Tadej Pogacar and Mauro Giannetti

[Rackham]

I feel sorry for riders who ride near him in peloton, who knows what they expose themselves to or whether they make it through the controls

I think it was Soren Kragh Andersen (pretty sure it was) who was laughing his ass off when he saw Pogacar overtake him. It was meme worthy stuff.

 

[roundabout]

Don't know what he is taking, but it seems to work better in the rain.

 

[ontheroad]

Glad Pogačar is crushing everyone. I am tired of the usual Sky/Ineos dominance where every season there’s someone from that team winning a GT. It’s not like Pogačar was middling junior racer or someone that was 150th and then all of a sudden started winning tours with that god awful pedaling technique. Pogačar actually has talent.

Nobody is suggesting he didn't have talent and it is not the donkey to racehorse transformation exhibited by Froome (and now back to donkey again!). So whilst the transformation isn't ludicrous, his absolute dominance over his rivals most definitely is. I can't remember a rider in the history of the sport capable of such dominance at such a young age.

 

[Escarabajo]

Once again it is proven that the UCI is worthless. We will get more of this for the next 8-10 years until the police somewhere makes a raid only to find out the undeniable!

 

[saganftw]

absolutely ridiculous and wildly entertaining, i will always prefer such dominant showcase instead of pussyfooting around with attacks 500m from finish

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I really like this kid and how he races but I remember a time when Contador and Schleck were supposed to battle it out for 10 years. Ended up being what 2.5? (Tour 11 Contador was hampered by crashes and a giro in his legs and schelck was already somewhat waning in my opinion despite his galibier antics).

you never know what will happen

I mean, nothing's predictable, but the Tour may become to him what Roland Garros is to Nadal. That being a credible possibility is scary.

 

[fbjim]

This is awesome. All the British commentators going nuts at A3D/Ventoux 2013 and LPSM 2015 now putting their grave voices on and using their "we haven't seen this for years" code phrases. Thet can't take what Gianetti is cooking

 

[BlueRoads]

I just wish people are going to ask serious questions now, even if it leads to nothing. What annoys me even more than that the athletes behave like this is normal are the cycling journalists and moderators all being too afraid to cast a shadow over their sport to ask questions or mention the topic doping when that is so, so obvious.

 

[Netserk]

Do you think there's any chance he gets busted or will this go through for years?

Festina, Puerto etc. were not easy to foresee years in advance (I can't remember when the Puerto-investigation started, maybe 2004?). Likewise that Contador would be busted. Who knows what the coming years will bring.

 

[Escarabajo]

I really like this kid and how he races but I remember a time when Contador and Schleck were supposed to battle it out for 10 years. Ended up being what 2.5? (Tour 11 Contador was hampered by crashes and a giro in his legs and schelck was already somewhat waning in my opinion despite his galibier antics).

you never know what will happen

Contador was hampered by a lab in Germany who went out of the way and expose him and the UCI.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Today Tadej did a checkup of CN servers and we are still here. Congrats to the site management!

 

[Krzysztof_O]

not even close. that was more like Pantani on Galibier/Les Deux Alpes.

Also kinda similar to Armstrong on Hautacam - no stage win but demolition of his rivals in a bad weather.

 

[topt]

I just wish people are going to ask serious questions now, even if it leads to nothing. What annoys me even more than that the athletes behave like this is normal are the cycling journalists and moderators all being too afraid to cast a shadow over their sport to ask questions or mention the topic doping when that is so, so obvious.

probably becuse you have to have something more than he is fast; imagine journalist starting questioning Bolt after he broke the 100m WR, so are you doping cause you are so fast ?? It doesnt work that way

 

[Bolder]

I just wish people are going to ask serious questions now, even if it leads to nothing. What annoys me even more than that the athletes behave like this is normal are the cycling journalists and moderators all being too afraid to cast a shadow over their sport to ask questions or mention the topic doping when that is so, so obvious.

IRL you generally can't make public accusations against someone without evidence, unlike here.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

UAE was crazy strong today.

Formolo stronger than the second best GC guy, lol. I was entertained.

 

[topt]

Pogacar now rivalling Chernobyl for the greatest source of radiation to come out of Eastern Europe.

are you american, cause you really suck at geography....

 

[Devil's Elbow]

are you american, cause you really suck at geography....

I'm Dutch, actually. Which of Ukraine and Slovenia isn't Eastern Europe by the most commonly agreed definition according to you?

 

[Netserk]

Don't know what he is taking, but it seems to work better in the rain.

I think that is down to his build. It would be interesting with a heatwave in the Pyrenees.

 

[topt]

I'm Dutch, actually. Which of Ukraine and Slovenia isn't Eastern Europe by the most commonly agreed definition according to you?

well that sucks; Dutch are supposed to have good schools, which do you think....unless you also want to put Austria in eastern europe

 

[saganftw]

geographically speaking Slovenia is as much eastern europe as austria, but otherwise yes all of former yugoslavia would qualify as eastern europe

 

[roundabout]

I think that is down to his build. It would be interesting with a heatwave in the Pyrenees.

Hmm. It could be, but I don't think it was particularly cold today, in that Tirreno Adriatico stage or in that Vuelta stage in 2019. But maybe just the rain is enough to hinder the skinnier riders more.

 

[Netserk]

I'm Dutch, actually. Which of Ukraine and Slovenia isn't Eastern Europe by the most commonly agreed definition according to you?

Eastern Europe - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[BlueRoads]

probably becuse you have to have something more than he is fast; imagine journalist starting questioning Bolt after he broke the 100m WR, so are you doping cause you are so fast ?? It doesnt work that way

I don't believe in Bolt for one second.
You need proof to convict someone, not to ask questions.
And of course you always get the "why shouldn't he be able to do it"-answers, but if for instance someone runs the 100m half a second faster than all the other competitors in the world, I don't need any proof to be sure. In every not-complete-niche-sport there is a level around which the best move, and when someone goes totally out of that zone it has never been clean or even close to clean. So if you don't start questions then, are you only going to once someone is banned?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

well that sucks; Dutch are supposed to have good schools, which do you think....unless you also want to put Austria in eastern europe

Culturally, not geographically, obviously.

Is Slovenia part of the Balkans? yes
Are the Balkans part of Eastern or Western Europe? Eastern
QED

Either way, back on topic.

 

[fbjim]

Cycling is actually better than most other sports as far as doubt goes. God help you if you bring up the Serena Williams panic room incident.