Day safely done at the #Giro 🩷🇮🇹✅. #UAETeamEmirates #WeAreUAE
"We have a strong enough squad, I’m convinced of that” - Joxean Matxin staunchly defends Tadej Pogacar's support team at Giro d'Italia amidst criticism
CyclingWednesday, 08 May 2024 at 10:30
Whilst Tadej Pogacar has undoubtedly been the strongest rider in the opening few stages of the 2024 Giro d'Italia, whether his UAE Team Emirates teammates have given him the best support is a hot topic for many in the cycling world.
Despite criticism of the supposed UAE Team Emirates B-team, team manager Joxean Matxin has launched a fierce defence of the riders selected and their performances during the opening days of the Giro d'Italia. “At this moment in time, we have 31 victories [this season], we have almost double the points of the second team in the rankings. There is no doubt about the level of the team,” Matxin told GCN. “Here we have a strong enough squad, I’m convinced of that. These are only opinions, and you have to respect them all, but with the squad we have here I do not agree. I defend all of them as the best in the world.”
Although, as mentioned, Pogacar has proven himself the dominant force in the Maglia Rosa battle early on, the fact that the vastly experienced Rafal Majka is the only real mountain domestique, could leave the Slovenian outnumbered by his rivals in the days to come. Having only Majka as climbing support wasn't the original plan however.
“Unfortunately Jay Vine couldn’t start, and then it was a decision between a few riders – who to take,” Pogacar himself explained on Tuesday. “There were some riders already racing a lot this year, some fatigue. It was a difficult decision, but even me, I saw in Vegard Stake Laengen the most potential because I knew we had to take a lot of responsibility and Mikkel Bjerg and Domen Novak are climbing both super well. In the end, we can use Vegard more for the flat part of the stages and pull long, because that’s what he’s perfect for. I think it’s a good decision, it’s going well so far.”
Read also
claps 0visitors 361
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- The main SPOTY award is "decided" by public vote but the BBC "expert panel" decide who you can choose from, that choice has an equal split of genders and is focussed on the sports BBC show and a disabled athlete. Oh yea the ubiquitous "Pub Games" candidate there too, Darts and Snooker are not sports. The other awards are decided by the "Expert Panel" again it's about the sports BBC show, cycling has had it. Cav got his for his years and achievements in the sport, not just that 35th TDF win. Unless the BBC get access to Pro Cycling it will never feature "adequately" on SPOTYslappers6621-12-2024
- Ahhh..... you have to understand the "strange" diversity concepts of the BBCslappers6621-12-2024
- Avoiding him is a good strategy, you get more wins and then you can compete in the TDF relatively relaxed. Pit yourself against Pogi and not only there will be no wins, it will be considerable mental setbackabstractengineer21-12-2024
- If you hold onto then, you blowup in a minute and then you finish 5 minutes down like Ben O'Connorabstractengineer21-12-2024
- Based on what argument?Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Agreed except the length of climbs, pretty sure you can stretch that to about a km unless we’re talking about half a dozen in quick succession.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Lot of contradictory information floating around world cup contenders, someone should do some tidying up.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- A bit much to suggest that Pogacar is better than MvdP on most terrains. The only terrain Pogacar is clearly better is long climbs, on any other terrain they are pretty even except flat cobbles and short and steep climbs (max a few 100 mtrs) where MvdP is clearly better than Pogacar.Velovibes21-12-2024
- The likelihood of RE improving enough at this point to outclass TP or JV is less than zero.verve82521-12-2024
- That’s the most stupid thing I’ve read for a long time, did you not go to school and learn even the most basic physics? Aero depends on one thing only, drag, drag depends speed and the relationship is squared and apart from maybe at zero or the speed of sound or due to side winds that relationship is valid at all speeds, it dies not “suddenly” start at a magic number. Very simply, the faster you go the more the effect becomes important. If you think 25km/h is needed to have noticeable effects you’re delusional, athletic WR are cancelled as soon as winds top 2m/s that’s 7.2km/h, why because the assistance is already too important at that speed and the times prove it. You don’t even consider wind which can significantly increase the effective speed for aerodynamics and you underestimate speed of climbs, 6% is ridden more at 30 than 25km/h, a speed at which early generation high rims were considered to have more advantages than disadvantages. And finally, as in normal races you can’t just switch bikes according to terrain, it’s pretty pointless to discuss climbs as a separate situation, the aero will have justified itself plenty during the rest of the ride.Mistermaumau21-12-2024