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

[Tim Cahill]

Evenepoel couldn't get into the small ring apparently, tbh I'd usually say excuses but his tactics were so questionable on that climb that it's probably true.

 

[EddyMazzoleni]

Good legs but bad tactic by Remco. Anyway, chapeau to Martinez

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Honestly remco was like a prime quintana there, closing every attack with ease but never trying to win.

Visma rent a bike riding like a prime Movister team as well, wtf are they doing.

...trying to win a stage with riders who are not as strong as the riders from other teams...really, you are such a noob that you need this explained to you?

 

[Didinho]

Me too. But after Foia it seemed like bad plan to just wait out the sprint to me. I guess he didn't wanna go full gas trying to drop Martinez and risk actually dropping himself.

It does seem pretty clear to me Evenepoel's sprinting is a lot better on the flat than uphill

You can’t risk it as GC leader to go early and drop himself. But I think he would have tried it if he felt like he could drop them all.
His sprint uphill is not bad but he seems to go always way too early, and Martinez who was really strong once again.

 

[theyoungest]

Kuss quite disappointing today IMO. But maybe the shortness of Malhao is a bigger problem for him than the flatness of Foia given that Foia was paced harder than this one

Yeah, a 2 k climb has always been his specialty

If anyone has been disappointing it's actually Evenepoel, he's racing the domestiques of his real rivals and he has quite a bit of trouble beating them. If I'm Pogacar or Roglic I'm not exactly trembling with fear watching this race.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Evenepoel stuck in the big ring.

Had been stuck for the last 20k on the big ring, so the entire climb which killed his legs a bit.

 

[tobydawq]

Honestly remco was like a prime quintana there, closing every attack with ease but never trying to win.

Visma rent a bike riding like a prime Movister team as well, wtf are they doing.

Maybe some people look more at ease than others when they're not.

 

[AmRacer]

Hadn't Bora helped Remco...but Bora wanted another stage win and second in GC.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Kuss quite disappointing today IMO. But maybe the shortness of Malhao is a bigger problem for him than the flatness of Foia given that Foia was paced harder than this one

I don't think this "Kuss as leader" experiment this year is going to produce actual results. As much as I like the guy, Kuss is a climbing domestique who was allowed a gap in a major stage race, and then won. Sure, his strength to ride 3 GT's in a year, and do as well as he did, was impressive...but I don't think he is strong enough to beat the best, when they won't just give him a gap.

 

[Netserk]

Scaroni biggest surprise here.

 

[Didinho]

Morgado GC top 10.

 

[johnymax]

Just as Healy, Remco could do nothing against Dani's superior sprint today.

 

[Netserk]

 

[Netserk]

Stage:

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Great result for Tratnik!

 

[johnymax]

Remco saying he couldn't use his small ring, so he waxed his legs riding the big ring up the climb. Makes sense.

And the excuses begin. Wait until he says he didn't know they were sprinting for the win.

 

[Netserk]

Clearly a top-10 that shows it was a balanced route. Despite the naysayers being afraid of any real TTing.

 

[scribers]

What should I be thinking of tratnik? To have more upside to Kuss means something no?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Just as Healy, Remco could do nothing against Dani's superior sprint today.

Come on man this comparison it's insulting. Healy actually tried to win today.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

And the excuses begin. Wait until he says he didn't know they were sprinting for the win.

I'm no remco fan, but this time I'm inclined to believe him. I do however believe that had that been Pog, he would have done the climb in his big ring and take the stage by 30 seconds.

 

[johnymax]

Tratnik in great form. He should be co-leader with Aert for the classics.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I think Remco actually rode smart in the end. If he was stuck in too big a gear, it made sense to go early so the pace didn't drop too much. Martinez was closing all the gaps near the finish, so it wasn't weird to expect that that could hurt him in a long sprint. Martinez also wasn't as quick to react to Remco's acceleration as he was on Fóia, but the result eventually remained the same, so chapeau to him.

 

[EddyMazzoleni]

Hadn't Bora helped Remco...but Bora wanted another stage win and second in GC.

Well, can you blame them for wanting to achieve good results?

 

[Netserk]

Tratnik in great form. He should be co-leader with Aert for the classics.

A shame he doesn't ride Strade, but he joins Van Aert on the volcano.

He can take one in the opening weekend, but after that it will be difficult for him. He lacks the winning tools, and mere placings are not worth it.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Tratnik in great form. He should be co-leader with Aert for the classics.

I reality, he'll be there to work for Wout, and then be the best option for a podium when _____________ happens, and Wout is out of contention.