Tour de France Tour de France 2026 route rumours

[Netserk]

Pogi is a cobble specialist.
He is a mountain sprint specialist.

To deny that is to say that he is bad at it.

 

[Peyroteo94]

He thinks putting 1'20 into a washed up Roglic is some sort of gotcha.

Now he is washed? You change your narrative like I change shirts... However I also think he is washed (I don't change my narrative) but in fresh efforts he still is world class and he gained 1'15" in 7 km of climbing in a fresh effort. Is this small?

1'39" on Lipo
28" on Vingegaard (would be bigger if Remco wasn't there in the final 500m. Pogacar lost 3" in the last 200m to Vingegaard)

 

[Red Rick]

Just convince washed-up Rogla to pull Pogi in the first half (less steeper) of the Mortirolo's vertical km challenge and Pogi does it in 30 minutes (fragment between km 1 and 9.7)

Mortirolo doesn't make any sense for this because it's a 40 minute climb, and it's never a MTF.

 

[search]

looks like German ES couldn't afford more than one commentator for this presentation, who also doesn't seem to understand French.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Mortirolo doesn't make any sense for this because it's a 40 minute climb, and it's never a MTF.

Nah, I meant some hypothetical vertical km challenge where the climb is 8.7 km long (and climbs exactly a kilometer).

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

When does the real presenting of the route start?

 

[Netserk]

When does the real presenting of the route start?

Now, for the women.

 

[Netserk]

Meh, last ascent of Eze from the new steep small road from PN.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Take a pause and read what has been written carefully.

Pogacar is not a fresh w/kg specialist as his most supreme performances have been at the end of hard efforts that have destroyed everyone else.

Roglic is a much better example of a fresh w/kg specialist and it is not a contradiction to say that even in those efforts Pogacar is still very clearly a lot better than Roglic.

I read. The question is: Tell me a recent fresh effort of Pogacar (on steep and somewhat long mountains) in the last 2 years compared to the field?

2025 Peyragudes, that's it.

He is saying that without any evidence because Pogacar just races hard races: Monuments and GTs (with long and multiple mountains in a stage like the Giro and the TdF). So it's fair to say it's natural bias, like when he said Pogacar is a overrated puncheur after 2024 GP Quebec.

Edit: I know Oropa is not steep but Pogacar won there and it was probably the biggest gap ever created there.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Now, for the women.

And for the men?

 

[Netserk]

I read. The question is: Tell me a recent fresh effort of Pogacar (on steep and somewhat long mountains) in the last 2 years compared to the field?

2025 Peyragudes, that's it.

He is saying that without any evidence because Pogacar just races hard races: Monuments and GTs (with long and multiple mountains in a stage like the Giro and the TdF). So it's fair to say it's natural bias, like when he said Pogacar is a overrated puncheur after 2024 GP Quebec.

Do you agree that he is a mountain sprint specialist?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Do you not understand what specialist means?

Hard to say he is not a specialist when he clearly is the best in those type of efforts. Or am I wrong?

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

specialist

specialist

This is a bit of a meaningless and dumb discussion about grammar and meaning of a specific word. One side says being a specialists means that you are very good in that field, the other side says being a specialist means that you are only very good in that field.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Do you agree that he is a mountain sprint specialist?

Everything that involves mountain, he is a specialist.

If he started to race like prime Roglic or Valverde, who would be close to beat him in a uphill sprint at the top of a mountain? No one. I think you agree.

Medium Mountains - specialist

Fresh efforts - specialist. There is no one who comes close to him.

Hard stages in the mountains - specialist.

He is not a specialist on cobbles, TTs, flat sprints, punchy hills under 1'30". That's it.

 

[Netserk]

Everything that involves mountain, he is a specialist.

If he started to race like prime Roglic or Valverde, who would be close to beat him in a uphill sprint at the top of a mountain? No one. I think you agree.

Medium Mountains - specialist

Fresh efforts - specialist. There is no one who comes close to him.

Hard stages in the mountains - specialist.

He is not a specialist on cobbles, TTs, flat sprints, punchy hills under 1'30". That's it.

Okay, we agree that he is a mountain sprint specialist.

Is he a Kwaremont specialist too?

 

[Berniece]

Okay, we agree that he is a mountain sprint specialist.

Is he a Kwaremont specialist too?

He's the best at everything forever

 

[Peyroteo94]

This is a bit of a meaningless and dumb discussion about grammar and meaning of a specific word. One side says being a specialists means that you are very good in that field, the other side says being a specialist means that you are only very good in that field.

So by your definition (and if he thinks the same), he is wrong. However he is clearly saying w/kg after a hard race is Pogacar's specialty (and this is right) and he can't be a specialist in anything more and this is clearly wrong.

This is like saying Usain Bolt is a 200m runner specialist and he is not in 100m. Sorry, this is ridiculous.

 

[Red Rick]

He's the best at everything forever

Everything-specialist. The true definition of specialist. Jack-of-no-trades, master-of-all.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Okay, we agree that he is a mountain sprint specialist.

Is he a Kwaremont specialist too?

Firstly, there is no such thing as a Kwaremont specialist. This doesn't make sense. It's like saying Ivan Sosa is a Lagunas de Neila specialist.
Kwaremont is a specific climb but for me he is not a specialist on cobbles like I said previously.

Edit: with all respect, I will end this discussion. There are people who are mocking me instead of debating with evidence and reasonable arguments. Cheers.

 

[Netserk]

Firstly, there is no such thing as a Kwaremont specialist. This doesn't make sense. It's like saying Ivan Sosa is a Lagunas de Neila specialist.
Kwaremont is a specific climb but for me he is not a specialist on cobbles like I said previously.

Do you not think he is the best in the world in climbing Kwaremont?

It's deeply offensive and provocative to suggest that Van der Poel (or someone else) is better than Pogi on Kwaremont.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

So by your definition (and if he thinks the same), he is wrong.

Wow you are sometimes completely lost. I havent said anything about what my definition is, I just gave my observation of the two sides in this meaningless discussion about using the word specialist.

 

[yaco]

Groenewegen at the presentation means that Unibet will be at the 2026 TDF. I suspect the key stage for the women will be the ITT as big gaps can be expected.

Finally, can we stop any discussion about Pogacar to go into his thread. This thread is to discuss the TDF route ONLY.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Wow you are sometimes completely lost. I havent said anything about what my definition is, I just gave my observation of the two sides in this meaningless discussion about using the word specialist.

I know you didn't talk about your thoughts. I was saying by "your definition in your post" and I put in bold. Not yours but what you wrote in your post (what you think RR or Netserk were saying).
Cheers.

 

[Breh]

i like a race recap

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Everything-specialist. The true definition of specialist. Jack-of-no-trades, master-of-all.

Pogi is a specialist in everything except sprinting vs MVP (when Van Baarle is trying to catch them).