Saudi Tour 2023 (January 30th - February 3rd)

[Mayomaniac]

If Milan can climb like he did in the Cro Race, could he do something for GC as well?

Frankly not, that was short, cobbled classics style efforts. Stage 4 has a climb that is almost 3kms at 12%, thats too much for him.

 

[SafeBet]

If Milan can climb like he did in the Cro Race, could he do something for GC as well?

He says he'll be working for his teammates from tomorrow. I reckon he could do well tomorrow if given the chance (and in good shape), but Thursday is too hard.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

looked like Groenewegen caught some wind there at the wrong of the road? He came up with speed but then basically stalled

Being behind Milan, he probably couldn't even sense the wind.

seems like there are no bonus seconds handed out at the intermediate sprints, but on a separate earlier bonus sprint instead?! Not sure Walscheid knew... Guerreiro tried to sprint for it as well.

Yeah, only one of the daily sprints awards bonus seconds. The other intermediate sprints only count for the blue most active rider jersey. Yesterday it was the last sprint that had bonus seconds, so perhaps that confused some of the riders today.

Edit: But Walscheid also won the second sprint today, so he might also just be trying to keep himself in contention for the blue jersey.

 

[Samamba]

Frankly not, that was short, cobbled classics style efforts. Stage 4 has a climb that is almost 3kms at 12%, thats too much for him.

Tim Declercq ended 4th in that stage last year if I remember correctly. It all depends on Echelons or not imo. There's like 5 decent climbers in this race that's it.

 

[KenFiamingo]

Mezgec with a rookie leadout mistake there tho.

How's that??

 

[Mayomaniac]

As much as I don't want to admit it, they are already doing things the right way with this race. An uphill sprint, a stage with a murito that crests with 8.5kms to go and a sterrrato stage. Yeah, looking at the kind of terrain that you have in that country it's still rather tame, but not bad for a pre-season race in the middle east.

 

[CHGJ2000]

Thinking Milan can perhaps make it over the Poggio with the front group as well, CRO Race stage 3 was a really surprising climbing display for someone of his profile.

Knowing Milan, he'll probably do a full send attack 600m from the top of the Poggio

For someone like him the w/kg needed for Poggio is probably quite a bit less than what he would have had to do at the end of CRO race stage 3 (much more aerodynamic climb than that one which had sustained 15-20% sections), just a question if he'll be given the opportunity and whether he can do it at the end of a long race (first one more questionable with the way Bahrain have used him).

 

[Red Rick]

He's a good shout for Sanremo. He did good on 2-3 minute hills in Croatia.

But the problem I see isn't getting dropped out the back but that I don't see him following on the steep part of the Poggio when the likes of MvdP and WvA are ready for liftoff.

 

[Sciatic]

Thinking Milan can perhaps make it over the Poggio with the front group as well, CRO Race stage 3 was a really surprising climbing display for someone of his profile.

Don know about the Poggio, he’s better suited for the start of the race

 

[Landeirovic]

Grosschartner have big chance for win the Gc;
he was riding very alert in the crosswinds. He is fast, climbs well

 

[search]

Stage 3

Different finish than last year, according to the official site it’s 1.5k at 8.5% topping out at 1k to go. Note that, with Google, I get a shorter and shallower climb (1.1k at 6.8%) that ends with 700 metres to go, so take both numbers with a grain of salt.

looks even shorter to me. Around 700m at 7%, then 400m flat to the line. At least based on the RideWithGPS profile (edit: +2-300m flat on top, going by the official map)

Saudi Tour 2023 stage 3

160.4 km, +1455 m. Bike ride in Al-'Ula العلا

ridewithgps.com

They went past it last year, but hard to gather much from that:

...let alone Google Earth:

 

[Samamba]

So basically just a sprint. Consonni for the win.
Don't understand why they don't do the same finish as last year, that one was great.

 

[search]

there's probably some scenic old rock up there or so. No idea why else they'd build this road into nowhere, at least.

 

[Mayomaniac]

there's probably some scenic old rock up there or so. No idea why else they'd build this road into nowhere, at least.

Because Arabia, they have multiple nice, decent sized roads that are steeper then the Zoncolan.

 

[CHGJ2000]

He's a good shout for Sanremo. He did good on 2-3 minute hills in Croatia.

But the problem I see isn't getting dropped out the back but that I don't see him following on the steep part of the Poggio when the likes of MvdP and WvA are ready for liftoff.

fwiw, the big hill he did well on in Croatia was ~4:45 for the Milan group at 6.5 w/kg (for Paaschens, probably around the same for Milan or higher due to his attacks even though he's heavier), which would be well beyond what someone his size would have to do to follow the record time on Poggio providing he was in position at the bottom. Probably putting my neck out here, but if he's allowed to go for himself and in position, I think he can easily exceed the level of climbing Ewan did on a climb like the Poggio.

On the flipside, I could see Bahrain completely ignoring all of that and just having him lead out Mohoric into the bottom of the Poggio, considering his big power, weight and aero position make him perfect for that role.

 

[Red Rick]

fwiw, the big hill he did well on in Croatia was ~4:45 for the Milan group at 6.5 w/kg (for Paaschens, probably around the same for Milan or higher due to his attacks even though he's heavier), which would be well beyond what someone his size would have to do to follow the record time on Poggio providing he was in position at the bottom. Probably putting my neck out here, but if he's allowed to go for himself and in position, I think he can easily exceed the level of climbing Ewan did on a climb like the Poggio.

On the flipside, I could see Bahrain completely ignoring all of that and just having him lead out Mohoric into the bottom of the Poggio, considering his big power, weight and aero position make him perfect for that role.

1.6km at 6% takes almost 5 minutes?

Anyway, 6.5 isn't very high for 4:45. MvdP did 6.56 for 9 minutes in Giro stage 1.

 

[CHGJ2000]

1.6km at 6% takes almost 5 minutes?

Anyway, 6.5 isn't very high for 4:45. MvdP did 6.56 for 9 minutes in Giro stage 1.

For big guys on a climb as shallow as the Poggio (4%, final half of the climb ~3%), it would be extremely high. Demare didn't even have to do 6 w/kg to do a 5:56 on the Poggio sitting in the draft and Milan is minimum 10 KG's heavier. It's a climb where pure watts and drafting are extremely important compared to normal.

Beyond that the CRO race climb was on gravel and then a ribbed extremely steep road and was 2KM at 6% looking at riders strava. So yeah, it took quite a while.

 

[Salvarani]

Splits in the peloton. 45km to go.

 

[Salvarani]

Rajovic puncture. Wonder if he will make it back today.

 

[Salvarani]

Seems like they going slower again now.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Good battling from Alabdulmunim and his boy

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Wærenskjold!

 

[hfgon1]

Great sprint between Milan and Warenskjold, with the better end for Warenskjold out of a group of about 25 riders.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Cycling writers everywhere searching for the attached 'ae' button on the keyboard.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

Cycling writers everywhere searching for the attached 'ae' button on the keyboard.

nah no need for that, just copy it off wiki.