Tadej Pogacar and Mauro Giannetti

[Cookster15]

What annoys me is the silent of the peleton. Back in the LA era riders knew they couldn't win TDF, but they had a fair shot at any other race. With this Poga dude there's nothing left, nothing. He gives no stages away, remember Jorgensen in last years TDF. That was totally unnecessary. Poga takes everything, other riders must feel horrible, they must know what's up.

The silence and relaxed demeanor of the peloton should tell you he isn't using motors and they accept his superiority. Watch the interviews of other riders. If they knew Pog was using a motor I'd expect some kind of strain in the way they speak. But there is none. They are all tranquille. And if I was a pro I wouldn't want to be gifted races.

And, assuming he isn't simply a generational talent, if its not motors, then it can only be methods all the other teams have access to. But what they don't all have access to is Pogacar's response to doping. So the wheel turns back to the effectiveness of the UCI biological passport.

We already know doctors use EPO micro-dosing "top ups" to hide blood doping but I am not convinced that is foolproof. The 14 markers tracked by the ABP include all ways that the blood transports oxygen to the muscles that generate sustained aerobic cycling power. Others here know more than me. But I think the answer will be in there somewhere - again, assuming he isn't simply a generational talent.

Its all here under 2.1.1 Haematological Module:

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/athlete-biological-passport

 

[Divergence]

It's called politics.

To what end?

 

[ashhutch1997]

To what end?

You need you'd friends in cycling. UAE and Pogacar went out of their way to not let breaks get away so he could win, teams and riders will remember this. On the Col de Joux-Plane in the 2000 TDF, when Armstrong bonked riders who caught him we're pacing him and even offering him gels due to US Postal letting breaks ride away. Alberto Contador gifted Paolo Tiralongo a stage in 2011 Giro and then a year later in the 2012 Vuelta, when Contador was doing his race winning move to Fuente De guess who was in the break to and gave him a turn..... Paolo Tiralongo, and Astana also gave Contador bottles. There's loads of examples.

 

[Blobs]

The silence and relaxed demeanor of the peloton should tell you he isn't using motors and they accept his superiority. Watch the interviews of other riders. If they knew Pog was using a motor I'd expect some kind of strain in the way they speak. But there is none. They are all tranquille. And if I was a pro I wouldn't want to be gifted races.

And, assuming he isn't simply a generational talent, if its not motors, then it can only be methods all the other teams have access to. But what they don't all have access to is Pogacar's response to doping. So the wheel turns back to the effectiveness of the UCI biological passport.

We already know doctors use EPO micro-dosing "top ups" to hide blood doping but I am not convinced that is foolproof. The 14 markers tracked by the ABP include all ways that the blood transports oxygen to the muscles that generate sustained aerobic cycling power. Others here know more than me. But I think the answer will be in there somewhere - again, assuming he isn't simply a generational talent.

Its all here under 2.1.1 Haematological Module:

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/athlete-biological-passport

If they know about it and can afford it. It could be something extremely expensive that no one else can afford without the oil money.

 

[Divergence]

You need you'd friends in cycling. UAE and Pogacar went out of their way to not let breaks get away so he could win, teams and riders will remember this. On the Col de Joux-Plane in the 2000 TDF, when Armstrong bonked riders who caught him we're pacing him and even offering him gels due to US Postal letting breaks ride away. Alberto Contador gifted Paolo Tiralongo a stage in 2011 Giro and then a year later in the 2012 Vuelta, when Contador was doing his race winning move to Fuente De guess who was in the break to and gave him a turn..... Paolo Tiralongo, and Astana also gave Contador bottles. There's loads of examples.

Armstrong needed to play the politics game and by what I can glean from Johann Bryuneel he needed to restrain Armstrong on some occasions. But in those days everything was as dirty as hell and I do not think things are like that at the moment.
Tiralongo was Contador's teammate previously so even if the gift was dubious it might have been somewhat reasonable. Plus I think they were friends.
If you watch today's cycling nobody is conspiring against UAE, people are just happy to fight for second. Now I think they should gang up against Pog but it seems to be difficult with so many agendas at play. Even if they were to team up against Pog I would still not like him gifting a stage to anybody except for maybe Urska at a charity ride. In fact, teams are actively helping with the chase when second tier riders try to go in a breakaway.
To sum it up, Pog is riding as he should and even though I enjoy watching him lose I have to admit he is the best at the moment. Maybe we will get some Rog revenge this summer, who knows...