Teams & Riders The Remco Evenepoel is the next Eddy Merckx thread

[red_flanders]

Jorgenson has much more upside and that's why he got the 3 year contract. Still think he'd be better on Bora and get Primoz to lead him out....gradually. Although that new Tour kit would be the deal breaker, for sure.

Wow. Surprised to read that opinion. I can't see any world where Jorgenson has more upside now or later than Remco. Doesn't seem close to me.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Wow. Surprised to read that opinion. I can't see any world where Jorgenson has more upside now or later than Remco. Doesn't seem close to me.

Yeah I’m a big Jorgensen fan, but I would expect that Remco’s palmares today already outstrip what Jorgensen will do in his career, and I would expect the same to be true for what Remco does from now until he retires compared to Johnson’s entire career.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Yeah I’m a big Jorgensen fan, but I would expect that Remco’s palmares today already outstrip what Jorgensen will do in his career, and I would expect the same to be true for what Remco does from now until he retires compared to Johnson’s entire career.

Quite often timing is everything. I would never have expected Kuss to be a GT winner. But his timing was perfect.
Being on his very best whilst being in a situation where he could benefit from team tactics.

Now Jorgenson is around the same age as Evenepoel. So like Evenepoel he'll probably have to battle Pogacar, Vingegaard for a TdF win. So at first glance his timing don't look perfect. Every now and then the level drops creating an even playing for the level right below. I'm thinking Zoetemelk, Stephen Roche, Oscar Pereiro, Wiggins, Bernal. And given his age that's unlikely to happen for him. However not all is lost. Nibali won a TdF, and i never rated him as the best rider of any Tour he started. I mean he was the best rider that stayed on his bike during his tour win.

 

[Netserk]

Yeah I’m a big Jorgensen fan, but I would expect that Remco’s palmares today already outstrip what Jorgensen will do in his career, and I would expect the same to be true for what Remco does from now until he retires compared to Johnson’s entire career.

Gotta say, it'd be hilarious to refer to Big Jorge as Matt Johnson.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Vingegaard heavier so as to have more muscle...
So even Visma is trying out different weight options

 

[Berflamand]

There's a big interview with Jan Bakelants (as interviewer) in HLN: https://www.hln.be/tour-de-france/o...zit-momenteel-aan-een-soort-plafond~a1e60119/

But it doesn't exactly ooze confidence. Interesting tidbits:

On the eve of the start of the Tour, do you feel stronger than last year?

"Because of the circumstances, I built up differently than in 2024. Which brought me to my better level faster. But it might be difficult to maintain or improve on that."

"It was also a bit of a search for the right balance between rest and training in recent weeks. But overall I do feel stronger, yes. Except... I'm not the only one (laughs) Everyone is taking a step forward."

It seems to be getting crazier and crazier.

(nods) "It's... (thinks for a moment) certainly not demotivating, but it is tough. Three, four years ago when you were riding uphill at 7 watts/kilo, you rode two minutes away from the competition. Now you have to hold that for twenty minutes! And even then you're only barely hanging on or, especially with Tadej Pogacar, you're already dangling at a minute. Really crazy."

True. I too look at it with big eyes. You obviously had a difficult year and a half, with a lot of injuries. Did that have its impact on the evolution of your level of form and performance?

"Absolutely. All in all, I couldn't do anything for another three months in that past period. The intention was to start climbing exercises early last winter. To become a better climber. That didn't happen."

"While everyone was already in very good shape, I kept building up. Nowadays, there are very few races in which you can start just to gain competition rhythm and build up your condition. Always and everywhere you race on the limit so you have to recover from that afterwards."

"I think the last few years, because of all my crashes, I have missed out on some percentages in my growth process. That's a pity, especially in “Grand Tour” territory."

Back to that wattage evolution for a moment. Have you noticed a stagnation in your absolute peak wattages around 5 and 20 minutes over the last year and a half, or even longer, just because you have not been able to train consistently enough?

"Expressed in watts per kilo, I have indeed not improved since my Vuelta win in 2022 and the phase afterwards (World Cup in Wollongong, ed.), in which I was really top and rode with surplus. Not even in last year's Tour."

"I am currently at a kind of ceiling that I find difficult to raise. Especially with uphill tempo changes I have trouble. If there is already a hard tempo and they put an extra layer on top for another five minutes, I can still manage."

"But that extra minute where the GC stars, who ride to win, accelerate full to make up the difference and then get back into their own rhythm, breaks me down."

Did you do intensive work during that last altitude camp in Tignes?

"Not really. Because I noticed, again as a result of that injury winter, that after the Dauphiné I needed a bit more recuperation than last year. It was quite a tough edition as well. I had, over the whole week, a Training Stress Score of almost 1,800 - some teammates even above 2,000. For me, that's really quite a lot."

"The easy altitude camp then did allow me to go very deep at the two BKs and use them as supercompensation. In the time trial in Brasschaat, I rode for three quarters of an hour just below my FTP. A super good incentive. On training, you can't do that."

Is the Vuelta also on your programme?

"No. Everything on the World Cup in Rwanda this autumn. And on the European Championship in Drôme-Ardèche, where I want to complete my “championship circle” (only the European Championship road title is still missing, ed.). I live a bit for those championships. Personally, I place them a bit higher than the classic Monuments."

"I normally ride the Clásica San Sebastian after the Tour and take a week's recuperation immediately after that. August I then fill up further with an altitude training and then an extra competition incentive to get back into the rythm - I would like to combine the Bretagne Classic in Plouay, a WT-race with World Cup distance - with a smaller “rondeke” genre Germany or Great Britain."

"After staying in the Syncrosfera altitude hotel, combined with the Spanish heat, I should then be adapted to Rwandan conditions."

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Vingegaard heavier so as to have more muscle...
So even Visma is trying out different weight options

Maybe Vingo got some weight tips from the Belgian guru himself...pizza camps instead of starvation camps!

 

[KenFiamingo]

"Expressed in watts per kilo, I have indeed not improved since my Vuelta win in 2022 and the phase afterwards (World Cup in Wollongong, ed.), in which I was really top and rode with surplus. Not even in last year's Tour."

I feel @Logic-is-your-friend will want to comment on this

Is the Vuelta also on your programme?

"No. Everything on the World Cup in Rwanda this autumn. And on the European Championship in Drôme-Ardèche, where I want to complete my “championship circle” (only the European Championship road title is still missing, ed.). I live a bit for those championships. Personally, I place them a bit higher than the classic Monuments."

"I normally ride the Clásica San Sebastian after the Tour and take a week's recuperation immediately after that. August I then fill up further with an altitude training and then an extra competition incentive to get back into the rythm - I would like to combine the Bretagne Classic in Plouay, a WT-race with World Cup distance - with a smaller “rondeke” genre Germany or Great Britain."

I understand his love for CSS, but why not take recovery time right after the Tour instead?

Listing the dates of the races he mentioned:
2/8: Clasica San Sebastian
20/8-24/8: Deutschland Tour
31/8: Bretagne Classic
2/9-7/9: Tour of Britain
21/9: WC TT
28/9: WC RR
5/10: EC RR
11/10: Lombardia (most likely)

If he's doing CSS, Germany would be highly unlikely IMO.

I wonder if Canada instead of Britain would be an option. I'd love to seen him there in shape.

 

[Extinction]

There's a big interview with Jan Bakelants (as interviewer) in HLN: https://www.hln.be/tour-de-france/o...zit-momenteel-aan-een-soort-plafond~a1e60119/

But it doesn't exactly ooze confidence. Interesting tidbits:

On the eve of the start of the Tour, do you feel stronger than last year?

"Because of the circumstances, I built up differently than in 2024. Which brought me to my better level faster. But it might be difficult to maintain or improve on that."

"It was also a bit of a search for the right balance between rest and training in recent weeks. But overall I do feel stronger, yes. Except... I'm not the only one (laughs) Everyone is taking a step forward."

It seems to be getting crazier and crazier.

(nods) "It's... (thinks for a moment) certainly not demotivating, but it is tough. Three, four years ago when you were riding uphill at 7 watts/kilo, you rode two minutes away from the competition. Now you have to hold that for twenty minutes! And even then you're only barely hanging on or, especially with Tadej Pogacar, you're already dangling at a minute. Really crazy."

True. I too look at it with big eyes. You obviously had a difficult year and a half, with a lot of injuries. Did that have its impact on the evolution of your level of form and performance?

"Absolutely. All in all, I couldn't do anything for another three months in that past period. The intention was to start climbing exercises early last winter. To become a better climber. That didn't happen."

"While everyone was already in very good shape, I kept building up. Nowadays, there are very few races in which you can start just to gain competition rhythm and build up your condition. Always and everywhere you race on the limit so you have to recover from that afterwards."

"I think the last few years, because of all my crashes, I have missed out on some percentages in my growth process. That's a pity, especially in “Grand Tour” territory."

Back to that wattage evolution for a moment. Have you noticed a stagnation in your absolute peak wattages around 5 and 20 minutes over the last year and a half, or even longer, just because you have not been able to train consistently enough?

"Expressed in watts per kilo, I have indeed not improved since my Vuelta win in 2022 and the phase afterwards (World Cup in Wollongong, ed.), in which I was really top and rode with surplus. Not even in last year's Tour."

"I am currently at a kind of ceiling that I find difficult to raise. Especially with uphill tempo changes I have trouble. If there is already a hard tempo and they put an extra layer on top for another five minutes, I can still manage."

"But that extra minute where the GC stars, who ride to win, accelerate full to make up the difference and then get back into their own rhythm, breaks me down."

Did you do intensive work during that last altitude camp in Tignes?

"Not really. Because I noticed, again as a result of that injury winter, that after the Dauphiné I needed a bit more recuperation than last year. It was quite a tough edition as well. I had, over the whole week, a Training Stress Score of almost 1,800 - some teammates even above 2,000. For me, that's really quite a lot."

"The easy altitude camp then did allow me to go very deep at the two BKs and use them as supercompensation. In the time trial in Brasschaat, I rode for three quarters of an hour just below my FTP. A super good incentive. On training, you can't do that."

Is the Vuelta also on your programme?

"No. Everything on the World Cup in Rwanda this autumn. And on the European Championship in Drôme-Ardèche, where I want to complete my “championship circle” (only the European Championship road title is still missing, ed.). I live a bit for those championships. Personally, I place them a bit higher than the classic Monuments."

"I normally ride the Clásica San Sebastian after the Tour and take a week's recuperation immediately after that. August I then fill up further with an altitude training and then an extra competition incentive to get back into the rythm - I would like to combine the Bretagne Classic in Plouay, a WT-race with World Cup distance - with a smaller “rondeke” genre Germany or Great Britain."

"After staying in the Syncrosfera altitude hotel, combined with the Spanish heat, I should then be adapted to Rwandan conditions."

Sounds as if, unfortunately, his career trajectory has not taken him to the level in the mountains he had hoped for. Indeed, he does not exude confidence on the eve of this Tour, as if he's resigned to a fate of getting dropped by Pog and Vingo in the mountains. What I don't understand, however, is that he seems stuck in a setup and mentality from the team organization that doesn't know how to make him more competitive at the Tour. Certainly the budget, but also the teams history, isn't conducive to that, which appears manifest in allowing him to make a big deal out of winning the Euro championships and his consequent statement on how to prepare for it: I would like to combine the Bretagne Classic in Plouay, a WT-race with World Cup distance - with a smaller “rondeke” genre Germany or Great Britain." These are not races the big stars of the Tour and their teams would ever concern themselves with. It's like they don't know how to think big in a modern, global way at Soudal. Until this changes, it seems he's stuck in an old cycling.

 

[Berflamand]

I feel @Logic-is-your-friend will want to comment on this


I understand his love for CSS, but why not take recovery time right after the Tour instead?

Listing the dates of the races he mentioned:
2/8: Clasica San Sebastian
20/8-24/8: Deutschland Tour
31/8: Bretagne Classic
2/9-7/9: Tour of Britain
21/9: WC TT
28/9: WC RR
5/10: EC RR
11/10: Lombardia (most likely)

If he's doing CSS, Germany would be highly unlikely IMO.

I wonder if Canada instead of Britain would be an option. I'd love to seen him there in shape.

I guess doing CSS will depend on how he finishes the Tour. Usually after his succesful GT campaigns he's riding at a very high level (World Champion after his Vuelta win, double Olympic Champion after his TDF podium) so he might want to capitalise on that form this year as well. But if he feels too tired/drained I think they will skip it and indeed move up the recovery time.

Looking at your timeline, the Tour of Britain would indeed make the most sense.

I think Canada might be too close to WC TT. Montréal is on 14/09 while WC TT is already one week later, on 21/09. From Belgium to Rwanda there is no jetlag but from Canada to Rwanda (either through Belgium or directly) there definitely is a jetlag to overcome.

 

[Berflamand]

Sounds as if, unfortunately, his career trajectory has not taken him to the level in the mountains he had hoped for. Indeed, he does not exude confidence on the eve of this Tour, as if he's resigned to a fate of getting dropped by Pog and Vingo in the mountains. What I don't understand, however, is that he seems stuck in a setup and mentality from the team organization that doesn't know how to make him more competitive at the Tour. Certainly the budget, but also the teams history, isn't conducive to that, which appears manifest in allowing him to make a big deal out of winning the Euro championships and his consequent statement on how to prepare for it: I would like to combine the Bretagne Classic in Plouay, a WT-race with World Cup distance - with a smaller “rondeke” genre Germany or Great Britain." These are not races the big stars of the Tour and their teams would ever concern themselves with. It's like they don't know how to think big in a modern, global way at Soudal. Until this changes, it seems he's stuck in an old cycling.

It's just a stage race to get in shape for the bigger goals in autumn. I don't know, is it that different from Vingegaard doing Gran Camino or Pogacar riding the Tour of Slovenia?

 

[peterfin]

Sounds as if, unfortunately, his career trajectory has not taken him to the level in the mountains he had hoped for. Indeed, he does not exude confidence on the eve of this Tour, as if he's resigned to a fate of getting dropped by Pog and Vingo in the mountains. What I don't understand, however, is that he seems stuck in a setup and mentality from the team organization that doesn't know how to make him more competitive at the Tour. Certainly the budget, but also the teams history, isn't conducive to that, which appears manifest in allowing him to make a big deal out of winning the Euro championships and his consequent statement on how to prepare for it: I would like to combine the Bretagne Classic in Plouay, a WT-race with World Cup distance - with a smaller “rondeke” genre Germany or Great Britain." These are not races the big stars of the Tour and their teams would ever concern themselves with. It's like they don't know how to think big in a modern, global way at Soudal. Until this changes, it seems he's stuck in an old cycling.

I do think his schedule after the tour is fine for a program focussed on wining one-day races. Van Aert or MVDP would have a similar schedule. For the GT's, I do think they schould investigate what they did well in 2022 and improve it but this probably where they face their biggest issue. QS is not enough data driven, not enough scientific, especially for a GT.

 

[Extinction]

It's just a stage race to get in shape for the bigger goals in autumn. I don't know, is it that different from Vingegaard doing Gran Camino or Pogacar riding the Tour of Slovenia?

But those guys are doing them pre-Tour, Gran Camino being early in the season isn't it? Post-Tour, you'd think only of say San Sebastian, the Vuelta, Worlds, Lombardia, but perhaps that's just me.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Personally i'm not surprised. I already believed Remco was unable to take that extra step this winter due to the injury.
I personally believe he can still improve by lots of mountainwork accompied by the right training shedule after the foundation (base) is there. He had time to lay the foundation after the crash, but not the extra work to get better.

However from his interview it seems they chose to skip foundation so at to get to a better race condition faster. This seems like a mistake to me. Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up having a truly bad day this year in the tour. Foundation is key.

I hope he does not panic, or choose to take time when/if it happens. But rides so as to save the classification. I think everyone behind Jonas & Tadej will be put on +15 minutes. (save for a good remco/almeida who will find themselves on around 10 minutes). As such 1 bad day should not be the end of Top 5 and even podium ambitions.

Also seems i'm stuck in old cycling. I don't mind him riding Bretagne and a smaller GC. Remco ain't ready to ride 2 GT at top level, not after this winter.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Sounds as if, unfortunately, his career trajectory has not taken him to the level in the mountains he had hoped for. Indeed, he does not exude confidence on the eve of this Tour, as if he's resigned to a fate of getting dropped by Pog and Vingo in the mountains. What I don't understand, however, is that he seems stuck in a setup and mentality from the team organization that doesn't know how to make him more competitive at the Tour. Certainly the budget, but also the teams history, isn't conducive to that, which appears manifest in allowing him to make a big deal out of winning the Euro championships and his consequent statement on how to prepare for it: I would like to combine the Bretagne Classic in Plouay, a WT-race with World Cup distance - with a smaller “rondeke” genre Germany or Great Britain." These are not races the big stars of the Tour and their teams would ever concern themselves with. It's like they don't know how to think big in a modern, global way at Soudal. Until this changes, it seems he's stuck in an old cycling.

He will never be competitive in the Tour against Pogacar (without crashes). He already realized that, I still think he should change teams (go to Ineos or Redbull) for a last opportunity but I fear it won't work. He is just not physically/biologically built to climb high mountains. Even this Dauphiné, he arrived very close to his ceilling (similar level to the one he showed in the Tour 2024) and the gap to Pogacar was bigger than ever (15 s/km).
I will give an opposite example. There is zero chance Vingegaard or Pogacar, even if they practise their TT every day, they will never be competitive against Remco (in good shape) in flat TTs. Remco's body is perfect to cut the wind.

 

[Berflamand]

But those guys are doing them pre-Tour, Gran Camino being early in the season isn't it? Post-Tour, you'd think only of say San Sebastian, the Vuelta, Worlds, Lombardia, but perhaps that's just me.

Yes it is.

But Vingegaard rode Pologne last year, Tour of Croatia in 2022 and Tour of Norway in 2021 for example, all after the Tour. Pogi seems to focus on one day races most years after the Tour but he's also riding the 1.Pro races like Emilia and Tre Valli.

I don't think it's a big deal. Those races are not the big goals but are just used to get in shape for the bigger goals.

 

[KoopaCycling]

He will never be competitive in the Tour against Pogacar (without crashes). He already realized that, I still think he should change teams (go to Ineos or Redbull) for a last opportunity but I fear it won't work. He is just not physically/biologically built to climb high mountains. Even this Dauphiné, he arrived very close to his ceilling (similar level to the one he showed in the Tour 2024) and the gap to Pogacar was bigger than ever (15 s/km).
I will give an opposite example. There is zero chance Vingegaard or Pogacar, even if they practise their TT every day, they will never be competitive against Remco (in good shape) in flat TTs. Remco's body is perfect to cut the wind.

Last opportunity? Remco is 25. He has 7 years (at least) remaining for GT results. Aside from Vingegaard no one has been able to touch Pogacar these past few years. Yet no one is telling all the other GT riders to stop trying to win one.

It's like i'm back to the Cadel Evans days, where every pundit seemed to imply he would never get there. Now i'm not saying remco will ever win a tour. But at this point in his career, his chances are at least similar to those of Cadel Evans back in the day. And he eventually brought home the bacon. I see no need to hit a panic button on Remco just yet.

 

[kingjr]

Last opportunity? Remco is 25. He has 7 years (at least) remaining for GT results. Aside from Vingegaard no one has been able to touch Pogacar these past few years. Yet no one is telling all the other GT riders to stop trying to win one.

It's like i'm back to the Cadel Evans days, where every pundit seemed to imply he would never get there. Now i'm not saying remco will ever win a tour. But at this point in his career, his chances are at least similar to those of Cadel Evans back in the day. And he eventually brought home the bacon. I see no need to hit a panic button on Remco just yet.

D'you think he'll be able to hang around for that long? I think the mental stress will get to him much sooner. Hope to be wrong, of course.

 

[red_flanders]

There's a big interview with Jan Bakelants (as interviewer) in HLN: https://www.hln.be/tour-de-france/o...zit-momenteel-aan-een-soort-plafond~a1e60119/

But it doesn't exactly ooze confidence. Interesting tidbits:

On the eve of the start of the Tour, do you feel stronger than last year?

"Because of the circumstances, I built up differently than in 2024. Which brought me to my better level faster. But it might be difficult to maintain or improve on that."

"It was also a bit of a search for the right balance between rest and training in recent weeks. But overall I do feel stronger, yes. Except... I'm not the only one (laughs) Everyone is taking a step forward."

It seems to be getting crazier and crazier.

(nods) "It's... (thinks for a moment) certainly not demotivating, but it is tough. Three, four years ago when you were riding uphill at 7 watts/kilo, you rode two minutes away from the competition. Now you have to hold that for twenty minutes! And even then you're only barely hanging on or, especially with Tadej Pogacar, you're already dangling at a minute. Really crazy."

True. I too look at it with big eyes. You obviously had a difficult year and a half, with a lot of injuries. Did that have its impact on the evolution of your level of form and performance?

"Absolutely. All in all, I couldn't do anything for another three months in that past period. The intention was to start climbing exercises early last winter. To become a better climber. That didn't happen."

"While everyone was already in very good shape, I kept building up. Nowadays, there are very few races in which you can start just to gain competition rhythm and build up your condition. Always and everywhere you race on the limit so you have to recover from that afterwards."

"I think the last few years, because of all my crashes, I have missed out on some percentages in my growth process. That's a pity, especially in “Grand Tour” territory."

Back to that wattage evolution for a moment. Have you noticed a stagnation in your absolute peak wattages around 5 and 20 minutes over the last year and a half, or even longer, just because you have not been able to train consistently enough?

"Expressed in watts per kilo, I have indeed not improved since my Vuelta win in 2022 and the phase afterwards (World Cup in Wollongong, ed.), in which I was really top and rode with surplus. Not even in last year's Tour."

"I am currently at a kind of ceiling that I find difficult to raise. Especially with uphill tempo changes I have trouble. If there is already a hard tempo and they put an extra layer on top for another five minutes, I can still manage."

"But that extra minute where the GC stars, who ride to win, accelerate full to make up the difference and then get back into their own rhythm, breaks me down."

Did you do intensive work during that last altitude camp in Tignes?

"Not really. Because I noticed, again as a result of that injury winter, that after the Dauphiné I needed a bit more recuperation than last year. It was quite a tough edition as well. I had, over the whole week, a Training Stress Score of almost 1,800 - some teammates even above 2,000. For me, that's really quite a lot."

"The easy altitude camp then did allow me to go very deep at the two BKs and use them as supercompensation. In the time trial in Brasschaat, I rode for three quarters of an hour just below my FTP. A super good incentive. On training, you can't do that."

Is the Vuelta also on your programme?

"No. Everything on the World Cup in Rwanda this autumn. And on the European Championship in Drôme-Ardèche, where I want to complete my “championship circle” (only the European Championship road title is still missing, ed.). I live a bit for those championships. Personally, I place them a bit higher than the classic Monuments."

"I normally ride the Clásica San Sebastian after the Tour and take a week's recuperation immediately after that. August I then fill up further with an altitude training and then an extra competition incentive to get back into the rythm - I would like to combine the Bretagne Classic in Plouay, a WT-race with World Cup distance - with a smaller “rondeke” genre Germany or Great Britain."

"After staying in the Syncrosfera altitude hotel, combined with the Spanish heat, I should then be adapted to Rwandan conditions."

Thanks for posting all of that, hadn't seen it. Pretty candid and informative responses I thought.

 

[peterfin]

D'you think he'll be able to hang around for that long? I think the mental stress will get to him much sooner. Hope to be wrong, of course.

I think he will be around much longer. He wants to win the TdF but GT's are not the only thing he likes. He can keep TT'ing, focus on the championships (which he likes a lot and can be the most accomplished ever), do the hilly classics he likes and attack the hour record some day. He doesn't need explosivity or starvation to win a race. He has options.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

He will never be competitive in the Tour against Pogacar (without crashes). He already realized that, I still think he should change teams (go to Ineos or Redbull) for a last opportunity but I fear it won't work. He is just not physically/biologically built to climb high mountains. Even this Dauphiné, he arrived very close to his ceilling (similar level to the one he showed in the Tour 2024) and the gap to Pogacar was bigger than ever (15 s/km).
I will give an opposite example. There is zero chance Vingegaard or Pogacar, even if they practise their TT every day, they will never be competitive against Remco (in good shape) in flat TTs. Remco's body is perfect to cut the wind.

Same was said of Pogacar. Back in 2021 Pogacar himself said he could easily be beaten on longer climbs. As it turned out, he was. Then he improved.

His level at the Dauphiné was nowhere near last year's Tour level. [[content removed]]

I feel @Logic-is-your-friend will want to comment on this

I am SHOCKED to learn his best W/kg were attained when skinny.

SHOCKED!

 

[Berniece]

Reading the interview I wonder if he even likes to ride a bike still. He really needs a year without any crashes to get his motivation up.

I also see him win a TDF if he can just stay on the bike for a longer time. He’ll be as good as Pogacar/Vingegaard, no doubt about it really.

 

[Extinction]

View: https://youtu.be/DkR6uW1EHV4?si=LNYKrL6iUXTbz6SG

 

[Unchained]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=44NUb0R44Jg

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

You can look at the numbers and see he wasn’t close to the 2024 Tour.

2024 Tour: “All Time Top 40”

Greatest Climbing Performances Of All-Time on Plateau de Beille | Tour de France 2024 Stage 15 - Lanterne Rouge

Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard both did the best and second-best climbing performance of all time on the Plateau de Beille climb, making this the greatest climbing stage of all time.

lanternerouge.com

2025 Dauphiné: “Entry World Tour Climber”

Pogačar Holds Watts in Reserve and Drops Vingegaard with Ease | Criterium du Dauphine Stage 7 2025 - Lanterne Rouge

Tadej Pogačar continued his dominance on the queen stage of the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné, dropping Jonas Vingegaard…

lanternerouge.com