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

Page 5 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Not sure who is more stupid, WVA himself or his Belgian fanboys crying that he doesn't care for investing too much into a winter training race.

I agree with @Blanco as well. There is no good reason to skip MSR. Either go to altitude after omloop for a good 18 days, or skip these February races and do the 2021-23 spring schedule. The shape was good enough in those years
I dont recognize Van Aert anymore since last season. He lost totally "the grinta". Last season only 3 wins, I think. Hardly an attempt to win a stage in the Tour.
This season, not even trying to win a stage in Algarve. What for ? To be able to win Flanders or Roubaix ? But if he couldn't do that in the past, while his level has slightly dropped. So he makes the same mistake as last season. If he doesn't win a monument this season (so only Flanders or Roubaix) or wins the worlds and/or olympic gold, I think his career (at the highest lever) will be over. All because he worked way to hard (during the Tour) for his team as a domestique for years. Without receiving much support from his team in the classics. That killed him physically and mentally. But he doesn't even realize that.
 
I dont recognize Van Aert anymore since last season. He lost totally "the grinta". Last season only 3 wins, I think. Hardly an attempt to win a stage in the Tour.
This season, not even trying to win a stage in Algarve. What for ? To be able to win Flanders or Roubaix ? But if he couldn't do that in the past, while his level has slightly dropped. So he makes the same mistake as last season. If he doesn't win a monument this season (so only Flanders or Roubaix) or wins the worlds and/or olympic gold, I think his career (at the highest lever) will be over. All because he worked way to hard (during the Tour) for his team as a domestique for years. Without receiving much support from his team in the classics. That killed him physically and mentally. But he doesn't even realize that.
He absolutely could do that in the past, he got unlucky in P-R (more than once) and lost RVV by centimetres. It's not going to take much for him to win one of these eventually. These last few pages are making me root for him even though I prefer vdP lol.
 
Thijssen is slowly growing into one of the best second-tier sprinters. Intermarché has built a very good train for him this year with Petit, Teunissen and Rex.

Laurenz Rex is such a beast. His last KM was astonishing. Hits the front, drops back a bit and then goes to the front again to try to lead Gerben. Watch out for him at this year's Roubaix.
 
How has the pace been the last few editions on the final climb of today? Because I know we don't expect any major differences, but was wondering how the approach has been. I would think that if SOQ goes hard from the beginning for 4-5km's until they are all completely empty, that Evenepoel is able to ride away with only a few people in his wheel, and maybe even dropping them, to eventually finish quite some time ahead of the likes of Ganna.
 
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How has the pace been the last few editions on the final climb of today? Because I know we don't expect any major differences, but was wondering how the approach has been. I would think that if SOQ goes hard from the beginning for 4-5km's until they are all completely empty, that Evenepoel is able to ride away with only a few people in his wheel, and maybe even dropping them, to eventually finish quite some time ahead of the likes of Ganna.
I think their best play is to ride the shorter but steeper climbs before the final climb really hard to start the final climb with a much smaller group already.

But I'm not sure they have enough firepower for that if they want to keep Landa for the final climb.
 
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If Cattaneo, Vervaeke, Serry and Knox isnt enough firepower to thin out the field here they have a serious problem in the bigger races.
In theory yes but Serry is probably going to have to control the race together with Vangheluwe quite early and Cattaneo dropped really fast in the Figueira Classic so I think he's not yet up to speed on the climbs.

But I certainly hope they show me how wrong I am.
 
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How has the pace been the last few editions on the final climb of today? Because I know we don't expect any major differences, but was wondering how the approach has been. I would think that if SOQ goes hard from the beginning for 4-5km's until they are all completely empty, that Evenepoel is able to ride away with only a few people in his wheel, and maybe even dropping them, to eventually finish quite some time ahead of the likes of Ganna.
Heavy headwind the first part. Almost impossible to attack. The last 2 km are completely open plains, albeit with a crosswind or diagonally behind. The organization is even considering arriving earlier, still in the shelter of the trees.
 
Talking of Van Wilder, last year was, he thought, a win, but Magnus Cort had other ideas.

image-568270.png
 
They are talking about changing the finish because of the weather?
Change for Evenepoel and van Aert at the Tour of the Algarve: the finale of the 2nd stage risks being modified due to the weather

Anyone know if 'DHsports' are reliable? Their 'special correspondent' at the finish could just be them speculating.
But everyone else has the same finish?
 
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What are Uno-X up to? Duo attack from Abrahamsen and Leknesund and still have Bugge up front. They have 2 minutes on the peloton already based on PCS.

I doubt that is really correct?
It is according to the live broadcast, Leknessund is good enough such that they have to take this one seriously, higher pace into the final and less chance of those with a reasonable kick making it perhaps.

Trofeo Baracchi has been a Movistar-only tactic in recent years so its good to see someone else having a go instead of slowly losing to Evenepoel.
 
They are so much better that in GT they could drop Remco himself... I think biggest challenge for Remco will be to not have a bad day like he had in the past, not power of his team, it's fine.
Wut?

Yes, Remco has had bad days, but which of those riders has shown themselves to be so good and so consistent to make this statement make sense?

The team is pretty good. It's not Visma and it's not UAE which is the bar against which they're being compared, as those are the teams of the top riders in the Tour.
 
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