82nd Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta (27th of September - 5th of October)

[burning]

Carr is going to lose big time due to a flat (?), really horrible timing for him.
Edit: Arkea is pulling, I assume McLay is still in the group but Lazkano should be able to hang on.

 

[Mayomaniac]

As far as I understood McLay is still in the bunch, that's why Arkea are pulling.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yea, terrible luck, but that's what you get for competing the GC in the Volta a Portugal when riding for an estrangeiro team.

 

[Mayomaniac]

He's gonna make it, well deserved!

 

[burning]

Even the uphill drag is killing Lazkano, but he has it in the bag, well played.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Lol, did Lazkano just drop a "de Puta Madre" after the finish?

 

[trevim]

Today, the queen stage in Serra da Estrela.

Kind of lame stage design although Serra da Estrela (altough it contains perhaps the only true HC's in Continental Portugal) is not very easy to make a true queen stage linking up 3/4 1st category climbs, since they all end up at Torre.

Anyway it is what it is and I hope either Amaro or Frederico or João Rodrigues takes the stage, the yellow and a good time gap for the TT.

 

[trevim]

Madrazo in the breakaway today.

 

[trevim]

Tiago Machado randomly tries to bridge a 3min gap to the break on the climb to Penhas Douradas.
(Don't try to rationalise, dont' try to rationalise, dont' try to rationalise, dont' try to rationalise.......)

 

[trevim]

Apparently headwind on the final climb so.... Veloso wins the sprint finish I guess.

 

[carolina]

Tiago Machado FTW lolololol

 

[trevim]

The Volta is the best race because during the stage we have the broadcaster interviewing José Azevedo (current DS of Delko team) about some story back in the Giro when he was riding for ONCE and Manolo Sainz yelled at him for some bike adjustement. Lovely

 

[PhiLiz]

Tiago Machado and Sérgio Merdinho, what a blast...

 

[carolina]

Machado's dream of winning in Torre just ended.

 

[burning]

I'd prefer Torre to be an intermediate climb, but let's bring the action.

 

[burning]

Well, the group is significantly smaller thanks to W52, they are doing a Sky/Ineos train to launch Antunes.

 

[burning]

Brandao goes 15kms out, and W52 is looking at Antunes to respond.

Antunes only has 1 domestique, he will have to chase Brandao himself.

 

[PhiLiz]

Brandao goes 15kms out, and W52 is looking at Antunes to respond.

Antunes only has 1 domestique, he will have to chase Brandao himself.

Not an ordinary one... it has João Rodrigues also known as Richie Rodrigues...

 

[trevim]

João Rodrigues playing the perfect domestique keeping every attack in check now that the hardest parte is done

 

[trevim]

Sunday Ride for Rodrigues
Apparently no wind but its looks kind of slow

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'd prefer Torre to be an intermediate climb, but let's bring the action.

 

[burning]

Or, we can have the 2017 route and watch it blowing up 50ks to go with W52 motorbikes.

 

[burning]

Well, I definitely underestimated Rodrigues, he is just chilling at the front.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Dumoulin continues to tap out tempo. Kuss sits behind Rogla, not being used.

...and just as I type that we have an attack, futile or not, at least there's some thought there, which is more than we got a few weeks back.

 

[trevim]

I'm afraid Figueiredo and Joni are riding for the stage win