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

[johnymax]

Valverde exploted right when they hit 2000m of altitude.

Haha, the same thought popped into my head when it happened.

 

[johnymax]

Kruijswijk doesn't have a kick is the best excuse for getting dropped every mountain stage, then when the proper Tappone happens he still gets dropped and we conveniently forget we were hyping him.

You forgot about his super legendary third week performance. When he gets stronger as everybody else gets weaker. Then he still gets dropped in the 3rd week, but next year we still talk about his super legendary third week performance.

I like him because I will just never forget his Giro crash when in pink. Also his ride in the Alpe d'Huez stage in 2018 was fantastic. A good rider, but in my opinion overrated. Just by calling him a co-leader for the Tour team, when you have Roglič and van Aert (and last year Dumoulin) in the team, means overrating him big time.

 

[Sciatic]

You forgot about his super legendary third week performance. When he gets stronger as everybody else gets weaker. Then he still gets dropped in the 3rd week, but next year we still talk about his super legendary third week performance.

I like him because I will just never forget his Giro crash when in pink. Also his ride in the Alpe d'Huez stage in 2018 was fantastic. A good rider, but in my opinion overrated. Just by calling him a co-leader for the Tour team, when you have Roglič and van Aert (and last year Dumoulin) in the team, means overrating him big time.

I like him cause you can always pick him out in the group even from the high helicopter shots!

 

[johnymax]

I like him cause you can always pick him out in the group even from the high helicopter shots!

I know what you mean. You just can't call him Chris Harper.

 

[Red Rick]

I know what you mean. You just can't call him Chris Harper.

I can call Chris Harper Chris Harper, don't tell me I can't, Chris Harper

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I can call Chris Harper Chris Harper, don't tell me I can't, Chris Harper

In the words of Daft Punk: Harper, better, faster, stronger.

 

[KZD]

Surprised by Valverde today. Curious to see if he will keep the same level tomorrow. Ineos really strong this time with Yates as the strongest rider as expected.

 

[hayneplane]

You forgot about his super legendary third week performance. When he gets stronger as everybody else gets weaker. Then he still gets dropped in the 3rd week, but next year we still talk about his super legendary third week performance.

I like him because I will just never forget his Giro crash when in pink. Also his ride in the Alpe d'Huez stage in 2018 was fantastic. A good rider, but in my opinion overrated. Just by calling him a co-leader for the Tour team, when you have Roglič and van Aert (and last year Dumoulin) in the team, means overrating him big time.

The biggest problem with him as co-leader is that at this stage in his career I don’t feel like rival teams really treat him as a legitimate second card for victory so it really falls down as a tactical card.

 

[johnymax]

In the words of Daft Punk: Harper, better, faster, stronger.

Never heard that one. But I've heard Harper Harper from Carlos Santana.

 

[johnymax]

The biggest problem with him as co-leader is that at this stage in his career I don’t feel like rival teams really treat him as a legitimate second card for victory so it really falls down as a tactical card.

At the same time I think this is his best chance and probably the only way he can win the Tour and I think he knows it. He should try to exploit that situation if it arises. But not at the expense of lowering his team's chances if he fails. But that would require a non train approach from Jumbo and I'm not sure if they know how to do it successfully. In the words of Kirby Carlton: Let's wait and see. You never know. Stranger things have happened.

 

[perico]

Yes, but where were Mas and Soler?
These two guys are very overvalued

Mas was on the front the whole climb and finished with Almeida. He never does anything in Catalonia. He usually usually hits his stride at País Vasco. Plus he did squat last year in the build up and pulled out 2 GT Top 5s.

 

[movingtarget]

Impressive win by Yates. Ineos looked good.

 

[woodburn]

Apart from thumping very good riders in the Dauphine once and I suppose Loze, this is actually circa where Kuss can be expected in that field.

Or put it differently, I still think he is 1 tier down from Yates as climber.

Agree he is down a tier from Yates. Curious how much is performance can be chalked up to lack of experience as GC. He followed Yates at both UAE and here after initial attacks and burned himself. Staying the group likely would have been better course. Burning matches early and not pacing himself not uncommon for younger or inexperienced.

 

[Publiuszam]

Ineos are scary af or will it be a case of too many cooks in Gt's

 

[gregrowlerson]

Looking around Ineos Adam Yates with this forem is there best bet at the Tour for me

I think he si the only one who could stay near Pogacar or Roglic

Porte and Carapaz are very good but not good enough

Thomas ...well it remains to be see seen if he can so it again

They also have Hart. Extremely stacked team.

 

[Roku]

You forgot about his super legendary third week performance. When he gets stronger as everybody else gets weaker. Then he still gets dropped in the 3rd week, but next year we still talk about his super legendary third week performance.

I like him because I will just never forget his Giro crash when in pink. Also his ride in the Alpe d'Huez stage in 2018 was fantastic. A good rider, but in my opinion overrated. Just by calling him a co-leader for the Tour team, when you have Roglič and van Aert (and last year Dumoulin) in the team, means overrating him big time.

It's not that he gets stronger than everyone else, but he is more consistent than most riders and one of his main strenghts is endurance/recovery. Of course he gets dropped, but there is a noteworthy difference between barely finishing inside the Top20 in the first mountain stage and finishing 6º/7º in the third week.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Ya they should be able to make the race interesting but I think they'll need to rely on other teams also doing that. We know Jumbo's likely tactic is a train and it's a damn strong one. If Pogacar and UAE are also doing a train, I'm not sure even Ineos have the talent by themselves to consistently attack those two.

That's if they bring that team above anyway, their current line up is Castro, De Plus, Tao, Thomas, Porte, Carapaz, Rowe, Kwiatowski which is not as attacking of a lineup.


Back to Catalunya, but surprised at some performances today. I know it's early but was expecting more out of Simon Yates, Hindley, Champoussin, Kamna, McNulty and a few others. Thought they'd have been higher up.

I thought they'd go for a stronger Tour team. So Bernal, Yates, Sivakov, Dennis, Ganna all in the Giro? Could be the makings of a strong team.

 

[Fernandez]

Mas was on the front the whole climb and finished with Almeida. He never does anything in Catalonia. He usually usually hits his stride at País Vasco. Plus he did squat last year in the build up and pulled out 2 GT Top 5s.

Oh, come on man, enough of excuses. These two guys are not what they said they were gonna be.

 

[Oliver]

Ineos very strong, surprised by Thomas.
Kruijswijk stays a weird rider, one day he suprises everyone in the ITT en now he suprises us with his bad performance
Almeida, I expected better of him...

 

[Lequack]

 

[tobydawq]

Ineos very strong, surprised by Thomas.
Kruijswijk stays a weird rider, one day he suprises everyone in the ITT en now he suprises us with his bad performance
Almeida, I expected better of him...

Almeida is riding a very tough schedule with UAE, TA and now Catalunya. I had expected him to falter a bit. Not necessarily because his recovery is bad but when none of his opponents have had a similar schedule it was bound to become tough.

 

[Bolder]

Almeida is riding a very tough schedule with UAE, TA and now Catalunya. I had expected him to falter a bit. Not necessarily because his recovery is bad but when none of his opponents have had a similar schedule it was bound to become tough.

I agree -- also, despite his fabulous Giro and undeniable talent and grit, I am not totally convinced he's a GC rider yet. He might be a better stage hunter in GTs or even a great one-day rider. He almost reminds me physically of Alaphilippe, although a somewhat better climber and somewhat less punchier, or Yates. Plus having Masnada as a half-hearted domestique can't possibly help.

I also realized that we've driven up the climb to Vallter 2000 a number of years ago, and the road surface was bad then, making it a harder climb than you might think. When we got to the station, we then hiked into France and saw a small herd of reintroduced Ibexes (bouquetin)...very cool!

 

[Bolder]

You forgot about his super legendary third week performance. When he gets stronger as everybody else gets weaker. Then he still gets dropped in the 3rd week, but next year we still talk about his super legendary third week performance.

I like him because I will just never forget his Giro crash when in pink. Also his ride in the Alpe d'Huez stage in 2018 was fantastic. A good rider, but in my opinion overrated. Just by calling him a co-leader for the Tour team, when you have Roglič and van Aert (and last year Dumoulin) in the team, means overrating him big time.

Kruisjwijk is a bit of an enigma, like Bennett . I don't know if he's been overrated -- if anything his 2016 Giro was an over-performance. And he looked great in the 2019 (??) Tour, I think. (sorry, memory lapse atm).

But I think you're right in that if TJV is calling him a co-leader in the tour that's a bit of hyperbole. I'm guessing that it's a bit of a public-relations stunt, to keep him happy and to reduce pressure on Roglic (and to show that they are JUST AS STRONG AS INEOS!!).

 

[Lequack]

The only question is, how much time will Adam Yates put into others today. And obviously Soler will go in the break and win the stage.

 

[SafeBet]

Hindley DNS as well.
He's ill.