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Rider schedules and targets for 2024 (also rumours and opinions allowed)

Page 3 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Or what Jumbo did this year at the Vuelta. If you're VLAB, how many minutes do you let Almeida take in a breakaway before you start burning doms chasing him?

Of course we've also seen the problem with this strategy --- you might be forced to back the rider you don't have that much confidence in.
At least 6 minutes imo would be nothing more than a minor annoyance by the middle of the race.
 
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I think Almeida contractually made sure he’s never a domestique. Free roll. UAE probably wants to do what Jumbo did 2 years ago, and bet on multiple horses to try and tire Vingegaard.
It's difficult to do that, because VLAB have kuss to help vingegaard in case Emirates try something like that with ayuso, almeida or yates, and they have rouleurs that can control very well the race like van baarle, tratnik, laporte.

It's also important to say that ayuso, almeida or yates doesn't have the same talent that roglic have to try to do something like that.

Emirates is the team of pogacar in the Tour, so almeida will work to him.
 
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So Ayuso, Almeida, Yates and Pogacar at the Tour, or am I missing something? Not sure what Almeida adds to that group given his climbing style. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a great rider but maybe not the best domestique.

But here's the problem with UAE: four top GC riders, three of whom are young. Pogacar has claimed 2 GTs this year already. So scraps for the rest, especially Almeida.
Almeida could be a good domestique to make the race hard because of his style of climbing. He can go in a constant and hard pace in the mountains. It's the best role for him.
 
Or what Jumbo did this year at the Vuelta. If you're VLAB, how many minutes do you let Almeida take in a breakaway before you start burning doms chasing him?

Of course we've also seen the problem with this strategy --- you might be forced to back the rider you don't have that much confidence in.
That breakaway would get little time. VLAB have guys like laporte, baarle, tratnik, that can control the race during a lot of time.

Actually, VLAB tatics oppose to that situation, because what VLAB did in 2022, 2023 and will do again in 2024 is going full gas everyday, to tire everybody and enhance the advantage of Vingegaard in terms of recovery compared with the other opponents.
 
You might be looking at the race from a different viewpoint, but to me it looks like the podiums show “classic” classics riders dominating from 2012 through the 2010s. With a brief intrusion of sprinter types:
2012 Tom BoonenFilippo Pozzato
@ s.t.
Alessandro Ballan
@ 1sec
256 km42.159
2013Fabian Cancellara
6hr 6min 1sec
Peter Sagan
@ 1min 27sec
Jurgen Roelandts @ 1min 29sec256.2 km41.965
2014Fabian Cancellara
6hr 15min 18sec
Greg van Avermaet
@ s.t.
Sep Vanmarcke
@ s.t.
259 km41.407
2015Alexander Kristoff
6hr 26min 32sec
Niki Terpstra
@ s.t.
Greg van Avermaet
@ 7sec
264.9 km41.119
2016Peter Sagan
6hr 10min 37sec
Fabian Cancellara
@ 25sec
Sep Vanmarcke
@ 28sec
255 km41.283 km/hr
2017Philippe Gilbert
6hr 23min 45sec
Greg van Avermaet
@ 29sec
Niki Terpstra
@ s.t.
259.5 km40.573 km/hr
2018Niki Terpstra
6hr 21min 25sec
Mads Pedersen
@ 12sec
Philippe Gilbert
@ 17sec
264.7 km41.640 km/hr
2019Alberto Bettiol
6hr 18min 49sec
Kasper Asgreen
@ 14sec
Alexander Kristoff
Yeah, I normally love my stats and statistics, but it's not really applicable in this case, I think.

I don't mean to say that the climby types suddenly came to the fore after 2012. What I mean is that the introduction of the Paterberg/Oude Kwaremont finale makes it more possible to utilize a different 'skillset' which wasn't as viable before, namely pure w/kg. The lighter riders had a much harder time bruteforcing the steep, fully cobbled and more 'technical' Muur when it was the decisive climb, and the old finale wasn't as brutal overall. It was often more tactical.

You can still win RVV in different ways of course, like Kristoff's sneaky attack, but with the triple Paterberg/Oude Kwaremont it's easier to just beast it if you're the strongest. Bettiol 'did a Pogi' in 2019, and Sagan did it in 2016.
 
Yeah, I normally love my stats and statistics, but it's not really applicable in this case, I think.

I don't mean to say that the climby types suddenly came to the fore after 2012. What I mean is that the introduction of the Paterberg/Oude Kwaremont finale makes it more possible to utilize a different 'skillset' which wasn't as viable before, namely pure w/kg. The lighter riders had a much harder time bruteforcing the steep, fully cobbled and more 'technical' Muur when it was the decisive climb, and the old finale wasn't as brutal overall. It was often more tactical.

You can still win RVV in different ways of course, like Kristoff's sneaky attack, but with the triple Paterberg/Oude Kwaremont it's easier to just beast it if you're the strongest. Bettiol 'did a Pogi' in 2019, and Sagan did it in 2016.
I see what you’re say—and it’s true. And perhaps because the race puts more emphasis on brute power, the idea that a rider has to have ridden several editions before getting a top placement is no longer as valid. Talent for “reading” the race to gauge which moves to join and which to let go loses some value when Pog or MVDP simply launch or insert themselves in every move during the final 90k.
 
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I see what you’re say—and it’s true. And perhaps because the race puts more emphasis on brute power, the idea that a rider has to have ridden several editions before getting a top placement is no longer as valid. Talent for “reading” the race to gauge which moves to join and which to let go loses some value when Pog or MVDP simply launch or insert themselves in every move during the final 90k.
Anticipating’ used to happen at 60-40km out but now if you haven’t got yourself up the road with over 100km left to race the big boys will just mow you down.
 
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Is it just me, or does TDU have a rather weak rider line-up?

I would ask the stars of the game, „You really love your pro cycling job? - Prove it, and go riding TDU, in January!“… :)

If you ask me, they should only (apart from illness/injury) let riders start the TdF if these riders have ridden races from Januar to June, every month…
 
Is it just me, or does TDU have a rather weak rider line-up?

I would ask the stars of the game, „You really love your pro cycling job? - Prove it, and go riding TDU, in January!“… :)

If you ask me, they should only (apart from illness/injury) let riders start the TdF if these riders have ridden races from Januar to June, every month…
It wasn’t the teams or riders (other than Aussie) idea to have a WT race have-way around the world in January. And with the added importance of altitude camps and building up training earlier in the year, the Aussie races seem like even more of an outlier.
 
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It wasn’t the teams or riders (other than Aussie) to have a WT race have-way around the world in January. And with the added importance of altitude camps and building up training earlier in the year, the Aussie races seem like even more of an outlier.

I 100% agree…

It‘s sad. But at least, as it seems, the Mallorca opener races seem to have been moved to one week earlier as it was few years ago. So if the first European 1.1 races are permanently raced in January, I won‘t complain about the situation too much.

Of course the top guys watch each other closely, and nobody wants to suffer from disadvantages. So if (example) Pog, Rog and Vinge do not race TDU, then it‘s clear that Remco also does not.

No risks any more. Also no real creativity. Gladly the season is long, and great races are to come. Just patience needed.

The only three top cyclists who apparently still „risk“ anything calendar-wise are the three crossers, MvdP, Wout and Pidcock. I honestly cannot really believe they still do this CX schedule, winter after winter. Hats off - at least they entertain us, when hardly anyone else does, on dark winter days… :)
 
Is it just me, or does TDU have a rather weak rider line-up?

I would ask the stars of the game, „You really love your pro cycling job? - Prove it, and go riding TDU, in January!“… :)

If you ask me, they should only (apart from illness/injury) let riders start the TdF if these riders have ridden races from Januar to June, every month…
They have to rename race for Young Gunz Tour