I've only recently gotten into cycling, and it's really interesting in the way it differs from running. Jonas won last year's TdF, and he might only be the third best cyclist on his own team. But he's skinny AF and can climb like anyone, so he'll always be a factor if he has the best time.
Meanwhile, Pogacar is just a totally different animal. Not sure how I'd compare him to Jacob, though. Just too different of a discipline, I think.
Jonas will always be a factor if there are long climbs, but he won't always be a factor otherwise.
Pogacar will always be a factor, other than sprint stages.
Specialists vs generalists (or really climbers that can also punch and TT) is what separates the great riders from the legends.
rolleurx wrote:
It is pretty amazing that no matter the course profile Pogacar can still win. Says a lot about his team/support, but it is extremely unusual to see the same athlete win multi-stage races in the mountains (tdf) as well as flatter/rolling one day classics (amstel, strade bianche, flanders, fleche wallonne) -- let alone in the same year!
Ive been a more competitive cyclist than runner, but it feels like the equivalent of having someone win major titles in the 5k and the marathon in the same year.
Didn´t Tadej lose Tour de France to another Scandinavian last year?
Yes - I already covered this in my post about Jumbo.
Bradley Martin wrote:
Discuss.
Who dis Jade Potato guy?
rolleurx wrote:
I agree with you, but Pogacar is among the best climbers in the world and he is ALSO among the best TT, Roleur, Stage Racers, Classics racers in the world. The only thing he doesn't do is sprint. His versatility is what sets him apart and puts him on a level with Merckx.
Jonas is a stage racing climber and isn't winning a classic regardless of his support staff.
Jakob is the best runner in the world from 1500m to 5000m. Do you agree?
currently - yes I agree.
I think the question that you are getting at is: which shows more range:
A) Dominating running distances between 1500-5k (Jakob)
B) Dominating cycling disciplines from stage races in the mountains, to flat classics (Pogacar)
My inclination is that (B) shows more range, but I am much more familiar with cycling at a very high level than I am with running at a very high level, so I'm slightly biased based on my knowlege base.
The Pogacar v Jonas thing isn't really a comparison in my mind (yet). I actually love watching Jonas - he races incredibly aggressively in the mountains and I like his humility (I also love Danes), but he hasn't demonstrated the range and dominance that Pogacar has.
Both are exceptional athletes, but you are comparing two completely different specialties in endurance sports.
Tadej is great at cycling and Jakob is great at running.
You can only really compare how they are in their sport to how how good the other is in their sport. Tadej has two TDF wins and a runner up. Jakob has 2 global golds and a runner up. They're equally good in each of their respective sports.
Chep is better at the 5000. Girma is better at the 3000. Jakob is the best - though not by much - at the 1500.
No one is on a level with the GOAT Eddy Merckx. Not even close.
Raysism wrote:
I've only recently gotten into cycling, and it's really interesting in the way it differs from running. Jonas won last year's TdF, and he might only be the third best cyclist on his own team. But he's skinny AF and can climb like anyone, so he'll always be a factor if he has the best time.
Meanwhile, Pogacar is just a totally different animal. Not sure how I'd compare him to Jacob, though. Just too different of a discipline, I think.
I think the people saying Jonas is just a pure long climber or totally reliant on his team should be watching this year’s Criterium du Dauphine. He just smashed everybody on a short, 10-minute climb to win today’s stage with no help from his team once the steep section started. He made a really aggressive attack on Carapaz too. He’s way way more like Pog than people are realizing
Claimed in his post race interview that he didn’t even attack, he was just riding steady tempo Carapaz just couldn’t hang…Tadej has his work cut out for him next month if he doesn’t want to get obliterated by Jonas on a big climb. And I say this as a Tadej fan, Jonas is better than he was last year
Tadej is even more of an aerobic monster than Jakob is
Put it this way: if Jakob and Pogi were both to go out and race a marathon right now, it would be closer than you'd think. And Pogi doesn't even run.
I just laid down $50 on Pogacar to win the tour. It seemed like last year he thought he was invincible and he just wore himself out answering every single challenge against him. I do not think he will make the same mistake this year
Pogacar. It is by FAR the more physically demanding sport and he does it much more frequently:
The speed/distance that pro cyclists race (sometimes on consecutive days!) is absolutely crazy.
Liking that bet right now?
Hopefully you guys will realize now…Tadej is not the best in the world. Jonas is just a much more dominant climber