UAE Tour 2024, February 19-25

[Samamba]

Actual riders disagree with you. Not sure what the stance of SafeR is in this. Does this organisation even still exist or was it just for show?

What are you on about. Plenty of riders have said it's safer to have some corners in the last 5km. Ofcourse not 10 in the last 3km, or one with 300m to go, but that's the other extreme.

 

[Escarabajo]

Harold Tejada looks bad. Pictures inside:

Harold Tejada, sin daños graves tras su caída en el UAE Tour; el huilense espera estar en condiciones de disputar la general

El final de la primera etapa del UAE Tour 2024 se vio empañado por una fuerte caída en los últimos metros. Una de las víctimas fue Harold Tejada, quien tuvo que ser ayudado por su compañero de equipo italiano Michele Gazzoli. El corredor huilense, de 26 años, cruzó el meta subido en la bicicleta...

www.revistamundociclistico.com

 

[Berniece]

Do you have sources on this? Because there are definitely also riders who agree with me.

What are you on about. Plenty of riders have said it's safer to have some corners in the last 5km. Ofcourse not 10 in the last 3km, or one with 300m to go, but that's the other extreme.

I can remember Jakobsen commenting on corners in sprints. Not sure about how many meters before finish he was talking about.

I can also remember comments from sprinters in the TDF last year.

But isn’t there an official stance from SafeR on this?

 

[yaco]

A crash because someone hit him from behind is still a crash? He touched the ground. He hit his knee and he was worried about his bad wrist.

The ITT will sort out his wrist - Unfortunately, Dunbar has a way of being involved in crashes.

 

[Hugh Januss]

What are you on about. Plenty of riders have said it's safer to have some corners in the last 5km. Ofcourse not 10 in the last 3km, or one with 300m to go, but that's the other extreme.

Corners or no corners it really comes down to how many riders are still feeling good and in with a chance, and how many risks they are willing to take.

 

[Sciatic]

Corners or no corners it really comes down to how many riders are still feeling good and in with a chance, and how many risks they are willing to take.

If UCI only awarded points for the 1st 10 places, there would be a lot less chaos. Or maybe just for obvious sprint stages But then I don’t think much of awarding points for 14th place, etc

 

[claude cat]

Dunbar didn't actually crash but was hit from behind - He has trouble staying on his bike.

Dunbar is a DNS on stage two

https://twitter.com/x/status/1759811452020338714

View: https://twitter.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1759811452020338714

 

[yaco]

Dunbar is a DNS on stage two

https://twitter.com/x/status/1759811452020338714

View: https://twitter.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1759811452020338714

Dunbar can't take a trick - Crashes on day of his season in 2023 fracturing his wrist and then it was a battle to get fit for the Giro in which he showed a good level. Second race day of 2024 brought down in a crash at Valenciana and withdraws, switched to the UAE tour at the last minute to replace Plapp and then brought down in a crash and fractures his wrist. It will be a battle tobe fir for the Giro. Jayco has suffered too many crashes and illnesses in the first two months of the season.

 

[Squire]

Dunbar can't take a trick - Crashes on day of his season in 2023 fracturing his wrist and then it was a battle to get fit for the Giro in which he showed a good level. Second race day of 2024 brought down in a crash at Valenciana and withdraws, switched to the UAE tour at the last minute to replace Plapp and then brought down in a crash and fractures his wrist. It will be a battle tobe fir for the Giro. Jayco has suffered too many crashes and illnesses in the first two months of the season.

What happened to Plapp which meant he couldn't do the UAE Tour after all? Read an interview in early/mid Feb where that was still the plan.

 

[armchairclimber]

Looks like Fretin can start today after all.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1759852886417109130

View: https://twitter.com/TeamCOFIDIS/status/1759852886417109130/photo/1

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Dunbar is a DNS on stage two

https://twitter.com/x/status/1759811452020338714

View: https://twitter.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1759811452020338714

A pity, i was curious to see how he'd do here, because he did really surprise me in last year's Giro.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Didn't Dunbar also crash three times in five stages prior to his DNF at the Vuelta? I'm sorry, but if you're going down approximately once every three race days, it's not bad luck, it's bike handling.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1759857364461887599

View: https://twitter.com/GcnRacing/status/1759857364461887599


You could serve a pizza on this ring.

 

[Salvarani]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1759857364461887599

View: https://twitter.com/GcnRacing/status/1759857364461887599


You could serve a pizza on this ring.

My knees started to ache out of nowhere.

 

[shadowrider]

Foss was at altitude already in January. But it was the same teide camp that propelled Geraint Thomas to 65th overall in Algarve. So I guess it means nothing.

Thomas had an anything but good (and professional) winter. Partying and drinking.... Going on altitude in january doesn't change that.

 

[armchairclimber]

Looks like Fretin can start today after all.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1759852886417109130

View: https://twitter.com/TeamCOFIDIS/status/1759852886417109130/photo/1

PCS saying he's a DNS. FFS!

 

[search]

Viviani just reached the 1st split at 46kph average only - although that part is flat and doesn't feature a single corner.

He crashed yesterday and probably won't be super motivated, but nonetheless, it looks like the wind is quite a big factor today.

 

[Samamba]

Viviani just reached the 1st split at 46kph average only - although that part is flat and doesn't feature a single corner.

He crashed yesterday and probably won't be super motivated, but nonetheless, it looks like the wind is quite a big factor today.

The first part is a huge headwind.

 

[Berniece]

The first part is a huge headwind.

What is huge? Honest question, I never know from which point the wind is quite heavy.

 

[Samamba]

What is huge? Honest question, I never know from which point the wind is quite heavy.

25km/u-32km/u

Huge in cycling terms, not in storm terms ofcourse

 

[Samamba]

McNulty goes 4km/u faster than the rest at T1...

 

[Berniece]

25km/u-32km/u

Huge in cycling terms, not in storm terms ofcourse

Yeah of course, they wouldn't ride in storm terms. Windy only gives 18km/h at the moment, but that's not much difference from 25. And like you said the first part the wind really is head on.

 

[Samamba]

Poole +22
Bilbao +16

at T1

 

[Samamba]

What are the odds UAE is 1 2 3 on the final podium?

 

[Samamba]

Poole +26 at finish, really good. Only lost 3s in 2nd part.

Bilbao + 18

Not that much time to be made in 2nd part probably given the tailwind.