Lesser known races 2024 edition

[Mayomaniac]

Yep, a 42 year old getting 9 th was about par for the Volta. Look forward to some top class climbing.

25min Observatorio Vila Nova ascent by Figeiredo tomorrow?
Speaking of him, he lost only 6sec to Carvalho and Stüssi and 16 to Moreira today. A top 50 in a Prologue is overall a good result for him and even more if you consider that it's his first race after suffering a radial fracture at the NC.

 

[Rob5091]

Volta's stage 1 today, 158.2 km, classic hockey stick profile - TV from 16.00 CET

Finish climb -

 

[Mayomaniac]

Volta's stage 1 today, 158.2 km, classic hockey stick profile - TV from 16.00 CET

Finish climb -

The return of Freddy Watts?

 

[RedheadDane]

Over in Prueba Cavagna, De Gendt, and Townsend have 1:44 on the peloton with 57ish Ks to go.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Over in Prueba Cavagna, the break has been caught. 26ish km left.

 

[perico]

I love the Volta.


BTW… didn’t this race used to have its own thread?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I love the Volta.


BTW… didn’t this race used to have its own thread?

No one made one.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Scaroni, and Wood, on his heavy Look bike, have a gap with 18 km to go.

 

[Samamba]

Did the stream just go down right at the moment everyone is waiting for?

 

[Landeirovic]

Did the stream just go down right at the moment everyone is waiting for?

Yep

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Wood's bike was too heavy in the end, and Scaroni is now on his own.

But the stream has now died.

 

[Samamba]

Deportes online hoy, ciclismo, pelota, remo y fútbol en vivo y en directo - EITB

Deportes online hoy: En vivo y en directo Vuelta al País vasco (Euskal Herriko Itzulia), final de pelota, remo y fútbol .

www.eitb.eus

Christen solo as expected, Cepeda just behind

 

[RedheadDane]

Over in Prueba Cavagna, the break has been caught. 26ish km left.

I see what you did there...

 

[Penninepeddler]

Going to go to watch the end of the Volta stage tomorrow... happens to be right in Lisbon and there right now so should be fun to see if anyone is decapitated on road furniture aha...

 

[RedheadDane]

should be fun to see if anyone is decapitated on road furniture aha...

I don't wanna know what kind of road furniture they have in Lisbon!

 

[ciranda]

so could Julius have gone 0.83 second faster with shorter hair? you instinctively feel the answer must be yes but in fact probably not. it's a shame either way.

 

[Penninepeddler]

I don't wanna know what kind of road furniture they have in Lisbon!

Tbf they seem to have done a decent job directing the final part of the route somewhere without awful stuff in the road...

but I think the 5km-3km to go area where it goes near/through Oriente station before going onto the highway is going to be awkward, as the roads are pretty much split in two with "calcada" cobbles in the middle and a kerb. And the inside lane has in some places a slight kick-up onto smoother calcada...

And the final turnoff before the finish with maybe 1km to go goes from a 4 line highway to 1 lane to back to 3 lane in the space of a few hundred metres.

A team who get the right side of the road with maybe 4km to go will probably win the sprint.

The sprint will be pretty short and selective as a result. There is probably only 150-200m of road after the final right turn where it narrows to one lane and opens back up again to 3 lanes. If everyone makes it round that corner cleanly I will be shocked aha.

Such a beautiful city and actually one that - with the crazy elevation changes - could have some amazing stage finishes a la Strade Bianche... but not the best place to cycle around.

A Sintra/Setubal/Lisbon one-day classic could be incredible but it would take great planning. Classica da Arrabida is closest but using some of those roads alongside a Lisbon city hill finish and maybe some of the Sintra hills... would be so fun.

 

[Rob5091]

Over in Wallonie, the 5 man break is being kept on a short leash (2 minutes) as Gogl is there just under 3 minutes down on GC.

 

[Rob5091]

So it had to happen, TTT is leading at Alsace after a stage 1 ... TTT.
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-alsace

 

[Squire]

Yep, a 42 year old getting 9 th was about par for the Volta. Look forward to some top class climbing.

A 42 year old who has previously enjoyed a four year forced vacation from the sport, no less. All hope is not yet lost for the Volta!

 

[RedheadDane]

Coverage for both Czech and Wallonie has started.

And guess who's attacking in Wallonie.
If you said "Juanpe", you're correct.

 

[Squire]

Per looking good today. But with La Redoute conquered with 50km remaining, that's pretty much all the difficulties of the day done with.

 

[Squire]

Yesterday was the Tour de All the Trees in Belgium, today Eurosport is broadcasting the Tour de Breathing Heavily into Microphone.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Thomas Gloag is back in racing after almost a year at the Czech Tour.

 

[RedheadDane]

Tried putting sound-on for both Czechia and Wallonie.
Yeah... that's just confusing...