explosive finales.
He lost plenty in the high mountains and in the Time trails and GT's are usually decided there.

So unless he improved, his Giro 2025 is a testament that he doesn't have the abilities to win one.

He had one off day and don't forget TTs are not a thing very important nowadays (Del Toro is also not that bad). He lost the Giro because his team rode stupidly. I don't have doubt Carapaz was stronger than Yates in Finestre and he couldn't drop Del Toro. I'm pretty sure the level Del Toro has rn is significantly better than the level he showed in the Giro.
But let's not get off topic, I think Del Toro never was close to win a monument and he was close to win a GT. You disagrees, it's okay.

 

[HashRouge]

Julius deserves a chance. On the other hand, Bjerg's level fell off a cliff. I don't think UAE will renew his contract.

Bjerg is a good domestique. He's been riding for Pogacar for years and always does a decent job. He's only just come back from injury but he knows the cobbled classics well and will do the job that's asked of him. He rode RvV both years that Pogacar won.

 

[canina82]

Bjerg is a good domestique. He's been riding for Pogacar for years and always does a decent job. He's only just come back from injury but he knows the cobbled classics well and will do the job that's asked of him. He rode RvV both years that Pogacar won.

I think Julius deserves more. Bjerg is worse year after year, for some reason he was dumped from the Tour's squad.
However, I think this will not change anything for Pogacar, his chances are not decreasing regardless Julius or Mikkel.

 

[YavorD]

He had one off day and don't forget TTs are not a thing very important nowadays (Del Toro is also not that bad). He lost the Giro because his team rode stupidly. I don't have doubt Carapaz was stronger than Yates in Finestre and he couldn't drop Del Toro. I'm pretty sure the level Del Toro has rn is significantly better than the level he showed in the Giro.
But let's not get off topic, I think Del Toro never was close to win a monument and he was close to win a GT. You disagrees, it's okay.

Decisive serrato stages are even less of a thing than TT's, no?
If you ignore the time he won on that stage, Derek Gee (plus Carapaz and Yates) was actually better than him in that Giro.
4th strongest in a GT is as far from winning, as 5th-7th strongest in a monument (Lombardia).
Both show an ability to win in future if you improve or all the stars align.

 

[HashRouge]

I think Julius deserves more. Bjerg is worse year after year, for some reason he was dumped from the Tour's squad.
However, I think this will not change anything for Pogacar, his chances are not decreasing regardless Julius or Mikkel.

He no longer rides the Tour because UAE bought more talented riders to do the same job. The last few years in particular they have taken really climbing heavy squads, with a number of riders who would be the leader on many other world tour squads. That shouldn't devalue Bjerg. He is what he has always been - an honest and hardworking domestique who will do exactly what is asked of him. Pogacar also knows him very well, whereas I don't think he's ever ridden with Johansen?

 

[yaf2]

Forcast for tomorrow is strong head wind in the middle part more than 30 km/h. If a strong group gets away in the anticipation part it will be super difficult for a single team to control.

 

[canina82]

Forcast for tomorrow is strong head wind in the middle part more than 30 km/h. If a strong group gets away in the anticipation part it will be super difficult for a single team to control.

The final part is cross/tailwind right? I'm not worried, UAE is strong enough and Pogacar already showed he can close 2'30" easily. 2023 RVV for example (Mads was in the front).