Tirreno - Adriatico 2021, March 10 - March 16

[Oliver]

Nice route!

 

[SafeBet]

I was looking at the startlist and I'm pretty sure it's among the best startlists this race has ever had:

• 6 GT winners
• 11 (!) Monument winners
• current road World Champion (+2 past winners)
• current ITT World Champion
• current CX World Champion (+2 past winners)
• current road Olympic Champion

 

[Bolder]

curious about van aert, he wanted to go for gc but how is he gonna be able to handle those pogacar/bernal accelerations

Honestly this is the main interest in the race for me. I can't really venture a qualified opinion -- surely he can handle short, sharp accelerations, and we know he can grind up big mountains to about 7/8ths of the way to the top. But I'm curious to see how he acts as a GC hopeful, riding in a different way.

At the Tour he was part of a train, wasn't protected etc. and still made Top 20. But here he will have to be more strategic. He's obviously a great TT'er so that neutralizes some of the lighter climbers and even Pogacar if they get to the last stage more or less even.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

curious about van aert, he wanted to go for gc but how is he gonna be able to handle those pogacar/bernal accelerations

He probably won't, can't nor does he need to. Going for GC doesn't mean he has to win. This is a test case to see how far he can get; i think anywhere in the top 10 would be a success. Also, don't forget he dropped Pogacar on the final climb in Siena.

 

[Bonimenier]

Geniets and van der Poel riding next to each other on purpose to confuse us

 

[Escarabajo]

Listening to some podcasts I am leaning towards Alaphilippe winning this race. The mountain stage is not hard enough and there are 3 stages perfect for classic riders. Ala has proven several times that he can climb with the best. It is the recovery that is the issue with him. But that won't be a problem here.

 

[RedheadDane]

Geniets and van der Poel riding next to each other on purpose to confuse us

At least Demare is over in France!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

thankfully we don't have a "dutch antilles" champion or something in a similar jersey

 

[BlueRoads]

Geniets and van der Poel riding next to each other on purpose to confuse us

Next to each other they are easy to differentiate. It's more confusing when they are somewhere in the peloton and my internet connection crumbles...

 

[glassmoon]

Wout!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

These endlessly straight finishes are always dangerous. Van Aert is too good at everything.

 

[RedheadDane]

Jumbo just took their second victory in about... five minutes.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

And he's good in the mud too!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Gaviria actually slowed down when his leadout peeled off.

 

[sir fly]

I didn't think Van Aert would take this.
So strong.
And off the altitude.
Congrats.

 

[pink_jersey]

Van Aert is fouriclasse!!

Van der Poel didn't get involved. Don't know why but he seems to not battle in mass sprints nowadays even though I don't think he's much slower than Van Aert.

Also, Gaviria was sprinting backwards. What happened to him?

 

[Billie]

Ewan with so much power he almost crashed everyone.

He's already much more backwards on his bike than earlier in his career and still his back wheel couldn't take it

 

[Bonimenier]

That looked so easy. He went from so far.
He just needs to win every stage, except the mountain stage to take a minute bonis. Easy.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[Krokro]

I think I will never understand the skillset of this rider, this is just nuts. Congrats to him beating some nice tier sprinters here. Maybe the little drag favored him? (and the perfect leadout from Richeze and Gaviria)

 

[Bonimenier]

I think I will never understand the skillset of this rider, this is just nuts. Congrats to him beating some nice tier sprinters here. Maybe the little drag favored him? (and the perfect leadout from Richeze and Gaviria)

If you drop him in the last km, he somehow always manage to find the perfect wheel to sit on.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Just insane. Long power, speed, positioning, timing. Arguably the best of the bunch sprints he “shouldn’t” be able to win yet did anyway.

 

[Carols]

Wout!!!! Great day for TJV

 

[Bolder]

I think VdP knew he wasn't really in a position to fight bar to bar with Ewen WvA etc. He got a little boxed in and probably didn't see a safe way out.

I'm not 100% certain why VdP is in this race, actually. It's not like he needs an extra 2-3% for the next leg of classics...

edit: Maybe Merlier was designated sprinter for Alpecin today? He's been really strong too.

 

[JosefK]

Is Wout now the favorite to win GC here (only one mountain stage plus a TT finishing up)?