Tadej Pogacar and Mauro Giannetti

[zlev11]

and also his borderline not-quite-right family situation (codependency among other things springs to mind)

what, because his wife is uh, how do i put this nicely...large? they honestly both seem like pretty normal dudes other than the Professional Cyclist part.

 

[Rackham]

what, because his wife is uh, how do i put this nicely...large? they honestly both seem like pretty normal dudes other than the Professional Cyclist part.

Nah. Because he's the only person in the universe who acts like even having a wife and family is the biggest deal ever.

I mean most people just get on with it.

 

[E_F_]

what, because his wife is uh, how do i put this nicely...large?

Huh? She's a bit taller than him you mean? The thing is he's much younger than her, and I do think he depends on her, but don't think co-dependency is correct at all.

 

[zlev11]

Huh? She's a bit taller than him you mean? The thing is he's much younger than her, and I do think he depends on her, but don't think co-dependency is correct at all.

yeah honestly not even, i thought i remembered her being like twice his size but i looked it up and they look incredibly normal together. the age difference is only 9 years too.

 

[E_F_]

yeah honestly not even, i thought i remembered her being like twice his size but i looked it up and they look incredibly normal together. the age difference is only 9 years too.

Yeah, I don't have any issue with what they're doing - for all I know it's a perfectly healthy relationship. They did meet when Jonas was very young though. The age gap was pretty significant back then - and at first she thought he was too young to be into her.

 

[Netserk]

his borderline not-quite-right family situation (codependency among other things springs to mind)

What does that mean?

 

[Casual cyclist]

Yeah he was sweaty and out of breath (for once).

I guess the UAE gang were reading this forum and switched his assist off in the last 5km or so.

 

[kingjr]

Nah. Because he's the only person in the universe who acts like even having a wife and family is the biggest deal ever.

I mean most people just get on with it.

It is for some.

 

[E_F_]

It is for some.

Yeah, it's obviously the biggest deal ever in his life, so I guess either that's wrong or he just shouldn't show it..?

 

[Rackham]

It is for some.

Who? Vin Diesel?

Just kidding.

What does that mean?

See my previous post.

I refuse to have a conversation about Pog being unlikeable without mentioning the fisherman. It's hard enough watching these lunatics demolish ascent times and the concept of "suspension of disbelief" but one thing I won't do is indulge the sponsor propaganda whereby they're presented as "great people" as well.

I call B.S. on all of it. The messaging is forced as ***. Like Vinge almost 'accidentally' winning the Vuelta as an homage to his daughter and Van Hooydonck. It's phony as all hell.

 

[kingjr]

Who? Vin Diesel?

Just kidding.



See my previous post.

I refuse to have a conversation about Pog being unlikeable without mentioning the fisherman. It's hard enough watching these lunatics demolish ascent times and the concept of "suspension of disbelief" but one thing I won't do is indulge the sponsor propaganda whereby they're presented as "great people" as well.

I call B.S. on all of it. The messaging is forced as f***. Like Vinge almost 'accidentally' winning the Vuelta as an homage to his daughter and Van Hooydonck. It's phony as all hell.

Your previous post doesn't explain anything.

 

[Rackham]

Your previous post doesn't explain anything.

It literally explains everything. It's marketing, end of. The entire family schtick is just his team giving him an image and his actual manager (aka his wife) using it as well. The only reason you even hear about his family nonstop is because that's what the Visma press officer focused on after the TdF 2022 and everyone ran with it.

It's jarring as hell because I don't know what the percentages are but a lot of pro-riders are married with kids. It's no big deal.

 

[Red Rick]

Since pigs started flying back in 2020, how come rival teams are not doing this - starting with Visma? At least yours is a welcome departure from wild motor doping conspiracy theories on here which all require UCI collusion to hold water.

I think it's likely most top teams are on it, and teams differ in the degree to which they've optimized it.

Pogacar may be a hyper responder or he may just have a blood profile uniquely suited to abusing it to its fullest.

 

[Netserk]

It literally explains everything. It's marketing, end of. The entire family schtick is just his team giving him an image and his actual manager (aka his wife) using it as well. The only reason you even hear about his family nonstop is because that's what the Visma press officer focused on after the TdF 2022 and everyone ran with it.

It's jarring as hell because I don't know what the percentages are but a lot of pro-riders are married with kids. It's no big deal.

How does:

Because he's the only person in the universe who acts like even having a wife and family is the biggest deal ever.

Explain:

his borderline not-quite-right family situation (codependency among other things springs to mind)

???

I don't think it's purely marketing just to give him an image, on initiative of his wife. I also don't find him phoney. With his personality and nerves, it makes sense to me that his relationship with his family anchors him and is vital for him handling the pressure of his job.

 

[Rackham]

How does:

Explain:

???

I don't think it's purely marketing just to give him an image, on initiative of his wife. I also don't find him phoney. With his personality and nerves, it makes sense to me that his relationship with his family anchors him and is vital for him handling the pressure of his job.

Both Pog and Vinge are serial winners trained by their team to win, win and win again. Win for glory, win for money. Rinse repeat forever. They're also doped up to their eyeballs. So the rest (public image namely) is forced.

I was literally sitting on my sofa watching De Ronde earlier this afternoon listening to the Eurosport commentators waxing lyrical about Pog riding his bike 'just for fun'.

I mean come on! Seriously? There's only so many times I can roll my eyes before they get stuck in the back of my skull.

 

[Panda Claws]

It's not clear to me what you're even arguing.
Are you just saying that they Vinge plays up a 'family man' image for the cameras? That's hardly controversial.

If there's something more fundamentally wrong with Vingegaard's private life then please more clearly enlighten us.

Same with Pog really. Skeletons in the closets besides the doping?

 

[Froome]

Quite strange, especially in a day like today, you end up debating in this thread about Vingegaard and his wife, but it is what it is.

 

[Rackham]

It's not clear to me what you're even arguing.
Are you just saying that they Vinge plays up a 'family man' image for the cameras? That's hardly controversial.

If there's something more fundamentally wrong with Vingegaard's private life then please more clearly enlighten us.

Same with Pog really. Skeletons in the closets besides the doping?

Of course there's something wrong with his family life. He's a drug addict. Among other things.

I mean I feel like that's a literal 'drop the mic' moment but if people want the blunt truth then voilà, 'boom'. That's the gist of it. Ditto Pog.

This 'fakeness' and behavioural disorder pertains to cycling's champions especially because the balance between doping and natural talent leans more heavily towards the former in cycling compared to other sports. Aka unlike in tennis or football, being a 'super responder' drug addict can get you a very long way in cycling. All the way to the top, actually.

I mean that's as blunt and as succinct as I can make this guys, i.e. these riders are not good people or role models. They're winning for their sponsors and earning big money. That trumps the rest.

 

[Rackham]

FYI Vinge and Pog were huffing on carbon monoxide rebreathers last year. That's just the tip of the iceberg.

Does that sound remotely like behavior associated with guys who "ride their bikes just for fun" (like the Eurospot commentators would have us believe...) or place their family over everything? (like Visma's PR hammers us over the head with). I don't mean to get all 'bigger picture' here but come on, there's a point when you need to step outside the cycling bubble and compare these guys to actual normalcy.

They are not normal.

 

[ashhutch1997]

This guy hasn't had a bad day since stage 17 of the 2023 TDF. When you are making riders like MVDP look like weekend warriors, you know there's a big problem.

 

[ashhutch1997]

FYI Vinge and Pog were huffing on carbon monoxide rebreathers last year. That's just the tip of the iceberg.

Does that sound remotely like behavior associated with guys who "ride their bikes just for fun" (like the Eurospot commentators would have us believe...) or place their family over everything? (like Visma's PR hammers us over the head with). I don't mean to get all 'bigger picture' here but come on, there's a point when you need to step outside the cycling bubble and compare these guys to actual normalcy.

They are not normal.

True, but Vingegaard is good for maybe 3/4 races each year, Pogacar literally turns up to every race he enters and destroys everyone. He literally hadn't had a bad day for 2 years now.

 

[ashhutch1997]

Exactlyi I remember that even Armstrong had occasional bad days in his 7 TdF. This guy doesn't have any all season. His last bad day was in the TdF of 2023 where he still finished 22nd in the stage and where the best team at that time had to put him under pressure for two entire weeks.
It's beyond ridiculous.

Yes but you can't compare this to Lance, he was good for ONE race every year, not every bloody race all year, all terrain like Pogacar. I used to love watching Pogacar, but the last 2 years are really starting to put me off watching cycling.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Quite strange, especially in a day like today, you end up debating in this thread about Vingegaard and his wife, but it is what it is.

After what we saw on 2024 (well actually from 2020 onwards but there was a new level in 2024), there's nothing more to say. The performances of pocagar are ridiculous and unpalatable, giNetti is behind it all, no medias or journalist want to question anything. So there's really nothing more to discuss. It is notable how quiet is this clinic after today performance.

That's why people are discussing instead this vingeggrd stuff, even if in my opinion it's tasteless. It is somewhst novel and controversial.

Pogacar spent the last year riding away from mutants while looking like a kid on a group ride, over and over again. Nothing more to say about him

 

[Froome]

After what we saw on 2024 (well actually from 2020 onwards but there was a new level in 2024), there's nothing more to say. The performances of pocagar are ridiculous and unpalatable, giNetti is behind it all, no medias or journalist want to question anything. So there's really nothing more to discuss. It is notable how quiet is this clinic after today performance.

That's why people are discussing instead this vingeggrd stuff, even if in my opinion it's tasteless. It is somewhst novel and controversial.

Pogacar spent the last year riding away from mutants while looking like a kid on a group ride, over and over again. Nothing more to say about him

Everything is controlled even in the media.

How armstrong was questioned by the media and this guy who is even more ridiculous (when he have gianneti behind him) doesn't get any question or investigation?

There is one simples answer:there is a lot of money involved.

 

[Gratemans]

It's jarring as hell because I don't know what the percentages are but a lot of pro-riders are married with kids. It's no big deal.

I agree with you there.

Are you just saying that they Vinge plays up a 'family man' image for the cameras? That's hardly controversial.

Well, it is to me. It's a US-politician kind of thing that I actually despise. You have a wife and children, well great. How people see that as an 'achievement', I'll probably never understand. Might just be me. That being said, I don't necessarily think he has an unhealthy relationship, but I do think their PR department milks it for all its worth. Which I find pretty annoying.

He's a drug addict. Among other things.

But here's where you lose me, even though I could quote quite a few of your later posts I totally agree with. It's not like he's on crack or something. You don't get 'addicted' to epo, carbon-monoxide, lung worms or whatever. Now you're just exaggerating.