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

[Oldermanish]

Kelderman crashes because he tends to lose focus. Jay Vine crashes because of poor bike handling. Not sure which is easier to solve.

sounds like they're brothers from the same mother.

 

[KZD]

Evenepoel honestly looked worse to me than yesterday, but he actually raced really smart today.

Ayuso, considering he once again paced himself perfectly, was *** terrible, and I'm starting to think it's more and more laughable that people pretend he's the next Pogacar.

Let's not forget that his preparation for this season was disrupted by injury and this is only the second race he is doing as a consequence, so he is surely not in top shape.

His watts in the Vuelta last year were similar to Pogačar in Vuelta 2019 while being one year younger and racing on the same team so its normal that people compare the two of them.

 

[stetre76]

Skjelmose has the intention to win TDS in the TT since he know Gall is pretty *** at it.

Well, let's see how this turns out for Skjelmose...

It's true about the TT - there he's far better than Gall, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Gall attacking again today and early....at the beginning of Albula Pass.

Gall looked really fresh even at the finish line yesterday and he says he's having really good legs (probably too early for his TdF debut), and of course he's aware of the TT and that he needs to gain time.

So, it wouldn't really surprise me to see him attack even in the Yellow jersey and try to get some time on Skjelmose and Evenepoel.

 

[frisenfruitig]

You think he is going to attack on the first climb of the day, on a stage of +200 km? That doesn't sound very likely but would be entertaining.

 

[stetre76]

No, I wrote at the beginning of Albula Pass which is the last climb!

Furka Pass is the first climb....

 

[Berniece]

Well, let's see how this turns out for Skjelmose...

It's true about the TT - there he's far better than Gall, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Gall attacking again today and early....at the beginning of Albula Pass.

Gall looked really fresh even at the finish line yesterday and he says he's having really good legs (probably too early for his TdF debut), and of course he's aware of the TT and that he needs to gain time.

So, it wouldn't really surprise me to see him attack even in the Yellow jersey and try to get some time on Skjelmose and Evenepoel.

Indeed, but I think Skjelmose will ride a bit more aggressive too today. He also needs to take more time on Evenepoel, and today he wants the gap to Gall as small as possible, so he'll try to follow at least today.

 

[Red Rick]

I mean, assuming anyone is going to be a Pogacar is kinda crazy but in fairness, Ayuso is still just 20 and is actually ahead of where Pog was at his age. How he goes at the Vuelta will be more telling than anything he does in this race.

Age by age with Pog make no sense to me. He should be ahead cause he started racing in the WT a year earlier. Pogacar was flying and winning stuff instantly the moment he hit the World Tour and basically didn't get dropped like this once in his first year.

 

[Bushman]

Age by age with Pog make no sense to me. He should be ahead cause he started racing in the WT a year earlier. Pogacar was flying and winning stuff instantly the moment he hit the World Tour and basically didn't get dropped like this once in his first year.

Pogacar also did not have a knee injury (tendinitis?) that prevented him from training properly all winter. That said, Pogacar is an absolute freak so of course it’s more likely that Ayuso does not turn out quite as outstanding. Way too soon to make any judgements on the Spaniard, though.

 

[frisenfruitig]

No, I wrote at the beginning of Albula Pass which is the last climb!

Furka Pass is the first climb....

My bad, I was looking at tomorrow's stage where they start with Albula Pass.

 

[Roku]

Everybody from that la vuelta is overrated. Top 2 guys in the race were classics puncheur Remco and Roglic who did 2-3 weeks training at sea level, and rode with shoulder injury. Then you have enric mas, and behind him its reading like a Spanish u23 race. Ajuso overrated, just that mythical 3rd week freshness that young riders working with Iñigo San Milan gets. Lopez is always very meh in la vuelta. Almida is crap, aresman crap, Rodriguez crap, O'connor had recover from an Injury. Then it's breakaway uran and hindley who couldn't really be bothered.

Very Weak grand tour. Going into le tour this summer we have Vingegard, pogacar, Yates brothers, Landa, peak Hindley, Carapax, Gall, Ciccone, Gaudu, mas, Bardet all in their top shape. Almida and Ajuso aren't going to compete in that GC at the moment. Vuelta is small grand tour

I know, don't feed the troll but still...

Arensman crap and Ayuso overrated but Giulio Ciccone and Felix Gall notable GC entries

"Lopez always meh" but Simon Yates who has always bonked hard in at least one stage in every GT (except from 2018 Vuelta) is a notable GC entry.

Almeida crap but 2023 Bardet a notable GC entry.

Applying your Vuelta logic, everyone and their mother is crap except from Vingo and Pogi. Even Pogi is recovering from injury so add him to the crappy GC contenders list.

 

[Aimar16]

Age by age with Pog make no sense to me. He should be ahead cause he started racing in the WT a year earlier. Pogacar was flying and winning stuff instantly the moment he hit the World Tour and basically didn't get dropped like this once in his first year.

In general, Pogacar participated in much easier stage races compared to Ayuso in his first year where the starting list was not stacked

 

[Bolder]

Pogacar also did not have a knee injury (tendinitis?) that prevented him from training properly all winter. That said, Pogacar is an absolute freak so of course it’s more likely that Ayuso does not turn out quite as outstanding. Way too soon to make any judgements on the Spaniard, though.

Agree. Ayuso has amazing potential but IME tendonitis is often a result of overuse...sure, he debuted very young as a pro but maybe his body wasn't ready for the increased training and racing load at age 19. And before that he was a hardcore junior racer, so he's asking a lot of a still developing body.

If he recovers fully, and it will probably not be this year, he can be a very good to great GC rider. But UAE shouldn't be afraid to dial back his expectations a bit in expectations of future returns.

 

[Mayomaniac]

So the one stage that I really wanted to watch is finishing one hour earlier, the day I have an important meeting starting at 15:00...

 

[RedheadDane]

So the one stage that I really wanted to watch is finishing one hour earlier, the day I have an important meeting starting at 15:00...

How early is it set to finish?

 

[Mayomaniac]

How early is it set to finish?

16:15, apparently

 

[Lequack]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V9KRHvjiVE

 

[search]

around 30 guys up the road, including van Aert, Küng, Kwiatkowski, Hirschi, Sobrero, Costa, Powless, Higuita and so on. Closest in GC is Gorka Izagirra at +4:07

 

[Rob5091]

33 guys up the road - including WvA. Only DSM & ICW not in break.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Seems like Rui Costa made it, so only a DSM guy is missing.
edit: and also Calmejane from Wanty

 

[Earns1985]

This can get interesting.. which team will chase now? AG2R, Quick-Step and Trek all have riders in the front group.. Would be pretty interesting to watch right now..

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

If the PCS ticker is correct the 38 riders up the road only have 30 seconds. So almost gruppo compatto, or at least the favourites should be within touching distance.

 

[Earns1985]

If PCS ticker is correct the 38 riders up the road only have 30 seconds. So almost gruppo compatto, or at least the favourites should be within touching distance.

now again 54 seconds and a split in group 1.

Cycling should really adjust their broadcast. Today first hour and last hour of the race would be a lot more interesting than the last two hours.

 

[Jagartrott]

Did research work at Furka pass some years ago. What a pity we do not have live images of the climb and decent. It truly is wonderful there.

 

[Samamba]

So 18 guys left in front and the peloton seem to have lost a lot of time on the descent. 2 minute advantage.

 

[Earns1985]

Finally DSM gave up in the chase..