"Everyone complains instead of thinking strategically" - Former Tour de France winner criticises Tadej Pogacar's rivals
Cycling
2024 has been a season dominated by UAE Team Emirates and Tadej Pogacar. In the opinion of one former Tour de France winner though, as brilliant as the Slovenian and his teammates have been over the last twelve months, Pogacar's rivals in the peloton could be doing much more.
"It's not forbidden to be intelligent and creative," explains the 1996 Tour de France winner and compatriot of Jonas Vingegaard, Bjarne Riis via the Cafe Eddy podcast. "If you're up against someone who's stronger than you, the only way you can beat them is by thinking smart. You have to be smarter than the others."
According to Riis though, that kind of creative thinking has been in short supply when it comes to tackling the all-conquering Tadej Pogacar of late. "Everyone complains instead of thinking strategically," the 60-year-old Dane bemoans. "When I look at the screen, I can just see that there is not enough strategic thinking in cycling. They complain that the others are riding too fast. Well, then do something about it."
After a glittering career as a rider that included the aforementioned Tour de France victory in 1996, Riis turned his hand to being a sports director. Despite his frustrations at the modern peloton though, the Dane has no intention of trying to get back into a team car and changing it himself. "I've tried that, and I don't see any reason to do it. I think I've met too much resistance on my path in relation to my philosophy. I don't want to compromise on that," he explains. “I have a clear philosophy about how to coach and how to run a cycling team and how things should be done. It was something I got tired of in the end. Why should I sit around discussing it? Patrick Lefevere said to me: 'Well, Bjarne, cycling is different today.' It's not. I really don't believe that."
What a fightback from Vingegaard 💪
— Velon CC (@VelonCC) December 10, 2024
Happy 28th birthday to Jonas Vingegaard, who looked beaten on Tour de France Stage 11 but dug deep to secure victory over Tadej Pogačar. pic.twitter.com/qbnB3CeIC5
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Not different of Bruyneel of Godefroot. Apart that in his case, the omerta stayed more or less, so he wasn't convicted despite its teams dominated the UCI rankings in the 90's and 00's EPO era.Acapulco12-12-2024
- Lance was never the sharpest spoke in the wheel.He was however the greatest egotistical maniac the sport of cycling had ever seen.To his credit with much therapy he has become something of a mench...okay....half a mench.
Brucegel12-12-2024 - Illiterats of this age are people who aren't smart enough to interpret facts that they are given. Guess your ancestors were byuing snake oil or brooklyn bridge. Because people like you will buy shit, eat it and ask for more. Buen appetite!mikolajjj12-12-2024
- If you don't know why Pogacar took two losses to heart than clearly you don't understand competitive psychology and motivation.Brucegel12-12-2024
- Anytime someone leads with "the actual truth" your B.S.detector should go crazy loud.Nobody knows what UAE's shtick is in regards to training and nutrition.When you have some proof I would like to be the first to know.I will enjoy Pogacars exploits until such time.Brucegel12-12-2024
- I always assume anyone who demands people post using their real names are just trying to swat people. Smart people never post their real names or personal information on the internet.Sweep11-12-2024
- Shame on you.. I think you're a sado-masochist who's a rapist on the loose.. Evidence? You figure it out! Hahaha.. Don't get upset.. isn't it obvious I'm just copying you?FredMan11-12-2024
- Don't get so upset. Nobody really cares about your feelings.mikolajjj11-12-2024
- This is just a part if a marketing tactic. When it says "leaked" people are more likely to click cause it sounds more sensational. Otherwise not many give a f***.mikolajjj11-12-2024
- I doubt he will be missed by Sam Bennett and Alaphillipeabstractengineer11-12-2024