Tour de France 2025: who do you want to win?

[Red Rick]

I have to be honest, it's been 3 year already so maybe I'm misremembering parts of the race. I quickly looked at some stage recaps, so how I see it it was:
- Stage 6 - Pico Jano, Evenepoel attacked and rode away from Roglic
- Stage 8 - Colláu Fancuaya, nothing happened between them
- Stage 9 - Les Praeres. Nava, Evenepoel attacked and rode away from Roglic
- Stage 12, Peñas Blancas. Estepona, nothing happened between them
- Stage 13, Evenepoel crashed
- Stage 14, 15 - Roglic attacks and rides away, Evenepoel can't follow since he's recovering from the Vuelta
- Stage 16, Roglic crashed
- Eventually Evenepoel wins and attacks a couple more times, but it doesn't matter anymore

What was wrong with me saying that Roglic only really attacked after Evenepoel crashed? Because before Evenepoel was always clearly better and was the one attacking and dropping Roglic.

You're stating there was 1 stage where Roglic was more aggressive and now you're doubling down by listing many stages which doesn't go to prove your assertion.

In fact, you're completely ignoring that Roglic torched the peloton on a short hill in a way that other riders would get their bums kissed for, while Evenepoels only aggression that stage was aggressively gesturing at his mechanical issues.

So in short, you were confidently wrong, and doubled down by proving my point how when Roglic attacks it gets ignored.

 

[Berniece]

You're stating there was 1 stage where Roglic was more aggressive and now you're doubling down by listing many stages which doesn't go to prove your assertion.

In fact, you're completely ignoring that Roglic torched the peloton on a short hill in a way that other riders would get their bums kissed for, while Evenepoels only aggression that stage was aggressively gesturing at his mechanical issues.

So in short, you were confidently wrong, and doubled down by proving my point how when Roglic attacks it gets ignored.

So because Roglic attacked once and then crashed everything is forgotten? I never said Roglic never attacks, I said he isn’t a more attractive ride than Evenepoel. And in the case of Vuelta 2022 Evenepoel clearly was the more attractive rider.

 

[Berflamand]

So because Roglic attacked once and then crashed everything is forgotten? I never said Roglic never attacks, I said he isn’t a more attractive ride than Evenepoel. And in the case of Vuelta 2022 Evenepoel clearly was the more attractive rider.

Could it not just be a misunderstanding between you two?

You said: Vuelta 2022 - Evenepoel was attacking more, and eventually Roglic crashed out. Only stage Roglic was more attacking was after Evenepoel fell.

But perhaps you meant (I'm not sure about this though)?: Only stageS Roglic was more attacking was after Evenepoel fell.

That would explain why Red Rick thinks you're doubling down because he thinks you were talking about one single stage while perhaps you are talking about multiple stages but only stages after Evenepoel already crashed?

 

[Netserk]

Evenepoel only attacked while Rogla was suffering from his broken back, ergo he is a boring rider.

 

[Berniece]

Could it not just be a misunderstanding between you two?

You said: Vuelta 2022 - Evenepoel was attacking more, and eventually Roglic crashed out. Only stage Roglic was more attacking was after Evenepoel fell.

But perhaps you meant (I'm not sure about this though)?: Only stageS Roglic was more attacking was after Evenepoel fell.

That would explain why Red Rick thinks you're doubling down because he thinks you were talking about one single stage while perhaps you are talking about multiple stages but only stages after Evenepoel already crashed?

Could be the case, I didn't mean to say a single stage. Like I said, I watched some recaps to be sure, so I clearly see Roglic attack on stage 14, 15 and 16. But due to Evenepoel coming back from his crash and having a mechanical we don't know how he would've responded. Might've been able to drop Roglic during stage 15 and 16.

 

[gunara]

I'd be very entertained if anyone outside the Big 4 names win. But if it's among the 4, I want it to be Pogacar in close battle. I might be happy with Vinge, too. I never had anyone I had wanted to win actually won for many years before the emergence of these two, so I'll cherish my glory hunting moments.

 

[Potomac]

Jorgenson for me in both polls: think and want.

 

[Potomac]

And it is no surprise to see Roglic leading the want to win poll.

 

[Carols]

Primoz. Not very realistic but it's the only thing missing from his palmares as far as stage races. This is his last chance and his team sucks .

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Jorgenson for me in both polls: think and want.

Is this in a last-man-standing scenario, after a huge crash taking out Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, Roglic and Almeida? Or do you see him fly away from all these guys in the mountains?

I will be honest, last year he surprised me. But so far this year, based on his progress last year, i had expected him to be even better. And he hasn't given me that impression at all in 2025.

 

[Carols]

It's just a shame that races he wins tend to be unwatchable

Did you see Catalunya this year? Attacked with 20k to go in the final stage to bring home the prize. It was pretty exciting.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

This must be a bad joke. A lot of his Vuelta wins were due to gaining time on uphill sprints and TTs.

He literally beat Carapaz on boni seconds in 2020.
Without those, Carapaz wins it by 8 seconds.

 

[CyclistAbi]

The truth is a lot of cycling fans aren't really enjoying long rangers, day in day out. So if Rogla manages to pull them back and keep it close, he will be praised for it. Just as he was for beating Carapaz.

Rightfully so.

 

[Berniece]

Primoz. Not very realistic but it's the only thing missing from his palmares as far as stage races. This is his last chance and his team sucks .

He is also missing Tour de Suisse

 

[tigabara]

This isn’t who you think would win, but who you want to win. If you are a fan of someone particular or ignoring who is the better rider of you just want someone else to wi

 

[tigabara]

This isn’t who you think would win, but who you want to win. If you are a fan of someone particular or ignoring who is the better rider of you just want someone else to win

Actually, I wanted Pogacar to win since TDF 2020 until now. That hope did not come true in 2022 and 2023...

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Actually, I wanted Pogacar to win since TDF 2020 until now. That hope did not come true in 2022 and 2023...

The opportunity to make a couple of retrospective polls is available....

 

[AnotherArmChair]

The rider with the less disgusting fans, whoever that might be

That would be Fausto Masnada or so I am told


I am back just in time for the Tour ...I wish and hope for a little drama and the unexpected ...Is that too much to ask for form the biggest race of the year ??

 

[Gigs_98]

Tirreno 2023 was bad. Romandie 2019 as well.

That's more or less it. The Dauphinés have been as good as they could be. His wobbles have made the PNs good as well.

It's possible for a rider to win an exciting race with a boring riding style. The point is that Roglic is usually not the one animating the race. Whether someone else does so is a different question and that's usually the deciding factor for whether the race ends up being good. I totally agree the races Pogacar wins are usually less interesting than the one Roglic wins but that's because Pogacar is so much better than everyone else and it feels weird to hold that against him. Crucially Pogacar when he is not the outstanding favorite tends to be pretty entertaining, it's just that this doesn't happen very often. Roglic when he is not the outstanding favorite will let his team control and try to win uphill sprints.

I think this entire discussion is kinda missing the point anyway. I'm not criticizing the way Roglic rides, I just don't think it's entertaining and I very much doubt anyone who is not actively a fan of him will disagree with this. I look at Roglic the "mountain sprinter" in the same way I look at a sprinter like Mark Cavendish. Obviously I never blamed Cavendish for not attacking earlier, he would have been stupid to do so. He was doing whatever maximized his chances of winning and I respect that, same as with Roglic. I respect the pragmatsim of his approach but it's never gonna get me super excited.