UAE Tour 2024, February 19-25

[Salvarani]

Yes but I was sure before they showed it...

You said 3, it was 2.

 

[tobydawq]

So do we think the UAE lineup are going to be let out of the country with all their limbs intact?

Also pretty funny that nobody decided it was a bad idea to give Van Eetvelt 6 free seconds on Friday. Decathlon may have the bikes now, but the brains still need some work.

Okay, how the hell were they supposed to know that this was exactly how it would play out?

 

[skippo12]

Being relegated was all it took to turn Lotto into a proper WT team. Other teams should try the same approach.

 

[Offline]

Embarrassing race by UAE. Haven't done everything right after stage 1.
But nothing new - every time Andrej Hauptman is in the car they sucks tactical, he can only win with Pogacar.

 

[Rob5091]

Seems like Lenny VE did the right thing by not being in the front echelon group when the wind was a blowing. What a c*ck up by UAE & O'Connor ... but hail UAE Tour GC winner, Lenny VE! Chapeau.

 

[tobydawq]

You said 3, it was 2.

"3 or something like that." Then when you asked if I was sure, I was because they had shown the difference to have been clocked at 22 seconds.

 

[Salvarani]

It is time to shut up again. Make it a minute this time.

Click the ignore button.

 

[Salvarani]

"3 or something like that." Then when you asked if I was sure, I was because they had shown the difference to have been clocked at 22 seconds.

Ok? Was just asking.

No need to be defensive.

Then they showed on screen. Dont understand the problem.

 

[tobydawq]

Thats really relevant.

Oh, please stop trying to be serious about this now. We both know it was a joke when you said it and I responded as if I took it serious, let's just leave it at that.

 

[Salvarani]

Oh, please stop trying to be serious about this now. We both know it was a joke when you said it and I responded as if I took it serious, let's just leave it at that.

You really know a lot about nothing.

Sure.

 

[tobydawq]

Ok? Was just asking.

No need to be defensive.

Then they showed on screen. Dont understand the problem.

The problem is that you were second guessing me when I was right the whole time, and then responded as if I only knew because I saw the GC time on screen. And then keep pretending I don't have a clue because I wrote 3 seconds instead of 2.

 

[JosefK]

UAE riders and staff now scheduled for meetings with this guy:

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Okay, how the hell were they supposed to know that this was exactly how it would play out?

You can never know for sure, but the requisite work to pull back Van Eetvelt was almost 0, and the chances of this scenario, while not that high, were not.

 

[Salvarani]

The problem is that you were second guessing me when I was right the whole time, and then responded as if I only knew because I saw the GC time on screen. And then keep pretending I don't have a clue.

Thats really not the case, since I was asking if they had the same time or if it was one second before knowing when they had stopped the clock.

Then asked "are you sure" in response to your post.

Then you did your usual thing and got grumpy.

 

[Offline]

Embarrassing race by UAE. Haven't done everything right after stage 1.
But nothing new - every time Andrej Hauptman is in the car they sucks tactical, he can only win with Pogacar.

Today:

Vine racing in echelons like there was no MTF coming up.
Bjerg sent to the front to pull and kill Vine right away.
After Vine dropped, they sent Bjerg up to attack and he gets dropped 1 min after.

embarrassing!

 

[Salvarani]

If people would ever listen to Salvarini, this is the time.

^Keeps following me around, keeps harassing me, keeps being in your head rent-free.

Seek help.

 

[Samamba]

Van Eetvelt didn't touch the wind once till like 4km from the end btw. Not in echelons (was just chilling in 2nd with his teammates and other teams working)

 

[pastronef]

ah what a shame. it would have been great. Ag2r winning a WT race with an on form O'Connor. in any case the guy is strong, and will get stronger

 

[repre]

Being relegated was all it took to turn Lotto into a proper WT team. Other teams should try the same approach.

IPT has become better too, seems like approach works

 

[theyoungest]

Quite the spectacular collapse by UAE there. Yes, their tactics weren't great, but they never are. They're only great when Pogi is in the race, because he wins in ways where tactics don't play a role. But that wasn't what lost them the race, which probably was a bad state dinner with the sultan yesterday.

Van Eetvelt was really impressive. The Belgian climbing project is incredibly successful, just a few years ago they had zero elite level climbers and now they have at least a dozen.

 

[tobydawq]

You can never know for sure, but the requisite work to pull back Van Eetvelt was almost 0, and the chances of this scenario, while not that high, were not.

But shouldn't it have been UAE's responsibility?

I think the probability of this scenario was close to 0 (that Vine and McNulty both crack and that Van Eetvelt rides everyone off his wheel and finishes exactly between 20 and 26 seconds in front of O'Connor).

I'm sure we would have ridiculed Decathlon for chasing the other day if they had chosen to do so.

 

[tobydawq]

WorldTour stage races done: 2
WorldTour GC wins by WorldTeams: 0

 

[Devil's Elbow]

But shouldn't it have been UAE's responsibility?

I think the probability of this scenario was close to 0 (that Vine and McNulty both crack and that Van Eetvelt rides everyone off his wheel and finishes exactly between 20 and 26 seconds in front of O'Connor).

I'm sure we would have ridiculed Decathlon for chasing the other day if they had chosen to do so.

O'Connor was arguably favoured to overtake Vine today after Jebel Jais, but yes, UAE were just as stupid. UAE riding like brainless idiots is a given when Pogacar isn't involved, though.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Van Eetvelt was really impressive. The Belgian climbing project is incredibly successful, just a few years ago they had zero elite level climbers and now they have at least a dozen.

Evenepoel, Van Wilder, De Plus, Van Eetvelt, Uijtdebroeks... I don't consider Vansevenant, Lecerf (yet at least), Vanhoucke, Van Gils, Vervaeke, Cras etc elite level climbers. Who are you thinking of?

 

[Salvarani]

Most fun ascent of this climb I can remember.

Helped by that O´Connor was isolated with a lot of the climb left and Bilbao attacking relentlessly. It opened up the race for those just behind.