And you are forgetting one thing very important.
Just to clarify, are you implying Remco was as good as Pogacar in long climbs (in 2022-2023)?
Oh I had no idea that’s all anyone has to do to make a huge jump. Don’t tell the other riders about this groundbreaking training regimen, whatever you do!!
See 2024 tour, a hard crash makes wounders for your climbing.
Probably lost a couple of kilos from eating the hospital food.
Be aware that this is your belief, not a fact. A 'one in million times' outlier is just not probable at all. Statistally this is a 5 sigma event. This does not happen unless we are very, very, very lucky. It's much more probable that Pogacar is an outlier, a 3 sigma event (1 out of a few hundred pro riders) amplified by being in the best team. This means that there is a big chance there are others that can challenge him if they have access to the same treatment.
No. I think Pogacar was still beter during that period, especially considering a stage with multiple hard climbs. But for stages with a single climb, he was at a similar level. He did a few ~6.4 w/kg climbs but just below the 30 min mark. Gaustatoppen is even listed as 6.5 w/kg but that sealevel climb was probably in optimal conditions. My point is that they were much closer then and there is no reason to believe Remco cannot catch up. To be clear: I am not saying Remco will become the better rider. I say he can improve to challenge him. He is one of those outliers too.
Saying 2022 Remco was close to Pogacar in long climbs is anything but statistics (you even said they were similar in unipuerto stages. Do you think he could follow peak 2022 or 2023 Pogacar and you say statistics show this? Wow!)
He doesn't say this based on feeling, like you are, but based on numbers. He even showed you his sources.
And yet it is probably the best strategy if you want to catch him on a bad day. If you are catching him on a good day, at this moment, there simply is nothing to be done, unless maybe you have teammates who are strong enough to force the issue. But waiting longer, sending Vervaeke en Lecerf up the road, really isn't going to be doing you any good in that scenario either. You would need two Van Wilders and two Van Aerts if you want to play that game, all in top shape.
Sure but looking at past outcomes only without considering a realistic base level for Pogacar and how his level improved due to circumstances (UAE upgrade) set you up for surprises. That's what Bayesian statistics tells you. Check it out. If Pogacar is not that uber-Merckx level but just an outlier, one of the few basically, we will eventually know. This is still the more likely version considering his history. It's not at all about belief.
So you want more wheel suckers? Courage and Remco are synonyms.
Before i put you on ignore, let me say this: There is nobody here claiming Evenepoel would or could have beaten Pogacar in the mountains in a GT. There is nobody claiming Evenepoel was better overall in 2022 or 2023. We are talking about specific cases. First of all, Evenepoel was grossly overweight at the start of 2022, coming off a bad 2021 season, as was evident in Tirreno Adriatico where he couldn't even follow a group of 20 riders i think. He got dropped by the likes of Vlasov in Valencia, lost GC on the last day of Itzulia to Martinez. But he was gradually getting stronger and thinner. Liège was the first time since 2020 where he was both at an acceptable weight and fully injury free. He then went on to show his form on Gaustoppen but failed in Suisse due to what was believed to have been a heatstroke. He then won Classica San Sebastian with another spectacular solo, then Vuelta and Worlds, the latter again with a solo after going in the attack 70k from the finish (his solo was 26km).
this is top delusion again
lol, it was still very early in his career? It was a year before he would supposedly have beaten Evenepoel who in reality crushed the entire peloton, while a week prior Pog couldn't even top 10 in Fleche. Thanks for chiming in though. Nice to see now the argument suddenly jumps to "but back then he wasn't as good yet" WHICH IS EXACTLY THE POINT."The delusions run high among some of Pogs fans it seems. In 2020, Pog finished LBL in a GROUP with Mohoric, Hirschi, Roglic only 14 seconds ahead of a group with Ritchie Porte, lol. In 2021 he finished LBL in a GROUP with freaking DAVID GAUDU. My lord, and they think i'm delusional."
What does this have to do with anything?
He was still very early in his career.
Talk about being insecure and deflecting heavily from the real conversation.
Yes, I think riders should play to win. At least if they think they are good enough to go for the victory.
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