World Championship 2025: Men’s RR, September 28

[rghysens]

... Evenepoel to turn this into a 40.6 km ITT?

But what about the next 220km?

 

[CyclistAbi]

2025

Who was the most popular rider in 2025?

Tadej PogaÄar had 3002420 profile views in 2025. Matthew Brennan is the biggest riser with 569248 more views than the previous year.

www.procyclingstats.com

2024

Who was the most popular rider in 2024?

Tadej PogaÄar had 3066720 profile views in 2024. Tadej PogaÄar is the biggest riser with 1446190 more views than the previous year.

www.procyclingstats.com

2023

Who was the most popular rider in 2023?

Tadej PogaÄar had 1620530 profile views in 2023. Tadej PogaÄar is the biggest riser with 539790 more views than the previous year.

www.procyclingstats.com

2022

Who was the most popular rider in 2022?

Tadej PogaÄar had 1080740 profile views in 2022. Remco Evenepoel is the biggest riser with 527268 more views than the previous year.

www.procyclingstats.com

2021

Who was the most popular rider in 2021?

Tadej PogaÄar had 661465 profile views in 2021. Mark Cavendish is the biggest riser with 316253 more views than the previous year.

www.procyclingstats.com

2020

Who was the most popular rider in 2020?

Primož RogliÄ had 447080 profile views in 2020. João Almeida is the biggest riser with 215950 more views than the previous year.

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[Krzysztof_O]

But what about the next 220km?

After 40 km Pogacar will be demoralized 2.5 minutes back and scared of being lapped. By the time Remco rises his hands at the finish Pogacar will be flying back home.

 

[wansteadimp]

Not ONCE did I allude to clinic matters. (However, please note that is incredibly ironic that it was the only thing on our mind. Hmmm....)

I resent this firmly, because your only purpose in saying that is to try and get me banned because you do not like what I post.

Use of the term alien here has doping connotations. Please desist.

To be fair so does ONCE.

 

[CyclistAbi]

So how many UAE team members will chase Pogi down if he launches on Kigali?

P.S. There are 4 UAE riders listed in the poll and no Rogla.

 

[Berniece]

So how many UAE team members will chase Pogi down if he launches on Kigali?

Only Ayuso

 

[CyclistAbi]

Only Ayuso

Soler won't work for Ayuso?

 

[CyclistAbi]

So how many UAE team members will chase Pogi down if he launches on Kigali?

P.S. There are 4 UAE riders listed in the poll and no Rogla.

Here i guess another question is on how many UAE team members will chase down Remco is he launches on Kigali?

 

[Peyroteo94]

This is a good point. I suspect Pogacar probably has the most fans and the most detractors. It's very hard to know what the overriding sentiment towards him is though. I think it skews to the negative on this forum, but that isn't necessarily representative of the real world. I watched four stages in person at the Tour this year and he seemed pretty popular with roadside fans. But of course, if you watch from the roadside, you don't have the same concern about Pogacar making a race boring, because it's actually pretty amazing to see him crushing it or doing a crazy attack. One of the stages I watched was Hautacam, so a prime example of a long range Pogacar attack! But then again, roadside fans aren't necessarily representative of all fans either. So who knows.

But there is no doubt he has way more fans than detractors. Anyone believes Ronaldo has more detractors than fans? Even Armstrong had way more fans than detractors (pre ban).

 

[Berniece]

Soler won't work for Ayuso?

Good point, he will. But if Pogacar attacks, Ayuso will try to follow, so there is no Soler.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Good point, he will. But if Pogacar attacks, Ayuso will try to follow, so there is no Soler.

Yeah but if Pogi attacks then nobody will realistically follow, they can try though.

 

[Berniece]

Yeah but if Pogi attacks then nobody will realistically follow, they can try though.

Doubt Pogacar will attack on Mount Kigali. He'll destroy himself completely going so soon at that altitude

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Doubt Pogacar will attack on Mount Kigali. He'll destroy himself completely going so soon at that altitude

Even last year's attack was too risky, he actually gave others a chance to beat him (with a much shorter attack they would have had almost no chance). This year, after being demolished in the TT by Evenepoel, Pogacar will definitely not risk a super-long range attack. He isn't feeling as invincible right now.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Then again he has Rogla to launch him and doesn't mind if somebody bridges as sprinting isn't an issue either. So it's possible and i doubt that TT will in any way affect this decision.

 

[Netserk]

What does any of that prove though? The rider with the most wins is going to get the most clicks. It doesn't necessarily mean he's the most well liked. There is an orange man somewhere on earth, who is generating clicks, articles, newstopics at an alarming rate, globally. I do not think that means he is the most liked person on the planet or that it could not mean he is the most disliked person either.

Often the most popular people can be the most unpopular as well. Polarising characters.

It's the same when people praise riders for showing character, or being authentic, or giving honest answers. A lot of bad people do the same, and being authentically a bad person is not good.

 

[Red Rick]

Even last year's attack was too risky, he actually gave others a chance to beat him (with a much shorter attack they would have had almost no chance). This year, after being demolished in the TT by Evenepoel, Pogacar will definitely not risk a super-long range attack. He isn't feeling as invincible right now.

Last year the route was much more conducive to a chase. And still a 100km attack worked, despite the fact that he attacked when the peloton was still really big and he had basically a full peloton chasing him for at least the first lap.

A similar attack at similar forms would lead to terminal G2 syndrome instantly on the Kigali route, and if they sat on domestiques that DNF'd Zurich with 3 laps to go they would ship multiple minutes super quickly

 

[Berniece]

Last year the route was much more conducive to a chase. And still a 100km attack worked, despite the fact that he attacked when the peloton was still really big and he had basically a full peloton chasing him for at least the first lap.

A similar attack at similar forms would lead to terminal G2 syndrome instantly on the Kigali route, and if they sat on domestiques that DNF'd Zurich with 3 laps to go they would ship multiple minutes super quickly

I think Pogacar would completely explode if he does that here. At this altitude, you don't have that many shots. You get tired much more quickly, and aren't able to push the same watts. This is of course the same for everyone, but working as a group has a bigger impact here.

It's an issue for Pogacar though. He needs to go early, because he doesn't have the team to close gaps. That's why Belgium really needs a rider in the attack, so they don't have to do any work.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

But there is no doubt he has way more fans than detractors. Anyone believes Ronaldo has more detractors than fans? Even Armstrong had way more fans than detractors (pre ban).

I wouldn't be so sure about that. You don't have to be a fan of the sport in order to have a negative opinion of someone. And there are more people in France than there were cycling lovers in the US.

 

[CyclistAbi]

It's an issue for Pogacar though. He needs to go early, because he doesn't have the team to close gaps. That's why Belgium really needs a rider in the attack, so they don't have to do any work.

Slovenia can put Rogla or Moho in there too, or both as Rogla wouldn't pull anyway.

 

[Berniece]

Slovenia can put Rogla or Moho in there too, or both as Rogla wouldn't pull anyway.

Indeed, that should be the role of Roglic. It's also the only way he can win.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Indeed, that should be the role of Roglic. It's also the only way he can win.

Nah, he can rest while others chasing if Pogi decides to launch on Kigali. That can work too.

 

[Berniece]

Nah, he can rest while others chasing if Pogi decides to launch on Kigali. That can work too.

Not really because he doesn't have his stomp anymore. There are other riders faster than him.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I would love to see Mohorič finally complete the rainbow set, but it's probably not too likely to happen this year.

 

[YellowSocks]

Can you point to objective data that shows Pogacar isn't popular?

A survey was conducted in France last year, just after Il Lombardia, on Pogacar's image. Of course, it was only a small survey, conducted at a time that undoubtedly corresponded to a peak in the battle between the pro- and anti-Pogacar camps.
The poll revealed that if 75% of cycling fans (who make up the population of this forum) appreciate him, 60% believe that his dominance detracts from the interest in the races he participates in.
It may not be a huge majority, but it is certainly a clear majority.

Well, the poll also revealed that 54% of cycling fans would belong to the clinic section of this forum.

These are numbers. Better than assuming.

Here is a link for those interested (in French)

 

[Red Rick]

I think Pogacar would completely explode if he does that here. At this altitude, you don't have that many shots. You get tired much more quickly, and aren't able to push the same watts. This is of course the same for everyone, but working as a group has a bigger impact here.

It's an issue for Pogacar though. He needs to go early, because he doesn't have the team to close gaps. That's why Belgium really needs a rider in the attack, so they don't have to do any work.

Everyone will be doing less watts, and so the watts required to ride away will be less.