2021 Tour de Pologne, 9th to 15th August

[roundabout]

But does ES only buy from GCN?

I think Eurosport is also owned by Discovery - the people that Polish government has an issue with.

 

[mikii4567]

It is indeed, but this is only speculation. It also wasn't broadcast by ES in 2016, the last Olympic year.
TVP (the Polish national channel) isn't particularly supportive of its competitors, to put it lightly. When CCC was competing as CCC Polsat Polkowice (Polsat being a different TV channel) the commentators just referred to the team as CCC Polkowice, removing Polsat.

 

[RedheadDane]

It is indeed, but this is only speculation. It also wasn't broadcast by ES in 2016, the last Olympic year.
TVP (the Polish national channel) isn't particularly supportive of its competitors, to put it lightly.

You'd think the race organisers would be HAPPY to have international broadcasting...

 

[roundabout]

You'd think the race organisers would be HAPPY to have international broadcasting...

Yes. I think organization owns the race images and since TV production is already being done, not selling them to more countries would be revenue lost.

 

[postmanhat]

What a ridiculous situation. Was looking forward to this but my interest level has just dropped by 95% if it's not on TV.

FWIW, this looks like a very attractive parcours for Colbrelli?

 

[BlueRoads]

What a ridiculous situation. Was looking forward to this but my interest level has just dropped by 95% if it's not on TV.

FWIW, this looks like a very attractive parcours for Colbrelli?

Absolutely perfect for him.

 

[titan31]

Bit of a meh stage wise and participant list wise. The GC battle is basically stage 4 and 6 and stage 4 doesn't even look that difficult.

 

[solo80k]

Snoozefest...

 

[mikii4567]

Colbrelli is no longer participating, somewhat surprisingly.
Stage 1 ends on a slight hill, the last 700 metres are on cobbles and average 3-4%, topping off at around 5-6% (ignore the profile which somehow claims 8%).
Stage 2 ends on a hill (1,5 km at 7,3%) with a slight descent, it's more like 10%-15% on the remaining sections. But, for whatever reason, the race organisers have classed the stage as "expected to finish in a bunch sprint", meaning time gaps will be taken with 3 second differences. Which kinda kills the point of the HTF.
Stage 4 is not too tricky and I can see it ending with a sprint from a slightly smaller peloton, apart from a moment 3 km before the line the climbs are all really 5-6%, Łapszanka gets steep only for a few short moments.
Stage 5, in various similar iterations in the last few years, has ended in a sprint from a reduced bunch and I can see this being the same.
Stages 3 and 7 are sprinters stages.
All about stage 6 (ITT).

 

[BlueRoads]

Colbrelli is no longer participating, somewhat surprisingly.
Stage 1 ends on a slight hill, the last 700 metres are on cobbles and average 3-4%, topping off at around 5-6% (ignore the profile which somehow claims 8%).
Stage 2 ends on a hill (1,5 km at 7,3%) with a slight descent, it's more like 10%-15% on the remaining sections. But, for whatever reason, the race organisers have classed the stage as "expected to finish in a bunch sprint", meaning time gaps will be taken with 3 second differences. Which kinda kills the point of the HTF.
Stage 4 is not too tricky and I can see it ending with a sprint from a slightly smaller peloton, apart from a moment 3 km before the line the climbs are all really 5-6%, Łapszanka gets steep only for a few short moments.
Stage 5, in various similar iterations in the last few years, has ended in a sprint from a reduced bunch and I can see this being the same.
Stages 3 and 7 are sprinters stages.
All about stage 6 (ITT).

I'm only interested in the sprinter's stages here , so 3 and 7 it is.

 

[yaco]

Almeida must be a chance to win the GC with the 19km ITT.

 

[RedheadDane]

I like the lineup for Astana:

• 21 BOARO Manuele
• 22 FEDOROV Yevgeniy
• 23 MARTINELLI Davide
• 24 PRONSKIY Vadim
• 25 SOBRERO Matteo
• 26 STALNOV Nikita
• 27 GREGAARD Jonas

Italian, Kazakh, Italian, Kazkh, Italian, Kazakh, Dane!
They even order Gregaard by his last name - Wilsly - rather than Gregaard just to make the rhythm fit.

 

[carolina]

Almeida must be a chance to win the GC with the 19km ITT.

His race to lose.

 

[titan31]

Almeida must be a chance to win the GC with the 19km ITT.

I'm struggling to see who else, he's the overwhelming favourite. Out of time trialists, it's him, Cavagna, Bjerg, Sobrero as the better ones there and I'd see Almeida doing better than them on the other GC relevant stages. Then on those other stages guys like Ullissi would have a chance but he'll lose time in the TT. Outside of a crash or a random breakaway taking loads of time, Almeida not winning would be a surprise.

 

[Salvarani]

Almeida must be a chance to win the GC with the 19km ITT.

He is probably the top candidate going into this race, but just to speculate on who might challenge him...

I would not underestimate Kwiatkowski in this race. He can time trial as well.

Always the chance riders like Teuns (who has won this race), G. Bennett and Wellens (been bad this year, but has won here before) finds form towards the end of the season. Ulissi has been getting better as the season has went on after having trouble with his health earlier in the year. Who knows, Hindley might be great all of a sudden. The same with TGH.

Some young riders that might surprise are Aleotti, Rubio and Covi who all seems to be in good form. Questions about TT though.

Sobrero is a long shot but he can TT quite good.

It will probably be a pretty close race either way.

A break might get time if it is difficult to control though. There is always that possibility too.

 

[titan31]

Moscon is someone I can see doing well. None of the stages are hard enough for him to be dropped on the climbs if he's in good form (which he did well enough in Olympics and San Sebastian), better sprinter than nearly all of the guys I'd see towards the end groups and can TT.

 

[railxmig]

Interested in first two stages. The rest is dissapointing. Ban Bielsko-Biala laps, gimmie at least Gliczarow wall and gimmie that Zwierzyniec climb (Przegorzalska Przełęcz) for the Krakow laps.

 

[mikii4567]

gimmie at least Gliczarow wall

The organizers claim the Tatra stage is as it is due to "road conditions". The road on the descent from Gliczarów has slowly gotten into a horrific state, there were complaints in the last few years.

 

[Mayomaniac]

If Sobrero is in the kind of shape that he was at the end of the Giro and in the races afterwards he should do well. He is good on shorter climbs and a strong TTer.

 

[search]

I think Eurosport is also owned by Discovery - the people that Polish government has an issue with.

This looks very unlikely to be the reason, though. The company which holds the international broadcasting rights for the Tour de Pologne is Infront now, and they then sell sub-licenses to the TV stations - so the race, or the government, has basically no say in this at all.

When Eurosport only came up with a last second deal for the Flanders Classics races at the beginning of the season, it was also Infront they were dealing with. So I would guess it's purely about money. Either Infront wants more than the former right holders, or Discovery wants to pay less (or get more for it, like worldwide GCN coverage on top). This time they apparently didn't come to an agreement.

 

[RedheadDane]

This looks very unlikely to be the reason, though. The company which holds the international broadcasting rights for the Tour de Pologne is Infront now, and they then sell sub-licenses to the TV stations - so the race, or the government, has basically no say in this at all.

When Eurosport only came up with a last second deal for the Flanders Classics races at the beginning of the season, it was also Infront they were dealing with. So I would guess it's purely about money. Either Infront wants more than the former right holders, or Discovery wants to pay less (or get more for it, like worldwide GCN coverage on top). This time they apparently didn't come to an agreement.

I just wish there'd been any information about it. I might be naïve, but I'm sort of assuming that of course a WT race will have live coverage - after all; why shouldn't the rules requiring live coverage which course the Giro Donne to be down-ranked apply to men's WT racing? - but then it's just like "Nope!"
No explanation. No information about alternative viewing-sources. Nothing.

 

[SafeBet]

Looks like Ineos vs Almeida vs Ulissi to me, with Wellens possibly featuring depending on shape/weather.
Ineos has different options to play with, as always.
Curious to see how Tulett does on this route.

 

[BlueRoads]

This looks very unlikely to be the reason, though. The company which holds the international broadcasting rights for the Tour de Pologne is Infront now, and they then sell sub-licenses to the TV stations - so the race, or the government, has basically no say in this at all.

When Eurosport only came up with a last second deal for the Flanders Classics races at the beginning of the season, it was also Infront they were dealing with. So I would guess it's purely about money. Either Infront wants more than the former right holders, or Discovery wants to pay less (or get more for it, like worldwide GCN coverage on top). This time they apparently didn't come to an agreement.

So a lose-lose-lose-lose situation for everyone, race organizers, Eurosport/GCN, riders, viewers. Well done!

Okay, I suppose someone is getting something from this, putting someone under pressure... but it really is a disappointment with which I could live better if Hodeg wasn't doing this race.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

I'm in South Africa at the moment and notice that it is being broadcast here, apparently in full as stage one is scheduled from 1pm to 7:15 today. Strange (and disappointing) that no agreement was reached for viewers in parts of Europe.

 

[Anderis]

I might be naïve, but I'm sort of assuming that of course a WT race will have live coverage - after all; why shouldn't the rules requiring live coverage which course the Giro Donne to be down-ranked apply to men's WT racing? - but then it's just like "Nope!"

The race does technically have live coverage- so it would perhaps satisfy such rule. It's just that the coverage is not available in most countries- and again, it's not as unusual as one might think because I bet no race is available to watch in every country.