2025 European Championships ***SPOILERS***

[Adam4868]

If he's your cup of tea then knock yourself out!

TTs are obviously different, as there's no real tactics involved other than "how do I best put my power out?". They're not particularly exciting at the best of times, and watching riders attempt excellence is pretty much the point of them. Also, Remco's won six of them this season, while Pog is now on 17 victories, including two monuments (a third awaits next week), the worlds, the Euros, Strade Bianche, La Fleche Wallonne, the Dauphiné, The Tour and a bunch of stages. He even gifted a race in Canada the other week. It's obviously a phenomenal achievement but there was little excitement for me.

The best race of the year so far was probably MSR - where to his credit he tried to find a solution to a real tactical problem for him and launched that rarest of MSR things, an early attack on Cipressa. The fact that he had to think tactically instead of just burying the opposition made it a great race, and I honestly wouldn't have minded in the slightest if he'd won (like almost everyone, I was hoping that Ganna attack from behind was going to pay off!)

If there was no Pog Vinny would probably have had 4/5 Tours under his belt and some of us would be saying this is boring....remember a couple of years ago Visma cleaning up all three GTs (fair enough three different riders) and Pog uttering the famous "I'm gone,I'm dead" lol.
Nobody is going to convince me he's boring for cycling...Feck even a few of my mates who think I'm mad for watching this sport think he's a phenomenon...personally speaking for me he's great for the sport and very hard to dislike,generally looks like he loves riding a bike anywhere and everywhere.Fears no race or any rider.
Oh and I forgot to mention barring his fecking ridiculous give away in Canada he's been a breath of fresh air to my Bet365 account.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

If there was no Pog Vinny would probably have had 4/5 Tours under his belt and some of us would be saying this is boring....remember a couple of years ago Visma cleaning up all three GTs (fair enough three different riders) and Pog uttering the famous "I'm gone,I'm dead" lol.
Nobody is going to convince me he's boring for cycling...Feck even a few of my mates who think I'm mad for watching this sport think he's a phenomenon...personally speaking for me he's great for the sport and very hard to dislike,generally looks like he loves riding a bike anywhere and everywhere.Fears no race or any rider.
Oh and I forgot to mention barring his fecking ridiculous give away in Canada he's been a breath of fresh air to my Bet365 account.

If Vingegaard had four or five Tours and people found it boring then fair dos, they were probably bored. Pog does have four tours, plus just about everything else. He's certainly awesome, and I'm in awe of him, but the degree of dominance isn't good for any suspense or tactics or discussion. Who will win Lombardia next weekend? Pog. What tactics will he need to use? Whatever he fancies. Who's a dark horse, the other favourites? Literally nobody, unless you're talking about the race for second place. How could they stop him? There's nothing they can do. And if you like that - like e.g. Man City or Liverpool smacking some league one team for a hat-full of goals - then fill your boots, you've probably got at least a couple more seasons of it to come.

As for likeability, I used to quite like him and I don't hate him, but it's easy to be the happy-go-lucky boy racer with a nice word for everyone when you're winning all the races, and at the Tour this year he showed a bit of a nastier streak imo. He's definitely got a bit of a clique of favoured riders and a shoot list of those he doesn't like, and I think he's a touch too aware of his Godlike status and plays on it a little. There are also a few riders out there who appear to be pathetically grateful to have ridden in the same race as him, which I don't think is a great attitude - going back to the City/Liverpool example, it's the opposition asking for Haaland's shirt at half-time instead of trying to rip it off him during the game

Congrats on your Bet265 account though - genuinely anything that loses bookies money is OK by me 😉

Anyway, enough about it, have a good evening, and enjoy your winnings!

 

[rich p]

been a breath of fresh air to my Bet365 account.

3/1 on for next year's tour.
Shove 6 quid on pronto and you'll win enough for a pint at Wetherspoons... 😄

 

[Adam4868]

Anyway, enough about it, have a good evening, and enjoy your winnings!

They'll be well spent in Bergamo....might have a couple of quid on del Toro as an e/w 😁

 

[Adam4868]

3/1 on for next year's tour.
Shove 6 quid on pronto and you'll win enough for a pint at Wetherspoons... 😄

Get a three course meal here in Blackpool....north south divide mate 😁

 

[mjr]

2nd place could wear it but who would really want to, knowing you weren't entitled to it.

Then either disqualify the world champion from the Euros, or move them back to early August so the jersey is likely to get some showing most years.

 

[mjr]

On a trivial note, the commentators on Disco + today were awful. Jose Been was dire, waffling on about irrelevant stuff without ever mentioning the race current positions.

I think Karsten Migels mentioned at one point he wasn't sure of some gaps because the host broadcaster was sending them the wrong info, which is very unlike him to criticise the race infrastructure, so I wonder how bad it was. Probably Jose was getting the same.

 

[rich p]

Karsten Migels

Who?

 

[rich p]

To be honest, I'd have had no idea who was European champ until fairly recently.
The jersey wearer just confuses me in most races... as do a lot of the national jerseys. I am easily confused. What? Who? Pardon?

 

[M.R.M]

On a trivial note, the commentators on Disco + today were awful. Jose Been was dire, waffling on about irrelevant stuff without ever mentioning the race current positions. I tuned in halfway through and had to work out who was who. Jon Mould was repetitive and guilty of 'stating the bleedin' obvious' ad nauseam.
Slightly less trivially, I'm torn about Pog. Lately the outcome has become a bit too obvious, too early... 100kms to go. On the other hand, he's a once in a lifetime genius and I was alive (just...) to witness it.
Chapeau to Remco for doing the hard graft to chase Pog , with little or no help. Thank goodness he can TT and at least get a win!

Jose Garbage-Been is on the level of Kirby. Forces you to listen in a different language.

 

[Milzy]

Awful race, terrible commentary. TOUR OF LOMBARDY on Saturday the 11th will be much better. The battle for the bronze was the highlight of the entire race.
Costs a fortune to have TNT sports and they bore the pants of you talking a load of tripe. Nobody will ever be half as good as Ligget & Sherwin.

 

[mididoctors]

Pog Vs Jonas have been some of the best tours I've seen

 

[mididoctors]

Big mig defending 5 mins TT leads on GC for 5 years running

 

[mjr]

Who?

Eurosport commentator, mentioned by me a few pages ago, or good search engines are your friend: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karsten_Migels

 

[Pross]

Always feels harsh blaming Pog being boring because none of the others are good enough to go with him when he attacks. On flatter races we have MVDP and Mads who can put up a fight. On hilly races no-one seems capable. What’s he supposed to do, go passive and respond to others pretending he isn’t the best? He’s trying to push his own boundaries by going early and one day he’ll overdo it. Just enjoy watching the greatest of all time.