Tadej Pogacar and Mauro Giannetti

[SHAD0W93]

Every time when I ride my cargo bike uphill I get the complete opposite feeling you have. I don't think he actually uses a motor, but I always seem to accelerate similar to him.

Maybe it’s from what Peterfin described, since at least compared to the e bike I rode Pogacar didn’t have any accelerations like that.

 

[Cookster15]

Maybe it’s from what Peterfin described, since at least compared to the e bike I rode Pogacar didn’t have any accelerations like that.

I don't think Pogacar is using a motor. But if he was it would be more like 40 watts than say the 250 to 500 watts that commercially sold e bikes make.

 

[HashRouge]

After riding an e bike for the first time I think the theory of Pogacar using a motor has even less credibility. Definitely on something high tech and maybe that crazy cocktail helped with his heat resistance. UAE also doesn’t seem to get bans if I recall vs like Visma with their issue a year and half or so ago.

I genuinely think the improvement in heat resistance might be down to his own hard work. I know that's controversial to say in the Clinic, but I've seen quite a few comments online about people who've come across him training in very hot weather all layered up and dressed in black. I think we have a tendency to say everything is doping, but I think sometimes we need to consider other factors too.

 

[SorelyBoy]

After riding an e bike for the first time I think the theory of Pogacar using a motor has even less credibility. Definitely on something high tech and maybe that crazy cocktail helped with his heat resistance. UAE also doesn’t seem to get bans if I recall vs like Visma with their issue a year and half or so ago.

Oh he’s on a brilliant programme, no doubt. However, the margin of superiority over a never more competitive and professional field does require a different theory and understanding of what is actually happening. I therefore lean towards thinking there’s something going on with the bike judging by the growing weight of supporting evidence we’re seeing during races. The crazy seated and sustained accelerations in Alpine stages which don’t seem to involve a corresponding increase in body torque. The severe uphill short anaerobic accelerations in certain classic races, again seated, and which leave competitors to their square peddling. The savage and sustained attacks from up to 100km out. The weird and unpredictable one day dips in performances, followed by immediate return to form the next day. Such performance dips occur during time trial stages more often than not. I think that’s significant. I could go on about his general unparalleled consistency without having off days, or periods of illness. I think motorised assistance could facilitate effort management, lessening the attritional impact on the body that Pogacar appears not to suffer from so much. When we then also consider what was being achieved by e bike technology up to 20years ago, the constant rumours in the peloton, and the fact that UAE brought bike design in-house, plus the record of its team director, then it’s more than reasonable to be concerned.