UAE Tour 2022, February 20 - February 26

[BlueRoads]

Even a superhuman performance wasn't enough for Ganna to stay ahead of Pogacar on GC.

Ganna is from Mars, but Pogacar is from Mercury... or something like that.

 

[Mayomaniac]

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.

 

[limak_]

Is he in yellow?

Neither in yellow nor in red.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Ganna is from Mars, but Pogacar is from Mercury... or something like that.

Pluto. Pogacar arrived on Earth to avenge us declassifying Pluto as a planet.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Ganna is a beast!

First race of the season so far from me. I forgot how cycling looked like.. Weekend cant come soon enough now.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Kirby has still failed to realise the gap was behind Yates and Vlasov rather than ahead of Ganna...

 

[Mayomaniac]

Ganna is a beast!

First race of the season so far from me. I forgot how cycling looked like.. Weekend cant come soon enough now.

Good thing that he put one some extra weight for Roubaix...

 

[Netserk]

weird finale

How so? UAE tried to make it as selective as possible with limited depth, without exposing Pogi too much and still securing power for the sprint.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Plapp was really strong today, impressive ride by him.

 

[Earns1985]

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..

 

[noob]

UAE main tactics must've been to have Pog win and Almeida on the podium, no? Doesn't look like that will happen?

 

[BlueRoads]

UAE main tactics must've been to have Pog win and Almeida on the podium, no? Doesn't look like that will happen?

Could still happen, but I think at least Vlasov and Yates are just stronger than Almeida at this point.

 

[Faserr]

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..

Yes, looking good. Vlasov looks better then ever and Hindley comes back in shape.

 

[Red Rick]

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!

Guys... Fauniera is delayed another 15 years

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

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.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

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.

 

[yaco]

A.Yates must be sick of the sight of Roglic and Pogarcar pipping him in uphill sprints.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

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).

 

[Tim Cahill]

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.

 

[Anderis]

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.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

A.Yates must be sick of the sight of Roglic and Pogarcar pipping him in uphill sprints.

That's why Yates has to attack again and again. With the risk of blowing itself up. But in the sprint (uphill or flat) he is definitely beaten. Why not play all or nothing ?

 

[Netserk]

UAE main tactics must've been to have Pog win and Almeida on the podium, no? Doesn't look like that will happen?

Nothing to do for UAE, Almeida is too weak for that. Now they found out today, so no split targets for the rest of the race.

 

[Bushman]

That's why Yates has to attack again and again. With the risk of blowing itself up. But in the sprint (uphill or flat) he is definitely beaten. Why not play all or nothing ?

Because in three days another climb is coming up which is steeper and way better suited to a climber like Yates. Of course he was never going to risk it today, especially not with the headwind.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Imagine Luke Plapp will be regretting not having that TT bike right about now.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

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.