85th Tour de Suisse (2.UWT) // June 12th - 19th 2022

[Big Doopie]

It's nine days until the race starts, the early posting of race threads is getting out of hand lately...

never too early when at least we can be assured there will be exciting racing.

dilemma for remco and quickstep: do you use stage 1 to try and put time into some of the pure climbers?

seems a perfect remco stage. however, QS is in no way strong enough to patrol the race from then on.

 

[Mosul]

We've seen plenty of national tours with a foreign start. Is this the first with a foreign conclusion?

It's not a national tour but it's interesting to note that the Criterium du Dauphiné mostly takes place outside the Dauphiné region. This year just stages 6 and 7 feature start/finish towns in the departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes which roughly correspond to the historic province of Dauphiné.

 

[staubsauger]

How was the route for TdS back in those days? The last 10-15 years it has really been underwhelming. They neither use the potential for steeper and shorter climbs in some parts of the country, nor the combos/sequences of high climbs in other parts. It has been far too many mono climb stages with an underwhelming MTF in these years.

The long gradual climbs simply were more demanding and deceiving than nowadays. With the current gearing it's "easy" to spin them up. Back then, climbers being able to stomp a big gear upwards the mountains had a huge advantage.

1991-2010 saw the dominance of dauphine over TDS grow because of clinic reasons imo (glow time). There was also a coinciding huge drop-off in TDF contenders competing at their national championships a week before the start. TDS ends a week closer to the TDF start. I believe that was a calculation for many riders.

Previous to that, Dauphine was always important, but in 1974 when Merckx won the Giro, the TDS, and the TDF, he was heralded as the first (and still only) rider to win three (big) TOURS in the same year. While not a GT the TDS was indeed thought of as a little more special (perhaps as it covered 10 days or so?) than weekly stage races.

Additionaly, Tour de Suisse also already had hard mountain stages like the one to Gaflei in 1976,which Hennie Kuiper won. That's a proper climb even by today's standards and they had to climb that with the available gearing back then.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1402887436896702470

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1402887436896702470

The Vuelta a Espana barely had any true mountain stages back then, bar Sierra Nevada I believe? Lakes of Covadonga made it's debut in the 80s.

So Giro d'Italia & Tour de Suisse with the big Dolomites & Alps passes really were seen as the climbers races.

 

[tobydawq]

​

Said to be tougher than the Dauphiné, with a quality startlist. Only one Slovenian at the start. Vlasov, Martinez, Evenpoel, Yates (A.), Landa, Higuita, Pozzovivo, Lutsenko, Mäder, Woods, Kuss, Hirschi, Pinot....

​

I think it's spelled Evenepoel. But he's fairly young, I'm sure you will get to acquaint yourself with his name some time down the line

 

[tobydawq]

We've seen plenty of national tours with a foreign start. Is this the first with a foreign conclusion?

The Tour of Denmark very often finishes in Zealand.

 

[RedheadDane]

I think it's spelled Evenepoel. But he's fairly young, I'm sure you will get to acquaint yourself with his name some time down the line

It's obviously to differentiate him from Oddpoel.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The Tour of Denmark very often finishes in Zealand.

But does the Tour de France visit Denmark on stage 2 or 3 or on both?

 

[tobydawq]

But does the Tour de France visit Denmark on stage 2 or 3 or on both?

Only the beginning of stage 3. All of the stages finish on some strange islands.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Only the beginning of stage 3. All of the stages finish on some strange islands.

Yes, Als even sounds like a disease.

 

[tobydawq]

Yes, Als even sounds like a disease.

Let's hope the riders don't suffer from gephyrophobia.

 

[staubsauger]

Arensman should've been sent to Switzerland given the results Kruijswijk & Kelderman had at the 2011 Tour de Suisse / 2014 Dauphine after completing the Giro d'Italia.

Could have been a surprise podium candidate. I doubt he goes to the Vuelta a Espana in fall, with leaving the team later on.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Tour de Suisse profiles look kinda bad eh.

They're on La Flamme Rouge - route is great.

Other than the ITT stage, they really don't look that different, except for the color and the 3D bevel.

 

[GuntherL1]

Compared to Ineos (Adam Yates, Martinez, Thomas, Pidcock and Fraile), QS-AV has a very weak lineup for the mountain stages. Vervaeke, Van Wilder who's returning from injury and Masnada who was out for 3 months due to mononucleosis. That screams "you're on your own, kid" in the mountains. Even without their stars at the Dauphiné, TJV is more impressive with Kuss, Gesink, Dennis and Oomen. The same goes for UAE, Bora and Bahrain. I'm very curious to see whether the teams will cooperate to distance Evenepoel considering the long time trial on the final day.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I have yet to see Pidcock rip it up in a mountainous stage of note. Yates and Martinez are leaders. not domestiques. Not overly impressed by UAE or Jumbo here either, not sure what you'd expect of them. Tratnik is rumoured to go to Tour of Slovenia so that's a big engine Bahrein will not be bringing. It will definitely be a test for Masnada and Van Wilder coming out of recovery, but if they are somewhat decent they can go a long way in this field.

 

[Big Doopie]

Hmm. If Remco wants to take advantage of the hilly stages, he needs a team or events to whittle down the favorites group, so it is more man against man when he launches so they look at each other. Hoping to pull off LBL every day is a bit much to ask, I think.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Compared to Ineos (Adam Yates, Martinez, Thomas, Pidcock and Fraile), QS-AV has a very weak lineup for the mountain stages. Vervaeke, Van Wilder who's returning from injury and Masnada who was out for 3 months due to mononucleosis. That screams "you're on your own, kid" in the mountains. Even without their stars at the Dauphiné, TJV is more impressive with Kuss, Gesink, Dennis and Oomen. The same goes for UAE, Bora and Bahrain. I'm very curious to see whether the teams will cooperate to distance Evenepoel considering the long time trial on the final day.

I think a team of Knox, Van Wilder, Vervaeke, Masnada and Remco is very strong. Also declerq and asgreen will do a lot of work.

Fausto had mononucleosis but he is coming off the same training camp that Cattaneo just did and is flying at the daupgine.

We know what a great strong and gracious guy Fausto is and his great legs. Maybe he could even lead the team. He also has a good relationship with Remco. This is a credit to Fausto and his diplomacy as remco is such a prickly and little bit arrogant personality.

Van wilder great talent

Vervaecke is strong also.

Knox very talented. He has struggled with injuries since 2020.

 

[movingtarget]

Threads are indeed treats.
As long as nobody starts creating threats!

Threats on threads used to be quite common...........back in the wild west days..........how I miss it..........much hilarity

 

[Mayomaniac]

I think a team of Knox, Van Wilder, Vervaeke, Masnada and Remco is very strong. Also declerq and asgreen will do a lot of work.

Fausto had mononucleosis but he is coming off the same training camp that Cattaneo just did and is flying at the daupgine.

We know what a great strong and gracious guy Fausto is and his great legs. Maybe he could even lead the team. He also has a good relationship with Remco. This is a credit to Fausto and his diplomacy as remco is such a prickly and little bit arrogant personality.

Van wilder great talent

Vervaecke is strong also.

Knox very talented. He has struggled with injuries since 2020.

Yeah, but Masnada being able to train again after mono and him being good are 2 different kind of things.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Yeah, but Masnada being able to train again after mono and him being good are 2 different kind of things.

It could go both ways, and while the level of those four riders should be more than enough when they are in good form, the problem is that we don't know where they are at. Masnada coming back from mono, Van Wilder having had very few race days due to covid and crashes in Catalunya and Liège along with both of them racing again for the first time since time off the bike and altitude training. Knox having been MIA since 2020 and Vervaeke not having shown his 2021 form yet.

 

[RedheadDane]

Threats on threads used to be quite common...........back in the wild west days..........how I miss it..........much hilarity

How about threads about threats?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

How about threads about threats?

Like the Dennis one?

 

[RedheadDane]

Like the Dennis one?

No, no. That's a thread about Dennis, who's a threat... somehow... I don't think threads need to actually have the word 'thread' in their titles.

 

[greyclouds]

How about threads about threats?

That would be a treat

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

I think in TdS and TdF, Daniel Felipe Martinez of Ineos could be quite dangerous for the final GC victory. He had a great 2022 until now, and certainly has further improved since Liege.

I think he is the favourite for Suisse, and has good chances for the final GC podium in Paris. If Pog has a problem, and Primoz is not 100%, then Martinez could even win in Paris. I guess, for him Dauphine and Itzulia were just the beginning. He is probably a possible GT winner - maybe even for the Tour.

 

[Pantani_lives]

The strongest teams seem to be Ineos, Bahrain and Bora, each with multiple cards to play. I expect Daniel Martinez, Vlasov, and Gino Mäder as the home rider. Evenepoel can be a contender if he limits the damage on those two tough MTFs.