La Vuelta 2026 ***Spoilers***

[phreak]

Not true. That is precisely how Vingegaard won his first Tour.

Okay, let me rephrase. Since 2024...

 

[Blazing Saddles]

Not a great weather forecast. Wind could be an issue.

I have seen estimates for gusts in excess of 100kph.

 

[Pblakeney]

Okay, let me rephrase. Since 2024...

As stated above (and assuming it is true) he has raced less days than Vingegaard this year.
#perceptions

 

[Dorset Boy]

I totally agree . His niceness is so fake because he has to spend so much time telling you he is nice . Genuinely nice people don’t have to tell you they’re nice , their actions speak louder than words .

Nonsense. It's his actions that mark him out as a decent guy.
He doesn't go around telling people he's nice at all, he doesn't deeds that show him to be that way.

 

[phreak]

As stated above (and assuming it is true) he has raced less days than Vingegaard this year.
#perceptions

And he's won every stage race (2), 3 out of 4 monuments (2nd in the 4th), a classic, and a Grand Tour (with 5 stage wins, and at least a couple gifted to others). Last year was similar, although he "failed" (came 2nd or 3rd) in a couple of monuments and a classic. I don't think anyone would bet against him winning Lombardia for a record time and the Worlds again (for the record equally time).

In that time, the only "off" day I can remember was when he was caught in Amstel Gold, and he still came 2nd. I don't think it's a stretch to say that none of us will have seen anything like this in our lifetimes.

 

[Pross]

Anyway, after the stage he came up to Wout all friendly and joking and gave Wout's kid his sunglasses, which seemed a bit cheeky tbh, given that Wout's one of those riders that really wants to make his kid proud and likely won't be seeing all that much of him for the next few weeks

All I saw was the two of them sharing a laugh and a joke. Two great riders with mutual respect.

 

[Pblakeney]

And he's won every stage race (2), 3 out of 4 monuments (2nd in the 4th), a classic, and a Grand Tour (with 5 stage wins, and at least a couple gifted to others). Last year was similar, although he "failed" (came 2nd or 3rd) in a couple of monuments and a classic. I don't think anyone would bet against him winning Lombardia for a record time and the Worlds again (for the record equally time).

In that time, the only "off" day I can remember was when he was caught in Amstel Gold, and he still came 2nd. I don't think it's a stretch to say that none of us will have seen anything like this in our lifetimes.

Yeah, he is the best cyclist in our lifetime* winning the most races. Quelle surprise. I get it, you don't like/trust him. That's fine.

*If you can't remember Merckx. For most of us this must be what it was like back then.

 

[Pross]

Sorry, I forgot. Exactly when is the Pope confirming his sainthood?

Anyway, Pog chased Wout down then didn't work with him to finish the stage off, one-two for either of them. If Wout had won the stage and Pog finished second he'd still have been in red. He finished third in the end, so probably lost a place doing it. If he didn't think Wout might stay away he wouldn't have chased him down. So does he think by acting the anchor he can beat all the quick men that are coming back to them? Seems less likely than winning the two-up. Which leaves me thinking that it probably was at least a bit about Van Aert.

But you're right, I don't like him. I don't like his sponsors, and regard that as a moral failing from him, and I think his niceness is slightly too performative. I've seen plenty of "most popular kid in the school" types and they all have a touch of the manipulative about them.

You forgot the key reason - he keeps beating Jonas and is preventing him from becoming the boring, dominant rider that wins everything he enters.

 

[Pross]

Second GT in two months to go past my mates front door - this time it finishes there. Meanwhile I still haven't had one ever go past my front door, life isn't fair. If I was a millennial or Gen Z it would affect my mental health.

 

[Blazing Saddles]

Ok, I am just going to put this out there: Echelons?
I know it’s the wrong end of the stage, but that stretch of coast from Narbonne to the Spanish border is very exposed and often extremely windy. Today’s forecast looks ripe to bring out the klaxon. (Not that we’ll see it, given the half stage coverage.)

 

[phreak]

Yeah, he is the best cyclist in our lifetime* winning the most races. Quelle surprise. I get it, you don't like/trust him. That's fine.

*If you can't remember Merckx. For most of us this must be what it was like back then.

I'm not quite that old

 

[tarric]

Not a great weather forecast. Wind could be an issue.

View attachment 819539

I have seen estimates for gusts in excess of 100kph.

They've been forecasting thunder storms since Friday and we haven't had one, although the wind has picked up a bit.

 

[Milzy]

I totally agree . His niceness is so fake because he has to spend so much time telling you he is nice . Genuinely nice people don’t have to tell you they’re nice , their actions speak louder than words .

Yes he acts like some kind of sociopath but I don’t think he is one. Just a different type of Armstrong. No Irish journalist will go after Pog. He’s untouchable. Only thing to stop him will be 10 years of time or a bad Froome type of crash.

 

[Exlaser2]

Nonsense. It's his actions that mark him out as a decent guy.
He doesn't go around telling people he's nice at all, he doesn't deeds that show him to be that way.

We will have to agree to disagree on this point .

 

[Exlaser2]

"so much time" being none at all.

It is fair enough that you and No Ta Doctor don't like him, but you are both determined that he cannot actually be awhat he genuinely appears to be.

You don't need an excuse to dislike him, which is what your posts are coming across as.

Again we will have to agree to disagree on this point .

I have nothing against Pog other than a general distrust of any rider that’s SO MUCH better than the rest. I certainly don’t dislike him .
I am simply not a fan boy of his as a certain section of people on here are .
I comment on what I see , nothing more .