UAE Tour 2020, February 23- February 29

[yaco]

Groves is showing enough speed to indicate he could be around the top guys in two years time - Like how he bumps and jostles for position which shows he has a true sprinters instinct.

 

[RedheadDane]

Movistar has some sponsorship responsibilities in Colombia and therefore the Colombian signings. That Quintana ended up being a great rider was a plus. Movistar did not pay very high their domestiques that's the true reason why some of their best domestiques leave. Amador, Castroviejo, Carapaz (at that point when he signed). Riders leaving because of Quintana's personality is the biggest BS I have heard in a long time. Where do you think they are? in High School?

I believe that Quintana and Movistar relationship was already broken. Especially when they brought Landa to put pressure on him. That was a very poor move. Very poor. Anyway you want o see it. If Quintana flourishes in Arkea you must have to question Movistar a little bit. You have to. Even if Quintana has a hard personality you cannot let that go without a critical eye.

I dunno… appears to me that the fact that the remaining Movistar riders - including the newcomers - seem to get along pretty well, and Quintana seems to get along pretty well with the riders on Arkea, indicates that the issue is not Movistar or Quintana, but just that - in the end - Quintana didn't fit with Movistar. Some times that doesn't mean right or wrong…

 

[Joelsim]

Good win. Groenewegen is still the man to beat in a boulevard sprint.

Gaviria would’ve beaten him with another 10m.

 

[Koronin]

Wow, I wonder if he regrets that or does Ineos just pay so much that it doesn't matter?

When Ineos can pay 4-5 times what others can pay.....

 

[Red Rick]

When Ineos can pay 4-5 times what others can pay.....

Carapaz' value must have skyrocketed after the Giro anyway. From what I understand he was on peanuts at Movistar before and with Movi having Valverde, Quitnana and Landa he might have simply been very eager to move away.

I doubt Ineos now pays Carapaz more than he could make elsewhere.

 

[Koronin]

Movistar has some sponsorship responsibilities in Colombia and therefore the Colombian signings. That Quintana ended up being a great rider was a plus. Movistar did not pay very high their domestiques that's the true reason why some of their best domestiques leave. Amador, Castroviejo, Carapaz (at that point when he signed). Riders leaving because of Quintana's personality is the biggest BS I have heard in a long time. Where do you think they are? in High School?

I believe that Quintana and Movistar relationship was already broken. Especially when they brought Landa to put pressure on him. That was a very poor move. Very poor. Anyway you want o see it. If Quintana flourishes in Arkea you must have to question Movistar a little bit. You have to. Even if Quintana has a hard personality you cannot let that go without a critical eye.

Herrarda brothers left for Cofidis, the Izagirre brothers left for Barhain and now Astana where they are leaders.

Quintana and Movistar management relationship was broken before Landa was brought in. I suspect 2016 is when things started going downhill. During that off season was when Quintana was insisting on racing the Giro/Tour double Movistar let him do it and then after Quintana blames Movistar for forcing him to do that when he wanted to do it in the first place. That's when they signed Landa. From what I've heard Quintana has a difficult personality for other riders to deal with. I still think Quintana never should have re-signed or been re-signed for the final 2 years of the contract and should have gone elsewhere at that point. I think that would have been best for both him and the team.

 

[Koronin]

Carapaz' value must have skyrocketed after the Giro anyway. From what I understand he was on peanuts at Movistar before and with Movi having Valverde, Quitnana and Landa he might have simply been very eager to move away.

I doubt Ineos now pays Carapaz more than he could make elsewhere.

Except he has already signed a contract with Ineos BEFORE the Giro, so what he did at the Giro didn't do anything for his contract.

 

[Red Rick]

Except he has already signed a contract with Ineos BEFORE the Giro, so what he did at the Giro didn't do anything for his contract.

Yeah so that's why it's easily possible Carapaz regrets signing with Ineos. When he signed he was a one time top 5 dude with a single stage win. Figure he's more on Poels money than on Aru money.

 

[Koronin]

Yeah so that's why it's easily possible Carapaz regrets signing with Ineos. When he signed he was a one time top 5 dude with a single stage win. Figure he's more on Poels money than on Aru money.

He likely could have demanded more money if he had waiting to sign.

 

[RedheadDane]

He likely could have demanded more money if he had waiting to sign.

But he didn't. And therein lies the possibility for regret.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Gaviria would’ve beaten him with another 10m.

But there wasn't another 10 metres...

 

[Breezy1985]

Gaviria would’ve beaten him with another 10m.

Well then its Gavirias own fault for not going 10m earlier

 

[Joelsim]

It’s very difficult to say who’s the fastest sprinter out of this talented quintet so far.

It was Ackermann, Ewan and Bennett, then Groenewegen and Gaviria.

I suspect this may happen all year.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Well then its Gavirias own fault for not going 10m earlier

It's also bs what @Joelsim says. Because Groenewegen already took his hands of the handlebar to celebrate with 20m to go. Clearly he wasn't losing this in any way, shape or form

 

[jaylew]

It’s very difficult to say who’s the fastest sprinter out of this talented quintet so far.

It was Ackermann, Ewan and Bennett, then Groenewegen and Gaviria.

I suspect this may happen all year.

Yeah, I think there's a chance one of them could separate himself a bit but it might just come down to positioning and timing with those guys (and Jakobsen) all year.

 

[yaco]

Believe that if you lined them up in a straight 200 metre sprint that Groenewegen has the highest peak speed - But of course there are many variables in a sprint finish.

 

[jaylew]

So, Yates again tomorrow?

 

[Koronin]

So, Yates again tomorrow?

Based on what we've seen so far this season, there isn't anyone in the race that's currently good enough to beat him on that type of climb. Unless the break takes the stage win, which could be possible.

 

[sprints n stones]

Based on what we've seen so far this season, there isn't anyone in the race that's currently good enough to beat him on that type of climb. Unless the break takes the stage win, which could be possible.

Think some of a break could still be in front at the end but not by enough to threaten Yates overall lead.

 

[Koronin]

Think some of a break could still be in front at the end but not by enough to threaten Yates overall lead.

I think it's a definitely possibility, but will depend on who ends up in the break and how much of a lead they have at the start of the climb to get the stage win. Yes not to threaten Yates overall lead.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

What was the thinking again behind doing the mountain twice?

 

[Blanco]

Herrarda brothers left for Cofidis, the Izagirre brothers left for Barhain and now Astana where they are leaders.

Quintana and Movistar management relationship was broken before Landa was brought in. I suspect 2016 is when things started going downhill. During that off season was when Quintana was insisting on racing the Giro/Tour double Movistar let him do it and then after Quintana blames Movistar for forcing him to do that when he wanted to do it in the first place. That's when they signed Landa. From what I've heard Quintana has a difficult personality for other riders to deal with. I still think Quintana never should have re-signed or been re-signed for the final 2 years of the contract and should have gone elsewhere at that point. I think that would have been best for both him and the team.

Yep, problems started after the Tour 2017. Quintana's father criticized Movistar and Unzue publicly, they apparently forced Nairo to do back to back Giro and Tour, although Quintana himself stated multiple times earlier that year that he's keen to do that.
Then next year Landa came aboard. Mistake was either his coming, or Quintana's staying. With both of them in the team, there was a lot of "bad blood". Although I must say Landa's behavior was a little better than Nairo's.

 

[sir fly]

The temperature dropped but the wind picked up in comparison to the previous showdown there.

 

[Squire]

What was the thinking again behind doing the mountain twice?

The first time was a replacement for a hilly stage that had to be cancelled.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

What was the thinking again behind doing the mountain twice?

There are normally two climbs in UAE tour, Jebel Jais and Jebel Hafeet. The other one wasn't accessible due to construction works being done on the roads in the region.