Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2019, March 25-31

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

There is something amiss with Quintana ...he stopped on several occasions on the climb and pulled out and let Yates ,MAL and Martin back in
I mean I know that if you let Yates back in he wins the stage ....why does Quintana not know that ...and dont give me he was knackered ...he followed every attack. Doesnt he know that he has to attack on steepest part of climb to have any chance ?

It seems to me he is afraid of losing ...so he rides not to lose...except he loses in the end

Bernal may have beat him to the line but may not....we and he will never know
If fans are waiting for Quintana to provide entertaining cycling they will have a long wait ....now Yates (both), Dan Martin and Thomas de Gendt ...not Colomban climbing sensations but they know how to ride and race and entertain

I think that is what his problem is. He is afraid of loosing and he rides not to lose.

What does Colombian climbing sensations even mean? Colombia has many riders riding in the WT nowadays. Who are you referring to?

The media have referred to Quintana ,Bernal,MAL etc as Colombian climbing sensations

My point is the riders I mentioned are not climbing sensations but all better to watch than Quintana who has loads of talent but little panache ... Pity as I did want him to win a Tour. Looks like Bernal will do it first

 

[LiquidCrystalDynamic]

This is an particularly interesting conversation to have about Quintana and Martin.

I have never understood the love for Martin, there are more loveable losers, better puncheurs, more frequent attackers, more devastating attackers, more inspiring GC hopefuls. There are plenty of riders good for placing 5-10 on a GT GC, who reached a level a few years ago they may never see again.

Similarly the recent hate for Quintana is reminiscent of a couple of things in American sports quarterbacking from the couch, subtle bias against (in the case of cycling) non-European riders, and spite for someone who does not meet their expectations. For Quintana, many like to play the role of DS; he should have attacked here, then, and there. Many love to say Quintana does not ride "the right way", he does not ride with panache, he is weak, rides to lose, etc. Jealousy of the Colombian for growing up at altitude, lazy with too much talent, how hard has he really had to work? Nothing like those hard-working cyclists from Europe, they ride with grit and heart. Also in a roundabout way I think many got too hopeful with the breakout of Quintana, and when he failed to reach their expectations was cast aside.

In any case, much of this might be worth attributing to the differences in physical riding styles between Quintana and Martin. Quintana might show pain, discomfort, and effort less than any other rider; while Martin starts out riding ugly and only gets worse.

 

[Tigerion]

Re: Re:

Shouldn't Simon theoretically be in better shape than Adam given that he's doing the Giro in a month or so, with Adam doing the Tour?

Maybe they'll actually send Adam to the Giro, but say it's Simon.

Please don't say things like that when I have a mouthful of coffee

 

[Robert5091]

The yeast brothers keep brewing,

Touché! :lol: (should not that be rising though?)

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

This is an particularly interesting conversation to have about Quintana and Martin.

I have never understood the love for Martin, there are more loveable losers, better puncheurs, more frequent attackers, more devastating attackers, more inspiring GC hopefuls. There are plenty of riders good for placing 5-10 on a GT GC, who reached a level a few years ago they may never see again.

Similarly the recent hate for Quintana is reminiscent of a couple of things in American sports quarterbacking from the couch, subtle bias against (in the case of cycling) non-European riders, and spite for someone who does not meet their expectations. For Quintana, many like to play the role of DS; he should have attacked here, then, and there. Many love to say Quintana does not ride "the right way", he does not ride with panache, he is weak, rides to lose, etc. Jealousy of the Colombian for growing up at altitude, lazy with too much talent, how hard has he really had to work? Nothing like those hard-working cyclists from Europe, they ride with grit and heart. Also in a roundabout way I think many got too hopeful with the breakout of Quintana, and when he failed to reach their expectations was cast aside.

In any case, much of this might be worth attributing to the differences in physical riding styles between Quintana and Martin. Quintana might show pain, discomfort, and effort less than any other rider; while Martin starts out riding ugly and only gets worse.

This is one of the silliest comments I’ve seen here. Congratulations on managing to perceive an anti-Colombian bias on a forum where every Colombian climber is treated like a demigod. Quintana has really had to work to create resentment of his riding style over a long number of years among fans who spent most of that time praying that he would beat Froome and the Sky train.

And no, there are no GC men who attack more than Martin. That’s why people like him. Not because he’s the best, but because he tries to win by attacking despite not being the best. Quintana has usually been perceived as the best, or at least one of the two best in the mountains, so his relative passivity creates resentment among people who watch to be entertained. Yesterday was a perfect encapsulation of the difference: both ended on the same time, but Martin attacked repeatedly and was dropped and came back repeatedly. Quintana was almost certainly stronger, but he got the same result in the Meintjes style. There is nothing mysterious or complicated about it. Only Quintana’s own mother could prefer to watch his ride.

Like Quintana if you must. Defend him if you like. I’ve done both at various points. But don’t try to convince the rest of us that our eyes are lying or attribute some kind of chauvinism to those who can see.

 

[Robert5091]

Hey - it's not even April yet! Give the guys a break

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Shouldn't Simon theoretically be in better shape than Adam given that he's doing the Giro in a month or so, with Adam doing the Tour?

Maybe they'll actually send Adam to the Giro, but say it's Simon.

Please don't say things like that when I have a mouthful of coffee

And how am I supposed to know when you have a mouthful of coffee? Maybe take some responsibility over your own life, and don't drink coffee while reading these forums.

- She said, drinking coffee…

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Re: Re:

Shouldn't Simon theoretically be in better shape than Adam given that he's doing the Giro in a month or so, with Adam doing the Tour?

Maybe they'll actually send Adam to the Giro, but say it's Simon.

Please don't say things like that when I have a mouthful of coffee

And how am I supposed to know when you have a mouthful of coffee? Maybe take some responsibility over your own life, and don't drink coffee while reading these forums.

- She said, drinking coffee…

Never take a coffee without
a Danish

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_pastry

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Shouldn't Simon theoretically be in better shape than Adam given that he's doing the Giro in a month or so, with Adam doing the Tour?

I don't think so. If you're going to the Giro you don't want to be too good too long in March cause you may risk burning yourself out by May.

Most Giro riders will pick one race in March where they're really good before taking it a little bit easier. Contador's best results in TA/PN were all in years he didn't do the Giro, and in 2011 when he won Catalunya, he didn't do PN or TA.

In a similar vein, you rarely ever see riders who peak for the Giro riding Pais Vasco or something like that.

 

[del1962]

I think people had very high expectations of Quintana, it most part due to his 2013 Tour performance, but he has not lived up to those expectations.

Was he on the limit following Bernal yesterday, I don't know, it seemed to me that his lack of cooperation with Bernal has made it harder to win the race for him, was it team orders? I don't know, what I do know is that the way he rode vastly reduced his chances to win the bike race.

 

[Robert5091]

Today could be more explosive with 150 km up and down all day -

Time for the other Yates to shine?

 

[70kmph]

Time for Quintana to attack ?

 

[Koronin]

Re:

I think people had very high expectations of Quintana, it most part due to his 2013 Tour performance, but he has not lived up to those expectations.

Was he on the limit following Bernal yesterday, I don't know, it seemed to me that his lack of cooperation with Bernal has made it harder to win the race for him, was it team orders? I don't know, what I do know is that the way he rode vastly reduced his chances to win the bike race.

Unlikely team orders as Valverde told the team very early on that he was going to ride the climb very easy and that he was not going to be there.

 

[Laplaz]

Peloton still together on top of the first climb.

 

[Robert5091]

Re:

Peloton still together on top of the first climb.

but TdG took the KOM points!

 

[Laplaz]

BODT:


James Knox (Deceuninck-Quick Step)

Antonio Nibali, Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Merida)

Davide Villella (Astana)

Patrick Bevin (CCC Team)

Michael Storer, Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb)

Tony Gallopin (AG2R La Mondiale)

Giulio Ciccone, Niklas Eg (Trek-Segafredo)

Carlos Verona, Marc Soler (Movistar)

Hugh Carthy, Joe Dombrowski (EF Education First)

Gregor Mülhberger, Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe)

Daniel Navarro (Katusha-Alpecin)

Tsgabu Grmay, Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott)

Sebastian Reichenbach (Groupama-FDJ)

Guillame Martin (Wanty-Groupe Gobert)

Jesús Herrada (Cofidis)

Amaël Moinard (Arkéa-Samsic)

Mikel Bizkarra (Euskadi-Murias)

 

[Robert5091]

Break could win this, unless the Sky train gets steaming (no Sky riders in the break)

 

[Laplaz]

Best placed rider in GC is James Knox, who is 2:14 back.

 

[King Boonen]

Ernie Dingo FTW!

 

[King Boonen]

Break reduced, anyone got a list of who's left?

 

[Robert5091]

https://twitter.com/VoltaCatalunya/status/1111269647003852800

Gap 04:55 - Team Sky starts to set the pace in front of the bunch

The Sky train has left the station!

edit -

@Carlos_Verona (@Movistar_Team) and @muehlberger_94 (@BORAhansgrohe) go alone in front of the race ⏱️Gap 03:20min - @chrisfroome setting the pace in front of the bunch

Dawg on dom duties.

 

[70kmph]

Dawg :lol:

 

[search]

Re:

Break reduced, anyone got a list of who's left?

Matthews, Impey, Eg and Carthy were the first to be dropped (and caught by the peloton already). Must be more by now, but I haven't read any other names

Edit: on the climb Carlos Verona, Gregor Mülhberger and Patrick Bevin went clear, followed by a group of Giulo Ciccone, Sébastien Reichenbach, Michael Storer, Damiano Caruso, Marc Soler, Maximilian Schachmann and Joe Dombrowski.

 

[Bronstein]

Re:

https://twitter.com/VoltaCatalunya/status/1111269647003852800

Gap 04:55 - Team Sky starts to set the pace in front of the bunch

The Sky train has left the station!

edit -

@Carlos_Verona (@Movistar_Team) and @muehlberger_94 (@BORAhansgrohe) go alone in front of the race ⏱️Gap 03:20min - @chrisfroome setting the pace in front of the bunch

Dawg on dom duties.

Froome reverting to type.

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

Break reduced, anyone got a list of who's left?

Matthews, Impey, Eg and Carthy were the first to be dropped (and caught by the peloton already). Must be more by now, but I haven't read any other names

Edit: on the climb Carlos Verona, Gregor Mülhberger and Patrick Bevin went clear, followed by a group of Giulo Ciccone, Sébastien Reichenbach, Michael Storer, Damiano Caruso, Marc Soler, Maximilian Schachmann and Joe Dombrowski.

Thanks, Dingo still in the chase group then!