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UAE-Team Emirates thread

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Salvarani

Oct 15, 2017
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The question might be how much work at the front will Ayuso and almeida id they are counted as climbers? They will probably be more interested at clawing into the top 10 than putting GC rivals under any pressure
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Cant see either of them going, if Pog and Yates are going.

Ayuso will just have to wait. He is still very young and after his injuries should try and have a full season with Vuelta as the big target imo.

Almeida has nothing to do at the Tour unless he gives up GC completely, so the better choice for him personally is trying to win the Giro on a route that should suit him. Vine, Ulissi, Soler/Sivakov and McNulty should be a very good support cast. Oliveira. Take your picks from Covi, Baroncini and so on for the last spots.
 
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KZD

KZD

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I am surprised nobody is talking about Wellens, he may not have the best record riding in the heat but he is a better rider than Længen for instance. Together with Bjerg and Politt it would be quite a good rouleur block.

Regarding Ayuso, I hope that he doesn't ride the Vuelta again, I think he has a really shot at the Giro but I also think that he would be a good option for the Tour as the route suits him with the long climbs and the final hilly TT.

McNulty is also a rider that I would like to see back in the Tour again, he was probably the team's best domestique in 2022 and after a season riding the Giro maybe he is willing to come back to the Tour. Majka didn't impress me in 2023 so maybe McNulty takes his place.
 
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Salvarani

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KZD said:
I am surprised nobody is talking about Wellens, he may not have the best record riding in the heat but he is a better rider than Længen for instance. Together with Bjerg and Politt it would be quite a good rouleur squad.

Regarding Ayuso, I hope that he doesn't ride the Vuelta again, I think he has a really shot at the Giro but I also think that he would be a good option for the Tour as the route suits him with the long climbs and the final hilly TT.

McNulty is also a rider that I would like to see back in the Tour again, he was probably the team's best domestique in 2022 and after a season riding the Giro maybe he is willing to come back to the Tour. Majka didn't impress me in 2023 so maybe McNulty takes his place.
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I have never seen Wellens do the type of work Laengen usually does in a GT. I would say Laengen is more reliable. He has done it for many consecutive Tours. If anything he is underrated.

Last time Wellens finished a GT was in 2020, btw.

I can see Ayuso doing Giro, but the question is if they can make it work in the team. I think two GTs is too early for him.

Best schedule is the same as last year for the likes of Ayuso and Almeida imo.

I think the Giro suits McNulty way better and dont see him being picked over others for the Tour, but he is one of the riders for the last spot. Soler, Sivakov, Hirschi, McNulty.... there are a few who can take that last spot.

Majka was great this season. Better than in the previous seasons.
 
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Froome

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They will go with pog, ayuso and almeida. They will try a new strategy to beat Vingegaard. They will try to use the numbers to attack everywhere with the three (specially ayuso and almeida attacking first and then pogacar) to try to isolate and break Vingegaard.

I don't think that strategy is gonna work, because Vingegaard has by his side specially kuss.
 
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KZD

KZD

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Salvarani said:
I have never seen Wellens do the type of work Laengen usually does in a GT. I would say Laengen is more reliable. He has done it for many consecutive Tours. If anything he is underrated.

Last time Wellens finished a GT was in 2020, btw.

I can see Ayuso doing Giro, but the question is if they can make it work in the team. I think two GTs is too early for him.

Best schedule is the same as last year for the likes of Ayuso and Almeida imo.

I think the Giro suits McNulty way better and dont see him being picked over others for the Tour, but he is one of the riders for the last spot. Soler, Sivakov, Hirschi, McNulty.... there are a few who can take that last spot.

Majka was great this season. Better than in the previous seasons.
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I agree that Giro and Vuelta is the best GT schedule for Almeida but strongly dislike the idea of Ayuso doing the Vuelta next tear. It would be his third straight season only riding the same Grand Tour which happens to be the last one of the season so if something unexpected happens there his season will always be kind of a disappointment.

Ayuso is probably the second biggest Grand Tour talent on UAE so I hope that they send him either to the Giro or to the Tour. If he does the Giro he will be one the biggest favourites there (as will Almeida or Yates) and if he does the Tour, he would be a strong co-leader in the Tour and I believe he has a bigger chance of hurting Jumbo than any of the other two due to his ability on the high mountains and hilly TTs.

As for Wellens, he could be useful in the hilly stages but although he probably won't be selected, I expect Pollitt to be Laengen's replacement in UAE's Tour squad and apart from Bjerg the rest should be quite climbing focused.
 
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Salvarani

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KZD said:
I agree that Giro and Vuelta is the best GT schedule for Almeida but strongly dislike the idea of Ayuso doing the Vuelta next tear. It would be his third straight season only riding the same Grand Tour which happens to be the last one of the season so if something unexpected happens there his season will always be kind of a disappointment.

Ayuso is probably the second biggest Grand Tour talent on UAE so I hope that they send him either to the Giro or to the Tour. If he does the Giro he will be one the biggest favourites there (as will Almeida or Yates) and if he does the Tour, he would be a strong co-leader in the Tour and I believe he has a bigger chance of hurting Jumbo than any of the other two due to his ability on the high mountains and hilly TTs.

As for Wellens, he could be useful in the hilly stages but although he probably won't be selected, I expect Pollitt to be Laengen's replacement in UAE's Tour squad and apart from Bjerg the rest should be quite climbing focused.
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As said, I can see Ayuso going Giro. But the question is if he will then also do the Vuelta. I think one GT is enough at this stage of his career. Given his injury history and his age.

Wellens... is really past his best. Hasnt finished a GT in three years. He has no business in the Tour anymore and no history of being a good domestic rider.

I think Politt is Trentins replacement, not Laengen.

I think Laengen, Bjerg and Politt will be in the team. Bjerg and Politt are more versatile and can survive fast starts, protect Pog. Make it over some climbs as well. Both have the engines.

Laengen will work on the flat days.

Yates, Majka, x rider and Grosschartner I think will be it.

X rider has many candidates. We will see.
 
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Rob5091

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I think Politt is Trentins replacement
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Yeah, I'd second that. Need a good man for the gravel stage and a helping hand on the flat. How UAE sort out the conundrum of who to pick amongst Yates, Ayuso and Almeida for the Tour is going to be a interesting. Maybe Yates will want to be team leader at the Giro, but it might come down to form and injury, I suppose.
 
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Salvarani

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Rob5091 said:
Yeah, I'd second that. Need a good man for the gravel stage and a helping hand on the flat. How UAE sort out the conundrum of who to pick amongst Yates, Ayuso and Almeida for the Tour is going to be a interesting. Maybe Yates will want to be team leader at the Giro, but it might come down to form and injury, I suppose.
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Given Yates season and how he performed in the Tour... I think he should be nailed on.

If I am Pog, I would want Yates with me again and not Ayuso or Almeida.
 
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hayneplane

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Salvarani said:
Given Yates season and how he performed in the Tour... I think he should be nailed on.

If I am Pog, I would want Yates with me again and not Ayuso or Almeida.
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That would make sense as he would feel Yates is going to be more loyal thanks to a) Yates getting his podium last year and understanding that is as good as it gets for him and b) Yates will be grateful for the radio message from Pogacar last year telling him to go ride for 3rd and do his own thing.
 
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Abdulla Alhammadi (UAE)
Mohammad Almutaiwei (UAE)
Owen Cole (USA)
Luca Giaimi (Italy)
Gal Glivar (Slovenia)
Johnatan Guatibonza (Colombia)
Abdulla Jasim (UAE)
Duarte Marivoet (Belgium)
Anze Ravbar (Slovenia)
Gibbe Staes (Belgium)
Pablo Torres (Spain)

Not the strongest devo team. But wouldn't be surprised to see Arrieta, Del Toro, Morgado and Christen to ride a few 1.2 / 2.2 races with them.

Anze Ravbar only one that stands out for me. I see him being good in both hilly and cobbled classics in the future.
Marivoet and Giaimi have good TT's
Don't really know the rest.
 
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Jakob747

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Jonathan Guatibonza is a good addition as well. 19-year-old Colombian sprinter with five victories to his name this season.

Gauti is from Paipa (Boyacá), just like the Molano brothers and I have seen footage of him going toe to toe with Sebastian in training, so I would not be surprised if he recommended him to UAE as a prospect to follow. Although Matxin, with his huge knowledge and network probably knew of him already.

In the U17 and junior ranks Guatibonza normally won easy whenever the race finished in a mass-sprint. He is also one of the few Colombians who managed to win abroad as a junior (Gran Premio DMT) OK not the most prestigious of races but still.

Besides already in 2020, Jair Bernal who had Gauti under his wings at (Ingeniería de Vías) proclaimed he potentially could become the fastest sprinter in Colombia domestically. A feat now pretty much accomplished.

Gianni Savio is also high on him btw. To 'La Opinión de Cúcuta' he said Guatibonza is one of the few Colombians with International projection at the moment.


https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1003604236698375
 
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