The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to
In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.
Thanks!
Don't even know the profile, but Roglic isn't a medal favorite.Am I the only one who doesn't view any of them as favorite? The route is hilly but no crazy gradient.
I can't see them beating Dennis, Remco, Van Aert or Ganna if these guys are in top shape.
2 minutes in the final ITT? What?Roglič comes from a winter sport background and from Slovenia. His motive to became an Olympic medalist is hence pretty much as big as it gets. What i am trying to say is he isn't bluffing when saying he will try to prepare for the Olympics and try to be in an optimal and best shape possible. Not only for the Tour, but also for Olympics.
Of course the penultimate stage on TDF 2021 is always there in the back of his mind and it is reasonable to expect TDF will fatigue him. Compared to just preparing for the Olympics.
Pogačar has "turbo mode". UAE explaining it as his body being good at managing lactic acid and turning whatever is available into energy. My personal opinion is they are likely just forcing him, or not doing enough against him doing that, to go over 100% all the time. Hopefully that won't do too much damage too soon, his body.
Anyway, Roglič hence needs to find 2 minutes or to be confident enough his "semi-turbo mode" will be enough on the penultimate stage. It will be interesting to see on which card JV will play. Based on what i have seen so far it should be possible to get Roglič to penultimate stage in a rather good condition. But this strategy is a rather risky one. Hence likely they will make a move before and i feel they have 2 cards to play, trying to achieve that. But there wont' be just Pogačar there. We'll see.
2 minutes in the final ITT? What?
With Roglic and his TT, you just never know. He’s quite inconsistent. It seems he was better at the beginning of his career and then as his improved his climbing proficiency he kind of forgot about TT. I fully expect him to be much better this year not just because he announced it but it just makes sense, considering there’s not that many MTFs this year and TJV has quite good climbing train which does make his life a lot easier on the climbs.Don't even know the profile, but Roglic isn't a medal favorite.
With Roglic and his TT, you just never know. He’s quite inconsistent. It seems he was better at the beginning of his career and then as his improved his climbing proficiency he kind of forgot about TT. I fully expect him to be much better this year not just because he announced it but it just makes sense, considering there’s not that many MTFs this year and TJV has quite good climbing train which does make his life a lot easier on the climbs.
We will see if one trick pony can pull off yet another transformation
BTW what’s the deal with announcing his training focus? Isn’t that a bit naïve? I don‘t remember Pogacar telling everyone last year how he rode TT track three times until after he won....
And about the early part of his career, I'd say it was his climbing which was always good but the TT needed a lot of work (coming from the amateur level he didn't have access to a TT bike at a time when he was already destroying his rivals on climbs).
Yes, also can't follow that reasoning at all. He is an elite time trialist. For sure also on the level of Pogacar. But I get, ofc, that they want to have a margin of safety after last years's experience and Pogacar's 3rd week pedigree. But last posts make it sound he will face some sort of Schleck vs. Evans situation.Roglic inconsistent in TTs? Guys, Maybe he is in a 30-40 % tt winning average since 2017 or 2018, in fact in 2019 was even better than that, only in 2020 he seems to be worse, this year he was perfect in Itzulia and very good in Paris Nice.
The only problem is that his bad TTs were almost all in the last days of GT or in Worlds, but for example Geraint (to put an example of a general contender and TT specialist) is by far more incosistent, even the best TT specialist are more incosistent than Primoz over the last few years.
I didn't say he was bad. He's an excellent TT-er. But inconsistent nevertheless. On his good day, he can completely dominate a TT (2016 Giro, 2019 Giro first two TTs, 2019 Vuelta) while on his bad day, he can be a lot less convincing (2018 TDF, 2019 WC, 2020 TDF).Roglic inconsistent in TTs? Guys, Maybe he is in a 30-40 % tt winning average since 2017 or 2018, in fact in 2019 was even better than that, only in 2020 he seems to be worse, this year he was perfect in Itzulia and very good in Paris Nice.
The only problem is that his bad TTs were almost all in the last days of GT or in Worlds, but for example Geraint (to put an example of a general contender and TT specialist) is by far more incosistent, even the best TT specialist are more incosistent than Primoz over the last few years.
Roglič vs Pogačar TT performance is not even comparable. Roglič is by far better overall. There is only one time, Pogačar von a TT against Roglič. And it was by such a huge time gap that will always leave a question mark over Pogačar in that race. Always. In years to come, Pogačar will become better, because he's good and his young. Roglič's prime will be over and will start to drop.I didn't say he was bad. He's an excellent TT-er. But inconsistent nevertheless. On his good day, he can completely dominate a TT (2016 Giro, 2019 Giro first two TTs, 2019 Vuelta) while on his bad day, he can be a lot less convincing (2018 TDF, 2019 WC, 2020 TDF).
I'm also not saying there's GC contender that's either better or more consistent TTer (including Pogacar). All I'm saying is that when you put Roglic and Pogacar side by side, you can't really tell whether it will be Roglic in front (as in Vuelta 2019) or Pogacar (as in TDF 2020) and that this is something Roglic may be able to resolve by training TT. This years good performances are quite possibly the result of him being on his TT bike on half of his instagram photos...
Nope, Pogacar beat him at the Nats too.There is only one time, Pogačar von a TT against Roglič.
Seriously, lol.But the olympic time trial will be quite hilly too, so maybe better suited for Tadej coming straight from the tour and how he recovers fast.
But whoever who gets the spot, it is a shame that they only can have one spot and one of the favorites will lose out. Slovenia is first on the uci country rankinf. Belgium gets 2 spots. Wonder why they only get 1
Lol, someone is butthurt.Seriously, lol.
Belgium took silver with 2 different riders in the past 2 years, and bronze with yet another rider the year before at the worldchampionships. Belgium took 3 consecutive European titles with 2 different riders and podiumed each time the event was held since it's inception.
How unfair that these hacks get 2 spots and Slovenia doesn't.
Seriously.
Also, Belgium is #1 in the world, not Slovenia. Belgium gets an extra spot not for being #1 in the world, but because the Olympics were supposed to be held in 2020 but got postponed. Evenepoel became European champion ITT in 2019, securing an extra spot for Belgium at the 2020 Olympics. If Slovenia wanted that spot, they should have sent someone to the EU or WC ITT and won it.
Except if it's hot. Pogačar was known to perform a lot worse in hot conditions. But i think he already improved that area too.I think at the moment Roglic is the better time trialer, he's more aero and a robot, his movement looks pretty effortless.
But Pogacar has an incredible raw power, it's almost like a young dog (or a young child), you just don't know where that power ends, it has huge outbursts and just when you think it's beginning to calm down it just breaks out again.
Roglic, in a way, seems more consistent, like a good sewing machine, but the rougher it gets, the more does Pogacar seem to have the upper hand, whether that's cold weather, route/ race length or tough territory.
Lol, someone is butthurt.
Seriously, I corrected myself in another post right below that one that Slovenia is currently 3rd.Seriously, lol.
Belgium took silver with 2 different riders in the past 2 years, and bronze with yet another rider the year before at the worldchampionships. Belgium took 3 consecutive European titles with 2 different riders and podiumed each time the event was held since it's inception.
How unfair that these hacks get 2 spots and Slovenia doesn't.
Seriously.
Also, Belgium is #1 in the world, not Slovenia. Belgium gets an extra spot not for being #1 in the world, but because the Olympics were supposed to be held in 2020 but got postponed. Evenepoel became European champion ITT in 2019, securing an extra spot for Belgium at the 2020 Olympics. If Slovenia wanted that spot, they should have sent someone to the EU or WC ITT and won it.
These are the rules, yes. Doesn't mean they are particularly good. Another way to look at it would be for instance that quite possibly the number 1 ranked UCI rider for two years in a row won't be able to attend the olympic TT while number 30, for instance, can. That is strange - some might even go as far as to call it a "shame"...Seriously, lol.
Belgium took silver with 2 different riders in the past 2 years, and bronze with yet another rider the year before at the worldchampionships. Belgium took 3 consecutive European titles with 2 different riders and podiumed each time the event was held since it's inception.
How unfair that these hacks get 2 spots and Slovenia doesn't.
Seriously.
Also, Belgium is #1 in the world, not Slovenia. Belgium gets an extra spot not for being #1 in the world, but because the Olympics were supposed to be held in 2020 but got postponed. Evenepoel became European champion ITT in 2019, securing an extra spot for Belgium at the 2020 Olympics. If Slovenia wanted that spot, they should have sent someone to the EU or WC ITT and won it.