João Almeida - Bota Lume

[Netserk]

Good quote and right in the money. Jonas and Visma are always very picky when it comes to places to gain time, and the vast majoiry of stages are apparantly marked to just follow, and Jonas rarely deviates from the plan in the morning even when it could benefit you. Why would you not help Almeida at that point to gain time on the others? Maybe he's not as strong as expected, but its very weird to see the race favorite race like this. He should thank his lucky stars than Pogacar aint here, because chances are he will still win the race racing an ultraconservative race and only open on Angliru on stage 13. Everyone who hoped for a more aggressive version of Vingegaard with Pogacar, including me, should be quite disappointed...

It seems to be a team decision, and I bet they are very happy with the helping hand of Bahrain. Vingegaard already pulled too much in Andorra.

 

[BubbaChuck]

I dont think jonas fully recovered from tour still,lmao.they all look pretty tired for week 1 vuelta.saving mode.

 

[Salvarani]

I dont think jonas fully recovered from tour still,lmao.they all look pretty tired for week 1 vuelta.saving mode.

He is saving for Angliru. One great climbing performance there will seal the deal.

Wheelsuck and use his team + Kuss, who is back in business, until then.

 

[Valv.Piti]

It seems to be a team decision, and I bet they are very happy with the helping hand of Bahrain. Vingegaard already pulled too much in Andorra.

Sure, but if you can gain time, you try to gain time. No reason not to pull with Almeida and Cicco in that situation unless you were on the limit.

 

[Red Rick]

Sure, but if you can gain time, you try to gain time. No reason not to pull with Almeida and Cicco in that situation unless you were on the limit.

Why would you do the work for your biggest rivals?

 

[Cycling111]

He is saving for Angliru. One great climbing performance there will seal the deal.

Wheelsuck and use his team + Kuss, who is back in business, until then.

That's why the UAE should have tested him and tried to do a Granon yesterday and other stages. But Ayuso, like a good team rider, decided not to prove Vingegaard and instead focused on winning stages against inferior rivals.
Roglic couldn't win the Tour, but he pririced helt team to winning GC before his interest and achieving a record of victories, which is all that seems to matter to UAE. A record of stages in races, while Visma wins twice as many GTs as they do. 10 vs 5.


Honestly, we've had enough time to get to know Ayuso. She'll be taking some excuse to DNF and prepare for the Worlds. COVID, the flu, knee pain, or a eyelash pain.
Two days ago, I predicted he'd win the stage yesterday. This guy is very predictable. There's plenty of evidence of his attitude. I'm amazed at the naiveté of thinking he'll stay 21 days to help Almeida or someone not named Juan Ayuso.

 

[AmRacer]

That's why the UAE should have tested him and tried to do a Granon yesterday and other stages. But Ayuso, like a good team rider, decided not to prove Vingegaard and instead focused on winning stages against inferior rivals.
Roglic couldn't win the Tour, but he pririced helt team to winning GC before his interest and achieving a record of victories, which is all that seems to matter to UAE. A record of stages in races, while Visma wins twice as many GTs as they do. 10 vs 5.


Honestly, we've had enough time to get to know Ayuso. She'll be taking some excuse to DNF and prepare for the Worlds. COVID, the flu, knee pain, or a eyelash pain.
Two days ago, I predicted he'd win the stage yesterday. This guy is very predictable. There's plenty of evidence of his attitude. I'm amazed at the naiveté of thinking he'll stay 21 days to help Almeida or someone not named Juan Ayuso.

Ayuso and Almeida cannot do a Granon with Jonas, Matteo and Sepp would still be there with him.

 

[P4rthen0n]

Sure, but if you can gain time, you try to gain time. No reason not to pull with Almeida and Cicco in that situation unless you were on the limit.

There's one other reason: Visma want to keep Jorgensen in the GC fight and use him for a 1-2 if there's ever a need for it (there shouldn't be a need for it if Vingegaard is in top shape).

However Visma's fake pacing could be a telltale sign that Vingegaard might not be in top shape, even though he did look pretty easy when Ciccone and Almeida tested the GC group.

 

[Red Rick]

There's one other reason: Visma want to keep Jorgensen in the GC fight and use him for a 1-2 if there's ever a need for it (there shouldn't be a need for it if Vingegaard is in top shape).

However Visma's fake pacing could be a telltale sign that Vingegaard might not be in top shape, even though he did look pretty easy when Ciccone and Almeida tested the GC group.

To me it just looks like they're betting on him hitting top shape later so they're not gonna make any big moves before that. It's exactly how Visma raced the Vuelta in 2021. On top of that, Cerler is just a gargabe climb because the investment and risk to do anything are pretty big for pretty minimal gain.

 

[Netserk]

Sure, but if you can gain time, you try to gain time. No reason not to pull with Almeida and Cicco in that situation unless you were on the limit.

To distance Bernal and Kuss?? Not Vingegaard's problem.

 

[Red Rick]

The only case to be made for Vingegaard to pull is if the break had gotten 15 minutes and/or Ayuso was getting back into GC contention/annoyance. But they would simply not have let that happen.

 

[Cycling111]

Ayuso and Almeida cannot do a Granon with Jonas, Matteo and Sepp would still be there with him.

Today we once again saw how much Ayuso cares about his teammates. It's Team Ayuso.

 

[AmRacer]

Today we once again saw how much Ayuso cares about his teammates. It's Team Ayuso.

If you think Ayuso is a better climber than Almeida. I don't, hence I think Ayuso wouldn't make a difference.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Great performance. He can end this Vuelta as the third best stage racer in the world. A good boost for the next Giro! Go Durinho!!

 

[P4rthen0n]

If you think Ayuso is a better climber than Almeida. I don't, hence I think Ayuso wouldn't make a difference.

I think you're confusing things a bit.
Climbing domestiques are not stronger climbers than the team leader (everyone knows that)... they just have to bury themselves for the team leader.
Sometimes that means clever positioning to shield them from the wind, sometimes it's a leadout train, sometimes is closing little gaps, sometimes is fetching bottles, sometimes it's pacing them for 1-2km, etc.

Ayuso did neither. The only thing he did was switch off before the sprinters.

 

[AmRacer]

I think you're confusing things a bit.
Climbing domestiques are not stronger climbers than the team leader (everyone knows that)... they just have to bury themselves for the team leader.
Sometimes that means clever positioning to shield them from the wind, sometimes it's a leadout train, sometimes is closing little gaps, sometimes is fetching bottles, sometimes it's pacing them for 1-2km, etc.

Ayuso did neither. The only thing he did was switch off before the sprinters.

There's nothing a dom can do when Pogi or Jonas attacks.

 

[P4rthen0n]

There's nothing a dom can do when Pogi or Jonas attacks.

There was. He could have buried himself for a 1km pull for Almeida.

Vingegaard's attack was 11km to go, from a 30 man group. Lets not act like it was a thinned out GC group already.

 

[AmRacer]

There was. He could have buried himself for a 1km pull for Almeida.

Vingegaard's attack was 11km to go, from a 30 man group. Lets not act like it was a thinned out GC group already.

Have you seen a dom pulling for Jonas when Pogi attacks? Or for Pogi when Jonas attacks?

 

[Sciatic]

Have you seen a dom pulling for Jonas when Pogi attacks? Or for Pogi when Jonas attacks?

If we’re just talking about today, the point wouldn’t have been to stay on Jonas’s wheel but rather contribute to the chase and help keep the gap closer. When Almeida started pulling there was still a group of 5-6 riders with him. If Vine or Soler had been in that group they could have done some some pulling while the gap was still about 8-10 seconds. In the end Almeida only finished 24 sec behind (lost 6’ with bonus) so some work from the team early in the chase might have helped make that gap even smaller. That’s what a team should be able to do in week one of a GT when GC is still close.

 

[Cycling111]

If you think Ayuso is a better climber than Almeida. I don't, hence I think Ayuso wouldn't make a difference.

So no leader would have a domestique because they're worse climbers...

It would have been helpful if I'd had him halfway up the climb. That's the job of a domestique. Saving a few kilometers of effort for your leader, who's a better climber than you.

 

[Netserk]

Very strong today, clearly in fabulous shape. It makes his crash in the Tour even more bitter.

 

[noob]

He's possibly third best GC rider this season. Possibly behind Lipo, I'm not sure.

(And also I don't agree with the idea of bringing Del Toro here instead of Ayuso. He's too young to GT twice a year.)

 

[noob]

Is he really promised to do giro 2026? That would possibly mean Del Toro going to tdf because I don't see who else is on par

 

[carolina]

The Giro thing is only a rumour.

Del Toro can do the Vuelta. Either way, he is super young, so there is no rush to give him full GT leadership.

 

[Bkinn]

People are focusing on Ayuso, but neither Soler nor Großschartner worked for him, and Vine only did a pull. And his criticism of his teamantes doesn't seem like the best way to get them to work harder in the next stages.