UAE Tour 2022, February 20 - February 26

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AlfaLum

Mar 13, 2021
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If you look at some of the GT's in recent years I think the chances of them being very exciting at the critical point have increased by quite a lot. I've seen multiple editions of a GT where the final week was super exciting and there were still major shifts in the GC until almost the final day. I think that is what makes the sport more attractive to a large audience.

All in all I just don't understand all the critisism on every design in recent years. Road Racing hasn't been as attractive as it is now in decades in my opinion. Great riders such as Van der Poel, Van Aert, Alaphilippe, Pogacar, Evenepoel, Roglic, Asgreen etc. are able to really race from far out in a multitude of races, and they are really enjoyable to watch. All in all to me cycling hasn't been this entertaining since the moment I started watching (at the end of the 1990s), so why all these complaints?

Anyway just out of curiosity, a question for the self-proclaimed cycling purists:
- What makes a long TT (40-60km) more exciting that a shorter TT (20-30km) to watch?
 
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hayneplane

Sep 4, 2017
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AlfaLum said:
If you look at some of the GT's in recent years I think the chances of them being very exciting at the critical point have increased by quite a lot. I've seen multiple editions of a GT where the final week was super exciting and there were still major shifts in the GC until almost the final day. I think that is what makes the sport more attractive to a large audience.

All in all I just don't understand all the critisism on every design in recent years. Road Racing hasn't been as attractive as it is now in decades in my opinion. Great riders such as Van der Poel, Van Aert, Alaphilippe, Pogacar, Evenepoel, Roglic, Asgreen etc. are able to really race from far out in a multitude of races, and they are really enjoyable to watch. All in all to me cycling hasn't been this entertaining since the moment I started watching (at the end of the 1990s), so why all these complaints?

Anyway just out of curiosity, a question for the self-proclaimed cycling purists:
- What makes a long TT (40-60km) more exciting that a shorter TT (20-30km) to watch?
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Some good points. I will agree with your list of a whole host of quality riders not shy of attacking and racing with charisma.

Regarding the ITT I am not the biggest fan of them but recognise their place in the sport and that they are much more interesting in Grand Tours and championship TTs rather than standard stage races. The longer ITTs are actually more interesting to watch imo because we get far more intermediate timing splits making it a lot easier to assess the event as it unfolds and really deep dive into the tactics of who goes out hard and tries to hang on and who goes out steady and winds it up later on.. The really short ITTs are much harder to follow as you often don't know how well a rider is doing until they get about 200 metres from the finish line.

The wish for longer ITTs is also not so much about the dynamics of watching the race but of giving more balance to the parcours and forcing riders to be more rounded to win a Grand Tour.
 
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AlfaLum

Mar 13, 2021
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hayneplane said:
Some good points. I will agree with your list of a whole host of quality riders not shy of attacking and racing with charisma.

Regarding the ITT I am not the biggest fan of them but recognise their place in the sport and that they are much more interesting in Grand Tours and championship TTs rather than standard stage races. The longer ITTs are actually more interesting to watch imo because we get far more intermediate timing splits making it a lot easier to assess the event as it unfolds and really deep dive into the tactics of who goes out hard and tries to hang on and who goes out steady and winds it up later on.. The really short ITTs are much harder to follow as you often don't know how well a rider is doing until they get about 200 metres from the finish line.

The wish for longer ITTs is also not so much about the dynamics of watching the race but of giving more balance to the parcours and forcing riders to be more rounded to win a Grand Tour.
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Yeah, i get that it is because people want riders to be more rounded to win a Grand Tour. But in my opinion if you look at the list of recent GT winners they are almost always quite well-rounded riders capable of riding good ITTs, Climbing well and having a good punch.

Personally I think that it is much harder to make significant time gaps on mountain stages (especially because those are not individually raced) than it is to make significant time gaps on a TT. So even with the decreasing amount of TT kilometres, the well rounded riders still have a very significant advantage over the less rounded riders. In my opinion increasing the number of TT kilomtres would even decrease the chances of the best rounded rider winning the GT, because the advantage for a Great TT-er and reasonable climber would become too big over a reasonable TT-er and Great Climber.
 
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Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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AlfaLum said:
Yeah, i get that it is because people want riders to be more rounded to win a Grand Tour. But in my opinion if you look at the list of recent GT winners they are almost always quite well-rounded riders capable of riding good ITTs, Climbing well and having a good punch.

Personally I think that it is much harder to make significant time gaps on mountain stages (especially because those are not individually raced) than it is to make significant time gaps on a TT. So even with the decreasing amount of TT kilometres, the well rounded riders still have a very significant advantage over the less rounded riders. In my opinion increasing the number of TT kilomtres would even decrease the chances of the best rounded rider winning the GT, because the advantage for a Great TT-er and reasonable climber would become too big over a reasonable TT-er and Great Climber.
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There are many more mountain stages to make gaps than ITTs, yet I can't remember the last ITT to be as decisive as Romme-Colombiere was. It's far easier to make significant time gaps in mountain stages, especially cumulatively. The major difference is that it is far easier to hold back and be passive in the mountains.
 
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AlfaLum

Mar 13, 2021
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Disrespect to Ukraine by the peloton to give Gazprom such a prominent place in the last two stages. Probably even succesful. Hopefully Lapeira or the Bardiani guy finishes it.
 
Lequack

Lequack

Jul 10, 2014
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Wow a breakaway made it! Has that ever happened in UAE Tour? I can't remember it happening, either in a flat stage or the climbs. This might be the first.
 
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SafeBet

SafeBet

Sep 2, 2011
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The Gazprom riders have been in breaks the whole week and worked their asses off for this win. There's not a single team deserving a stage here more than them, regardless of who owns their sponsor.
Chapeau to Vacek (who proves to be a much better rider compared to his brother) and his teammates.
 
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