86th Tour de Suisse (2.UWT) // June 11th - 18th 2023

[Didinho]

Classic Remco, trying to push his numbers but didn't have the legs today. Glad to see Ayuso progressing! Smart and strong victory for Skjelmose, he surprised me a bit. Good effort from Cian once again. GC battle is on.

 

[Red Rick]

Meanwhile, Kelderman looking.... good enough.

 

[Big Doopie]

WvA smiling as he finished.

just thrilled that remco (his arch-enemy) failed.

 

[Mayomaniac]

WvA smiling as he finished.

just thrilled that remco (his arch-enemy) failed.

Imagine him sprinting for bonus seconds at intemediate sprints vs Remco just out of spite.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Why?

Still think he's much more of a rider for the hills and medium mountains. Yes, this was a serious MTF, but the opposition is fairly weak here given that Ayuso and especially Evenepoel don't seem to be near their best. Alaphilippe has won MTFs of this size in fields of this quality too, and, in a GT on the proper climbs, he's climbed with the best exactly once (Tourmalet 2019). Especially on a route where TT ability is meaningless, he's better off going for stages rather than trying to hang on for 9th on GC.

 

[theyoungest]

Meanwhile, Kelderman looking.... good enough.

He's more or less at the level you would expect. He just needs to stay upright and he's ready to take his position in the Vingo train, behind Benoot and ahead of Sepp Kuss.

 

[Red Rick]

Honestly it's low key hilarious that Van Aert is farming the points jersey here. The effort is minimal, but still kinda funny

 

[Red Rick]

Still think he's much more of a rider for the hills and medium mountains. Yes, this was a serious MTF, but the opposition is fairly weak here given that Ayuso and especially Evenepoel don't seem to be near their best. Alaphilippe has won MTFs of this size in fields of this quality too, and, in a GT on the proper climbs, he's climbed with the best exactly once (Tourmalet 2019). Especially on a route where TT ability is meaningless, he's better off going for stages rather than trying to hang on for 9th on GC.

Bottom places of GC aren't incompatible with stage hunting anyway

 

[Mayomaniac]

Frankly, I expected Cattaneo to be more useful for Remco on this stage (lost over 8min) after his pretty decent opening TT, but it looks like Covid also took a toll on him.

 

[postmanhat]

Hirschi and Kragh Andersen rolling across the line together. Probably only stage 6 for them at this race?

 

[Escarabajo]

INEOS training for the team classification at the Tour.

 

[Boehmand]

Still think he's much more of a rider for the hills and medium mountains. Yes, this was a serious MTF, but the opposition is fairly weak here given that Ayuso and especially Evenepoel don't seem to be near their best. Alaphilippe has won MTFs of this size in fields of this quality too, and, in a GT on the proper climbs, he's climbed with the best exactly once (Tourmalet 2019). Especially on a route where TT ability is meaningless, he's better off going for stages rather than trying to hang on for 9th on GC.

His problem thus far has not been long mountains or steep gradients, it's been restitution, even in 1 week races.

So far he's been the type of rider who could inexplicably drop 10 minutes tomorrow.

Obviously everyone is crossing their fingers that tendency is a thing of the past, so he becomes a factor overall in stage races.

 

[jaylew]

This race is shaping up to be really good. No dominant rider and a bunch of youngsters fighting it out. Average age of the top 5 today - 22.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Hirschi and Kragh Andersen rolling across the line together. Probably only stage 6 for them at this race?

Stage 6 could feature some unexpected gc action. It's harder than one would think and another +200km stage right after the queenstage.
Tomorrow could go to the breakaway, maybe even stage 7.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

His problem thus far has not been long mountains or steep gradients, it's been restitution, even in 1 week races.

So far he's been the type of rider who could inexplicably drop 10 minutes tomorrow.

Obviously everyone is crossing their fingers that tendency is a thing of the past, so he becomes a factor overall in stage races.

This is the first time in his career that he's so much as finished in the top-10 on an actual MTF in a WT race. In fact, he's only done so twice outside the WT, and on one of those occasions he lost to Zimmermann and Knox. When you compare that to what he's done on shorter climbs, I think it's fair to say that big mountains haven't really been his speciality so far.

 

[postmanhat]

75kg Magnus Sheffield in 9th is very promising, Ineos don't have much going for them this year in the tour so they should send him.

He's looking like an excellent replacement for Van Baarle at minimum, on this form. Ineos could still in theory, go well at the Tour. Rodriguez, Pidcock and maybe Martinez are all capable of a top ten?

 

[Red Rick]

Stage 6 could feature some unexpected gc action. It's harder than one would think and another +200km stage right after the queenstage.
Tomorrow could go to the breakaway, maybe even stage 7.

Lol I completely underestimated that stage because the y axis is so *** by Albulapass.

 

[Tim Cahill]

He's looking like an excellent replacement for Van Baarle at minimum, on this form. Ineos could still in theory, go well at the Tour. Rodriguez, Pidcock and maybe Martinez are all capable of a top ten?

Yeah but a lot of uncertainty looking at this and the Dauphine, perhaps there are reasons for the mediocre form, can't write them off obviously after watching Thomas at TotA.

They have to be looking at Sheffield thinking Wiggins given the big program they have him on at such a young age.

 

[Berflamand]

Silver lining for Remco: he doesn't have to wear the BYR jersey anymore and can hunt (only) a second victory to celebrate in his WC jersey after LBL.

Also, if he loses more time in the next mountain stages, I'd love to see him go on a raid (or at least try) on stage 6 which looks like an Ardennes type parcours (at least the second half of the stage).

 

[jaylew]

Ineos could still in theory, go well at the Tour. Rodriguez, Pidcock and maybe Martinez are all capable of a top ten?

If those guys are capable of a top 10, I would say Bernal is as well. That said, all 4 of them are questionable to even finish top 15. I'm sure someone from Ineos will finish top 10 but I'll be damned if I know who that will be.

 

[Red Rick]

Climbing time looks like nothing crazy. All slower than Richie Porte in 2018

 

[postmanhat]

Yeah but a lot of uncertainty looking at this and the Dauphine, perhaps there are reasons for the mediocre form, can't write them off obviously after watching Thomas at TotA.

They have to be looking at Sheffield thinking Wiggins given the big program they have him on at such a young age.

Looking back, I'd forgotten how well he climbed at The TDU. Maybe they will give him a free role at the Tour until form decides who are the leader(s). I expect Pidcock to go well after staying relatively healthy during the spring. Rodriguez too, given that the Dauphine was his first race since Strade. Martinez seems the least on form, but maybe he has an issue?

 

[Berniece]

Climbing time looks like nothing crazy. All slower than Richie Porte in 2018

Similar conditions? Can’t remember that race anymore. I can imagine that the rain has quite the impact on climbing time

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Climbing time looks like nothing crazy. All slower than Richie Porte in 2018

Was the road in similar condition back then? It seemed to be a big section where the road was really bad, waiting for new tarmac.

 

[Red Rick]

Similar conditions? Can’t remember that race anymore. I can imagine that the rain has quite the impact on climbing time

It was an MTT. So 0 drafting. Today had been easy until the final climb, so I think today is more ideal for a super fast time than an MTT.