Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta 2020, Portugal, February 19 - February 23

[Lequack]

How UAE prepare for stages:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1230830028692369409

View: https://twitter.com/TeamUAEAbuDhabi/status/1230830028692369409?s=20

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Schachmann´s "mistake" had been that he wasn´t at Evenepoels wheel when he attacked, so that he could open a gap. If he would have been on his wheel he could have followed him by using his slipstream and outsprinting him in the end.

Nobody expected that from evenepoel. There was no reason to focus on Evenepoel's wheel, nobody thought he could jump like that. As such, i don't think it's a mistake. He was probably looking at the more explosive riders like Wellens, Lopez... who were still in the bunch. Slipstreaming Evenepoel might also not go as planned.

 

[Earns1985]

Nobody expected that from evenepoel. There was no reason to focus on Evenepoel's wheel, nobody thought he could jump like that. As such, i don't think it's a mistake. He was probably looking at the more explosive riders like Wellens, Lopez... who were still in the bunch. Slipstreaming Evenepoel might also not go as planned.

I put the "mistake" in quotation marks, because I also think that is wasn´t a real mistake. I just wanted to describe that the outcoming of the stage could haven been different when the other riders had reacted in a different way to Evenepoels attack. In an earlier post you wrote that with Evenepoels attack there had been no opportunity for the other riders to beat him. That´s simply not the fact here..

 

[jaylew]

I find the Schachmann talk a bit funny to be honest. There was one image yesterday, that showed a good angle, and you could see the gap was already substantial when Lopez blew his chain. From another angle, it's clear there was plenty of room to pass Lopez left and right, and it's not as if he went from 40k/h to 0 in 2 meters. If the gearing issue of Lopez was the problem why he didn't respond, then why did he cower in Costa's wheel for another 10 seconds before jumping? He was clearly more dead than Evenepoel when crossing the finish, tongue between his wheels. He simply couldn't have gone with Remco that soon, it was full on headwind. That's why he wanted Lopez and Costa to do the work for him. Had he followed Remco there, he would have been dropped 150m from the line. Remco even had an extra sprint in the final 100m to keep Schachmann at bay. The only scenario where he would have won was had Remco attacked later.

I don't know, I've watched this a few times and disagree with much of it. I think it was Schachmann's stage to lose which he obviously did. That said, it's really not important. Both riders were super impressive yesterday and Evenepoel took the bull by the horns and got a well-deserved win.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

How come Nikolas Maes rode yesterday in those circumstances? And I don't see an announcement of him as a non-starter today.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I don't know, I've watched this a few times and disagree with much of it. I think it was Schachmann's stage to lose which he obviously did. That said, it's really not important. Both riders were super impressive yesterday and Evenepoel took the bull by the horns and got a well-deserved win.

Well, you can see in the images that Lopez already leaves a gap and is not in the right gear (i think he wants to shift, and only then the chain goes off). He also doesn't come to a complete stop, nor is it impossible for the other riders to pass him left or right. So the "being held up" part is not much of an excuse at nearly 500m from the finish, imho. They lost no more than one bikelength because of that issue. Lopez' issue was of importance to him not because he lost half a second 500 meters from the line, but because he lost his leadout. One on one, Evenepoel was stronger because he was able to go deep earlier and longer. That's how i see it.

 

[red_flanders]

Schachmann´s "mistake" had been that he wasn´t at Evenepoels wheel when he attacked, so that he could open a gap. If he would have been on his wheel he could have followed him by using his slipstream and outsprinting him in the end.

I think his "mistake" is that Evenepoel is a freaking beast, and no one could follow the initial acceleration for fear of implosion. So he waited until he could muster a sprint. Barely not enough.

 

[yaco]

Doubt that no-one in the world could have predicted an attack by Evanopeel in the last km - The unknown was whether he could hold on for the stage victory.

 

[Bonimenier]

Doubt that no-one in the world could have predicted an attack by Evanopeel in the last km - The unknown was whether he could hold on for the stage victory.

You really butchered that name .

Before the stage, or even before the climb I don't think anyone expected him to attack so late, but when Almeida started setting the pace for the last 2 km, it didn't come as a complete surprise he tried something.

 

[RedheadDane]

You really butchered that name

He peels away from the others!

 

[sir fly]

You really butchered that name .

Before the stage, or even before the climb I don't think anyone expected him to attack so late, but when Almeida started setting the pace for the last 2 km, it didn't come as a complete surprise he tried something.

I'd even say peeled.

 

[yaco]

You really butchered that name .

Before the stage, or even before the climb I don't think anyone expected him to attack so late, but when Almeida started setting the pace for the last 2 km, it didn't come as a complete surprise he tried something.

I thought he would attack in the last km, though not in the last 500 metres - I applaud him because he was prepared to attack, even though there was a chance he could lose 2 or 3 seconds.

 

[tobydawq]

He probably knew he was gonna lose 10-20 seconds if he didn't attack - I assume he is reading this forum.

 

[Lequack]

Almost whole Trek team down.

 

[Lequack]

Jasper Stuyven is being taken care of by doctors.

 

[F_Cance]

They are really cursed in Portugal. Last year they took themselves down, this time it looks like others were involved.

 

[Lequack]

Quickstep didn't win a stage? What day is it?

 

[RedheadDane]

Nice win by Bol.

 

[Bonimenier]

Sunweb did great at the end and Bol finished strong, Noone really came close.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

A few years ago there were no Dutch sprinters to speak of

Now there's Groenewegen, Jakobsen and Bol. It's insane

 

[DNP-Old]

Viviani better love them checks because it's getting worse by the day.

 

[tobydawq]

Modolo out-kicking Jakobsen? What?

And Viviani still nowhere .

 

[sir fly]

Couldn't be cleaner.
Nice job by Bol and Sunweb.

 

[red_flanders]

Doubt that no-one in the world could have predicted an attack by Evanopeel in the last km - The unknown was whether he could hold on for the stage victory.

The idea that a group of favorites were "surprised" by an attack by anyone in the last km of a mountain top finish...well, as they say, "that dog don't hunt". Everyone in that group had to be vigilantly watching for an attack at any point in the last 2-3 k, if not longer, never mind the last 500 meters.

Doesn't matter who it was, they were ready and simply couldn't follow.

 

[F_Cance]

Ryan Mullen > Elia Viviani