UAE-Team Emirates thread

[mou]

this would be my team for the giro and the tour: Bjerg, Pollit, Wellens, Morgado, Majka, Del Toro, Ayuso, Pogačar, replacement - Yates for the hill, Domen Novak for the domestic because Pogačar likes him

 

[joseph89]

“Without Pogacar, UAE hangs together like loose sand” - Nathan Van Hooydonck

I'm just leave this here and say nothing.

 

[Netserk]

I'm just leave this here and say nothing.

The problem today was mostly legs. Why should they kill the team to deliver bonus seconds to their rivals?

Several riders on the team have been ill, today Soler abandoned.

 

[joseph89]

The problem today was mostly legs. Why should they kill the team to deliver bonus seconds to their rivals?

Several riders on the team have been ill, today Soler abandoned.

Making excuses for the wannabes 😅 could never be pog

 

[Elos Anjos]

“Without Pogacar, UAE hangs together like loose sand” - Nathan Van Hooydonck

Although a poignant statement, NVH should have kept his mouth shut. It can in fact lead UAE to change his ways. A truth coming from a rival can be more effective than from a fellow rider.

 

[Rob5091]

Although a poignant statement, NVH should have kept his mouth shut. It can in fact lead UAE to change his ways. A truth coming from a rival can be more effective than from a fellow rider.

When a rider has an -ism named after him, and the others have made "interesting" comments, then I don't expect one comment will change much.

 

[Unchained]

I'm just leave this here and say nothing.

2 big races that could have been ok, but team directors enjoy loooose sand, like they were going after it!!

 

[SafeBet]

I can't quite figure out what the DS is supposed to do when his riders are very clearly weaker than most other contenders.
There was no strategy to win the UAE Tour after Yates crashed.
And there's no strategy to win Paris - Nice unless both McNulty and Almeida have golden legs on Sunday (unlikely given their performances yesterday).

 

[Squire]

I can't quite figure out what the DS is supposed to do when his riders are very clearly weaker than most other contenders.
There was no strategy to win the UAE Tour after Yates crashed.
And there's no strategy to win Paris - Nice unless both McNulty and Almeida have golden legs on Sunday (unlikely given their performances yesterday).

Agree. Teams get way too much stick on this forum for not magically doing better than what the legs of their riders are capable of.

 

[search]

After yesterday's stage of Paris-Nice, Pascal Ackermann said that he'd be lucky to have such a fast bike now. Way better than the last couple of years.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUQRd_yGl8I

 

[Offline]

I can't quite figure out what the DS is supposed to do when his riders are very clearly weaker than most other contenders.
There was no strategy to win the UAE Tour after Yates crashed.
And there's no strategy to win Paris - Nice unless both McNulty and Almeida have golden legs on Sunday (unlikely given their performances yesterday).

Agree, I said something similar in the Paris-Nice thread.

 

[Offline]

After yesterday's stage of Paris-Nice, Pascal Ackermann said that he'd be lucky to have such a fast bike now. Way better than the last couple of years.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUQRd_yGl8I

Kristoff said the same when he left. He also said the bike was great for climbers but not sprinters.

Colnago has been taking major steps over the past years. Going from being a disadvantage for Pogacar to becoming an advantage and especially on their new TT model.

 

[SafeBet]

And there's no strategy to win Paris - Nice unless both McNulty and Almeida have golden legs on Sunday (unlikely given their performances yesterday).

Or maybe there is

 

[Netserk]

Or maybe there is

It's looking really good now, but I expect McNulty to fare poorly on Sunday.

 

[pastronef]

It's looking really good now, but I expect McNulty to fare poorly on Sunday.

yes that's my fear. Sunday's stage could be hell
and I expect Jorgenson to go all-in to get yellow tomorrow. but tomorrow is easy. Sunday with the bad weather and 286379 bends and corners will be mayhem

 

[Ripper]

yes that's my fear. Sunday's stage could be hell
and I expect Jorgenson to go all-in to get yellow tomorrow. but tomorrow is easy. Sunday with the bad weather and 286379 bends and corners will be mayhem

It'll be rough! Doesn't Jorgenson also have a tough time keeping the rubber side down?

 

[Unchained]

Pollit needs to be genetically tested for confirmation of human being!! The guy is a monster.. Giga watts!!

 

[Landeirovic]

Pollit needs to be genetically tested for confirmation of human being!! The guy is a monster.. Giga watts!!

politt and Bjerg (15th in Tirreno and UAE tour!) really surprised me. I think they will be extremely strong in the upcoming classics

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

As an Almeida fan: hope he feels better in Catalunya. Not sure the Ardense classics would be his cup of tea, but maybe I'm in for a surprise.

Pleased to see Ayuso, Del Toro, McNulty and others doing so well. Also looking forward very much to the upcoming classics; this is the best time of the year for me!

 

[Unchained]

Team put a new video on YouTube, @5-6 minutes, you come away after watching that they have a cool vibe going on.

 

[joseph89]

Team put a new video on YouTube, @5-6 minutes, you come away after watching that they have a cool vibe going on.

Majka's reaction to del toro tells me all i need to know about the pending issues between him and ayuso

 

[Unchained]

Majka's reaction to del toro tells me all i need to know about the pending issues between him and ayuso

If you see Del Toro on Facebook and other media, he is well behind Ayuso, and Juan's comments about where he is in reference to Vindegaard are great in my opinion, everyone knows that you have to pay your dues, and ego is probably in check when you are training w Pogocar, Isaac looks like a kid that always wanted to go to school and his wish came true. Ego may come but for now it's in check

 

[joseph89]

If you see Del Toro on Facebook and other media, he is well behind Ayuso, and Juan's comments about where he is in reference to Vindegaard are great in my opinion, everyone knows that you have to pay your dues, and ego is probably in check when you are training w Pogocar, Isaac looks like a kid that always wanted to go to school and his wish came true. Ego may come but for now it's in check

It's not Del Toro I'm worried about but Ayuso.

 

[Unchained]

It's not Del Toro I'm worried about but Ayuso.

I get it, ambition is good depending on the degree. I am super impressed as a team that they have young climbing talent, guys who can chase when in trouble and for the most part time trial ability team wide is excellent.
The year will tighten up for sure, and I am an obvious fan boy of Del Toro but I think TDF is too much too soon.. and for long stuff like Milan San Remo is maybe in the future but not now..and he was right for Strada Bianchi but bad result..
Personally I see Pogocar as the fly in the ointment, he is young, flying,versatile and hungry and if anyone within the team has eyes on dethroning him good luck with that.. Ayuso ,Del Toro or anyone else..

 

[Rob5091]

Echoing Van Hooydonck's comment -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...uae-team-emirates-team-dynamics-at-paris-nice

Despite achieving two strong results last week, Dutch commentator and journalist Jan Hermsen gave a brutal assessment of the team, with him being particularly critical of their performance at Paris-Nice. On Eurosport’s Kop over Kop podcast, Hermsen said “it is a team of nothing without Tadej Pogačar. They just don’t have a plan. They figure it out halfway through”.