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

[johnymax]

If Remco was racing and back to his pre-injury form, then yes, I'd rank Remco higher. But Remco is still recovering from the crash and will need a couple of months a least to be back to his former self.

I've actually had a look at top5 placings in WT short stage races for the Yates brothers since 2017. They have 16 top5 combined (Adam 10, Simon 6), but only two wins, last year UAE Tour (Adam) and T-A (Simon). I'm not sure if there is a rider in the peloton beside Roglič, who has more top5s than Adam in that span of time.

Surprisingly Adam Yates has even more top5 placings in WT one week stage races than Roglič since 2017 (10 to 8). The difference being that Rogla usually either wins or paints his gluteus maximus to red.

 

[Bonimenier]

Surprisingly Adam Yates has even more top5 placings in WT one week stage races than Roglič since 2017 (10 to 8). The difference being that Rogla usually either wins or paints his gluteus maximus to red.

In that case even Porte (9) beat Roglic in top 5 placings in 1 week WT races. Tour Down Under helps with that though.

 

[johnymax]

In that case even Porte (9) beat Roglic in top 5 placings in 1 week WT races. Tour Down Under helps with that though.

True. I have no idea how I forgot about him. And that's only if you look at results since 2017. If we go a couple of years back, he easily doubles that. 2013 - 2017 Porte was a beast in short stage races.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I agree. He really impressed me in Laigueglia. I still don't know though if he is more of a hilly one day race specialist or he can also be a strong GC rider.

In the U23 he's always been a guy to keep an eye on for GC's, usually one of the 5-10 favorites in most stage races. But he never really stood out as a worldbeater. One of the better guys in the peloton, one of the favorites, but never the clear cut favorite. But i wouldn't rule it out, he's usually been decent at the least as a GC rider there.

 

[yaco]

Yates vs Yates for the win? That could be fun.

You do wonder if one Yates attacks if the other can hold back - I suspect in this scenario that tactics will go out the window.

 

[jaylew]

If Remco was racing and back to his pre-injury form, then yes, I'd rank Remco higher.

His biggest stage race win is Tour of Poland and we're already putting him above Roglacar?

 

[johnymax]

His biggest stage race win is Tour of Poland and we're already putting him above Roglacar?

I was talking about the Yates twins.

It's difficult to rate Remco right now. But you can't rate him just by looking at his palmares. He didn't even take part at other WT stage races in 2020, but his ability is unquestionable. A bit like with Pogačar. His biggest GC win before Tour 2020 was Tour of California. But we all knew he has the ability. Now a couple of months later we are talking how he is going to be an unstoppable force in the next decade. With Remco is a little more complicated though, because he had a bad injury. But he'll be back.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Bagioli to win 1 or 2 stages.

 

[Bonimenier]

I was talking about the Yates twins.

It's difficult to rate Remco right now. But you can't rate him just by looking at his palmares. He didn't even take part at other WT stage races in 2020, but his ability is unquestionable. A bit like with Pogačar. His biggest GC win before Tour 2020 was Tour of California. But we all knew he has the ability. Now a couple of months later we are talking how he is going to be an unstoppable force in the next decade. With Remco is a little more complicated though, because he had a bad injury. But he'll be back.

Poland was WT, but yeah it's not up there with some other ones.

 

[Breh]

Very much looking forward to this race. Will be nice to watch a race without the WvA, MVDP, Roglic and Pogacar.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Poland was WT, but yeah it's not up there with some other ones.

Last year there were only a few of these races. As a result they were stacked with big names and they were raced hard. Only few options to get a win, only a few options to get in shape for the GT's. Poland might not have the prestige of some other WT stage races, but that doesn't detract from the performance last year. Same with Burgos, usually a low level race nobody cares about, last year it was stacked with big names like Carapaz, Yates, Landa, Kuss, Bennett, Valverde... But obviously, since Evenepoel won, the others must not have been trying hard.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

idk Burgos usually has a good start list for a 2.HC/Pro as Vuelta prep race. I don't think it was stronger in 2020 than previous years. More World Teams rode but the Final GC was Landa, Carapaz and a bunch of 2nd tier GC riders. Kuss and Bennett aren't big names. They're domestiques.
I don't think Poland 2020 was stronger than previous years, either. The top 10 is Simon Yates and bunch of 2nd tier GC riders... and, in some cases, 2nd tier is generous.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

idk Burgos usually has a good start list for a 2.HC/Pro as Vuelta prep race. I don't think it was stronger in 2020 than previous years. More World Teams rode but the Final GC was Landa, Carapaz and a bunch of 2nd tier GC riders. Kuss and Bennett aren't big names. They're domestiques.
I don't think Poland 2020 was stronger than previous years, either. The top 10 is Simon Yates and bunch of 2nd tier GC riders... and, in some cases, 2nd tier is generous.

Race ranking for Burgos (based on participants) by PCS in 2019 was 115. Race ranking in 2020 was 18. Part of that is due to other races getting cancelled, but not only that. Bennett was supposed to ride the Giro as leader, by the way. They changed that up because Kruijswijk wasn't going to the Tour due to physical issues.

The entire podium of 2019 was present in 2020 and none of them even made the top 5. Only one made the top 10.

Top 20 in 2019:

1	SOSA Iván Ramiro	Team INEOS	200	150	18:53:44
2	RODRÍGUEZ Óscar	Euskadi Basque Country - Murias	150	110	0:31
3	CARAPAZ Richard	Movistar Team	125	90	0:42
4	PEDRERO Antonio	Movistar Team	100	80	0:46
5	MARTIN Guillaume	Wanty - Gobert Cycling Team	85	70	1:13
6	GHEBREIGZABHIER Amanuel	Team Dimension Data	70	60	1:18
7	ROLLAND Pierre	Vital Concept - B&B Hotels	60	55	1:39
8	DE LA CRUZ David	Team INEOS	50	50	1:44
9	CHERKASOV Nikolay	Gazprom-RusVelo	40	45	1:52
10	COSTA Rui	UAE-Team Emirates	35	40	2:05
11	VINHAS Rui	W52 / FC Porto	30	36	2:49
12	SAMITIER Sergio	Euskadi Basque Country - Murias	25	32	3:39
13	BIZKARRA Mikel	Euskadi Basque Country - Murias	20	28	3:54
14	BOU Joan	Nippo Vini Fantini Faizanè	15	24	4:16
15	FERNÁNDEZ Delio	Delko Marseille Provence	10	20	4:44
16	FLÓREZ Miguel Eduardo	Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec	5	16	4:48
17	LASTRA Jonathan	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	5	14	6:21
18	CHERNETSKI Sergei	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	5	12	6:27
19	DINA Márton	Kometa Cycling Team	5	10	6:59
20	BISOLTI Alessandro	Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec	5	8	7:02

Top 20 in 2020:

1	EVENEPOEL Remco	Deceuninck - Quick Step	200	150	19:14:42
2	LANDA Mikel	Bahrain - McLaren	150	110	0:30
3	ALMEIDA João	Deceuninck - Quick Step	125	90	1:12
4	CHAVES Esteban	Mitchelton-Scott	100	80	1:26
5	BENNETT George	Team Jumbo-Visma	85	70	1:40
6	CARAPAZ Richard	Team INEOS	70	60	1:58
7	HERMANS Ben	Israel Start-Up Nation	60	55	2:25
8	DE LA CRUZ David	UAE-Team Emirates	50	50	2:34
9	ARU Fabio	UAE-Team Emirates	40	45	2:36
10	NIEVE Mikel	Mitchelton-Scott	35	40	3:00
11	DE LA PARTE Víctor	CCC Team	30	36	3:30
12	RODRÍGUEZ Óscar	Astana Pro Team	25	32	3:37
13	RODRÍGUEZ Cristián	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	20	28	4:11
14	MEINTJES Louis	NTT Pro Cycling	15	24	4:45
15	VALVERDE Alejandro	Movistar Team	10	20	5:02
16	YATES Simon	Mitchelton-Scott	5	16	5:23
17	KÄMNA Lennard	BORA - hansgrohe	5	14	5:41
18	DÍAZ José Manuel	NIPPO DELKO One Provence	5	12	5:47
19	GAUDU David	Groupama - FDJ	5	10	6:30
20	KUSS Sepp	Team Jumbo-Visma	5	8	6:31

 

[cantpedal]

Well, according a few Spaniards, it's not easy to find a route that would give you an actually flat route in Spain for any stage. LOL.

They could rid along the beach -Costa del Sol for one and we might get crosswinds! Pretty steep hills right behind the beach in most places if they change their minds at the last minute.

 

[Lequack]

The mysteriously shaved March Hirschi will debut for UAE in this race

 

[Netserk]

Resembling a squirrel a bit.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Resembling a squirrel a bit.

Yeah, I wouldn't shave the sides of my head to balance things out a bit with such an extreme jawline, but let's not turn this one into a barber shop thread...

 

[HelloDolly]

Its a battle of the Yates brothers..at last

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Battle of the Twins!

I'm sure Ineos and Team BibsExchange will find a satisfying solution in case one Yates is the leader but feeling bad...

 

[tobydawq]

Astounding sprinting field with the likes of Sagan, Kanter and Venturini.

 

[Escarabajo]

I see that Dani Martinez made a change to Ineos for money, but He is almost getting no chances to race. For the quality of rider that He is I am not even sure why Ineos hired him. He must be the must expensive rider per racing days. I was expecting him to ride this race!

Nice to see Hirschi back in action!

 

[Ricco']

I see that Dani Martinez made a change to Ineos for money, but He is almost getting no chances to race. For the quality of rider that He is I am not even sure why Ineos hired him. He must be the must expensive rider per racing days. I was expecting him to ride this race!

Nice to see Hirschi back in action!

Wasn't he injured on that fall at the last stage of the UAE Tour?

 

[Escarabajo]

Wasn't he injured on that fall at the last stage of the UAE Tour?

Gosh, I forgot about it. I thought it wasn't that bad. Maybe it was, because he was showing good form.

 

[tobydawq]

Gosh, I forgot about it. I thought it wasn't that bad. Maybe it was, because he was showing good form.

He was initially on the start list of Tirreno.

 

[Sciatic]

Carapaz, A Yates, (Thomas, Porte?)
Kruijswijk, Kuss, G Bennett
Mas
S Yates
Almeida
Carthy

Who else for top 5?

Nairo!