Saudi Tour 2022 (February 1st - 5th)

Page 7 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Apr 10, 2019
12,075
15,990
23,180
It's been a good race with interesting and varied terrain - Think it will also be a good training race for the upcoming classics.
The country also has multiple climbs that are harder than the Zoncolan...
You could design a really inhuman race there, with lots of brutal climbs and potential crosswinds stages...
 
May 14, 2017
1,531
1,372
13,680
The country also has multiple climbs that are harder than the Zoncolan...
You could design a really inhuman race there, with lots of brutal climbs and potential crosswinds stages...

Count me in. It´s difficult to find similar conditions in europe but the idea of stages like this in bigger races is really intriguing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Aug 1, 2016
1,050
1,495
13,680
To be fair, despite all the issues with the cameras, it was an interesting race.

Fingers crossed for a last crosswind show tomorrow and DeClercq stealing the overall.
 
May 10, 2015
13,589
12,874
28,180
To be fair, despite all the issues with the cameras, it was an interesting race.

Fingers crossed for a last crosswind show tomorrow and DeClercq stealing the overall.

Wind today 38km/u
Wind tmrw 11km/u

So probably just a bunch sprint with maybe a battle for the boni seconds at the intermediate in the end.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: Sandisfan and Roku
Sep 4, 2017
3,527
4,142
19,180
That was a lot of fun to watch with classics training wind conditions ripping the race to shreds then finished off with a brutal murito made to seem all the more difficult for being so wide and on such good roads yet still having the leaders literally zigzagging all over the road winching their way to the top.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Sep 28, 2010
3,364
329
14,180
The country also has multiple climbs that are harder than the Zoncolan...
You could design a really inhuman race there, with lots of brutal climbs and potential crosswinds stages...

The race is not the only thing inhuman here. I don't get how people can enjoy a cycling race in freaking Saudi-Arabia. Qatar, Azerbaijan, Oman were already bad enough as hosts for an international cycling race, but Saudi-Arabia? I can't watch it and I certainly can't enjoy it and I would prefer to not have a race in such a despotic, human-rights violating sh*thole of a country.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Sep 20, 2017
12,407
23,453
28,180
The race is not the only thing inhuman here. I don't get how people can enjoy a cycling race in freaking Saudi-Arabia. Qatar, Azerbaijan, Oman were already bad enough as hosts for an international cycling race, but Saudi-Arabia? I can't watch it and I certainly can't enjoy it and I would prefer to not have a race in such a despotic, human-rights violating sh*thole of a country.
Because I do not feel like me not watching the race would have any effect whatsoever on the perpetration and/or the normalisation of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. The race very obviously does not make money so I'm hardly financing such things, and it also doesn't change my opinion on the country. I would also rather not see the race there for obvious reasons (although if we were to draw the line at any systematic form of human rights violation, most if not all mainstream cycling countries would also be excluded), but at the end of the day, when I'm watching sports, I do not find myself thinking about the situation in the country where the race is being held outside the not-actually-existing bubble that is the world of sport which is the other half of the reason why I've watched.

Is it unethical? Maybe, but the immediate following question is whether watching a sport with a long doping history and a significant environmental footprint is ethical regardless of where it's taking place. You could argue that cycling as a whole should strive to improve its ethics but then I can return to the point whether me no longer watching a race like the Saudi Tour would contribute to that at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bye Bye Bicycle
Jul 28, 2015
3,123
447
9,580
Sagan better be serious this season. I need him scoring points.
Considering that this year Total are resurrecting the dead QS mode should bode pretty well unlike what looked like looking at their recent seasons where even riders that were good suddenly turned into retiring material after signing with them. Unless his decline is related to lack of motivations.
 
May 10, 2015
13,589
12,874
28,180
Steimle solo. He might have a shot if LTS and BEX don't want to use a guy from their train to chase. They've gone ridiculously fast all day.

EDIT: Looks like both put an extra guy on front.
 
May 10, 2015
13,589
12,874
28,180
Mechanical for Ewan and Groenewegen wins. Good week for BEX with 2 wins. Groenewegen definitely looks fast.
 
May 10, 2015
13,589
12,874
28,180
Keeping us anxious... no h2h this week.

Was thinking the same thing. Ewan bad positioned and now a flet, first stage Groenewegen bad positioned. UAE it is I guess with Ewan, Groenewegen, Bennett, Cavendish, Philipsen, Demare, ...
 
Aug 28, 2021
1,597
2,068
6,680
The human rights issue some people here mentioned clearly is important - agree… But, most of all, cycling (sports in general) makes people from all races, from all nationalities, come together. It‘s perfect to unite people.

A perfect example: in few week‘s time, there is UAE Tour. Then, in this islamic country, we see teams Israel PremierTech, Bahrain Victorious and UAE Team Emirates race against each other. In a highest-class competition, fair and respectful. Here, pro cycling delivers a perfect example how it can be done peacefully.