UAE Tour 2024, February 19-25

[Keldergoat]

Kooij getting his 30th pro win before the likes of Pogacar, Sagan and basically everyone except for Merckx and Remco is quite impressive. Yes, I know this also includes quite some stages at the ZLM Tour etc.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1761010601483001877

View: https://twitter.com/StatsOnCycling/status/1761010601483001877

 

[scribers]

Sprinters should be considered differently

 

[saunaking]

2½ years is a lot when you are past 35.

Yeah but nothing wrong with greats staying past their prime, especially when they can still produce some great results. I'm glad we still have Cav, Valverde's last couple season were fun to have him around.
This is not a Froome situation

 

[armchairclimber]

Nice to see Fretin getting into the frame after his horrible tumble.

 

[yaco]

Merlier must be super human if he can sprint at nearly 7okms on a flat tyre.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Almost as hard as watching Froome still going at it. But hey, it’s only February.

At least Cav has been winning since 2021 and has had a GT stage each year. Cav’s already won this year with he and the team saying before the start that it’s more of a tune up and getting used to being with more sprinters and if a win or podium is there perfect. Now if this was 2017-2020 I would agree with you.

Just watch tomorrow for his win

 

[Penninepeddler]

Yeah but nothing wrong with greats staying past their prime, especially when they can still produce some great results. I'm glad we still have Cav, Valverde's last couple season were fun to have him around.
This is not a Froome situation

Yeh, he can still beat basically anyone on his day in a technical finish. Even if he is in terms of pure power probably in the ~5-10 range of sprinters in peloton.

And do think having Morkov this year will help a lot... last year was basically on his own so, so often and had to fight for position in last few km on his own.

Last year GT sprint stages:

Giro: 4, 141, 8, 3, 19, 1
TDF: 6, 5, 2


Sure that if he had Morkov last year? Would have added at least 1 more GT stage win to the Giro stage 21.

 

[scribers]

At least Cav has been winning since 2021 and has had a GT stage each year. Cav’s already won this year with he and the team saying before the start that it’s more of a tune up and getting used to being with more sprinters and if a win or podium is there perfect. Now if this was 2017-2020 I would agree with you.

Just watch tomorrow for his win

Best part is if he’s having fun, more power to him. Hincapie has said Cav used to make fun of him for not retiring when he was the old man on the bus.

 

[scribers]

fat-Elvis-cav’s magic is always the end of grand tours and sprinter attrition. He is the best of the rest after mountains have passed. In other words, he isn’t winning any straight up sprints with the todays top sprinters at shorter stage races. Fight me on this!

 

[scribers]

Oh. And the last comment. Cav holds the record for most stage wins at the tour. Why try to add one more all these years? Can anyone seriously argue he is sticking around to win UAE sprints?

 

[search]

Oh. And the last comment. Cav holds the record for most stage wins at the tour.

Eddy Merckx is not bad company, but currently it's "only" a shared lead. Both have 34.

 

[Lequack]

It's nice of UAE to have these boring stages so we can watch Gran Camino and Omloop undisturbed.

 

[DNP-Old]

It's nice of UAE to have these boring stages so we can watch Gran Camino and Omloop undisturbed.

You can do that regardless because UAE finishes before other races even have live images.

 

[Red Rick]

Eddy Merckx is not bad company, but currently it's "only" a shared lead. Both have 34.

Merckx won a bunch of half stages. Cav deserves the solo record.

 

[DNP-Old]

Merlier is off the charts.

 

[KZD]

Merlier's performance in this UAE Tour is one of the best I've seen a sprinter doing in years. 3 wins in 4 stages and a second place with a flat tyre.

De Kleijn with another second place, looking fast once again.

 

[DNP-Old]

It might be time to start the Jakobsen is a thief movement.

 

[Didinho]

De Kleijn always from behind but really fast.

Merlier with ease again.

 

[scribers]

Well, we’ve survived threes days of sprint processions

 

[skippo12]

De Kleijn looks like prime Cav minus the raw watts to finish it once he hits the wind. Jumping from wheel to wheel. Finding even the smallest gaps to slip through. But he doesn't have the raw power output to win against someone like Merlier.

 

[Samamba]

De Kleijn looks like prime Cav minus the raw watts to finish it once he hits the wind. Jumping from wheel to wheel. Finding even the smallest gaps to slip through. But he doesn't have the raw power output to win against someone like Merlier.

He's a draft merchant. So good at following wheels and jumping from one to another, but yeah in the wind it's different.

 

[Berniece]

Merlier was so much better than the rest, Syritsa from Astana can be disqualified imo. He steered away a lot of his line

 

[Andre]

It will be very interesting when Merlier and Jasper face off...whenever that will be.

 

[search]

Tomorrow the conditions look quite good to split the race before the climb. But hard to see who could be interested. Maybe Bahrain

 

[Samamba]

Tomorrow the conditions look quite good to split the race before the climb. But hard to see who could be interested. Maybe Bahrain

Yesterday the prediction was 8km/u and northerwind (so tailwind on Hafeet), completely changed it seems.

Not good for the climb I guess, but yeah possible there will be echelons before that. If the wind is strong enough and it's open you don't even have to try it will split a bit anyways.