Volta ao Algarve 2024 - 2.Pro (February 14-18)

[scribers]

Half of Ineos team could top3 here, but who will be the leaders?

I am intrigued by your math and shall contemplate it

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

This should be an easy win for Remco.

GC Kuss will break him.

 

[repre]

I am intrigued by your math and shall contemplate it

Could,not would!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Be nice to see if he can put up another outstanding TT result.

Would love to see Remco trailing and having to attack on stage 5. Seems unlikely though, given current form.

If guys like Healy or Sheffield want to go for GC, they might need to attack.

GC Kuss will break him.

You mean TT Kuss?

 

[scribers]

Can Wout win this without really trying? The itt is a standout decisive feature. Remco would have to mechanical for this to pass

 

[pelotonIQ]

Easy 4 Remco. The others will duke it out for whatever crumbs thats left on his plate.

 

[red_flanders]

If guys like Healy or Sheffield want to go for GC, they might need to attack.

Hope someone makes it interesting.

I think Wout's gonna be on fire in the TT, he seems to have been training hard for the classics. That should be good.

 

[DNP-Old]

Wout is really weak and silly if he doesn't go for GC.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Wout is really weak and silly if he doesn't go for GC.

Exactly. He wants to go for a few stages and the TT... but not GC. Like, in Algarve, when you take a few stages and do a good TT, you would purposely need to nuke your own chances in order not to ride a good GC.

 

[houtdffan]

the final stage is a bit too hard for Wout.

2.5km at nearly 10% is too hard for him. He could easily lose a minute on that climb. Not sure where e would make that minute up

 

[DNP-Old]

Exactly. He wants to go for a few stages and the TT... but not GC. Like, in Algarve, when you take a few stages and do a good TT, you would purposely need to nuke your own chances in order not to ride a good GC.

Precisely. This *I have to conserve energy for the classics* schtick he is running with has gotten to his head, way beyond that even. He would go full gas in the TT regardless, which leaves Foia, which is just a glorified bunch sprint, and a 7 minute effort on Malhao. That’s so silly.

 

[search]

Can't remember to have ever seen echelons in Algarve, but there is a lot of wind forecast for tomorrow's stage

 

[red_flanders]

the final stage is a bit too hard for Wout.

2.5km at nearly 10% is too hard for him. He could easily lose a minute on that climb. Not sure where e would make that minute up

Really? I mean I know he's not in Tour shape, but...the dude can climb.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

the final stage is a bit too hard for Wout.

2.5km at nearly 10% is too hard for him. He could easily lose a minute on that climb. Not sure where e would make that minute up

So, the guy who won on Mont Ventoux, who dropped Pogacar on a HC climb, who didn't get dropped (hard enough) in the OG RR on a 7k climb of 10% by Pogacar, Gaudu, Yates and Carapaz, will now lose twice as much time as Küng and Ganna lose on this climb?

 

[houtdffan]

Really? I mean I know he's not in Tour shape, but...the dude can climb.

don't think he will be within a minute of remco on that climb on the MTF once the racing gets all out

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

don't think he will be within a minute of remco on that climb on the MTF once the racing gets all out

You need to watch some of the previous editions man. In '22 Evenepoel did this climb 33 seconds fast than Küng. Last year Van Wilder was faster up this climb than Evenepoel the year before, and Van Wilder did the climb 15 seconds faster than Ganna, who only lost 20s to Pidcock, who won the stage. There is no way Van Aert is losing anything close to a minute on this climb unless he purposely soft pedals it.

 

[houtdffan]

You need to watch some of the previous editions man. In '22 Evenepoel did this climb 33 seconds fast than Küng. Last year Van Wilder was faster up this climb than Evenepoel the year before, and Van Wilder did the climb 15 seconds faster than Ganna, who only lost 20s to Pidcock, who won the stage. There is no way Van Aert is losing anything close to a minute on this climb unless he purposely soft pedals it.

Remco also did not need to go full gas in 2022 as he had a massive lead form the 32km ITT

 

[Extinction]

Remco also did not need to go full gas in 2022 as he had a massive lead form the 32km ITT

The variables are endless, but it's what current situations demand and who can rise to the occasion.

 

[Berniece]

I don't understand the logic of WVA at all. During an interview he said that he wants to go for stage wins during this race. He won't participate in the 2 sprint stages, he wants to go for stage victories in the other 3 stages. The more difficult ones, and the TT. But he also said he doesn't want to go for GC... How would that even work? Win the hard stages, but not the GC?

 

[Extinction]

Precisely. This *I have to conserve energy for the classics* schtick he is running with has gotten to his head, way beyond that even. He would go full gas in the TT regardless, which leaves Foia, which is just a glorified bunch sprint, and a 7 minute effort on Malhao. That’s so silly.

In the GC you have to be good Always. In as tight a stretch as Algarve, moreover, you can't gain seconds here and there and then lose more once than what's in the bank. Everything remains to be seen. If Wout wins Algarve then his classics campaign is assurded, but the Giro is something else, if we are talking about GT aspirations.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

In the GC you have to be good Always. In as tight a stretch as Algarve, moreover, you can't gain seconds here and there and then lose more once than what's in the bank. Everything remains to be seen. If Wout wins Algarve then his classics campaign is assurded, but the Giro is something else, if we are talking about GT aspirations.

Nobody is talking about the Giro. Just this week, this opportunity. He wants to win a few stages and test himself in the TT, then he will need to be alert those specific stages anyway. What's left is a climb he can do in his sleep where he can actually win (like Cort last year or like Hayter a few years ago), and one 7 minute effort where he can easily stay within 20-30 seconds of the winner. If he goes for boniseconds in this field in the stages he's supposedly eyeing, he could have 30 seconds in hand before he goes into the final 2 stages (Malhao + TT). That's why it makes no sense.

Remco also did not need to go full gas in 2022 as he had a massive lead form the 32km ITT

Remco did go full gas but was dropped. Just like in 2020. I'll say that this year he seems to be a few kg lighter than in 2022, so he might be faster and even win, but it's going to be a cold day in hell, pigs flying everywhere, if he gains anything over 30s on Van Aert if the latter is actually trying.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

The climbing isn't terribly difficult as we've seen big groups on Foia before the finish and with headwinds I don't expect anythging but a sprint finish out of a group of 30-40 or even more.

Don't think we'll see anyone winning the overall by a big amount, more likely 10-30 seconds.

 

[scribers]

Wout is just riding. Not racing

That begins within two weeks

 

[search]

The climbing isn't terribly difficult as we've seen big groups on Foia before the finish and with headwinds I don't expect anythging but a sprint finish out of a group of 30-40 or even more.

the headwind may still kill all action, but I'd say this finish, with Pomba from the steep side before, makes the stage a bit harder, at least. Last time they used it was in 2020.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

the headwind may still kill all action, but I'd say this finish, with Pomba from the steep side before, makes the stage a bit harder, at least. Last time they used it was in 2020.

In 2020, Schachmann was there, Van Avermaet had been dropped in the last k. I doubt it's a big difference.