52nd Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta (18-22 February)

[YavorD]

his next contract will be the second biggest in the sport

Decathlon should secure him as early as possible.

 

[Andre]

where did Widar finish?

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

amazing thats his first pro win. which for a 19 year old shouldn't be remarkable, but I was still surprised.

 

[Cycling111]

This is not a Lipowitz climb or a Lipowitz month, he's a man for the long alpine passes and 4 week Grand Tours

It's not the best climb for Almeida either.

 

[JosephD]

EF devo rider Juan Felipe Rodriguez in 12th in his second-ever pro stage race, right in between Lipowitz and Arensman. One to keep an eye on.

He was very good as a final year U23 at Ronde de l'Isard, not far behind Widar and Liam O'Brien, even beat them both to a stage. Looks like another pure Colombian climber, which is great!

 

[Tim Cahill]

I couldn't understand much that they were saying and I was concentrating on Ivan Sosa's descending but the Colombians were raving about Rodriguez last week in the road race.

 

[Cycling111]

Chapeau Sexias - team Decathlon Pirates have a winner! Almeida looks like a chump, and Ayuso at least fought to the last cm. It's only February but I guess the French media will be cranking out the "next French Tour winner" articles now in even greater speed.

It's his own DS who talks about the Tour. They're going to drive him crazy until July.

 

[Samamba]

I mean why does the Volta a Algarve have a GT level field.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

where did Widar finish?

pretty much bottom of the gc riders

 

[Netserk]

ah, it was young alvarez in the first intermediate sprint. so ayuso gained 1 second in the intermediates

 

[Samamba]

where did Widar finish?

19th, blew himself up trying to follow that attack at the beginning, but also people thinking he is ready for this level are dumb.

 

[Salvarani]

Poole lost 5 minutes?

 

[Cycling111]

McNulty only lost 37 seconds despite the crash.
Perhaps he's in better shape than Almeida. We won't know until the next climb.

 

[Netserk]

I mean why does the Volta a Algarve have a GT level field.

good route, good conditions, good location

and then good competition also makes it a good test

 

[YavorD]

McNulty only lost 37 seconds despite the crash.
Perhaps he's in better shape than Almeida. We won't know until the next climb.

They were looking at each other for some time helping him reduce the gap

 

[postmanhat]

I mean why does the Volta a Algarve have a GT level field.

UAE presents some logistical difficulties/not much fun? Andalucia parcours is pretty feeble. Probably the best warm-up race before the European WT races begin?

 

[Netserk]

riccitello as the kuss to paul will be pretty sweet

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Mate I Have complete lost my head , what happened to actually good champjongnos in this sport. Now is just my teenage boys born into wealth extreme talent and success who spend a billion months in altitude and ride for the same teamswinning all the races.. It's barely interesting at this point. Maybe I don't even like cycling I just like Nibali and landa. There's no stories in this sport anymore or actually good champions. I have completely gone here I might stop watching for good. Thank god we have the big classics to lookforward to, oh wait nevermind he who will not be named is Gona be there and win them all. Is like watching formula one. You can't even tell what team they reside for because all the kits are the same.

 

[Cycling111]

They were looking at each other for some time helping him reduce the gap

Yes, but McNulty lost more because afther the crash he was fixing the bicycle chain.

 

[Cycling111]

Mate I Have complete lost my head , what happened to actually good champjongnos in this sport. Now is just my teenage boys born into wealth extreme talent and success who spend a billion months in altitude and ride for the same teamswinning all the races.. It's barely interesting at this point. Maybe I don't even like cycling I just like Nibali and landa. There's no stories in this sport anymore or actually good champions. I have completely gone here I might stop watching for good. Thank god we have the big classics to lookforward to, oh wait nevermind he who will not be named is Gona be there and win them all. Is like watching formula one. You can't even tell what team they reside for because all the kits are the same.

Landa has ridden for almost all the dominant teams of the time: Sky, Movistar when they were winning a lot, best Barhain. Nibali's Astana wasn't exactly modest either.

 

[BubbaChuck]

Obviously next him,jonas is fighting for second this year.remco well....

 

[YavorD]

Yes, but McNulty lost more because afther the crash he was fixing the bicycle chain.

And still gad they rode full gas, he would be over a minute behind.
He rode good, better than many in front of him, but without them looking at each other, he would be a minute behind IMO.

 

[Cycling111]

Obviously next him,jonas is fighting for second this year.remco well....

Yesterday on social media they were saying Del Toro would displace Vingegaard, today it's Seixas.
If Ayuso had won, it would have been Ayuso .

I think Vingegaard will still clearly be the second best in the Tour. In a GT , there's a big difference between Vingegaard and the rest.

That includes Almeida, who in a GT , I think is currently better than Seixas, but not for this climb today.
Despite this, Almeida´sperformance has been good. Lipowitz, being a similar climber to Almeida, has been missing today.

 

[BubbaChuck]

Nah pogacar and seixas are different.Im just teasing about jonas,for this year.

 

[Cycling111]

Nah pogacar and seixas are different.Im just teasing about jonas,for this year.

I was also referring to Vingegaard.

You might be joking, but some people are convinced that Vingegaard won't finish second in the Tour. Some even say he won't even make the podium after the Giro, even though Vingegaard is far superior to whoever finishes third.

At the beginning of the year, Remco was predicted to finish second, then Del Toro, and now Seixas. Some people are saying this seriously.

I don't know how much the Giro will affect Vingegaard, but he's so much better than the third-place finisher that even if his performance dips, he still has a lot of margin over the third.