75th Tour de Romandie (2.UWT) // 27th of April - 2nd of May 2021

[Gregor_Slovenia]

I remember some guy called Froome who always had a good team around him, seemed to work for him. I see Pogacar as a raging favourite at the moment as he doesn't have any weaknesses. Have to see if Roglic's lighter schedule going into the Tour pays dividends. Thomas has his work cut out but a podium wouldn't surprise, winning is another matter unless he can find the form from 2018 which still may not be good enough to beat the Slovenians. Good to see Roglic trying something different with his prep as many grand tour riders often stick to the same agenda every season even when the results are not improving. Hopefully someone can raise a challenge to Roglic and Pogacar. Ineos is doing well in stage raxces this season, the addition of Yates and Porte is working out and Dennis has proved to be a very good domestique as well so they they will be disappointed if they don't convert in a least one grand tour this season.

I tell you what the weakness of Pogačar will be. Summer heat of July in France. Summer heat will be the biggest obstacle of Pogačar on Tour. He is really suffering in the heat. And I do not think that in July in France the temperatures will be low. He had big, big luck that Tour 2020 was in September. That's why I always did think that he is more suitable for Giro, but, let's see in this year's edition if he can handle 3 weeks of summer heat.

 

[Red Rick]

I tell you what the weakness of Pogačar will be. Summer heat of July in France. Summer heat will be the biggest obstacle of Pogačar on Tour. He is really suffering in the heat. And I do not think that in July in France the temperatures will be low. He had big, big luck that Tour 2020 was in September. That's why I always did think that he is more suitable for Giro, but, let's see in this year's edition if he can handle 3 weeks of summer heat.

I vaguely remember thinking something like this and I may have posted something like that Tour being a great opportunity for Pog, but now I don't really remember great examples of Pog being super bad in the heat?

Few 2019 Vuelta stages maybe?

Also isn't UAE literally in the desert? Though I wouldn't know what temperatures those are.

 

[Gregor_Slovenia]

Vuelta 2019 yes. Well, yes, maybe he is now more used to the heat already. Tough to find any possible weakness of Pogačar, maybe the heat is rellevant. Might be wrong myself, but standard termin of Tour in July will be the real indicator. As a pro rider he actually never raced in July yet. And, secondly, the heat of July is much worse than heat of September in Vuelta. My personal opinion on heat. A okay, yes he handled this year UAE heat perfectly. Might be that he is nicely used on the heat now. So, this possible weakness, we can cross out it

 

[Oliver]

That MTF looks pretty gigantic, and I don't think they have the firepower to not have Dennis be a domestique at all.

Maybe they'll just let Porte go choo choo, or maybe Thomas is full training mode, but I don't see how Dennis is their main choice.

Maybe, but I think it's possible Ineos will have the final GC podium at the end... (with the second time trial in mind)

 

[SafeBet]

That MTF looks pretty gigantic, and I don't think they have the firepower to not have Dennis be a domestique at all.

It's not as gigantic as Stelvio and I remember Dennis domestiquing all the way up to a Stelvio climbing record last year.

 

[Red Rick]

It's not as gigantic as Stelvio and I remember Dennis domestiquing all the way up to a Stelvio climbing record last year.

Did you just say "domestiquing"

Mainly I think circumstances are so different Dennis won't perform like that in Romandie, and I think that Giro field was weak , and the best on Col de la Loze were clearly better IMO.

Like, Dennis could win if they ride for Dennis, but then you have to ride defensively vs MAL and Kuss instead of just climbing with them and eating them in the ITT for sure. Dennis wasn't even part of the final climbing train in Catalunya.

 

[topcat]

Ineos could win with Dennis, Porte or Thomas. Fast forward. Bring on the giro.

 

[BlueRoads]

Today - Hirschi? Sagan?

 

[tobydawq]

Today - Hirschi? Sagan?

Sagan!

Cort?

 

[search]

those final 20k are straight into a headwind, on big roads. Pellaud and Reichenbach (both know those roads well) said it'll be a big sprint.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

those final 20k are straight into a headwind, on big roads. Pellaud and Reichenbach (both know those roads well) said it'll be a big sprint.

How many sprinters are even at this race? Sagan and...?

 

[search]

How many sprinters are even at this race? Sagan and...?

if it's really a big sprint, there are also guys like Viviani, Moschetti, or maybe Bauhaus. For a more reduced one, Colbrelli, Venturini, Cort, Pasqualon, Smith, Bevin and so on. Stewart, if he has recovered from his crash. Overall not too bad a field, I would say.

Not first class of course, but better than recently in Catalunya, Itzulia or Trentino, I would say

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

if it's really a big sprint, there are also guys like Viviani, Moschetti, or maybe Bauhaus. For a more reduced one, Colbrelli, Venturini, Cort, Pasqualon, Smith, Bevin and so on. Stewart, if he has recovered from his crash. Overall not too bad a field, I would say.

Not first class of course, but better than recently in Catalunya, Itzulia or Trentino, I would say

didn’t realise that Viviani, Bauhaus and Moschetti are there. Almost seems like punishment duty to be sent to this race unless their teams really do think a big sprint is likely.

 

[SafeBet]

Pretty strong break with a 6 minutes advantage:

Ulissi
Boaro
Arensman
Power
Conca
Suter

 

[Velolover2]

I wonder if Ineos can do a "full podium" like in Catalunya?

I mean, Thyon is a monster mountain but if Dennis can climb like he did on the Stelvio..

 

[SafeBet]

Pretty strong break with a 6 minutes advantage:

Ulissi
Boaro
Arensman
Power
Conca
Suter

It's Gougeard, not Ulissi.

 

[search]

didn’t realise that Viviani, Bauhaus and Moschetti are there. Almost seems like punishment duty to be sent to this race unless their teams really do think a big sprint is likely.

Skjelmose said that Moschetti returned in great shape from the altitude training camp, and they seem to believe in him. Normally I'd also think that it should be too hard for him, and he also hasn't shown much since his crash in general - so will be interesting to see if he really can hang on.

 

[Lequack]

I wonder why do organisers even bother putting in climbs in these sprint stages? Do they really think it will change anything, if you add 20+km of flat at the end it will change nothing.

 

[SafeBet]

I wonder why do organisers even bother putting in climbs in these sprint stages? Do they really think it will change anything, if you add 20+km of flat at the end it will change nothing.

I like it.
It makes it a bit more unpredictable. If someone like Sagan feels good and Bora pushes the tempo on the climbs life won't be easy for Viviani/Bauhaus/etc.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I wonder why do organisers even bother putting in climbs in these sprint stages? Do they really think it will change anything, if you add 20+km of flat at the end it will change nothing.

The sponsor of the mountains classification probably wants to get some exposure for its money.

 

[Escarabajo]

I don't know what is the point of putting these climbs so far away from the finish?

 

[Lequack]

The peloton has slowed a lot, doesn't want to catch the break. Teams without sprinters will be surprised at the end at how did this end up in a sprint finish.

 

[search]

as mentioned earlier, it initially was supposed to be a way harder stage, including the climb from the Martigny World Championships, but it wasn't possible in the end. Now they use the same circuit as the GP l'Echappee (amateur?) race instead, so it at least makes some locals happy.

 

[johnymax]

I'm still surprised nobody attacked from the peloton on those two climbs.

 

[Bonimenier]

Obviously Cavagna attacks