UAE Tour 2022, February 20 - February 26

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Giro to start bringing back the tempo grinders. Etna from its easiest side, San Martino di Castrozza, Sestriere (sans Finestre), Montevergine di Mercogliano and Costalunga to be the only decisive climbs of the race! Helicopter placement of the Moser kind!
A throwback to the dark ages, aka the Moser-Saronni era.
BTW, Ganna would totally boss a Pinerolo-Sestriere ITT.
 
Too bad that Poga .'s competitors showed so little initiative and appetite for attack. Only Hirt did. That way it's impossible to win. Yates and Vlasov preferred not to work together when they were ahead of Poga. So I assume that they would rather see each other lose than put pressure on Pogacar together.
 
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The race unfolded more or less like I expected: a finish from a group of strong riders and Pogi's victory. Congrats on his first win of the season!
Saturday's stage will be more selective so the race is not over yet: especially Yates and Vlasov can be dangerous to Pog and we will see how he reacts.
Great effort by Filippo the "tank engine"! Steady gradient also helped him substantially. Actually I expected Dumoulin there instead.
And last but not least: a motorway to the highest mountain of the country (with precipice on the other side). No need to spare asphalt with all these petro$$$. In Spain they would pave a short and narrow shepherds' road with 10%+ average grade.
 
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The fact that Ganna could hang on, and come back a few times, says something about the fact that the GC-contenders and climbers didn't go all the way.
Ganna even rode the fastest last two hundred meters of them all.
But just as well I am convinced that Poga could have riden away for 20 seconds, if attacking in the last 2 K. But with such cowardly opponents this was not necessary (and I don't mean here Ganna).
 
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I think Yates/Vlasov were perhaps waiting until Saturday, not much chance of either dropping Pogacar with 3 teammates on such shallow gradients. It felt like last years race, with Yates constantly attacking and being pipped at the line was still on the mind. They will need to attack him in tandem on the more difficult Hafeet a few K from the finish to have any sort of a chance but it's hard to see.
 
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Vlasov confirms his good form. Also Hindley with a good race today.. With Higuita also in good form, Bora did very well on the transfer market this year. There had been a lot of criticism (also in this forum) for their strategy. They show us, that we were wrong..
Exactly, I was always telling they knew what they were doing.

Higuita and Vlasov are two riders who I think can blossom in a team like BORA.
 
Do you really think that Yates will or can ride on the more difficult climb saturday ? Because that climb is of course also suitable for Poga, even more than for Yates. Someone like Yates has to attack when not expected, on a slightly less arduous climb, so he can ride off with others. Others who just can't handle that on a steep climb. Yates will have to do it alone on Saturday, and then he immediately gets Poga in the wheel. So his chance is gone.