Ronde van Vlaanderen 2026 ***Spoilers***
- Thread starter Blazing Saddles
- Start date
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Dogtrousers
Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
Some un-amazing Pog facts.
Since RVV last year he has entered 14 one-day events, won 9, been 2nd three times (Amstel Gold, P-R, Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal ) 4th once (Worlds ITT) and ... shock horror ... 29th once ( Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec)
He's done 2 multi-day events: The Dauphine, & The Tour totalling 29 race days. He won 7 of those days, and was on the podium 13 times (45%). Top 10 18 times (62%)
There have been 6 jerseys in stage races up for grabs of which he won 4: GC & Mountains in the Tour and GC & Points in the Dauphine. In the other 2 he was second.
I don't suppose anyone is particularly surprised.
Since RVV last year he has entered 14 one-day events, won 9, been 2nd three times (Amstel Gold, P-R, Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal ) 4th once (Worlds ITT) and ... shock horror ... 29th once ( Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec)
He's done 2 multi-day events: The Dauphine, & The Tour totalling 29 race days. He won 7 of those days, and was on the podium 13 times (45%). Top 10 18 times (62%)
There have been 6 jerseys in stage races up for grabs of which he won 4: GC & Mountains in the Tour and GC & Points in the Dauphine. In the other 2 he was second.
I don't suppose anyone is particularly surprised.
Pross
Guru
He dropped him more comprehensively last year.
N0bodyOfTheGoat
Über Member
- Location
- Hampshire, UK
I don't follow pro racing that closely, but something I'd not considered before was that hasn't Pog been very lucky as regards accidents compared to the other top riders since at least 2020?
Jonas; Remco; MVDP; WVA; Roglic; Bernal; Froome; Alaphillipe etc. have all had at least one big off that could well have reduced their potential performance since?
Pog? Smashed up his wrist in '23, can't think of anything else similar.
Jonas; Remco; MVDP; WVA; Roglic; Bernal; Froome; Alaphillipe etc. have all had at least one big off that could well have reduced their potential performance since?
Pog? Smashed up his wrist in '23, can't think of anything else similar.
M.R.M
Well-Known Member
No, not really. He crashed fairly badly at Strade Bianche last year and still won. He didn't get hurt, but went head over heels into a field.
He also crashed quite badly at MSR this year, lost a lot of skin and then still won.
He is just better. At almost everything. He positions well, hardly eats wind, doesn't miss splits etc. And all that in addition to his apex physiology.
For a time his main weakness was descending (he wasn't bad, just average). Even that is good now. He's not Pidcock or Mohoric, but he has gotten very good.
He hasn't gotten hurt badly, because he has never crashed that badly. Considering how much he has raced over the years, that is a skill as well. Goes for MvdP as well. His only bad crash was in the Olympics, where he forgot that they would remove the ramp on the drop that was there for the training rides.
He also crashed quite badly at MSR this year, lost a lot of skin and then still won.
He is just better. At almost everything. He positions well, hardly eats wind, doesn't miss splits etc. And all that in addition to his apex physiology.
For a time his main weakness was descending (he wasn't bad, just average). Even that is good now. He's not Pidcock or Mohoric, but he has gotten very good.
He hasn't gotten hurt badly, because he has never crashed that badly. Considering how much he has raced over the years, that is a skill as well. Goes for MvdP as well. His only bad crash was in the Olympics, where he forgot that they would remove the ramp on the drop that was there for the training rides.
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Domus
Guru
- Location
- Sunny Radcliffe
Wouldn't bet against Pog next week, he is definitely on a different level.
Look out Eddy.
Look out Eddy.
TailWindHome
Regular
Watched on delay as we'd family round.
Really enjoyed it. The best 5 riders in the race strung out and I didn't feel the ending was inevitable until it was
I assume it's been pointed out that winning PR not only completes the Monuments but it's a Pogslam of holding all 5 at once
Really enjoyed it. The best 5 riders in the race strung out and I didn't feel the ending was inevitable until it was
I assume it's been pointed out that winning PR not only completes the Monuments but it's a Pogslam of holding all 5 at once
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
Watched the YT highlights and once again it was amazing to watch The Man in his pomp inevitably dropping 4 other very capable riders at the tail-end of the race. Just sensational, and a privilege to see.
mididoctors
Über Member
The cobbles are still going to be a challenge for pogacar next week .... Thr 100 M from the top effect that has many riders in too deep they can't recover on the flat and this lose more time over the top wont be there .
They stayed with him.longer than last time . He's getting smarter thou .
They stayed with him.longer than last time . He's getting smarter thou .
No Ta Doctor
Über Member
Mads has got a few more hard km in his legs, so hopefully on an upward curve formwise. He's never really liked the climbs in Flanders, Roubaix has always been more his thing. Hopefully he'll be properly competitive this year, if his wrist holds up. He's had a lot of bad luck in Roubaix as well (looking at you, Luke Rowe), hopefully not this time.
MvdP will have advantage again without the climbs (the weight difference gives Pog a huge advantage in Flanders) - and his handling is out of this world.
Wout looked pretty good yesterday, but blew up a bit trying to follow Pog on a climb and paid heavily for it. He could also do better in Roubaix.
I definitely wouldn't make Pog top favourite for Roubaix - second to MvdP with Mads and Wout and I guess Ganna right behind
Dogtrousers
Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
That's true, he's not had much in the way of injury bar that wrist in LBL and his statistics for completing races are very high - higher than most. But they say you make your own luck.
Although he has had a few notable minor offs without significant injury. The one where Jonas waited for him in the tour in '22, S-B and P-R last year one stage in the Tour last year and of course MSR this year. I thought the Strade Bianchi and Paris Roubaix ones last year were interesting as in each case he was taking on someone better than him at their speciality (Pidcock descending, MvdP handling on the cobbles) and in all probability he just used these as learning experiences to become better.
Dogtrousers
Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
A non story.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cde5rndeej7o
Defending champion Tadej Pogacar won a record-equalling third Tour of Flanders, but could face action after he was one of up to 20 riders who ran a red light at a railway crossing.
The East Flanders public prosecutor told BBC Sport it was investigating the incident which happened with more than 200km (124 miles) left in the race.
The peloton was told to stop at a level crossing as the lights turned to red, but a group at the front - including Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel - slipped across the tracks in pursuit of the early leaders.
Slovenian Pogacar said they had not been not given enough warning to slow down.
"Suddenly three guys jump on the middle of the road and start waving to stop," he said.
"How can you stop in one second? I think they could prevent this by stopping us before, no? Not 10 metres before the crossing.
"I was thinking, maybe it's like some protesters or something crazy is going on."
According to Belgian media the riders could reportedly face fines ranging from 320 euros (£280) to 4,000 euros (£3,500) and driving bans of eight days.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cde5rndeej7o
Defending champion Tadej Pogacar won a record-equalling third Tour of Flanders, but could face action after he was one of up to 20 riders who ran a red light at a railway crossing.
The East Flanders public prosecutor told BBC Sport it was investigating the incident which happened with more than 200km (124 miles) left in the race.
The peloton was told to stop at a level crossing as the lights turned to red, but a group at the front - including Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel - slipped across the tracks in pursuit of the early leaders.
Slovenian Pogacar said they had not been not given enough warning to slow down.
"Suddenly three guys jump on the middle of the road and start waving to stop," he said.
"How can you stop in one second? I think they could prevent this by stopping us before, no? Not 10 metres before the crossing.
"I was thinking, maybe it's like some protesters or something crazy is going on."
According to Belgian media the riders could reportedly face fines ranging from 320 euros (£280) to 4,000 euros (£3,500) and driving bans of eight days.
matticus
Guru
Just heard that on the World Service!
(They didn't bother with the result of the Women's race .... )
(They didn't bother with the result of the Women's race .... )
N0bodyOfTheGoat
Über Member
- Location
- Hampshire, UK
No significant time penalty for Pog and the other red light jumpers?
