Itzulia Basque Country 2022 April 4-9

[Libertine Seguros]

Didn't he do the same yesterday? Not ridiculing, Ala seems to have lost a bit of his sprinting speed, he would have walked these stages in the past.

And then ended up in the same place due to celebrating too early.

 

[Andre]

Super Remco ...what a lead-out he did!!

 

[Extinction]

It's true but being QuickStep they have multiple goals. It's nice to support Remco for the overall, but a frank assessment is that his chances for the win are somewhat dubious. On the other hand you have the World Champion trying for wins, and it would be something of a crime not to support that. Evenepoel is here for training, the overall, and doing what he can to bond with and help JA. Focusing 100% on Remco for the GC would be putting all the eggs in one basket, and that's not how QS views the world. If he were more dominant, I'm sure they'd adjust.

They're no dummies, they know all this energy expended hurts Remco's GC aspirations. Clearly they are willing to sacrifice chances at the overall for other goals in this race.

I agree, but would have perhaps not used him 3 days in a row is all I am saying. That seems less a balancing act than all-in for Ala for stages. It's a choice, however, should Remco be in a position to do a top GC, me thinks today they should have saved him. Just my two cents.

 

[red_flanders]

I agree, but would have perhaps not used him 3 days in a row is all I am saying. That seems less a balancing act than all-in for Ala for stages. It's a choice, however, should Remco be in a position to do a top GC, me thinks today they should have saved him. Just my two cents.

It's fair, and it's all subjective. IMO they see how he's climbing vs the rest and have made the choice to lean more toward supporting JA. That's how I read it anyway. Without inside knowledge, hard to have an opinion about how they're using him. I wish Remco was smashing everyone, but he's not. He's very good but not great. IMO.

 

[Extinction]

It's fair, and it's all subjective. IMO they see how he's climbing vs the rest and have made the choice to lean more toward supporting JA. That's how I read it anyway. Without inside knowledge, hard to have an opinion about how they're using him. I wish Remco was smashing everyone, but he's not. He's very good but not great. IMO.

Ah well, he looked better today on the last climb. Comfortable with the ups in pace. Tomorrow and Saturday will be the real tests. He will have to resist the onlsaughts of Roglic and Yates for which saving energy in the final today could have been crucial. And then today, what was Ala doing attacking on the last climb? The accelerations weren't viscious enough to do any real damage and the energy expended could have cost him in the sprint. Since no way the Columbian beats Ala with pep in his legs in that sprint.

 

[Valv.Piti]

If they want to give Evenepoel a shot at GC then they're doing a shitty job. Every time he has to pull for Alaphilippe, all he's doing is bringing his own rivals closer in GC when they snatch the bonis. So trying to get the best GC place as possible clearly comes second.

Remco hasn't shown anything yet to warrant him doing nothing while having the best puncheur in the race on his team. Therefore, he leads Alaf out which he seems to enjoy a lot. So his chances will drop a tiny bit ('wasting' energy, rivals getting bonus), but he will obviously still try to get the highest placing after doing that job. But yes, it seems obvious that the best possible GC imaginable is second priority (thank god, stages wins are a lot more important than maybe getting 1 or 2 placings higher overall, cause he aint winning this race). And why wouldnt it be? If he rode a much better T-A and could legitimately challenge Roglic on these steep muritos, then he obviously wouldnt - but he lost a bit of time in the TT, sure as hell aint gonna get bonus seconds from the sprint and WILL get dropped once it gets very hard.

 

[Extinction]

Remco hasn't shown anything yet to warrant him doing nothing while having the best puncheur in the race on his team. Therefore, he leads Alaf out which he seems to enjoy a lot. So his chances will drop a tiny bit ('wasting' energy, rivals getting bonus), but he will obviously still try to get the highest placing after doing that job. But yes, it seems obvious that the best possible GC imaginable is second priority (thank god, stages wins are a lot more important than maybe getting 1 or 2 placings higher overall, cause he aint winning this race). And why wouldnt it be? If he rode a much better T-A and could legitimately challenge Roglic on these steep muritos, then he obviously wouldnt - but he lost a bit of time in the TT, sure as hell aint gonna get bonus seconds from the sprint and WILL get dropped once it gets very hard.

Is it possible to agree with both you and Logic? Because I'm between a rock and a hard place not to. I still think Remco leading out Ala is ok, just perhaps not for 3 days straight, since he still is in GC and must do his best to not get dropped in these last two stages. Psychologically having him do donkey work for Ala might take some of the pressure of him or it might send the message from the team we lack confidence in you.

 

[Lequack]

Why must Remco always break a solo breakaway's heart. Other than that Roglic seemed to have had a better day today. Even look at one point he was going to maybe win the sprint, but got boxed in a bit.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Anybody know who the commentator on GCN is this week? I know Matthew Stephens, but not the other one. Seems rather annoying to listen to.

 

[Lequack]

That Martinez profile pic is something else

https://twitter.com/x/status/1512111166205669376

View: https://twitter.com/ManuelDavidHS/status/1512111166205669376

https://twitter.com/x/status/1512115514994311179

View: https://twitter.com/MikelCaido/status/1512115514994311179

 

[Lequack]

Anybody know who the commentator on GCN is this week? I know Matthew Stephens, but not the other one. Seems rather annoying to listen to.

It's Nichols Roche, of Ireland. He was a pro until last year still.

Nicolas Roche

Nicolas Roche (born 1984-07-03 in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine) is a former professional road racing cyclist from Ireland, active between 2001 and 2025. His best results are 2 stage wins in Vuelta a España and winning GC La Route du Sud Cycliste - La Dépêche du Midi.

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[Blanco]

Alaphilippe won't win Liege

Sprinting like this, he won't...

 

[Escarabajo]

So does this mean that Dani is now the favorite for the Tour?

Please, don't blow my bet.
Joking aside he will lose quite a bit of time before they get to the mountains IMHO. He needs to fix other issues. And there is this other problem named Pogi Merckx!

 

[Lequack]

Please, don't blow my bet.
Joking aside he will lose quite a bit of time before they get to the mountains IMHO. He needs to fix other issues. And there is this other problem named Pogi Merckx!

Now that Pogi was 4th in the Flanders, Martinez is clearly the favorite to win the tour.

 

[Red Rick]

I dont see any problem with Evenepoel leading Alaphilippe out. If he gets dropped on Saturday a few leadouts were not the reasob

 

[Escarabajo]

Since when can Martinez sprint? The rest definitely mistimed though. Also another day where one of the few GC guys who tried to attack wins.

Since always. He is a powerful rider and when uphill have won some sprints. The Paris Nice in 2019 comes to mind. This year he was against a powerful Roglic but they can have a second round tomorrow.

 

[Peyroteo94]

For tomorrow, someone has the profile of the final climb?

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Why must Remco always break a solo breakaway's heart. Other than that Roglic seemed to have had a better day today. Even look at one point he was going to maybe win the sprint, but got boxed in a bit.

Whooah, have a look at Primoz‘ upper arms! They were good before, and he even improved them over the winter!

That clearly is SAM WELSFORD STYLE…



No surprise that Primoz is so explosive on short, steep ramps. With these upper arms he currently has, he is #1 favourite for Mur de Huy in a few weeks. Ala‘s upper arms are clearly less impressive; he, however, offers nicely shaped triceps…

 

[Extinction]

I dont see any problem with Evenepoel leading Alaphilippe out. If he gets dropped on Saturday a few leadouts were not the reasob

Well there is a reason why GC team leaders don't usually do leadout duty days on end. You say it won't be the reason, but if he were only to be down by seconds to Roglic not minutes at the end, the work he has done may very well have made an impact. Just sayin.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Well there is a reason why GC team leaders don't usually do leadout duty days on end. You say it won't be the reason, but if he were only to be down by seconds to Roglic not minutes at the end, the work he has done may very well have made an impact. Just sayin.

I think you are right, it‘s just not common any more.

Ullrich in Yellow did some leadout jobs for Zabel in the 1990ies, and others certainly also.

There is a good story about Pappy Horner, who, riding his first few times in Europe, just couldn‘t believe the GC leaders in Europe don‘t have to help with leadout, chasing breakaways, riding tempo, and so on.

I think in times of marginal gains, Remco probably still wastes too much energy. He‘s young, has fun riding bike races, wants to impress, and so on. So, why not? Sooner or later, he probably will stop these leadouts, these too many hopeless attacks, etc.; in the moment, however, he‘s entertaining. I enjoy watching him, and never complain about him, because he always seems to give 100%…

 

[Lequack]

Well there is a reason why GC team leaders don't usually do leadout duty days on end. You say it won't be the reason, but if he were only to be down by seconds to Roglic not minutes at the end, the work he has done may very well have made an impact. Just sayin.

Also it becomes akward when the teams now expect you to start doing that regularly.

 

[Lequack]

Whooah, have a look at Primoz‘ upper arms! They were good before, and he even improved them over the winter!

That clearly is SAM WELSFORD STYLE…



No surprise that Primoz is so explosive on short, steep ramps. With these upper arms he currently has, he is #1 favourite for Mur de Huy in a few weeks. Ala‘s upper arms are clearly less impressive; he, however, offers nicely shaped triceps…

He got buff arms by always having to carry his biggest fan around

https://twitter.com/x/status/1512090962624921601

View: https://twitter.com/ehitzulia/status/1512090962624921601?s=20&t=PCnd-JAAWxJ8i931-g2_kw

 

[Samu Cuenca]

He got buff arms by always having to carry his biggest fan around

https://twitter.com/x/status/1512090962624921601

View: https://twitter.com/ehitzulia/status/1512090962624921601?s=20&t=PCnd-JAAWxJ8i931-g2_kw

Oh, so that's what CyclistAbi looks like

 

[Red Rick]

An important factor is many GC leaders really suck at doing leadouts.

 

[Sciatic]

Why must Remco always break a solo breakaway's heart. Other than that Roglic seemed to have had a better day today. Even look at one point he was going to maybe win the sprint, but got boxed in a bit.

But it was UAE that made the determined effort to bring the breakaway back.