UAE Tour 2022, February 20 - February 26

[Eeslliw]

Pog impressive without being in top form.

Who said he wasn't in top form? He himself said he had perfect preparation other than couple of days of the bike because of covid.

 

[Netserk]

Bilbao overtakes both Almeida and Vlasov in GC.

 

[JosefK]

Nice start to the season for Tadej. Yates looking sharp, too. Fun stage! (though it did seem curiously familiar)

 

[Salvarani]

Who said he wasn't in top form? He himself said he had perfect preparation other than couple of days of the bike because of covid.

You got it.

 

[KZD]

Vlasov disappointing, Almeida looking better, Plapp impressive, Bilbao great, Yates made Pogačar suffer but in the end the Slovenian stamped his authority once more.

 

[yaco]

Reckon Yates made Pogacar suffer more last year on this climb - Still a good effort by both riders.

 

[Netserk]

Pogi is almost matching the win rate of Sagan, but it will be very difficult to get to 100 earlier than he did.

He's got the hunger for it though.

 

[dusty red roads]

Hate the trains - prefer it when the strongest riders have to battle it out without so much support!

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Plapp was super good. He climbs super well, I never expected this. How is that even possible? Curious to see how good he‘ll get in the future. Super ITT, super climber, maybe he can become a world class GC rider.

Pogacar saved UAE Tour for his team. Ackermann without stage win…

Imagine Gianetti being furious, if there had been no Pogacar this week. Then Gianetti would have yelled at Ackermann: „You sn of a btch endanger my UAE Team and our UAE Tour!“…

 

[noob]

If I understood Tadej interview the plan A was for Almeida to win the stage but he couldn't. so Tadej had to do it himself again?

 

[Valv.Piti]

every year the most boring race on the calendar

Yeah agree, the MTFs are almost always incredibly uninspiring, and for the rest of the race... yeah, not really that much point watching.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah agree, the MTFs are almost always incredibly uninspiring, and for the rest of the race... yeah, not really that much point watching.

Wish it would switch places with Oman.

But then $$$$

 

[CyclistAbi]

Nice win by Pogačar. Congratulations. His GC win was secured through the whole race.

As for some details. I would say that Yates is getting closer each year and i am impressed by that. I still feel that UAE will pay the price on the Tour for not taking Almeida.

 

[noob]

Nice win by Pogačar. Congratulations. His GC win was secured through the whole race.

As for some details. I would say that Yates is getting closer each year and i am impressed by that. I still feel that UAE will pay the price on the Tour for not taking Almeida.

They cannot take a price for something that would never happen. Almeida would never have been in UAE if he wasn't allowed GT leadership. He was offered more money elsewhere.

 

[CyclistAbi]

They cannot take a price for something that would never happen. Almeida would never have been in UAE if he wasn't allowed GT leadership. He was offered more money elsewhere.

I don't believe Jorge Mendes would sign a deal for less money.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@BlueRoads

Note that this is what a bunch of old men at the end of their life span from east and west are after. We were able to coexist yesterday but today we should kill each other. To satisfy their sinister interests. As Slovenian i can understand that. As we where killing each others too. Not that long ago.

Come back and don't let them win. The world needs good people ATM.

 

[noob]

I don't believe Jorge Mendes would sign a deal for less money.

He picked UAE for being promised GT leadership. I'm guessing the other team that offered more might have been Ineos. But that's just my guess.

 

[SafeBet]

As for some details. I would say that Yates is getting closer each year and i am impressed by that.

Yates destroyed Pogi here in 2020.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@SafeBet

Fair point. If i remember correctly Pogačar won on Jebel Hafeet in 2020. Still i somehow measure the progress from the point when Pogačar step in the middle of the ring. On UAE 2022 hence i would say Pogačar was better but Yates wasn't light years away. Yates couldn't drop Pogačar but could cope. That is in my opinion progress regarding last year.

 

[KZD]

Plapp was super good. He climbs super well, I never expected this. How is that even possible? Curious to see how good he‘ll get in the future. Super ITT, super climber, maybe he can become a world class GC rider.

Pogacar saved UAE Tour for his team. Ackermann without stage win…

Imagine Gianetti being furious, if there had been no Pogacar this week. Then Gianetti would have yelled at Ackermann: „You sn of a btch endanger my UAE Team and our UAE Tour!“…

With two stage wins and the overall, I would say that he did more than to save the UAE Tour

 

[topt]

Who says anyone is holding it against a Czech guy or Russian cyclists? I for sure am not holding it against those guys.But I still do not like to see them winning in a shirt that is almost provided to them by Russian government funds.

did you have any problems with US postal ?

 

[topt]

Because cycling sponsorship is a way to promote brands, countries or regimes and to spread their image through the world.

Gazprom is not just one russian company in an ocean of millions of others, is a company owned by more than 50% by the russian state and with strong ties to the russian regime and leader. Their CEO is vice-minister russian for energy and several executives from the company (and the company itself) are on the lists of sanctions being known.

A company can't do business relations because of sanctions but can have an active media presence in the top tiers of world sports whitewashing the actions of their owners?

this has been done for years, what has changed now

 

[SafeBet]

@SafeBet

Fair point. If i remember correctly Pogačar won on Jebel Hafeet in 2020.

They had two stages on Jebel Hafeet in 2020. The first was dominated by Yates (and gave birth to the Pog can't cope with heat narrative), the second was won by Pogacar in a 3 man sprint with Yates controlling because he had the jersey.
Overall I'd say Yates has been on the same level the past 3 years in UAE, Pogacar has improved or has simply become more consistent.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@SafeBet

You therefore don't feel Yates performed a bit worse at UAE Tour 2021 compared to the 2022 edition?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

As expected, Yates was the only one attacking Pogacar, who held the wheel and did his job in the last 300 meters. Congrats on another stage victory (3rd at this mountain, just rename it to Jebel Pogacar) and taking the whole race. UAE very strong as a team, Majka was really flying as Pogi said before.

@SafeBet

You therefore don't feel Yates performed a bit worse at UAE Tour 2021 compared to the 2022 edition?

I think the level last year was higher. Yates and Pog distanced the field significantly here reaching very high w/kg numbers - and Yates was incredibly impressive leading the pair almost all the time. Then again, today's soaring temperatures may have had an effect on performance as well.