UAE-Team Emirates thread

[Netserk]

The gravel stage will be super interesting. Only Politt and Wellens to support 3 GC riders, and if Ayuso or Almeida has a puncture, I'm not sure anyone waits for them.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Who gets in the

I bet almeida and Ayuso are allowed to see who is second best in the ITT and they get second best protection on the road. Because that second podium spot might come up for grabs and they are each strong enough for it

My money is on Almeida in the TT.

 

[CleanCiclismo]

Ayuso is still young, but he has that American arogance in him which many of their sports stars have due to all the years he spent there. It's the reason why they are so good. He hid himself well in the first few stages but today he only worked when it was necessary. Almeida has all the reasons to be annoyed with him. Especially since he finished 3rd in the end. I hope Joao puts a minute into him in the ITT so that the hierarchy within the team is established. Almeida and Yates know their place, while Ayuso almost seems like he has a free role.

 

[scribers]

I wanna talk about this train today. None of this get someone up the road half baked ideas I had. Just one watts bomb machine after the other until nearly everyone broke besides pogi. Even Ayuso contributed to the train plan. UAE looked every bit as good as any form of this method jumbo produced

 

[Offline]

The gravel stage will be super interesting. Only Politt and Wellens to support 3 GC riders, and if Ayuso or Almeida has a puncture, I'm not sure anyone waits for them.

Politt, Wellens and Soler for Pogacar.

Ayuso and Almeida for themselves

 

[Miha81]

Waiting for the knucklehead of the day award

View: https://youtu.be/ni0HwAr3hXM?si=3rgUrskgtlRkKKTD

 

[Monte Serra]

Adam Yates with a subtle dig at his younger teammate(s): "I needed to do my job early, because some guys weren't in position, but yeah."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1808468710786498798

View: https://x.com/itvcycling/status/1808468710786498798

 

[noob]

Adam Yates with a subtle dig at his younger teammate(s): "I needed to do my job early, because some guys weren't in position, but yeah."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1808468710786498798

View: https://x.com/itvcycling/status/1808468710786498798

Let's hope Adam won't be blamed for speaking out.

 

[skippo12]

Is Politt supposed to take care of Almeida and Ayuso or just losing position at the worst possible time. He was with them when the group split. He was with them in the final.
Or is Pog just doing his own thing because he knows that his team will find a way to end up in a bad position. Feels like more often than not he is sitting on MVPs wheel when the action starts.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Is Politt supposed to take care of Almeida and Ayuso or just losing position at the worst possible time. He was with them when the group split. He was with them in the final.
Or is Pog just doing his own thing because he knows that his team will find a way to end up in a bad position. Feels like more often than not he is stting on MVPs wheel the action starts.

MVDP and Philipsen are his step teammates. Evenepoel is the adopted teammate. Vingegaard and Visma are the cousins no one likes. (In Pogacar’s family). Ineos is the little brother he loves beating up on. Roglic is the older brother he likes playing tricks on.

 

[scribers]

Look for uae to continue to contest the team classification too. I’ll bet the sheik likes it

 

[SHAD0W93]

Look for uae to continue to contest the team classification too. I’ll bet the sheik likes it

No way they don’t win that and was almost a given before the start.

 

[scribers]

I think it’s one reason (perhaps the main reason) we see almeida and Ayuso contesting tomorrow

 

[scribers]

Plus they like their yellow helmets

 

[CyclistAbi]

Let's hope Adam won't be blamed for speaking out.

Too late, Yates will have to pull now.

 

[noob]

Too late, Yates will have to pull now.

I believe he was always prepared to do that.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I believe he was always prepared to do that.

Listening to that interview above, yes, he was, but he hinted (some) others didn't do their part.

 

[Squire]

No way they don’t win that and was almost a given before the start.

Perhaps they can have a go at La Vie Claire's record winning margin of almost two hours from 1986, or Movistar's modern-era one of 57 minutes from 2015.

 

[roundabout]

I am not sure that they will go in breaks in the intermediate stages, so while they are favorites, I would not quite say that winning the team GC is a done deal.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I am not sure that they will go in breaks in the intermediate stages, so while they are favorites, I would not quite say that winning the team GC is a done deal.

Other teams would need two or three riders in the break in order to catch up as UAE will have three riders finishing high on the mountain and TT stages. Only stage they could lose a lot of time is stage 9.

 

[roundabout]

Other teams would need two or three riders in the break in order to catch up as UAE will have three riders finishing high on the mountain and TT stages. Only stage they could lose a lot of time is stage 9.

2 guys in a break getting 10 minutes is 20 minutes. Ineos for example lost 4 minutes over the Galibier. Don't get me wrong, I think UAE are favorites, but it's not over.

 

[Squire]

I am not sure that they will go in breaks in the intermediate stages, so while they are favorites, I would not quite say that winning the team GC is a done deal.

Having Quintana and Valverde be the second and third strongest climber in 2015 was mainly what gave Movistar their 57 minutes winning margin. A third rider, Anacona usually, often finished decently in the mountains as well. They did gain a little bit through a couple of Castroviejo breakaways, but nothing major that Pog, Ayuso and Almeida can't make up for by putting minutes into the top 3 riders from any other team in the many mountain stages this year.

 

[roundabout]

Having Quintana and Valverde be the second and third strongest climber in 2015 was mainly what gave Movistar their 57 minutes winning margin. A third rider, Anacona usually, often finished decently in the mountains as well. They did gain a little bit through a couple of Castroviejo breakaways, but nothing major that Pog, Ayuso and Almeida can't make up for by putting minutes into the top 3 riders from any other team in the many mountain stages this year.

Rodriguez, Bernal and De Plus are an ok trio to keep the gaps close enough from the GC group while the rest in theory can go in breaks.

 

[Squire]

Rodriguez, Bernal and De Plus are an ok trio to keep the gaps close enough from the GC group while the rest in theory can go in breaks.

That is a good point. And Pidcock will definitely try from the breakaway in some mountain stages. Still think UAE wins it by default, basically, but Ineos are indeed a good candidate to keep it somewhat close.

 

[noob]

I don't know if Brunyel talking about his "sources" in teams gives me the best vibes, but apparently Pog was very unhappy about what Ayuso did.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o9vaAX7s_mc


Meanwhile Ayuso publicly complaining about Almeida for the gesture and not just using the radio 😁

I'm starting to believe Ayuso is the one who should move. Almeida quite easily falls in line with Pog and Yates after all. But apparently Matxin has a crush on Ayuso so...