Tour de Romandie neither one-day nor monument, 28/04-03/05 2026

[canina82]

Pogi is doing what Remco was supposed to do, and Remco fans acting accordingly.

Touché.

 

[Berniece]

No, it's just politics, something I’ve always disliked about cycling. You gain favors by 'gifting' relatively small prizes to others so they’ll return the favor when you need it later. Indurain made an art out of it.

It certainly has nothing to do with respect; in fact, it’s humiliating to be gifted a stage. It implies you aren't strong enough to win on your own.

Any cyclist with pride would be offended by the idea. Take Pantani, for example, when Armstrong implied he’d let him win the stage in the TdF

Obviously, it’s a different story if two riders collaborate because they have compatible goals, like one pursuing the GC while the other goes for the stage win. But if it’s just a case of, 'You can have the leftovers because my belly is already full,' then no thanks. I always change the channel when I see that; there’s no reason for me to waste my time watching.

No. Schleck was very clear he found it respectful.

 

[canina82]

We are getting to the point, Pogacar is evil because he doesn't give wins to his opponents. Well, how many wins Remco gave to his opponents?

 

[Oldman]

Fairly certain he's talking about before the climb mainly, when they go 40-50 kph a lot and where it makes a significant difference.

If that happened it wasn't in any broadcast I could access.

Just rewatched stage 11 of the 2022 Tour. If you want to see egregious sanctioned drafting watch that. Jonas is surrounded by as many as 6 motos on the windy final 3 km and his team car is allowed to ride alongside him when it conveniently blocks a crossing headwind. Prior to that portion he had a full Shimano support shield around him of car and motos.
Meanwhile, Tadej is left without any bike in front of him and the images for him are from behind with one camera bike.
This is one of the more unfair and race-changing examples of the draft advantage. People would have a serious reason to object. Fortunately, the sheer number of vehicles have been reduced as a response to justified complaints. I've never suggested riders don't gain an advantage but it's not as prevalent.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

Do you think there was a pact between Pogacar and Lenny for the stage? Bahrain's attitude, and then Pogacar's, has been strange When Pogacar was with Lipowitz, he kept looking back.

 

[GdL]

No. Schleck was very clear he found it respectful.

As I said, any athlete with even a modicum of pride would want to win on their own merit. Being gifted a victory is the polar opposite of what sport stands for, which, at its core, is competition. Fixing the result isn't sport. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[GdL]

Do you think there was a pact between Pogacar and Lenny for the stage? Bahrain's attitude, and then Pogacar's, has been strange When Pogacar was with Lipowitz, he kept looking back.

It looked strange to me as well. But then, if that was the case, why Pogacar then won instead of leaving the victory to Lipo?
And what Pogacar would have to gain from leaving the victory to Lipo?

 

[Oldman]

Vervaeke went into a bit more detail in another interview, likely referring to the same

https://twitter.com/x/status/2050676816721911821

View: https://x.com/laflammerouge16/status/2050676816721911821

Interesting take since the media broadcast editors have more to do with what is on the TV. If they focus on an event and have cameras on it; of course they'll broadcast it. By the way; several riders have put over 30 seconds into a seasonally successful Remco in 1km. 50seconds in 6km with climbing doesn't seem unlikely; does it?

 

[Oldman]

As I said, any athlete with even a modicum of pride would want to win on their own merit. Being gifted a victory is the polar opposite of what sport stands for, which, at its core, is competition. Fixing the result isn't sport. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

Unless you're the among riders involved and how much they mutually contributed; how could you know what the "sport stands for"? The riders define what it stands for after many hours of spirited toil.
Lemond gifted the Badger his only mountain-top victory ever in the Tour. How did the French respond to that?

 

[Oldman]

Good ride by RBH today. Lipo and Seixas may not be that far apart in a 3 week race but, unfortunately, we won't find out at this year's Tour.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

It looked strange to me as well. But then, if that was the case, why Pogacar then won instead of leaving the victory to Lipo?
And what Pogacar would have to gain from leaving the victory to Lipo?

Red Bull is a more direct rival throughout the year, and besides, Lipowitz didn't cooperate the other day.

It seemed like a pact to me. If Lenny had been better, and Lipowitz hadn't attacked, I think Lenny would have won.

 

[HashRouge]

Not if Evenepoel won as much as Pogacar. I’m hating because he is destroying the sport. We already know the outcome of monuments and GT’s, now he also has to take fun 1-week stage races from us. Yeah no thanks.

He's not destroying the sport, I think this is a silly take. I think when we look back on the Pogacar era in 10 years time, the period where he was totally dominant will actually feel quite small. None of the WT one week races have been that good this year to be honest. At least my expectations were low for Romandie, whereas I thought that Izulia, Paris-Nice and Cataluña would be more exciting than they were this year based on the start lists.

 

[Red Rick]

He's not destroying the sport, I think this is a silly take. I think when we look back on the Pogacar era in 10 years time, the period where he was totally dominant will actually feel quite small. None of the WT one week races have been that good this year to be honest. At least my expectations were low for Romandie, whereas I thought that Izulia, Paris-Nice and Cataluña would be more exciting than they were this year based on the start lists.

Ofcourse it's not getting destroyed. Only for cycling fans who enjoy a competitive race.

 

[MariaB]

Not if Evenepoel won as much as Pogacar. I’m hating because he is destroying the sport. We already know the outcome of monuments and GT’s, now he also has to take fun 1-week stage races from us. Yeah no thanks.

It's just your take.

He isn't destroying nothing whatsoever.

If Remco was winning everything, it would be glorious for you and his fans.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

He's not destroying the sport, I think this is a silly take. I think when we look back on the Pogacar era in 10 years time, the period where he was totally dominant will actually feel quite small. None of the WT one week races have been that good this year to be honest. At least my expectations were low for Romandie, whereas I thought that Izulia, Paris-Nice and Cataluña would be more exciting than they were this year based on the start lists.

I am still annoyed by the period until his "ban" where Contador dominated stage races and that both lasted shorter and was less extensive, so I doubt I will have changed my mind about the current era 16 years from now.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Strange how Remco still lives rentfree in the minds of some Pogacar fans when it has been no contest for the past 2 years. Wouldn't be surprised if Seixas will take Remco place in their minds soon enough.

In any case Pogacar does make the races he participates in boring. The only races that are still interesting are the races in which the parcours suit him less like San Remo and Roubaix. The rest are a wash.

It's hard to get hyped up for a race when you already know the outcome 9.9 outta 10 times.
The argument that remco fans would think different if he was as dominant makes only half sense.
If remco would be that dominant, most neutrals would find his races boring. In fact his raids of times past have been called exactly that. Boring.

So whilst remco fans would mostly enjoy a winning streak, most neutrals would probably find it boring.. Well, many would likely think it worse than boring, as Pogacar is more universally loved and Remco is more polarizing.

Pogacar has made me rethink what Merckx era was like. They always hype up the raids and the stories. They make it sound all amazing, but in reality it must have been boring for the neutral.

 

[Berniece]

As I said, any athlete with even a modicum of pride would want to win on their own merit. Being gifted a victory is the polar opposite of what sport stands for, which, at its core, is competition. Fixing the result isn't sport. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

I guess since you just said A. Schleck has no pride

 

[Red Rick]

Come on Rick, stop doing it. Stop playing chess with pigeons

 

[proffate]

We are getting to the point, Pogacar is evil because he doesn't give wins to his opponents. Well, how many wins Remco gave to his opponents?

Catalunya comes to mind. Such a gracious move at the end of stg 3

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

Maertens won 13 out of 21 stages in the 1977 Vuelta.

In one-week races, Jalabert and Kelly also won 4 stages. Those are the most recent examples. Maertens and Merckx also did it.

 

[dercuforever]

Maertenes won 13 out of 21 stages in the 1977 Vuelta.

In one-week races, Jalabert and Kelly also won 4 stages.

In PCM this one isnt easy to get, even with Pogacar.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Thank god for pocagar. I alwaysh wanted to see someone who won everything win more and brag about it to people as if I myself achieved something . Thank you tadj I appreciate all the good work you do . It's always nice to see a rider promoting middle east billionaire oligarchs aswell. Thanks tadej.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Maertenes won 13 out of 21 stages in the 1977 Vuelta.

In one-week races, Jalabert and Kelly also won 4 stages. Those are the most recent examples. Maertens and Merckx also did it in their time.

Not one of these were without competition that you felt had a real chance of beating them.
A sprinter's Vuelta is not the same as current day Vuelta either.

 

[Red Rick]

Thank god for pocagar. I alwaysh wanted to see someone who won everything win more and brag about it to people as if I myself achieved something . Thank you tadj I appreciate all the good work you do . It's always nice to see a rider promoting middle east billionaire oligarchs aswell. Thanks tadej.

Petition to make this a copypasta

 

[HashRouge]

Come on Rick, stop doing it. Stop playing chess with pigeons

I apologise for my optimistic take that Pogacar is not, in fact, destroying cycling and the sport will be just fine. I bow to your superior intellect and will cancel my subscription to TNT Sport immediately.