Tour of the Alps 2022 (April 18-22)

[Pinot's goat]

Bilbao's best ride of that 2020 Giro came on the Stelvio stage, the hardest mountain stage of the past few years. He also finished third on Jebel Hafeet this year. He's better on long climbs than he gets credit for, not GT winning level but he absolutely can challenge for the podium if he hasn't peaked for Itzulia and this race rather than the Giro.

His best rider in GTs of all time is getting comfortably dropped by Hindley, TGH and Dennis.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

His best rider in GTs of all time is getting comfortably dropped by Hindley, TGH and Dennis.

Negative, his best ride in GTs of all time was winning the final mountain stage of the 2019 Giro from the peloton.

The climbing times in the 2020 Giro also weren't exactly slow. Whatever else is true about the field, both TGH and Hindley were also on their best-ever form. Not many people would have dropped them that day, certainly not on the Stelvio.

 

[tobydawq]

His best rider in GTs of all time is getting comfortably dropped by Hindley, TGH and Dennis.

You don't think they were putting in a noteworthy performance?

 

[gregrowlerson]

You don't think they were putting in a noteworthy performance?

Nobody here does. They're all Anglo-Saxon.

 

[Pinot's goat]

You don't think they were putting in a noteworthy performance?

They were noteworthy but Bilbao was miles behind on the climb.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Bilbao's best ride of that 2020 Giro came on the Stelvio stage, the hardest mountain stage of the past few years. He also finished third on Jebel Hafeet this year. He's better on longer climbs than he gets credit for, not GT winning level but he absolutely can challenge for the podium if he hasn't peaked for Itzulia and this race rather than the Giro.

I mean the Stelvio stage was mostly about pacing himself on the Stelvio and having more left in the tank on the final climb than those who went too hard earlier, but you're right, that was his best performance.

 

[Eclipse]

A Giro podium is a stretch for Bilbao but hardly out of the question. I think what you see with him now is that he's a bit more confident to lean into his strengths and there will be some opportunities to gamble.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

A bit more than 3 minutes lead for a strong break and no real GC threats. Can break go all the way?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Why are you guys remembering me about the Giro 2020?...

 

[roundabout]

Negative, his best ride in GTs of all time was winning the final mountain stage of the 2019 Giro from the peloton.

The climbing times in the 2020 Giro also weren't exactly slow. Whatever else is true about the field, both TGH and Hindley were also on their best-ever form. Not many people would have dropped them that day, certainly not on the Stelvio.

Bilbao won the stage to Monte Avena from the break

Ticker here (in Italian, but it's not that important)

Carapaz resiste a Nibali, Bilbao vince 20^ tappa

Leggi su Sky Sport l'articolo Giro, 20^ tappa: a Monte Avena vince Pello Bilbao, maglia rosa a Carapaz. Classifica

sport.sky.it

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Bilbao won the stage to Monte Avena from the break

Ticker here (in Italian, but it's not that important)

Carapaz resiste a Nibali, Bilbao vince 20^ tappa

Leggi su Sky Sport l'articolo Giro, 20^ tappa: a Monte Avena vince Pello Bilbao, maglia rosa a Carapaz. Classifica

sport.sky.it

... and what was left of the break got caught halfway up the final climb, then Landa proceeded to drop everyone bar Bilbao in the final kilometre. Point being that he beat the best riders in the race mano a mano to win the stage.

 

[Mayomaniac]

The road that they are now on is one that you never ride on your rides as a recreational rider like myself. Too much traffic and too many tunnels, it's too much stress and too dangerous. The climbs on the eastern and the western side of this part of the Val Badia are a much better alternative.

 

[perico]

Lopez at almost 14 minutes. This guy is a true enigma!!!
One minute he is attacking and at the front, the next minute he arrives with the gruppetto.

Oh dear!

He’s been awful all year, so we’ll blame it on Movistar (sarcasm implied).

 

[Mayomaniac]

The final 3kms of the Furcia are hard, the following descent is nothing special and not too technical (I hate that side of Furcia as a climb, really exposed to the sun and irregular, I never have an easy time climbing it).
Also, someone should tell Blythe to shut up!

 

[Ricco']

Time flies, it's already 12 years since the last time we've been on Kronplatz.

So many times I did the MTT of this climb as a standalone stage on PCM.

 

[Eclipse]

Big splits now. Gorgeous spring climbing

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Tesfatsion hypetrain in full force.

Edit: and then he dropped the moment I posted this.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Superenigman Lopez attacks.

 

[Mayomaniac]

MAL is such a strange rider.

 

[Mayomaniac]

How did TT manage to crash on such an easy corner?

 

[Netserk]

How did TT manage to crash on such an easy corner?

Too much speed, it seems. Not exactly the widest road either.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Still 2-3 hairpins to go

 

[Mayomaniac]

Too much speed, it seems. Not exactly the widest road either.

By out standards it's actually not a narrow road, we've got much worse.
That said, gravel on the asphalt can be a problem on this kind of roads during the spring (they are open all winter).

 

[Eclipse]

Amador flying <3

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Second all-African one-two of the year is still possible.

Would also be the first all-Eritrean one in a non-African race.