Cobbled Classics 2022 *** Spoilers***
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His physiology is utterly elite. His lactate building rate is insanely good. When other UAE riders are at 3 mmol/l he is the only one in the team at 1.3 mmol/l. So, he reaches his lactate threshold much later and at a much higher intensity. Some rowers can handle lactate rates of 25 mmol/l and higher, but Pogacar probably never even needs to get that high and bear that much.RichN95. said:phreak said:
He's the most prolific winner since Merckx or Hinault and operates under a DS who has overseen some of the biggest scandals of the last 30 years. Given the history of the sport, it would be extremely strange if some pretty massive eyebrows weren't being raised (and he's doing all of this before Merckx had won his first GT).
He's better than Merckx and Hinault
I have no idea if and what type of doping improves that, but his base it utterly elite and considering he was torching older riders at 16, I'm quite confident he is clean.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
In racing terms this means he is either still in endurance zone (zone 2 or even 1) when others are already in tempo or higher. So, at the pointy end of races he is "just starting out" fairly fresh when others are already quite depleted (mountain top finishes e.g.) or he can go hard for much longer holding a very high percentage of his VO2 max for much longer than an hour (super long solo attacks).PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230
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Fignon won 3 GTs, 2 x Tour, 1 x Giro*. I expect Pogacar to surpass that by some margin, although agree completely that we don't know how his career will unfold.RichN95. said:
I guess it's a personal view of what you value. Currently, Pogacar's palmares match Fignon's career. Two Tours, two monuments. I'm not one to value all-round palmares - just the wins wherever they have come.TheBigBean said:
Not sure the official Best Rider of the 21st century has a better palmares.
Yesterday I didn't see anyone point out that Shane Warne's batting average was only 17 (compared the Ashley Giles's 20)
*He would've won two Giri if he'd not come up against Moser (and the race organisation) in 84.0 -
I think Dan Lloyd captures it well:
It *is* an exciting time to be a cycling fan.2 -
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.......And support a Dutch team that much prefer to use a train.rick_chasey said:Not so good if you mainly watch the Tour........
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Still quite proud of this post before the 2020 TdF.pblakeney said:
Similar tactics, different team. 😉rick_chasey said:
They can still win of course, it's not a done deal, but I think Bernal will have to force a strong enough selection and go man-v-man rather than scoot off on the first big stage and then hide behind a phalanx of teammates.
Just sit on the back of the Jumbo train (Roglic) until the last (?) kms.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
At least the photographer gave him something to sit on...RichN95. said:Tiesj Benoot desperately hoping this next vehicle is a taxi. Surely one's got to come along eventually.
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Sounds alarmingly similar to what they were saying about another rider 20 odd years ago.m.r.m. said:
His physiology is utterly elite. His lactate building rate is insanely good. When other UAE riders are at 3 mmol/l he is the only one in the team at 1.3 mmol/l. So, he reaches his lactate threshold much later and at a much higher intensity. Some rowers can handle lactate rates of 25 mmol/l and higher, but Pogacar probably never even needs to get that high and bear that much.
I have no idea if and what type of doping improves that, but his base it utterly elite and considering he was torching older riders at 16, I'm quite confident he is clean.Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי0 -
Well what he is doing isn’t normal.Pross said:
So predictable and boringrozzer32 said:I see the winter “training plan” has been working well for Pog today.
History repeats itself in cycling, and in the past when we’ve seen such things sure enough it comes out they’ve been on a special training plan.
Just look at his DS and his coach. Working at teams such as festina, mapei, saunier duval, once, astana and coaching riders such as piepoli, millar, vino, kashechkin. All convicted dopers. Now you’re telling me the coach had no idea what the riders were doing. The people around him know exactly how to train cyclists.
Although let’s be honest Valverde at his age still doing what he does doesn’t help. Cycling hasn’t changed, a leopard doesn’t change its spots. The world has just moved on and the science is a lot more complex now.
If you want to believe what you are watching then that’s up to you. I don’t really watch much pro races anymore as I don’t believe what I’m seeing. But each to their own. I think in 10 years we will probably be talking about another scandal and how the sport has now changed its act again.***** Pro Tour Pundit Champion 2020, 2018, 2017 & 2011 *****0 -
As ever, The Clinic is that way ==>1
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Train is useless if you don’t have the best rider. Pog is a long way ahead of the restblazing_saddles said:
.......And support a Dutch team that much prefer to use a train.rick_chasey said:Not so good if you mainly watch the Tour........
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Was mightily impressive - and the way he got away was too. A tricky descent on gravel, and he opened a gap and just kept increasing it......
He's pretty much got all bases covered; can climb, descend, ITT, and a decent sprint as well. You wouldn't say he can't win Milan-Sanremo, or Flanders; he's that good he probably can.
I'd love to see him have a crack at a XCO World Cup, say Albstadt with all the climbing, and very little technical parts.
All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0 -
I'll never be confident a rider isn't doping. However, when the only contribution a poster makes to the forum these days other than their PTP picks is to express their cynicism of an individual performance it gets tedious and boring. I really don't understand why anyone would continue watching if they can't enjoy a ride like that without their eyebrows raised.rozzer32 said:
Well what he is doing isn’t normal.Pross said:
So predictable and boringrozzer32 said:I see the winter “training plan” has been working well for Pog today.
History repeats itself in cycling, and in the past when we’ve seen such things sure enough it comes out they’ve been on a special training plan.
Just look at his DS and his coach. Working at teams such as festina, mapei, saunier duval, once, astana and coaching riders such as piepoli, millar, vino, kashechkin. All convicted dopers. Now you’re telling me the coach had no idea what the riders were doing. The people around him know exactly how to train cyclists.
Although let’s be honest Valverde at his age still doing what he does doesn’t help. Cycling hasn’t changed, a leopard doesn’t change its spots. The world has just moved on and the science is a lot more complex now.
If you want to believe what you are watching then that’s up to you. I don’t really watch much pro races anymore as I don’t believe what I’m seeing. But each to their own. I think in 10 years we will probably be talking about another scandal and how the sport has now changed its act again.0 -
The thing I like is that this new crop of riders don't seem to want to be pigeonholed as GT riders or Classics riders and it is more back to that era when I first started watching cycling (pre-EPO for all those who can't look beyond doping).andyp said:I think Dan Lloyd captures it well:
It *is* an exciting time to be a cycling fan.0 -
andyp said:
I think Dan Lloyd captures it well:
It *is* an exciting time to be a cycling fan.
But what he says is nonsense. Six years ago was 2016
We had Hayman's Roubaix, Sagan solo at Flanders, Froome attacking downhill and into headwinds at the Tour (plus Ventoux), Kruijswijk's crash and Nibali's comeback at the Giro, the Formigal break at the Vuelta, a big crash at the end of San Remo, Thomas holding off Contador at Paris-Nice, even Liege had a decent finish.
What Dan really means is in 2016 he was unemployed.
I reckon in five years time even Pogacar will be bored of PogacarTwitter: @RichN952 -
I agree!blazing_saddles said:
Tro Bro Leon is consistently better than at least one existing monument.bobmcstuff said:
It's consistently better than at least one existing monument.blazing_saddles said:0 -
People who make a living from the sport today don't want to pee in the pool, do they? I mean there has been a long history of that.RichN95. said:andyp said:I think Dan Lloyd captures it well:
It *is* an exciting time to be a cycling fan.
But what he says is nonsense. Six years ago was 2016
We had Hayman's Roubaix, Sagan solo at Flanders, Froome attacking downhill and into headwinds at the Tour (plus Ventoux), Kruijswijk's crash and Nibali's comeback at the Giro, the Formigal break at the Vuelta, a big crash at the end of San Remo, Thomas holding off Contador at Paris-Nice, even Liege had a decent finish.
What Dan really means is in 2016 he was unemployed.
I reckon in five years time even Pogacar will be bored of Pogacar0 -
Incidentally, given the Gewiss tribute act today, didn't Pogacar take a number of seconds off of Furlan's radioactive time up the Poggio in a training recon ride? The guy has a great lactate rate though.0
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Anyone seen Gruber's photos from Strade Bianchi? The one with the clouds is incredible.0
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Well it's certainly easier to not want to understand things and just cast vague aspersions based of history and the ever scientific gut feeling.PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20231
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I'm not saying he's a doper but assuming the data on blood lactate accumulation is accurate wouldn't some forms of doping affect that anyway ? In other words the doping might be the reason his physiology appears exceptional.
Not meant rhetorically.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
He won't win Flanders doing that from 50k out"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
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Who other than van Aert is going to stop him?mididoctors said:He won't win Flanders doing that from 50k out
"Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0 -
2017 ring a bell?mididoctors said:He won't win Flanders doing that from 50k out
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/philippe-gilbert-takes-stunning-solo-victory-dramatic-2017-tour-flanders-322994"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Or 2011blazing_saddles said:
2017 ring a bell?mididoctors said:He won't win Flanders doing that from 50k out
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/philippe-gilbert-takes-stunning-solo-victory-dramatic-2017-tour-flanders-322994
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Does he have the team mate(s) to mark the front group ? I'm assuming Gilbert probably did for QS(?).
2011 is Canc ? I know Pogacar is good but Cancellara that year was unnatural.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
Agreed ref the motorbike - In the GTs there's multiple things happening - stage, GC positions, sprinters hanging on for timecut etc - that the moto can go up and down and update on.bm5 said:Amazingly beautiful race to start but after Pogacar attacked it was obviously finished.
I just don't see the point of Wiggins on the motorbike or those awful watches.
In a 1-dayer anyone really out the back is climbing off (except P-R) and there's only 1 objective for all the teams. BW was only really repeating what the commentators had already told us.
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For all the plaudits for Blythe, thought Rob Hatch was abysmal for the finish on Saturday. Must be difficult to commentate on a fella that's out on his own, but it was a solid 10 mins of hyperbole that got tiresome real quick0
