Tour de Suisse 2024, June 9 - 16

[Froome]

With UAE, he has been team leader on three GTs and several major stage-races. Whereas at QS he had to work for Remco even when he was much stronger than him. There is no doubt that the UAE are financially better off, but it has also been a step forward for him from a sporting point of view.

As for the Tour, I think the riders are much more content with their role when they have to help someone like Pogacar, who is very likely to fight for the top spot...

He would have chances of being leader in Quick step in 2022 and 2023 looking at the calendar Remco did on those years.

Nevertheless, if he wanted to move teams, he could also moved to another team. I don't blame him for his decision, he did what he thought was best for his life, and maybe it was.

Personally, i wanted to see him at least more 1/2 years at Quick step, because he was improving a lot. Let's not forget he won World Tour races with Quick step in 2021, and didn't won anymore until today with Emirates.

He was the better rider in the last week of the Giro 2021.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Why send Adam and Almeida along with Ayuso to CdD. UAE are trying to win as much as possible.

You seem to suggest they would win Dauphiné, sending Yates and Almeida, or are you suggesting that Ayuso, without the crash, would win Dauphiné?

 

[SHAD0W93]

You seem to suggest they would win Dauphiné, sending Yates and Almeida, or are you suggesting that Ayuso, without the crash, would win Dauphiné?

I said they’re trying to win as much as possible and in order to do that they are splitting up their leaders.

I think with the form shown and how the CdD went Adam and Almeida would have a good chance of winning and if Roglic crashes and they don’t, they have a good chance of cracking Roglic two days in a row on stages 7 and 8. It’s hard to say Roglic’s true shape counting the crash but how the race turned out, it was there for the taking.

Ayuso was one of the favorites for the race wasn’t he and has performed arguably better than Roglic at stage races this year. It’s not crazy to think he didn’t have a chance to win. UAE have had Ayuso and Almeida on the start list for their respective races for awhile and Adam was supposed to do CdD before his crash.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@SHAD0W93

No disrespect to the riders involved still isn't that exactly what we have been hearing for in the past two to three seasons, or so? Listing such names pre-race and claiming on how Rogla stands no real chance against them, only for Rogla to finish ahead.

What if the real reason was they just wanted to build some racing form with Ayuso and have send Yates and Almeida to the ToS, for them having a real chance to win? Why wouldn't you othervise try to demolish Rogla with Pogi doms, if the form is really that high.

I don't know, could be either way. Maybe indeed they thought they can win both.

Anyway, enough about that, Galibier will tell.

 

[CyclistAbi]

 

[Netserk]

Ayuso was one of the favorites for the race wasn’t he and has performed arguably better than Roglic at stage races this year. It’s not crazy to think he didn’t have a chance to win. UAE have had Ayuso and Almeida on the start list for their respective races for awhile and Adam was supposed to do CdD before his crash.

Ayuso didn't look like a challenger before the stage 5 crash.

As most of the UAE team crashed then, I see no good reason to entertain the hypothetical scenario where that crash still happens and Rogla goes down, but not Almeida or Yates if they had been there.

 

[Unchained]

Don't forget the crash of Ayuso...

Switzerland took the focus off of any reporting about his injuries or rehab.. Either no news is good news or UAE doesn't want to give other teams a nugget by reporting something bad about UAE . Don't know about Visma PR strategy about acting like Wout and the alien is a coin toss.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Ayuso didn't look like a challenger before the stage 5 crash.

As most of the UAE team crashed then, I see no good reason to entertain the hypothetical scenario where that crash still happens and Rogla goes down, but not Almeida or Yates if they had been there.

We will never know as he didn’t get to the mountains, that shape could have been better than his TT. It also depends on how much the crash affected Roglic as he looked good for two stages and then started to fall apart. Ayuso was 20 seconds behind Jorgensen and ahead of Rodriquez.

Who knows if they would have crashed if they were there or not, Adam most likely would have and it’s hard to say for Almeida. If they are all there and no one crashes, Roglic most likely wins from his sprints at the end.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Considering all mentioned cyclists to participate at the Tour 2024 and considering only a few weeks in between the races. We should get a pretty good idea, on how they currently stack against each other.

 

[Froome]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1802430409566818368

View: https://x.com/faustocoppi60/status/1802430409566818368


The level was so high, so much higher than the level of Dauphiné, that they couldn't even break the record from bernal in 2018.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1802430409566818368

View: https://x.com/faustocoppi60/status/1802430409566818368


The level was so high, so much higher than the level of Dauphiné, that they couldn't even break the record from bernal in 2018.

Did you know that the 2018 MTT started at the bottom of the climb and the riders didn‘t have to go hard for 5 kilometers beforehand?

 

[Froome]

Did you know that the 2018 MTT started at the bottom of the climb and the riders didn‘t have to go hard for 5 kilometers beforehand?

I know, but just 5 km is a good warm-up before the climb. It's not like 30 flat km before climbing La planche des belles filles.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Did you know that the 2018 MTT started at the bottom of the climb and the riders didn‘t have to go hard for 5 kilometers beforehand?

Not to mention it was on stage 3 after a hilly and flat stage, not stage 8 after 4 mountain stages with the 2 riders animating it each day.

 

[tobydawq]

I know, but just 5 km is a good warm-up before the climb. It's not like 30 flat km before climbing La planche des belles filles.

'A good warmup', right, that's how things work...

 

[CyclistAbi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1802430409566818368

View: https://x.com/faustocoppi60/status/1802430409566818368


The level was so high, so much higher than the level of Dauphiné, that they couldn't even break the record from bernal in 2018.

That's so true.

P.S. Although Bernal was considered top tier in that era and not (successfully) coming back from a massive injury.

 

[Oldermanish]

@SHAD0W93

No disrespect to the riders involved still isn't that exactly what we have been hearing for in the past two to three seasons, or so? Listing such names pre-race and claiming on how Rogla stands no real chance against them, only for Rogla to finish ahead.

What if the real reason was they just wanted to build some racing form with Ayuso and have send Yates and Almeida to the ToS, for them having a real chance to win? Why wouldn't you othervise try to demolish Rogla with Pogi doms, if the form is really that high.

I don't know, could be either way. Maybe indeed they thought they can win both.

Anyway, enough about that, Galibier will tell.

Not bad speculation but the reality is they were dogged at Suisse by a 22 yo American debutante. Some other guys, too but no united front and thin opposition.
It was a great exercise in team strategy and tactics that could help the Tour without needing Tadej there. It's hard to settle with conclusions from PN, Dauphine as to Roglic's final form. He could've been maxxed or staying within limits. Pogacar was hardly challenged several weeks ago. I'd hope some of those guys that got beaten so badly have room for improvement or the Tour could be over in the first week.

 

[Unchained]

Considering all mentioned cyclists to participate at the Tour 2024 and considering only a few weeks in between the races. We should get a pretty good idea, on how they currently stack against each other.

I take lots of these riders at their word, and majority of what I have seen is strong mental discipline to keep things in perspective about TDF being the peak, the overall objective. Majority of racers comments about making steady upward progress and more improvement before Tour. Some camps more quiet than others.. Visma..

 

[CyclistAbi]

@Oldermanish

We can speculate further, or we can just wait for around 14 days or so. Then all the mentioned cyclists and teams will get a fair shot on demonstrating, on how they stack against each other. Pogi, for example, he will likely max out his team ASAP, so lets see on who will be left, or add something more to it.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Ofc the Roglic fans are coming to the fore and spewing the usual predictable stuff. But actually, if we look at these numbers, Roglic was actually a lot better than Yates and Almeida!

Please... watch the races, guys.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@Valv.Piti

AFAIK somebody actually posted the numbers. But obviously, when the numbers don't add up to back some agenda, better to move to something more ambiguous. Like look, Rogla seemed to struggle on the last stage, Yates and Almeida didn't. Podium sweep confirmed for UAE!

Yeah. Lets see about that.

 

[SHAD0W93]

@Valv.Piti

AFAIK somebody actually posted the numbers. But obviously, when the numbers don't add up to back some agenda, better to move to something more ambiguous. Like look, Rogla seemed to struggle on the last stage, Yates and Almeida didn't. Podium sweep confirmed for UAE!

Yeah. Lets see about that.

Did Roglic get dropped on the last stage?

And the only one saying UAE will sweep the podium that isn’t in the clinic or in jest is you.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Did Roglic get dropped on the last stage?

Hard to tell when it comes to Rogla. Could be he simply got dropped, or Rogla might already be preserving a minute for the Tour. And lets not forget he won GC in the end.

And the only one saying UAE will sweep the podium that isn’t in the clinic or in jest is you.

In the end that works for me, agreement. As the sentiment in this thread was on how much better Yates and Almeida did. Now if you don't believe in a podium sweep at the Tour, by UAE, then i assume you agree it wasn't that much better after all. We'll see in around 14 days time. Give or take.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Hard to tell when it comes to Rogla. Could be he simply got dropped, or Rogla might already be preserving a minute for the Tour. And lets not forget he won GC in the end.



In the end that works for me, agreement. As the sentiment in this thread was on how much better Yates and Almeida did. Now if you don't believe in a podium sweep at the Tour, by UAE, then i assume you agree it wasn't that much better after all. We'll see in around 14 days time. Give or take.

Yeah Roglic looked like he really enjoyed preserving that minute for the Tour after the stage.

There’s a difference between a one and three week race. One can look better than the other in a one week race and the other can look better in the three week race. Two looked great over 5 stages while the other looked great on two of them.

If you want a topic in the vein you’re searching for, barring crash/injury I think Adam and Almeida will finish higher than Hindley and Vlasov.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@SHAD0W93

When it comes to week long stage races you must agree that in current peloton nobody looks better then Rogla.

If you want a topic in the vein you’re searching for, barring crash/injury I think Adam and Almeida will finish higher than Hindley and Vlasov.

Interesting detail and indeed i am looking forward to this race inside the race too. It will likely be the decisive factor, on who wins the Tour this year. Not the final GC placement of the mentioned cyclists, but on how power play in between the mentioned cyclists will work up the hill. That will likely determine the overall winner of the Tour 2024 edition.

 

[SHAD0W93]

@SHAD0W93

When it comes to week long stage races you must agree that in current peloton nobody looks better then Rogla bar one.