100th Volta Ciclista a Catalunya(2.UWT) - 22nd March - 28th March

[Fernandez]

No, I'd prefer him to make his opponents scream no mas

And still it lacks the ´ on the a. Its writen más. Without that it looks weird.

 

[Sciatic]

Stage races nowadays look like this: Rog wins if he doesn't fall off his bike or meet Pog meanwhile Pog wins all the races he wants to. When there's no Pog or Rog, there's a bunch of Ineos riders ready.

And still it lacks the ´ on the a. Its writen más. Without that it looks weird.

except that it’s still recognizable as one the best meme quotes from sporting history.

 

[KZD]

Happy for Chaves, its nice to see that he still has something to give.

 

[movingtarget]

Great win for Chaves but Ineos are dominating the GC. Rohan Dennis super domestique ! Who would have predicted that two seasons ago ? Plus he won his first TT for quite a while. Good start to the season for Ineos as far as upcoming stage races go. Seems like Dennis is going to be huge again for his team in whatever grand tour he competes in. Hope Chaves can keep the momentum going and avoid problems leading into the grand tours.

 

[Cookster15]

Great win for Chaves but Ineos are dominating the GC. Rohan Dennis super domestique ! Who would have preedicted that two seasons ago ? Plus he won his first TT for quite a while. Good start to the season for Ineos as far as upcoming stage races go. Seems like Dennis is going to be huge again for his team in whatever grand tour he competes in. Hope Chaves can keep the momentum going and avoid problems leading into the grand tours.

Not a bad ride by Porte either. Like old times. But I would like to see Porte given more freedom in these races before he resumes full superdomestique duties at the TdF.

 

[johnymax]

Not a bad ride by Porte either. Like old times. But I would like to see Porte given more freedom in these races before he resumes full superdomestique duties at the TdF.

He had all the freedom in the world in Paris-Nice, but sadly he crashed on stage 1. In Catalunya he is clearly weaker than Yates and even with superdomestique duties he might be able to hold onto 2nd place in GC at the end. Also there are no major climbs left in the race, so I think a superdomestique Dennis and a supermdomestique Carapaz should be enough to secure an INEOS 1, 2, 3. Last stage in Barcelona is usually fun, bot nothing major happens GC wise. I'm sure Valverde will try to jump on the podium, though.

BTW, so many superdomestiques at INEOS wow

 

[HelloDolly]

Yes Ineos are super strong ...but its like they are all at 8/10

Roglic is 9/10

Pogacar is 10/10


Expect Ineos to take places 3- 6 at the Tour
And they are somehow still boring


And please no one post on here that Evenepol would beat them all in every race ...its so ......sigh

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Yes Ineos are super strong ...but its like they are all at 8/10

Roglic is 9/10

Pogacar is 10/10


Expect Ineos to take places 3- 6 at the Tour
And they are somehow still boring


And please no one post on here that Evenepol would beat them all in every race ...its so ......sigh

They are just getting Adam ready to support De Plus. It's clear as a cluntje.

 

[movingtarget]

Yes Ineos are super strong ...but its like they are all at 8/10

Roglic is 9/10

Pogacar is 10/10


Expect Ineos to take places 3- 6 at the Tour
And they are somehow still boring


And please no one post on here that Evenepol would beat them all in every race ...its so ......sigh

First Pogacar and Roglic have to show up in the same form they had in the last Tour. Never a given but they still deserve favouritism as of now. Bernal in the Giro will be an interesting one. Pinot running out of chances to hit the podium again. Quintana looks past his best, see how the new team goes for him. Maybe another one of the younger riders is ready to make a jump, someone like Mas maybe ? What Froome will do in July is anyone's guess.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

First Pogacar and Roglic have to show up in the same form they had in the last Tour. Never a given but they still deserve favouritism as of now. Bernal in the Giro will be an interesting one. Pinot running out of chances to hit the podium again. Quintana looks past his best, see how the new team goes for him. Maybe another one of the younger riders is ready to make a jump, someone like Mas maybe ? What Froome will do in July is anyone's guess.

Is it?

 

[Cookster15]

He had all the freedom in the world in Paris-Nice, but sadly he crashed on stage 1. In Catalunya he is clearly weaker than Yates and even with superdomestique duties he might be able to hold onto 2nd place in GC at the end. Also there are no major climbs left in the race, so I think a superdomestique Dennis and a supermdomestique Carapaz should be enough to secure an INEOS 1, 2, 3. Last stage in Barcelona is usually fun, bot nothing major happens GC wise. I'm sure Valverde will try to jump on the podium, though.

BTW, so many superdomestiques at INEOS wow

Well yeh, when you crash as he did at PN it puts a dent in your training. So I am not sure why this is a surprise .

He is weaker than A-Yates in Catalunya. But he is not weaker than Simon.

Pretty obvious Porte isn't at 2020 TdF level - yet. When he is the Yates bros better keep up their levels. Early days.

 

[RedheadDane]

First Pogacar and Roglic have to show up in the same form they had in the last Tour. Never a given but they still deserve favouritism as of now. Bernal in the Giro will be an interesting one. Pinot running out of chances to hit the podium again. Quintana looks past his best, see how the new team goes for him. Maybe another one of the younger riders is ready to make a jump, someone like Mas maybe ? What Froome will do in July is anyone's guess.

He definitely isn't going to this year.

 

[tobydawq]

First Pogacar and Roglic have to show up in the same form they had in the last Tour. Never a given but they still deserve favouritism as of now. Bernal in the Giro will be an interesting one. Pinot running out of chances to hit the podium again. Quintana looks past his best, see how the new team goes for him. Maybe another one of the younger riders is ready to make a jump, someone like Mas maybe ? What Froome will do in July is anyone's guess.

They are two of most consistent riders of all so no reason to doubt that they will be there in the same shape.

Mas will make no jumps.

 

[movingtarget]

He definitely isn't going to this year.

I mean any grand tour podium..............

 

[RedheadDane]

I mean any grand tour podium..............

Oh, I thought we were talking specifically about the Tour, and I'm pretty sure step 1 to podium in the Tour - or indeed any race - is... race it!

 

[gregrowlerson]

Nobody talking about him, but Kelderman doing pretty well here. Coming off his Giro disappointment (the way it ended) and now at a new team, I'm impressed. Is he riding Giro or Tour?

 

[Red Rick]

Nobody talking about him, but Kelderman doing pretty well here. Coming off his Giro disappointment (the way it ended) and now at a new team, I'm impressed. Is he riding Giro or Tour?

All that matters to the Dutch right now is that he beats Jai Hindley

Plan was to go Tour before his training crash, and I assume that's still the case.

 

[gregrowlerson]

All that matters to the Dutch right now is that he beats Jai Hindley

Plan was to go Tour before his training crash, and I assume that's still the case.

A rider like him should do the Giro. Decent chance at another podium. Outside (though very rough) chance of winning.

At the Tour he has almost no chance of a podium. It is Pogacar vs. Roglic/Jumbo vs. Inneos.

P.S. Hindley should also ride Giro (subject to illness seriousness).

 

[Remy55]

Nobody talking about him, but Kelderman doing pretty well here. Coming off his Giro disappointment (the way it ended) and now at a new team, I'm impressed. Is he riding Giro or Tour?

Yes, Kelderman is still going to the Tour. Denk said his goal should be a top 5 in GC

 

[Gregor_Slovenia]

Imagine Roglič having such a great support on a final climb yesterday. With 400 meters to go, what would Rogla do? Would he wait with his team mates to easily cross the line? Well, I think he would break Chavito's heart Would be fun to watch. So, of course, why would someone let somebody win from other team, if your team does all the work on the front all day. Ineos would deserve a win yesterday. But it is shame that no one of Ineos riders have enough of a push in final (Neither A. Yates, Porte or Thomas). Can't wait for Roglič to show us his strength again in the final of climbs.

 

[Ricco']

Ineos would deserve a win yesterday. But it is shame that no one of Ineos riders have enough of a push in final (Neither A. Yates, Porte or Thomas).

Adam Yates was a team mate of Chavito for 7 seasons. They both went to GreenEdge in 2014 and were there all the way to 2020. As you can see by the photos on the finish line, Adam and Simon are good pals with Chaves and he knows what the colombian has been through in the last seasons.

What's the point of taking a win from his friend when he already has a stage under his belt and have the GC under control?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Also, didn't Rogla (presumably) do something along the lines of that to Pogacar?

 

[SafeBet]

Kern Pharma won't start today due to 2 positive COVID-19 tests.

 

[movingtarget]

Oh, I thought we were talking specifically about the Tour, and I'm pretty sure step 1 to podium in the Tour - or indeed any race - is... race it!

And finish it...............

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Soler and Cavagna have not surprisingly made the break. And even Poels, who has done worse than Froome in the first days, has attacked. But they have been caught again.