Tour de Romandie 2022 (April 26 - May 1)

[AlfaLum]

It’s too bad that Higuita lost so much time with that crash in stage 2. Otherwise he would have been in contention for the win still.

 

[Red Rick]

I wonder if Dennis spent too much time near the front in the headwind. But if he didn't then I think Vlasov looks very good for GC.

So now the 100% mandatory topic that we haven't had yet.

Bike switches tomorrow?

 

[HelloDolly]

Pinot saying it wasnt a high mountain stage and the climb was not hard enough for him

 

[RedheadDane]

Pinot saying it wasnt a high mountain stage and the climb was not hard enough for him

I actually found myself wondering if he'd be trying to set up Reichenbach.

 

[roundabout]

This really is one of the worst WT stage races, both in course (or how it's ridden) and its place on the calendar. Cramped in between the Ardennes and the Giro which doesn't make it an ideal race for riders whose goal are either one of those 2.

I think it has always (or at least as long as I can remember in the last 25 years or so) ended 1 week before the Giro start but I think it did not always start on Tuesday after Liege. I think that happened in 2003 or something like that.

 

[Pinot's goat]

Pinot saying it wasnt a high mountain stage and the climb was not hard enough for him

His positioning was poor at the end, kept getting stuck on the barriers.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

This really is one of the worst WT stage races, both in course (or how it's ridden) and its place on the calendar. Cramped in between the Ardennes and the Giro which doesn't make it an ideal race for riders whose goal are either one of those 2.

It fluctuates. For a while in the 2000s and early 2010s it was a pretty weak race used mainly as a development one, as a lot of the biggest GT names were also the main contenders in the Ardennes - the likes of Valverde, Evans, Cunego, the Schleck brothers, Rodríguez, Samuel Sánchez, di Luca - but then for a few years after that it was actually a pretty strong race when the riders contesting the Ardennes ceased to be the main GT candidates and instead people like Froome, Wiggins, Quintana and their likes would go and race Romandie instead. It now seems to be swinging back the other way and more resembling what it was 10-15 years ago.

 

[Netserk]

I think it has always (or at least as long as I can remember in the last 25 years or so) ended 1 week before the Giro start but I think it did not always start on Tuesday after Liege. I think that happened in 2003 or something like that.

Yes, before that Amstel was after Liège.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I actually found myself wondering if he'd be trying to set up Reichenbach.

With that bit of descending they had to do?! Reichenbach was probably cooked having to chase back on!

 

[AlfaLum]

I wonder if Dennis spent too much time near the front in the headwind. But if he didn't then I think Vlasov looks very good for GC.

So now the 100% mandatory topic that we haven't had yet.

Bike switches tomorrow?

For 4,5k flat? Don’t think it would be beneficial probably?

 

[Netserk]

It fluctuates. For a while in the 2000s and early 2010s it was a pretty weak race used mainly as a development one, as a lot of the biggest GT names were also the main contenders in the Ardennes - the likes of Valverde, Evans, Cunego, the Schleck brothers, Rodríguez, Samuel Sánchez, di Luca - but then for a few years after that it was actually a pretty strong race when the riders contesting the Ardennes ceased to be the main GT candidates and instead people like Froome, Wiggins, Quintana and their likes would go and race Romandie instead. It now seems to be swinging back the other way and more resembling what it was 10-15 years ago.

It's maybe the one-week stage race with the best podiums of the past decade.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

3 Australians in the top 5 in GC.

Australia is the new New Zealand.

 

[JosefK]

Not in the bag for Dennis, now? Sunday is a climbing TT for the last 9 km, which he can do, but is Ayuso or Vlasov close enough to pull out the GC win?

 

[RedheadDane]

3 Australians in the top 5 in GC.

Australia is the new New Zealand.

At this rate, we'll be getting back to one of the original big countries!

 

[JosefK]

At this rate, we'll be getting back to one of the original big countries!

Tasmania?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It's maybe the one-week stage race with the best podiums of the past decade.

Which sort of matches up with the period I'm thinking, it's been a much stronger race in that time, however now we're seeing the likes of the Slovenes going for the Ardennes and redressing that, plus the parcours back in the period before that was a bit tamer with things like Sainte-Croix and Zinal as the queen stages, whereas there have been some pretty good and challenging routes in the last few editions that have attracted a stronger startlist and level of prestige too.

A bit like how in the late 2000s and early 2010s Paris-Nice was the petit-GT and Tirreno-Adriatico was largely a hilly race with puncheur finishes galore, but then in the mid 2010s, Tirreno-Adriatico went more GT-like with MTFs like Prati di Tivo and some less interesting routes in Paris-Nice meant fewer of the big stage race contenders choosing France and instead racing in Italy in that week's racing, which again seems to be swinging back the other way in the last 2-3 years as well.

 

[RedheadDane]

Tasmania?

I was thinking... France or Belgium.

 

[Netserk]

For 4,5k flat? Don’t think it would be beneficial probably?

The Monte Grappa MTT with ~8.5 km of flat to begin with had bike switches. Quintana also changed bike in the Eibar MTT in the 2016 Itzulia for a ridiculous short distance (iirc it was either net neutral compared to Contador who didn't change, or had a negligible advantage). Then there's the 2013 Chorges ITT in the 2013 Tour where it was definitely an advantage to change bikes for the last 12 km.

 

[Red Rick]

The Monte Grappa MTT with ~8.5 km of flat to begin with had bike switches. Quintana also changed bike in the Eibar MTT in the 2016 Itzulia for a ridiculous short distance (iirc it was either net neutral compared to Contador who didn't change, or had a negligible advantage). Then there's the 2013 Chorges ITT in the 2013 Tour where it was definitely an advantage to change bikes for the last 12 km.

I think especially now that simulated TT position on a road bike is illegal.

 

[Netserk]

I think especially now that simulated TT position on a road bike is illegal.

I think they'll have the tri-bars on the climbing bike.

EDIT: Or not. They didn't in 2018.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I think they'll have the tri-bars on the climbing bike.

Yeah, TT-bars on a lightweight bike sounds like the best solution to me.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Bit of a joke of a World Tour Stage race

 

[Stasat]

Plapp now better uphill than in TTs, let's see how he does in the MTT tomorrow.

According to Lantern Rouge Youtube, he did 6.6w/kg for 25mins to setup the Higuita & Carapaz attack in Catalunya.

 

[samhocking]

G is starting to feel the age.

He won the race last year, so not sure today was age related. Ill and/or he had a pretty horrendous shoulder bone rebuild operation start of season he's only just got recovered from he said.

 

[RedheadDane]

He won the race last year, so not sure today was age related. Ill and/or he had a pretty horrendous shoulder bone rebuild operation start of season he's only just got recovered from he said.

He's a whole year older than last year!