Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[CyclistAbi]

No. There have been years when other athletes deserved it more.

Of course, that was my point. It's that year.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

For me, it's an award with zero prestige. It has a questionable reputation because it's a private fiefdom for tennis players and F 1 drivers. Everyone knows what's going on. Some years they give it to Duplantis for a historic record, but everyone knows about these awards.

The award hasn´t the notoriety that was expected; they are responsible for that.

Because you posted it here, but I follow cycling pages and none of them are particularly notice that a cyclist is nominated for this award today.

 

[rafa92]

FW is irrelevant (for his tour's preparation) for Pogacar. It will not matter if he races it or not.

clearly he and his team think differently.... who are we to question how he should prepare for the rest of the season
if he decides to do one more week of preparation on long climbs there's clearly a reason....

 

[canina82]

clearly he and his team think differently.... who are we to question how he should prepare for the rest of the season
if he decides to do one more week of preparation on long climbs there's clearly a reason....

I think Pogacar just doesn't care about FW tbh. Nothing to do with his preparation

 

[rafa92]

I think Pogacar just doesn't care about FW tbh. Nothing to do with his preparation

both things probably

 

[canina82]

It's official, no FW this year. Probably will only race it again if he wants to win the Ardennes treble.

 

[Rou]

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

this is what he has started to work on after roubaix, sustained efforts on long climbs at altitude (above 2000m)

Looks like a snail.
Hopefully he ups his game before Sunday.

 

[Rou]

Ever since the 2024 Tour Pogacar has not looked the same on longer climbs.
In 2024 he was using a higher cadence (almost Armstrong like) and he looked super smooth.
In 2025 and 2026 he is grinding a bigger gear (his power training for the classics probably has an influence on this)
To me personally he doesn't look as efficient as 2024.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Ever since the 2024 Tour Pogacar has not looked the same on longer climbs.
In 2024 he was using a higher cadence (almost Armstrong like) and he looked super smooth.
In 2025 and 2026 he is grinding a bigger gear (his power training for the classics probably has an influence on this)
To me personally he doesn't look as efficient as 2024.

2025-2026 are more classics oriented and he's now surely a couple of kilos heavier than during the spring of 2024. We still saw monstrous performances by Pog in the summer and autumn last year.

 

[rafa92]

Ever since the 2024 Tour Pogacar has not looked the same on longer climbs.
In 2024 he was using a higher cadence (almost Armstrong like) and he looked super smooth.
In 2025 and 2026 he is grinding a bigger gear (his power training for the classics probably has an influence on this)
To me personally he doesn't look as efficient as 2024.

I tend to agree with you, also to me he doesn't look the same, imo the move to the aero bike and his specific focus on classics have something to do with this.
But we have still seen two performances at a similar level to 2024 TDF, in the dauphine stage and in lombardy 2025

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

His level at the 2025 Tour would be enough for him to win the Tour this year.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I tend to agree with you, also to me he doesn't look the same, imo the move to the aero bike and his specific focus on classics have something to do with this.
But we have still seen two performances at a similar level to 2024 TDF, in the dauphine stage and in lombardy 2025

Peyreguades and Hautacam were awesome as well (and just after his crash).

 

[BubbaChuck]

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wprD-0q54q8

 

[rafa92]

Peyreguades and Hautacam were awesome as well.

peyreguades was a tt, difficult to compare
in hautacam he was not at his 24 tdf level, in the last KMs he was a bit cooked, but we don't know how much the crash he had the day before affected him

 

[canina82]

Ever since the 2024 Tour Pogacar has not looked the same on longer climbs.
In 2024 he was using a higher cadence (almost Armstrong like) and he looked super smooth.
In 2025 and 2026 he is grinding a bigger gear (his power training for the classics probably has an influence on this)
To me personally he doesn't look as efficient as 2024.

Again this conversation. He doesn't need to be at his best. 95% is enough to win the Tour.

 

[BubbaChuck]

Pog really build up that body. For first time on long climbs,he looks faster than Vinge.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

peyreguades was a tt, difficult to compare
in hautacam he was not at his 24 tdf level, in the last KMs he was a bit cooked, but we don't know how much the crash he had the day before affected him

The gaps in Hautacam were big and the conditions were difficult. Pogacar was cooked but others were even more. All things considered he wasn't that far off Riis record (the stage was more difficult and it was hot).
Peyreguades was great because he convincingly beat Vingegaard, who (according to his own words) did a very good performance and demolished the rest on that moderate climb.

 

[rafa92]

The gaps in Hautacam were big and the conditions were difficult. Pogacar was cooked but others were even more. All things considered he wasn't that far off Riis record (the stage was more difficult and it was hot).
Peyreguades was great because he convincingly beat Vingegaard, who (according to his own words) did a very good performance and demolished the rest on that moderate climb.

those were really good performances, but not at pdb and isola level.
In pdb the conditions were far from ideal to do a great w/kg performance, the stage was almost 200km with more than 5000m of climbing, in the valleys there were more than 30 degrees, and he still did much better w/kg numbers than in hautacam.
Isola was a bit less impressive but still a monster performance considering the difficulty of the stage

 

[vappa]

It's official, no FW this year. Probably will only race it again if he wants to win the Ardennes treble.

Which is probably never. To me it makes more sense to either race P-R or Giro, in both cases the Ardennes triple isn't happening

 

[Peyresourde]

those were really good performances, but not at pdb and isola level.
In pdb the conditions were far from ideal to do a great w/kg performance, the stage was almost 200km with more than 5000m of climbing, in the valleys there were more than 30 degrees, and he still did much better w/kg numbers than in hautacam.
Isola was a bit less impressive but still a monster performance considering the difficulty of the stage

PdB was indeed his best, but Peyragudes ITT, Combloux and Lombardia last year were not far off. The Isola stage was also not that hard. You can look in my climbers ranking thread were I analyzed all these performances.

Heat is also not always the same. The PdB stage actually started with moderate temperatures, only in the last short valley was it over 30°, while in Hautacam it was 34° to 36° the whole day.

 

[BubbaChuck]

In PDB stage they came almost to a still before the climb,when someone from visma went to pee. It was nice cooldown. But you could argue about some banned stuff or fact Pog was doing heavy climbing that season.Well see this year,with Seixas or Jonas on same schedule. This is heavy debate in cycling,better to peak for Tour or doing some crazy stuff,like Seixas 2 months on altiude. We are already seeing return of power climbing.

 

[The bald fraud]

Which is probably never. To me it makes more sense to either race P-R or Giro, in both cases the Ardennes triple isn't happening

Last year, he raced the Ardennes treble in full AFTER Roubaix (and was damn close to winning all 3). He might do it again some year if he does not ride Romandie or Giro afterwards.

But yes, it does not make any sense to ride AGR/FW in case Pogačar aims to return to Giro (which would also likely require skipping P-R).

 

[Krzysztof_O]

PdB was indeed his best, but Peyragudes ITT, Combloux and Lombardia last year were not far off. The Isola stage was also not that hard. You can look in my climbers ranking thread were I analyzed all these performances.

Heat is also not always the same. The PdB stage actually started with moderate temperatures, only in the last short valley was it over 30°, while in Hautacam it was 34° to 36° degrees the whole day.

Also the pacing was perfect on PdB (Pog "helped" by Visma guys for 2/3 of the climb) while on Hautacam the start was crazy and some guys paid for it at the end (even Pogacar, who was solo most of the climb).

 

[vappa]

Last year, he raced the Ardennes treble in full AFTER Roubaix (and was damn close to winning all 3). He might do it again some year if he does not ride Romandie or Giro afterwards.

But yes, it does not make any sense to ride AGR/FW in case Pogačar aims to return to Giro (which would also likely require skipping P-R).

I agree but we and they could all see that P-R negatively affects you in Amstel, I don't think he'll combine the two anymore

 

[rafa92]

PdB was indeed his best, but Peyragudes ITT, Combloux and Lombardia last year were not far off. The Isola stage was also not that hard. You can look in my climbers ranking thread were I analyzed all these performances.

Heat is also not always the same. The PdB stage actually started with moderate temperatures, only in the last short valley was it over 30°, while in Hautacam it was 34° to 36° the whole day.

yes, I pretty much agree with your ranking, as I said before Lombardia and combloux were the closest to his 2024 tour level. The ITT imo can't really be compared