Challenge Mallorca 2024 (January 24-28)

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I try not to get excited, but if Alaphilippe is back to his best, mangier and lamperti flying, maybe we could have Masnada, Remco, Landa, asgreen, Vansevenont, Van welder, lamparrt, Alaphilippe all back at their very best level. Oh boy.....

Don't forget Lando and Masnuda.

SQS supposedly stole a nutritionist from Jisma. They stopped eating hamburgers before the race.

 

[Didinho]

Read this morning in a Belgian newspaper about the new QS talents and Magnier was the one who they said could win in his neo-pro season.
A win on the same day. I was surprised but also not, even if I haven’t seen him race before.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

People acting like 1200m total gain isnt a complete flat stage lol

OK, but: I do read PCS race data (distance, vertical meters, average speed) almost every day, all year long, also in the off-season.

It‘s the comparison which raised my suspicion. 180kms, 1200 vertical mtrs, >46kms/hr average, that‘s Tour de France level, most of all.

I also had a look at today’s stage profile image… It was almost „hilly“, really. Almost.

Plus, today’s rider line-up was not the strongest. Hardly any powerhouses, who deliver enormous watts all day long, for the big teams.

Some mid class CT riders in the lower ranks without too much of a time gap on the winner. So incredibly fast race even more so, for these guys.

Yeah, there are days, every now and then, when you‘ve an enormously high average speed, and cannot fully explain it. Recently, at a 1.2 or 2.2 race in Morocco, this happened, and to this day I don’t know who in this peloton enabled them to score such an average speed. Was something >45kms/hr. I suspected it was about the right wind direction, since it probably was a coast race.

But today’s data was one which immediately made me think, „No way, probably“… They also certainly did not have curves every 200 meters all race long, but Mallorca might be to small to be able to do these 180kms without any curves. So a flat to slightly hilly, very early season race, with a reasonable distance, ridden by a peloton of riders from mid class WT to mid class CT… Normally, then, they shouldn’t achieve 46.2kms/hr average. Maybe it‘ll be corrected. If I’m wrong, and data is correct, I admire these guys… (and look forward to what’s to come in the next months - 52kms/hr average, maybe, at Scheldeprijs?… )

 

[Tim Cahill]

It wasn't the admittedly average field but the powerful manner of the victory from Magnier and Lamperti that impressed, completely blew them away, either could've won.

Compare it to last season when they looked every bit their teenage selves at the Tour of Britain, the improvement is there, Quickstep have something brewing this season, I just wish they'd ditch that Wolfpack nonsense.

 

[Rob5091]

If it's Friday, it's Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana time! Startlist as per Wednesday nearly at
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/deia-trophy/2024/startlist

Big point of the race and of the week - up the Puig Major. As things have been going so far, I'll be disappointed if we don't get a record time for the climb.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

It wasn't the admittedly average field but the powerful manner of the victory from Magnier and Lamperti that impressed, completely blew them away, either could've won.

Compare it to last season when they looked every bit their teenage selves at the Tour of Britain, the improvement is there, Quickstep have something brewing this season, I just wish they'd ditch that Wolfpack nonsense.

Never will ditch the Wolfpack, too much marketing money to be made.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I just wish they'd ditch that Wolfpack nonsense.

That's like smurfing the Smurfs to smurf smurfing with smurfing every smurf into smurf. If you smurf what i smurf.

As the improvements of Lamperti and Magnier are concerned, Magnier does not have a lot of RR experience. Comes from MTB. So he will take huge strides in that respect. This was also just one race and not against the best starting field. Both Keisse and Steels were DS here. Steels one of the best sprinters in his day and Keisse super experienced with lead-out trains. I think the difference here was the lead-out first and foremost with some strong and experienced guys dropping them off right where they needed to be.

 

[Rob5091]

In regards to yesterday, QS had obviously looked at the map of the finish and did the plan to perfection. The amazing thing was the overall speed.

Today's Trofeo Serra Tramuntana starts off with going up the Coll de sa Batalla (8.7 km at 5%) which means normally half the peloton will be trying to get in the break and then just for giggles after the major climb of the day and on the way to the finish, we have a sprint!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Cattaneo, Herrada and Pelayo Sanchez is a pretty silly breakaway for a 1.1, a shame they have nobody with them and a long flat ahead of them.

 

[Berniece]

Cattaneo, Herrada and Pelayo Sanchez is a pretty silly breakaway for a 1.1, a shame they have nobody with them and a long flat ahead of them.

They are caught now

 

[Samamba]

At this tempo we won't even get to see the whole Puig Major. I'm happy there has been a live broadcast the last 2 years obviously, but those last 30km or so really don't seem to be enough in 3 out of 5 races here.

EDIT: even wonder if we will see anything of the Puig Major

 

[Netserk]

Gregaard first over Sóller.

 

[DNP-Old]

EF is insane.

 

[Netserk]

EF dominating the front group:

 

[Faserr]

Coverage started 15min earlier. But EF destroyed the bunch.

 

[repre]

EF stole Jisma nutritionist as well?)))

Carr to sweep all climber's races

 

[Rob5091]

At the moment we'll be lucky to see the summit of the climb! 46.8 km/h so far and EF on the attack (according to PCS)

 

[Netserk]

Bettiol and Gregaard dropped from the front group, Carr alone in front.

 

[RedheadDane]

Did Rafferty and Valgren not get the memo?

 

[Netserk]

Carr alone in front.

Or has he been brought back again?

 

[tobydawq]

At the moment we'll be lucky to see the summit of the climb! 46.8 km/h so far and EF on the attack (according to PCS)

Coverage started ten minutes ago...

 

[Netserk]

QS have nearly brought the front group back. They must have been dropped on the descent.

 

[Samamba]

Yeah it split again on the descent, seems to be recurring theme here in Mallorca

 

[DNP-Old]

Vansevenant has brought it back.

 

[Netserk]

Vansevenant emptied the tank. Job done.