Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread

[Brullnux]

by the way to all the people telling he was horrible on the climb, based on watts2win analysis his performance was similar in terms of level to vingegaard's best 2026 performance (stage 5 catalunya) and a bit below seixas performance in basque stage 2, all while looking on a training ride, today he has officially started his training for long climbs...

The conditions factor (-1) is definitely off. This was a unipuerto stage not raced very hard until the climb.

 

[rafa92]

The conditions factor (-1) is definitely off. This was a unipuerto stage not raced very hard until the climb.

they have a standardised method to adjust for stage difficulty, the basque stage was just as easy, catalunya was a bit harder and it has +5

 

[Brullnux]

they have a standardised method to adjust for stage difficulty, the basque stage was just as easy, catalunya was a bit harder and it has +5

Yes, I just think they'll adjust it. Actually, they already have. Might go further, who knows

 

[Tim Cahill]

they have a standardised method to adjust for stage difficulty, the basque stage was just as easy, catalunya was a bit harder and it has +5

They usually adjust a while after the stage, yesterday had Ivan Sosa doing a thunderous 6.5 w/kg for half an hour

 

[Krzysztof_O]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2049513277487501341

View: https://x.com/laflammerouge16/status/2049513277487501341?s=46

Pogacar version in stage races since 2025 tdf has been pure comedy for his fans lol

Not that he has raced a lot of stage races since the Tour 2025!

 

[CatchyH]

Today's stage design wasn't very friendly to a solo attack over the top of the climb, especially with a headwind to the finish. If he did go solo there's a solid chance he'd have been caught anyway.

 

[Rou]

As was said it was his weakest long climb since Lombardia 2023.
You can cope, you can imagine things but this is reality.
And this performance is in no way in the same league as Vingegaard from Catalunya or Seixas in Itzulia.

 

[Rou]

Maybe now some people will finally figure it out why Pogacar has never done and will never do a TDF-VUELTA double.

 

[Tanakka]

Today's stage design wasn't very friendly to a solo attack over the top of the climb, especially with a headwind to the finish. If he did go solo there's a solid chance he'd have been caught anyway.

And especially it being the first stage.
IMO, if I had to bet, he wouldn't have been caught, but it would've been a lot of effort to gain perhaps 18 seconds or so.
Definitely diminishing returns.

Why would you extert yourself three days after of a challenging Monuments Campaign, when the stages which matter for the GC are stage #4 and stage #5 anyway?

He might as well be "washed up" for GTs ( I doubt it, but whatever) and finish 4° at the next TdF, but people reading so much into this stage crack me up.

 

[MariaB]

Maybe now some people will finally figure it out why Pogacar has never done and will never do a TDF-VUELTA double.

Yeah, because you have all the answers, right?

 

[canina82]

Maybe now some people will finally figure it out why Pogacar has never done and will never do a TDF-VUELTA double.

What a ridiculous take. Specially when he won Giro-Tour in a very dominant fashion.

 

[Tanakka]

Maybe now some people will finally figure it out why Pogacar has never done and will never do a TDF-VUELTA double.

I don't even know where to start figuring out why today's stage would've made you come to such a conclusion.
I don't get it.


But most people - not everyone but the majority - think that the Giro-Tour double is harder than Tour-Vuelta.
Therefore...

 

[Rou]

Yeah, because you have all the answers, right?

No. I just observe reality and draw conclusions unlike some people who live in denial.
I'm the biggest Pog fan here by the way but it is ridiculous how people are coping.

 

[MariaB]

What a ridiculous take. Specially when he won Giro-Tour in a very dominant fashion.

2024 - Triple Crown
2025 - TdF + 3 monuments + WC + 2 podiums in the other 2 monuments (never done before)
2026 - already 3 monuments (and heavy favorite for Lombardia + possible TdF and WC

And he is so washed. My god.

 

[Rou]

What a ridiculous take. Specially when he won Giro-Tour in a very dominant fashion.

Give me a break. He won a Giro against Martinez and the mummy Thomas.
And the Pogacar from 2024 is a different beast. For me that was his best season and his strongest form ever.

 

[BahamontesPhantom]

Underwhelming performance. I will wait for the end of Romandie but if he shows another performance like this, Seixas will be my number one favorite for the Tour.

Just measuring himself with transition from classics to big climbs no?

 

[Heston]

Washed in terms of stage racing yes.

Jonas and Seixas have undeniably been at a much higher level this year in 1 week stage races and both of them would have won solo easily today.

 

[nightowl]

Ah yes, Pogacar, who was in career-best shape this spring, has clearly lost the ability to climb. That is of course the most reasonable and obvious observation from this stage.

 

[Rou]

Ah yes, Pogacar, who was in career-best shape this spring, has clearly lost the ability to climb. That is of course the most reasonable and obvious observation from this stage.

Yes, the tour will be won with Paris-Roubaix Roubaix and Flanders performances...

 

[Heston]

Ah yes, Pogacar, who was in career-best shape this spring, has clearly lost the ability to climb. That is of course the most reasonable and obvious observation from this stage.

How else would you describe an all out attack on a big mountain being unable to drop Lenny, Lipo and Nordhagen? And Lenny looking much stronger than Pogacar

 

[Salvarani]

It was just smart to do nothing "special" here and ride the last +30km in small group, instead doing it on his own on long stretches of road into headwind. Smart racing. Got the stage. Nice day of work. Job done.

Harder stages coming up.

Some people man...

 

[Rou]

Just to be clear from all the Pog fans.
Was today an underperformance or not?

 

[Heston]

So we will have to see in July how washed Pogacar is.

Just remember to not hide after your idol from Denmark gets spanked once again.

It is an indeniable fact that Jonas and Seixas have been at a much higher level in 1 week stage races this year than Pogacar was today. I'm sorry if facts bother you.

 

[Rou]

@Salvarani My friend, instead of laughing tell me is it normal for Pogacar to be in the same group with Jorgen Nordhagen?

 

[MariaB]

How else would you describe an all out attack on a big mountain being unable to drop Lenny, Lipo and Nordhagen? And Lenny looking much stronger than Pogacar

He just won LBL last Sunday.

He rode in a very smart way today, using two guys in the flat part.
He won the sprint in a very dominant way.

So, I will describe it as a masterful display.