Volta a Portugal 2016 (2.1, 27.07./07.08.)

[luckyboy]

Silva is the only thing stopping a 1-2-3 on GC lol

 

[luckyboy]

Wow Alarcon's last 10km must have been crazy

 

[trevim]

I never had realised Alarcon was so high on GC. Kind of difficult to fight such a team, specially with talented riders like António Carvalho riding as domestiques.

I hope Veloso, Sousa, Alarcon,... all retire soon. Or at least I hope some of the kids step up to leadership

 

[GuyIncognito]

For a second there I thought Ribeiro might actually smile

Fat chance

 

[GuyIncognito]

I guess they decided to let Vinhas in on Veloso's special training and this is the kind of result it can have

 

[FilipeFD]

W52 with 4 riders on top5 this time trial

 

[PhiLiz]

Re:

I never had realised Alarcon was so high on GC. Kind of difficult to fight such a team, specially with talented riders like António Carvalho riding as domestiques.

I hope Veloso, Sousa, Alarcon,... all retire soon. Or at least I hope some of the kids step up to leadership

Doposo will return next year. After that expect Alarcon to evolve from a also-ran in every terrain to a dominant force crushing everybody...

 

[trevim]

Just noticed a curious fact: Alarcon went from OTL in Algarve TT to 2nd in the Volta TT.

 

[burning]

Re:

Just noticed a curious fact: Alarcon went from OTL in Algarve TT to 2nd in the Volta TT.

We need to move this topic to clinic.

 

[MikeTichondrius]

Also major salt from Veloso at the finish. "The strongest rider didn't win" and whatnot. Pretty much up in Vinhas' face in the flash interview area. Man gets stage win, second overall, points jersey and combined prize or whatever. He had plenty of days to make up the time he needed. Why didn't he? Would never have been easy to get so much time in the TT. Yeah, didn't make me a fan at all...

Happy for Vinhas I guess. Bit bummed about the sort of domination teams like W52 and Efapel impose in the race considering the likes of Nuno Ribeiro being involved... I just wish the Volta was more meaningful in the grand scheme of things and this isn't the way to go about it.

 

[FilipeFD]

oh Veloso and his butthurt
of the many things W52 reminds Sky, he should know why sky never puts anyone one the breakaway

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Really? His teammate won the race and Veloso is openly whining about it?

 

[BigMac]

Re:

Really? His teammate won the race and Veloso is openly whining about it?

Like in the prologue. Rafael Reis won and instead of congratulating him, the first thing Veloso said to the interviewer was that he could have won the it had it not been for the machanical.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Any chance he retires or will never return? What a douchebag.

 

[MikeTichondrius]

Re:

Really? His teammate won the race and Veloso is openly whining about it?

Swear to god, they were interviewing a Radio Popular man (I think the 3rd place podium finisher - Daniel Mestre) in the flash interview area in front of Vinhas who was just sitting by them having a breath after finishing the ITT and coming to grips with actually winning the whole shebang. Mestre was singing Vinhas' praises and actually looking glad for the guy winning. Veloso rolls up with a face like he just chewed on a a bag of cow manure and starts a long-winded "Yeah I'm happy for the team, but I think everyone saw what happened on the road and who was strongest". The interviewer made sure he spelled that out for everyone to hear again too.

EDIT: Just to make it clear, I'm pretty sure Vinhas was still sitting there during the whole thing.

Major, MAJOR sour grapes. Worse than 2012 Froomey. I literally knew nothing about Gustavo Veloso as a person up until today and boy he sure made it easy to get myself an informed opinion.

 

[luckyboy]

Some people mentioned about how unhappy Ribeiro and the W52 staff looked while the race was going on and they realised Vinhas would hang on. What is the reason for that? Surely they're happy that their rider wins, whichever one it is?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Jesus. Gustavo was a pretty decent guy in the Xacobeo days while he was a helper for Eze, sounds like the success down in Portugal has gone right to his head and he's turned into a right tool.

No chance he jut goes away tho, he won't retire properly (even if he were to throw a tantrum and announce it in a fit of pique, he'd be lured back once the dust has settled) and even if he has a big falling out with W52, somebody else will give him a ride, maybe Radio Popular if Horner finally throws in the towel, or Loulé. Maybe Nuno's upset because messing up the tactics now means he's got a fight on his hands to keep Gustavo happy, or maybe he's upset because now they're probably going to have to pay Vinhas more

 

[luckyboy]

Just put a statement on his facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gustavo.cesarveloso

 

[BigMac]

Guess some things can be lost in translation. Maybe he's just an overly-competitive guy.

 

[luckyboy]

What would a Portuguese team theoretically do as a ProConti? Seems like things wouldn't change a lot for them.. You think Pais Vasco and Catalunya would invite them?

Was just thinking about it because I saw a tweet about Antonio Carvalho saying he wants W52 to be ProConti

 

[nTn]

Re:

What would a Portuguese team theoretically do as a ProConti? Seems like things wouldn't change a lot for them.. You think Pais Vasco and Catalunya would invite them?

Was just thinking about it because I saw a tweet about Antonio Carvalho saying he wants W52 to be ProConti

FC Porto has a 5 year deal with the team. And a Pro Conti Portuguese team would maybe show that Portuguese riders aren't that bad. I think that maybe some spanish WT races would invite them even the Vuelta.

 

[luckyboy]

I would like to see some of these guys in a race like that. Vuelta is too close to the Volta for their best guys to be in top form for both though, no?

Also I messaged you yesterday about the transfers you mentioned..

 

[nTn]

Re:

I would like to see some of these guys in a race like that. Vuelta is too close to the Volta for their best guys to be in top form for both though, no?

Also I messaged you yesterday about the transfers you mentioned..

In fact, since last year you can ride the Volta as a preparation for the Vuelta. Like Dauphiné and Tour. The Vuelta only begins in the last period of August but the Volta begins in the end of July and finish in the end of the first week of August. There's time for recovery. Gonçalves is an example. He is ride the Volta as a preparation for the Vuelta and went pretty well to be honest.

I coulnd't asnswer your message. I'm kinda newbie in this forum so I'm still learning.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Funny thought: If not for Veloso's mechanical in the prologue, he would've been in yellow and Vinhas would never have gone in the break.

As for PCT, that would mean bio passport which I'm not sure they're willing to adhere to. It requires a bit of money to adhere.
Why, does that facebook statement by Veloso say the team is going for it?