UAE Tour 2026, February 16-22

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Sep 20, 2017
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A reminder that, after the MTF, they have three sprint stages from Thursday through Saturday, and could easily have switched one of those with today's TT to a) improve the pacing and b) ensure that all GC riders start around the same time and during the main broadcast. It's such an easy improvement and so stupid to do it this way.
 
May 6, 2021
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If Decathlon were what I like to call a serious player, he would have been given Bissegger's start time instead. He also still managed to beat UAE's real leader, Adam Yates, so it could've been worse.
I’ve heard Simon Yates has spent the last 2 months doing upper body work in the gym and eating a *** load. Adam has been doing the same looking at his deterioration in form, quitting quietly the youth of today call it, they will regret giving him a Bauke Mollema style long contract, the man cannot be arsed.
 
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Apr 13, 2025
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The goal is to win the GC with Del Toro. Let's say he loses 40s today, and we notice this was influenced by the wind. If he then loses the GC by 5s, they'll look back at the first stage and know they tactically blundered it again.
But it's not as certain a goal as with Pogacar.

It's better to secure a victory in sponsor's race.
 
Sep 12, 2022
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A reminder that, after the MTF, they have three sprint stages from Thursday through Saturday, and could easily have switched one of those with today's TT to a) improve the pacing and b) ensure that all GC riders start around the same time and during the main broadcast. It's such an easy improvement and so stupid to do it this way.
Is there really a problem now? Everyone besides Del Toro can decide their own start time, so most of them will start close to each other anyway.
 
May 10, 2015
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Is there really a problem now? Everyone besides Del Toro can decide their own start time, so most of them will start close to each other anyway.

The problem is that the race is over after half an hour. The only reason there is to keep watching (I'm not) is cause Del Toro won yesterdays stage and is forced to start late
 
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Sep 12, 2022
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The problem is that the race is over after half an hour. The only reason there is to keep watching (I'm not) is cause Del Toro won yesterdays stage and is forced to start late
So you just watch the first 30min instead of the last? Would you have watched from the beginning if all the GC riders started last?
 

Rou

Mar 20, 2024
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Why are Tour stages broadcasted full on TV stations?
Because this is what keeps cycling alive.
But the sheikhs don't give a damn about TV viewership.
 
Sep 12, 2022
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The annoying thing is that Toro gets punished for his victory yesterday
That was their own decision... DS from RBH even said specifically they didn't want to go for the win with Evenepoel. Not saying he could've followed that sprint, he would've lost anyway, but they didn't go for it, specifically because of this ITT. Maybe UAE Team should've thought about that.

In the end it doesn't matter if Del Toro or Evenepoel wins easily, it only matters if they are close together in the end
 
May 10, 2015
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So you just watch the first 30min instead of the last? Would you have watched from the beginning if all the GC riders started last?

No but the official international feed hasn't even started yet. You don't have to be smart to understand that it's better to have the best riders last.
 
Apr 13, 2025
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The problem is that the race is over after half an hour. The only reason there is to keep watching (I'm not) is cause Del Toro won yesterdays stage and is forced to start late
That's why Del Toro competed yesterday. To benefit his sponsor and force us to watch the end of the stage😂
 
Sep 12, 2022
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No but the official international feed hasn't even started yet. You don't have to be smart to understand that it's better to have the best riders last.
Yeah I understand that. I just don't think it matters that much here. In case of viewership, why doesn't the international feed start broadcast early? In Belgium VTM Go started at 9:50, so right at the start.
 
May 6, 2021
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Can’t dig up last years thread on this phone to see if we were complaining about the same thing but this whole thing feels very nostalgic.

Gonna message the Paris nice organisers now to demand they televise the final stage in full.
 

Rou

Mar 20, 2024
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For the past 30 mins the main TV feed has been showing recorded footage of Remco, Tarling and the other riders.
I know the riders who are currently on the road are not great TTers but this is disrespectful to them and a complete joke!
 
Jan 29, 2020
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Is the wind getting worse now, as expected? Since there's no specialist, we won't know until Del Toro comes out.
Herregodts was able to get into the (provisional) top 10 with a time gap to Remco you might have reasonably expected before the race so I don't think the conditions have worsened that much.
 
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