Roglic has won the Critérium du Dauphiné with ease. Jumbo looked relaxed through the entire race.

So which Slovenian is going to win the tour, Rog or Pog?

just hope Roglic can keep it rubber side down but still think Pog just has a bit more in the high mountains. Though that stage ending on the Alpe is going to be brutal.

Hopefully Rog and Vingergaud (how do you spell it?) can make a race of it as Pog looks to be on another level…

Hard to see past Pog at the moment, so far this year he seems to have made everything look effortless.

Pop but I’d love to see Rog keep his time trial helmet on straight and fight it out with nobody having abad day. Jumbo should have the strongest team and not get distracted with Out and the green jersey.

The only issue I can see is since they’ve been so dominant that all the other teams expect Jumbo to do all the work. Not much point chasing breaks down just for Jumbo to win, so they might find themselves exhausted in the last week.

The only issue I can see is since they’ve been so dominant that all the other teams expect Jumbo to do all the work. Not much point chasing breaks down just for Jumbo to win, so they might find themselves exhausted in the last week.

This could be a very tactical 3 weeks. If Jumbo’s DS have got their heads on right they’ll look to weaken UAE by making them ride for everything.. Pog is the strong favourite, make his team chase every break of the day down or risk Pog having to do an all day epic to bring back a breakaway rider getting 15 minutes and yellow for 2 weeks.

Having seen yesterdays Dauphine stage I actually think Jumbo might end up backing Vingegaard, he looks to be the stronger climber, after the stage he looked like he’d done an active recovery day whereas Roglic looked cooked, if Vingegaard can stay with Pog in the Alps and Roglic is struggling to hold the wheel.. I think they could let him go.

I certainly think that if anyone other than Jumbo or UAE are on the front at any point then DS pride and sponsor’s demands have shouted over tactical sense.

Difficult one, i think Pog is the stronger individual, but Jumbo Visma the stronger team, so they need to try and capitalise on that, but maybe have to sacrifice someone liked WvA who should be a favourite for green jersey by saying he needs to fall on his sword to help his GC man instead, which may backfire.

Hopefully Roglic was playing the smart game and not peaking for Dauphine despite winning it, but just doing enough and making sure he peaks for the Tour.

Hopefully Roglic was playing the smart game and not peaking for Dauphine despite winning it, but just doing enough and making sure he peaks for the Tour.

I’m just not convinced that Roglic can stay with the kind of brutal, repeated attacks on the big climbs that Pogacar is likely to dish out. Roglic is incredibly strong but does better when he can set or ride to a consistent pace.. one big attack to distance and then TT to the line.  Pogacar (and potentially Vingegaard) can dish out attack after attack which has done for Roglic in the past (when he doesn’t crash obvs).

Which is the other issue he has, when he is under pressure he tends to make mistakes, whether technical, tactical or nutrition.  Pile all  of that on top of what has to be a niggling worry in his mind that if he doesn’t do it this year he might not get another chance (Vingegaard could easily be the chosen one for Jumbo next year) and Roglic holding it together for 3 weeks has got to be the biggest risk to his chances.

I can’t imagine anyone would bet any serious money against Pog, but let’s hope we get a close race with a bit of excitement.

As above, Rog has had a bit of bad luck in recent Tours – but repeated bad luck means riders are not managing to keep themselves safe.

I certainly think that if anyone other than Jumbo or UAE are on the front at any point then DS pride and sponsor’s demands have shouted over tactical sense.

It’s not all about the GC though, plenty of other teams have their own priorities – such as the other jerseys or stage wins.

And Ineos just can’t help themselves sometimes.

Of the 12 individual athletes listed on Wikipedia’s Slovenian doping pages.  7 are cyclists, and 6 are male road cyclist

Both Rog’s and Pog’s performances are – what’s that expression? “Out of this world”? Honestly, I know “everyone’s” at it, yes it shouldn’t make a difference, but y’know? It does, and I don’t know why but I find those two wind me up more than all the others doing the same as they do, but I hope both are beaten.

but I hope both are beaten.

By Bardet I hope as I had a flutter on him at 150/1 after he withdrew from the Giro. Not a snowballs I know, but seemed a decent each way bet.

Honestly, I know “everyone’s” at it

Do you now?

FFS

Pog for me.
However as others have mentioned he hasn’t got Jumbovisma around him. Rog, not looking so good on some of his days racing.

Tactics, team and tenacity are the key if anyone else wins, here I’m secretly hoping its going to be Bardet.

Do you now? FFS

by which I mean that neither of them are no better or worse than the rest of the peloton. Everyone’s passing the tests, fails are rare, that either means no one is doping anymore or the athletes have worked out how to game the system.

I know which one seems more likely

I certainly think that if anyone other than Jumbo or UAE are on the front at any point then DS pride and sponsor’s demands have shouted over tactical sense.

And Ineos just can’t help themselves sometimes.

That’s kind of where I was going with that..  the number of times commentators have had lengthy conversations about what the hell Ineos are riding on the front for is almost funny.  Apparently the latest reason is ‘testing the competition and putting them under pressure’, only thing it seems to do is ensure that all bar 1 of the Ineos jersey’s disappear off the front before any of the important moves go.!!

Pog to annihilate all life on earth in the Alps, then ease up and look like he’s hanging on in the Pyrenees to keep things respectable. Wins by a couple of mins in Paris.

Don’t really mind who wins. Pog is an exciting racer, he just needs a decent rival to really push him. I really hope Jumbo can do this – they had the right attitude last year but lacked the firepower in the end.

All that said, even if (when) Pog gets a 4 min lead over everyone there’s still a 1-day race every day. There were some awesome stages at last year’s Tour even though the GC was dull.

For all the talk of joint leadership at Jumbo, I can’t help but feel Pogacar will likely rip 2 minutes out of Vingegaard on the stage 20 ITT of 40km.

JV’s tactic has to be to isolate Pogacar, then send Vingegaard on the attack and make Pog work while Roglic sits in his draft. Which could well backfire if Pogacar can follow but Roglic can’t.

whole of the Jumbo Visma team pulled from the tour de swiss due to covid (Adam Yates too btw)

and UAE are having drive train issues (or something).

Really appreciate the spoilers. Thanks.

On topic I can see Vingegaard surprising everyone.