UAE Tour 2022, February 20 - February 26

[Lequack]

Let's be real. Ewan isn't riding out of protest against the exclusion of Hatta Dam

And he's right. That stage finish was a must.

 

[hayneplane]

Pretty awesome that probably the three best one week stage racers have won the last three editions here. This looks like another Pogacar vs Yates showdown with Vlasov thrown into the mix. Of course it would be a big surprise if Pogacar didn't win.

Agree with this. I see that as the 1/2/3 in the order you mentioned them with Almeida next best and 4th on GC depending how much he has to dom for Pogacar.

 

[Red Rick]

Anyone curious if Ganna is gonna try on Jebel Jais?

GC field looks weaker than I expected.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

sad there’s no Ewan. it’s even possible that the Tour de France will end up with a stronger sprint field than the UAE Tour for the first time in years

 

[Samamba]

Well, if chances were slim of him not winning a 9k ITT before, then now they basically could just hand him the trophy before getting on the bike.


Are you asking if Van Wilder is riding UAE tour (yes, he is), or if he's riding it because the course suits him (which i don't know, but imagine it could have something to do with)?

I was asking if he was riding, I completely missed him on the startlist for some reason.

Anyone curious if Ganna is gonna try on Jebel Jais?

GC field looks weaker than I expected.

UAE GC field is always a bit meeh.


Jebel Jais should be doable for him, but Jebel Hafeet is probably too hard.
Doubt he'll try with Yates being one of the favorites.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

UAE GC field is always a bit meeh.

Startlist is still incomplete, yet we have:

Pogacar
Almeida
Yates
Dumoulin
Vlasov
Bardet
Haig

Hindley
Konrad
Majka
Bennett
Arensman
Van wilder
Paret Peintre
Vanhoucke
Leknessund

Giro or Vuelta would kill for such a lineup.

 

[Samamba]

Startlist is still incomplete, yet we have:

Pogacar
Almeida
Yates
Dumoulin
Vlasov
Bardet
Haig

Hindley
Konrad
Majka
Bennett
Arensman
Van wilder
Paret Peintre
Vanhoucke
Leknessund

Giro or Vuelta would kill for such a lineup.

Half of them wouldn't go for a GC in a GT.

You have Pogacar, Yates and Vlasov as top tier GC. I would count Almeida if he wasn't in the same team as Pogacar.
Bardet and Dumoulin are a questionmark to me and Haig is riding Andalucia I think? so no UAE for him?

I'm not saying it's a bad lineup, just not good either.

 

[Bonimenier]

Predicting a bis number from Chris Harper on Jebel Jais

 

[Samamba]

Might be important to note that it's actually gonna be 30 degrees there next week. Might hurt some of the GC riders more this early in the season.

 

[RedheadDane]

Predicting a bis number from Chris Harper on Jebel Jais

If that happens, I'll make a "Real Chris Harper" thread.

Bardet and Dumoulin are a questionmark to me and Haig is riding Andalucia I think? so no UAE for him?

He is. Of course, PCS still has him on the preliminary startlist for UAE, even though he's been confirmed for Andalucia. They're weird like that.

 

[Blanco]

Startlist is still incomplete, yet we have:

Pogacar
Almeida
Yates
Dumoulin
Vlasov
Bardet
Haig

Hindley
Konrad
Majka
Bennett
Arensman
Van wilder
Paret Peintre
Vanhoucke
Leknessund

Giro or Vuelta would kill for such a lineup.

Are you sure you watched Vuelta last couple of years?

Roglic
Vlasov
Landa
Haig
Carthy
Bernal
Carapaz
A.Yates
Mas
Lopez
Valverde
Bardet
Ciccone
Majka

That's almost a Tour quality of GC riders!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Are you sure you watched Vuelta last couple of years?

Roglic
Vlasov
Landa
Haig
Carthy
Bernal
Carapaz
A.Yates
Mas
Lopez
Valverde
Bardet
Ciccone
Majka

That's almost a Tour quality of GC riders!

Which couple of years would that be? You mean just last year, don't you, you cheeky rascal.

 

[greyclouds]

Are you sure you watched Vuelta last couple of years?

Roglic
Vlasov
Landa
Haig
Carthy
Bernal
Carapaz
A.Yates
Mas
Lopez
Valverde
Bardet
Ciccone
Majka

That's almost a Tour quality of GC riders!

Half of them go there just for the sunny warm weather. No wonder the Vuelta has been going by more and more beach towns.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

In 2019, Valverde, Quintana, Lopez,Uran,Roglic,Pogacar,Maijka,Kelderman, and others started. That’s a pretty solid start list.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

In 2019, Valverde, Quintana, Lopez,Uran,Roglic,Pogacar,Maijka,Kelderman, and others started. That’s a pretty solid start list.

In 2019 Pogacar was an unproven rider, now he is the winner of the two last TDF. In 2019 Quintana was a washed up shadow of a GC rider. In 2019 Kelderman's previous GT record was 2 top 10's in a GT, no podiums. Even in 2019, Valverde was 85.

 

[Blanco]

Which couple of years would that be? You mean just last year, don't you, you cheeky rascal.

2020 - Roglic, Dumoulin, Carapaz, Chaves, Pinot, Carthy, Valverde, Mas, D.Martin, Poels
2019 - Valverde, Quintana, Lopez, Fuglsang, Majka, Uran, Chaves, Roglic, Pogacar, Kelderman
2018 - Nibali, Lopez, Porte, Buchmann, Pinot, S.Yates, Quintana, Valverde, Mas, Uran, Zakarin
2017 - Contador, Froome, Van Garderen, Chaves, Majka, Bardet, Zakarin, Kruijswijk, Nibali
2016 - Valverde, Quintana, Contador, Froome, Chaves, Van Garderen, Kruijswijk, Lopez

And so on...

But I don't know if they could cope with Van Wilder, Arensman, Leknessund, Vanhoucke and Paret Peintre..

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Joke post? Joke post.

 

[Blanco]

In 2019 Pogacar was an unproven rider, now he is the winner of the two last TDF. In 2019 Quintana was a washed up shadow of a GC rider. In 2019 Kelderman's previous GT record was 2 top 10's in a GT, no podiums. Even in 2019, Valverde was 85.

2019 Vuelta had the strongest field of all GT's that year.
Pogacar was unproven, but no doubt very strong. He was 3rd overall and won 3 stages, and 9 months later won the biggest race in the world.
Quintana, well you saw couple of days ago how washed up he is.
Valverde 85 years-old beat next TDF winner, and Valverde 88 years old is still capable of dropping young Remco with a flat tyre.

 

[SafeBet]

Van Wilder is out due to COVID.

 

[Bonimenier]

2019 Vuelta had the strongest field of all GT's that year.
Pogacar was unproven, but no doubt very strong. He was 3rd overall and won 3 stages, and 9 months later won the biggest race in the world.
Quintana, well you saw couple of days ago how washed up he is.
Valverde 85 years-old beat next TDF winner, and Valverde 88 years old is still capable of dropping young Remco with a flat tyre.

TGH was at least as strong in the Vuelta of 2019 as he was in the Giro of 2020 and he finished on more than an hour!

 

[Kazistuta]

Van Wilder is out due to COVID.

With all those steppers affected, I'm just waiting for the notice:

COVID is out due to Remco

 

[Nirvana]

Apparently, he had been a little sick and didn't want to go back with a 7-day race. And now he also gets to do Kuurne. But yeah, it still sounds weird given that the French race takes place before this one.

Winning Kuurne gives 200 points whereas a stage of UAE Tour 40 (the same as finishing 9th in Kuurne)...

 

[Nirvana]

Anyone curious if Ganna is gonna try on Jebel Jais?

GC field looks weaker than I expected.

IMHO depends on the first two stages, if he's going to loose time to work for Viviani I doubt, unless they want to do further tests. On Montagne de Lure for sure was better than expected for his actual weight and Jebel Jais could be better since it's shallower.

Edit: If there is wind would be better see him create havoc with echelons.

 

[Landeirovic]

Gaviria covid 3e x. Ackermann go

 

[RedheadDane]

Gaviria covid 3e x.

That guy just got *** luck!