Volta ao Algarve May 5-9 2021

[BlueRoads]

You are right, I am only opening this thread to complain.
These races that have been postponed into April and May are a shadow of what they could and would have been. Great opportunities for pro-and conti-teams, but not much of an incentive to watch for mainstream spectators.
The 47th edition of the Volta ao Algarve is about to hit the road, with some of the greatest athletes in world cycling. Okay, so the second reason I am doing this is obviously Lennard Kämna, who will probably start and, under normal circumstances should win this race like he's pre-crash Remco - if he had anything like a team, and not be a free unfitting radical in a completely Ackermann-focused roster, and if the route would allow it. insert three sighs
Third reason to threadisize this, and this is where other people might come into play as interested public, is DQS' very interesting team with, like they like to bring lately, three sprinters: Jakobsen, Bennett, Ballerini. They should rule the sprints, question is with whom.

Stage 1: sprint
Stage 2: mtf
Stage 3: hilly sprint stage
Stage 4: tt
Stage 5: mtf /better uphill sprint
Finish:

Contenders for the 20k time trial are for instance Ivo Oliveira and Kasper Asgreen.

So, who will win the mountain stage? Can Lennard make it or will Ineos beat him?

Maybe someone can also inform us about some youngsters we should watch, in case we watch. In any case Ardila and Carlos Rodriguez should be present.

 

[johnymax]

It's the start of the season again! That means we'll see the classics, TA and Itzulia again, yes!

 

[Mayomaniac]

I'd keep an eye on that Veloso kid.

 

[BlueRoads]

I see they also added Rui Costa... or I overlooked him.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Weird sprint field. There are four sprinters at this race with any kind of palmares... and three of them are on Quickstep. Is it just going to be Ackermann v the train? Or is anyone else capable of being competitive? Maybe Aniolkowski?

 

[Anderis]

Weird sprint field. There are four sprinters at this race with any kind of palmares... and three of them are on Quickstep. Is it just going to be Ackermann v the train? Or is anyone else capable of being competitive? Maybe Aniolkowski?

Doesn't Danny van Poppel have any kind of palmares? Or Marc Sarreau? I'm not sure which 3 Quickstep riders have better palmares than them, unless you count a non-sprinter Asgreen.

I know you probably meant Ballerini who is in good form this year but in terms of actual sprinting palmares he is not really ahead of the other riders I've mentioned.

 

[RedheadDane]

Doesn't Danny van Poppel have any kind of palmares? Or Marc Sarreau? I'm not sure which 3 Quickstep riders have better palmares than them, unless you count a non-sprinter Asgreen.

I know you probably meant Ballerini who is in good form this year but in terms of actual sprinting palmares he is not really ahead of the other riders I've mentioned.

Bennett is pretty good too...

 

[tobydawq]

Bennett is pretty good too...

He is obviously referring to who the third sprinter is apart from Bennett and Jakobsen.

 

[RedheadDane]

He is obviously referring to who the third sprinter is apart from Bennett and Jakobsen.

Is he?

 

[tobydawq]

Is he?

Yes?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Doesn't Danny van Poppel have any kind of palmares? Or Marc Sarreau? I'm not sure which 3 Quickstep riders have better palmares than them, unless you count a non-sprinter Asgreen.

I know you probably meant Ballerini who is in good form this year but in terms of actual sprinting palmares he is not really ahead of the other riders I've mentioned.

didn’t notice Van Poppel. didn’t count Sarreau and won’t till he wins something that isn’t a little French race with next to no decent sprinters. Neither has won anything since 2019.

Do you think either of them will challenge QS or Ackermann? I dont unless Ackermann sprints from 300 metres every time and QS devote themselves to some weird monkey business to get Jakobsen a win before he’s ready to sprint. Both admittedly are possible.

(Now that I say that every sprint will of course be a Sarreau - DVP 1-2)

 

[Anderis]

Is he?

Yes, I'm.

Do you think either of them will challenge QS or Ackermann?

That was not my point.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

Ballerini is the third and definitely has better results than Sarreau or Van Poppel.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Costa will win this thanks to the time trial. But on the climbs the duo of Antunes and Brandão will make him suffer. Joni is already in great shape.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

I'd keep an eye on that Veloso kid.

I just looked at the full start list. It includes at least 6 riders that I would have assumed retired by now.

 

[tobydawq]

I just looked at the full start list. It includes at least 6 riders that I would have assumed retired by now.

Yep, the same for me. Sergio Paulinho, Tiago Machado, Gustavo César Veloso, Javier Moreno to not quite name six.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

It's way too early for that Veloso kid. He is still in re-charging mode for summer.

 

[Mayomaniac]

It's way too early for that Veloso kid. He is still in re-charging mode for summer.

Yeah, the Spaniards have a great young generation with him and Marque.
So Veloso is now riding for Tavira, Federico Figueiredo left Tavira and signed with Efapel (who also signed the TTer/rouleur Reis) and Brandao left Efapel and signed with W52 (feels weird to think that he'll be racing for them instead of against them).

 

[Gregor_Slovenia]

Sprints probably Bennett vs Ackermann. But what about GC? What a strangely weak field that is..Only Kamna that looks to me the strongest climber (if he is in form..). And for time trial I hardly see anyone beating Benjamin Thomas (FDJ).

 

[RedheadDane]

And for time trial I hardly see anyone beating Benjamin Thomas (FDJ).

I dunno... there is this Danish guy who's pretty good at the time trials.

 

[Berflamand]

Team meeting at DQS last week:

DQS: "So Sam, how many lead out guys do you reckon you'd need at Algarve?"
Sam: "Can't we just take all of them?"
DQS: "Yeah ok, that makes sense!"

I seriously wonder who'll do the dirty work at the front of the peloton for them. Maybe Jakobsen to get some more racing miles in his legs?

 

[Gregor_Slovenia]

Team meeting at DQS last week:

DQS: "So Sam, how many lead out guys do you reckon you'd need at Algarve?"
Sam: "Can't we just take all of them?"
DQS: "Yeah ok, that makes sense!"

I seriously wonder who'll do the dirty work at the front of the peloton for them. Maybe Jakobsen to get some more racing miles in his legs?

Good one hah. Yeah, really strange that none of them does not go to the Giro.

 

[Gregor_Slovenia]

I dunno... there is this Danish guy who's pretty good at the time trials.

Aa, of course. Asgreen. But in ITT in Tirreno this year, Thomas beat him for 10 seconds. But this time trial in Algarve is different. Longer, and this two climbs will be very tough. More like endurance time trial, so yes, Asgreen should maybe do better than Thomas..But, you never know.

 

[Gregor_Slovenia]

Can you point out someone from a start list that is good climber? I have serious problems. Only Kamna seems decent, and also him..If he had some health issues, his form is maybe questionable. Rui Costa, but is also not really a great in climbing anymore.

Maybe even Asgreen could try for a GC here.

 

[WKA311]

After his win yesterday and with the lackluster field assembled here, Sean Quinn should get a decent GC shot. Clearly in good form and can climb good enough. Would also be cool to see Ardila do something here, he finally found some shape again after his knee issues.
Ineos have multiple options with Narvaez, Rodriguez and maybe even Hayter. Zimmermann should also like the climbs but his season so far was derailed by injury, so I don't expect too much from him here. Diego Lopez seems to be in good shape, would be nice to see Kern Pharma up there. Rally got Mannion and Rosskopf for GC and Arkea has Gesbert plus Guernalec tor the ITT.

Should be fun to watch even without the big names. Need to see how Kamna is going after his spell of illness. DQS will dominate the sprints unless Ackes and Selig are back to their best.