2018, 72nd Tour de Romandie, April 24th - April 29th, WT

[RedheadDane]

Re:

tmrw will be epic. sky strength's is good for fans when they are chasing and not leading. Roglic has decent team though it's gonna be fun

So epic, indeed, that it doesn't need the o's.

 

[Gigs_98]

Oh and as he can apparently do everything I just assume Bernal is descending like Salvoldelli, right?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Oh and as he can apparently do everything I just assume Bernal is descending like Salvoldelli, right?

Probably.

I would just need to see him on Mur de Huy and a flat 40 km ITT first before I declare him the biggest talent I have ever seen

 

[The Barb]

Oh and as he can apparently do everything I just assume Bernal is descending like Salvoldelli, right?

Yup. He can do everything. His programme after Romandie will include curing cancer and bringing a lasting peace to the Middle East.

 

[HelloDolly]

The one time Geraint may have a shot at the Tour after all the years and along came Bernal

Even Quintana must be wondering if his chance for the Tour is gone

Of course a 3 week GT is differnt to a week race and also surviving in the bunch day in a day out is an art
But Bernal looks mega

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Is Bernal v Roglic the future of GT, GC battles?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

btw Kruijswijk being 4th must be his best 1 week stage-race performance before May since eons.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

Is Bernal v Roglic the future of GT, GC battles?

Maybe but need to see them both over 3 weeks before we get carried away
I think they will but it maynot be this year or even next

of the top 3 Porte fastest in 1st part and Rojlic fastest in 2nd part
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bmrKTiKOtBaqWqVls3fO-Az2EFnJFdhthKDenziAVvg/edit#gid=958843752

 

[yaco]

My two takes are that Bernal has cost Thomas a place at Sky in 2019 and looking at the split times for the first 5 riders shows Porte rode the first half too fast - Anyway it's all to play for tomorrow.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Wouldn't put Roglic up there, he doesn't have the ceiling that Bernal does - at all. In order for Roglic to do well in GTs, he needs certain routes and them being raced the right way I think.

 

[SafeBet]

Re:

btw Kruijswijk being 4th must be his best 1 week stage-race performance before May since eons.

Which is painful considering how many times he started the Giro not at 100%. The year he finds such a good shape in spring he's not scheduled to ride the Giro. I hate this.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

btw Kruijswijk being 4th must be his best 1 week stage-race performance before May since eons.

Which is painful considering how many times he started the Giro not at 100%. The year he finds such a good shape in spring he's not scheduled to ride the Giro. I hate this.

Better being completely irrelevant in the Tour.

It really is perplexing, I hope he gets it together. Now matter what its a good sign he hasn't lost his ability, but Im afraid the Tour will be cruel to him

 

[shalgo]

Re:

My two takes are that Bernal has cost Thomas a place at Sky in 2019 and looking at the split times for the first 5 riders shows Porte rode the first half too fast - Anyway it's all to play for tomorrow.

I would love it if Thomas went back to being a classics rider instead of this foolish attempt at being a GT GC rider.

 

[johnymax]

Bernal vs Roglič...the first of many battles

Fantastic time trial for both.

 

[rick james]

Re:

Feel kinda sorry for G. Perhaps the year he could really shine, but falls through

I wouldn’t feel sorry for him, he took the decision to chase stage races, he could have one a monument by now if he decided to stick with it. He brought all this on himself

 

[Parker]

Re:

Is Bernal v Roglic the future of GT, GC battles?

Roglic isn't that young. 28. He's older than Quintana, Dumoulin, Aru and Landa amongst others

 

[Parker]

Re:

My two takes are that Bernal has cost Thomas a place at Sky in 2019 and looking at the split times for the first 5 riders shows Porte rode the first half too fast - Anyway it's all to play for tomorrow.

It depends how Thomas goes in the Tour ultimately. If he flops he'll probably go back to the classics.

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

Is Bernal v Roglic the future of GT, GC battles?

Roglic isn't that young. 28. He's older than Quintana, Dumoulin, Aru and Landa amongst others

Late starter/low mileage. He’s young enough to ride GTs for the next 4-5 years and be competitive before burnout takes its toll.

 

[WheelofGear]

Thomas stated that prefer 5-6% climbs over (longer) 8-9% climbs. When you are a true all-rounder, you can't specialize in everything.

I think he could find his niche in hilly classics instead of GC racing.

I think it was a mismatch when he was made a cobbles rider from early on. He can top 10 them but not win them. Amstel and Liege (Fleche Wallone, not so much) suits him better anything IMO. He isn't explosive but he can do the same trick as Jungles and target Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

 

[WheelofGear]

And Bernal is already the second best rider in the world after Froome. If not already the best depending on Froome's Giro form.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

My two takes are that Bernal has cost Thomas a place at Sky in 2019 and looking at the split times for the first 5 riders shows Porte rode the first half too fast - Anyway it's all to play for tomorrow.

It depends how Thomas goes in the Tour ultimately. If he flops he'll probably go back to the classics.

Realistically Thomas should have left Sky last year - He will attract plenty of interest but it may not be on his terms.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

And Bernal is already the second best rider in the world after Froome. If not already the best depending on Froome's Giro form.

What?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Half of QS Over Time Limit
according to http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-romandie-2018/stage-3/results/
Lol!

OTL Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:07:36
OTL Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:07:38
OTL Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:07:59
OTL Nicolas Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data 0:08:05
OTL Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors 0:08:12
OTL Davide Martinelli (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:08:21
OTL Robert Wagner (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:08:28
OTL Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:08:59
OTL Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Bahrain-Merida 0:09:00
OTL Boy van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:09:55

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Half of QS Over Time Limit
Lol!

OTL Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:07:36
OTL Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:07:38
OTL Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:07:59
OTL Nicolas Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data 0:08:05
OTL Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors 0:08:12
OTL Davide Martinelli (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:08:21
OTL Robert Wagner (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:08:28
OTL Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:08:59
OTL Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Bahrain-Merida 0:09:00
OTL Boy van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:09:55

Hey look, the European ITT champion

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

Half of QS Over Time Limit
Lol!

OTL Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:07:36
OTL Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:07:38
OTL Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:07:59
OTL Nicolas Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data 0:08:05
OTL Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors 0:08:12
OTL Davide Martinelli (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:08:21
OTL Robert Wagner (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:08:28
OTL Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:08:59
OTL Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Bahrain-Merida 0:09:00
OTL Boy van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:09:55

Hey look, the European ITT champion

Of course he spent himself on the previous stage in the break and working for DeGendt's stage win.