Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2019, March 25-31

[Robert5091]

Chapeau Schachmann! Gutsy win - The breakaway wins again - good news for Bora with Sagan's dissapointment today at E3.

Damn cheap bikes!

Stage 6 tomorrow - Valls - Vila Seca 169.1 km

Matthews to try again, and who knows, maybe the break wins again! Start 12.55 CET

 

[Velolover2]

Bernal was amazing and looked like the strongest man on Vallter 2000. Lopez was the strongest on La Molina. But Yates is the smartest rider. Both of the brothers have a great timing. This could come down to seconds.

If Bernal wants to seal the overall victory, he has to steal some more bonus seconds (6 points can be gained tomorrow) and win the Alto de Montjuic stage.

For Adam, the tactics must be to ambush Lopez who is more diesel. Astana have to watch him carefully on the hilly circuit.

 

[Red Rick]

Attack on climbs, contest bonus sprints tomorrow I'd say.

 

[movingtarget]

Great win by Schachmann. Matthews understandably frustrated.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Chapeau Schachmann! Gutsy win - The breakaway wins again - good news for Bora with Sagan's dissapointment today at E3.

Damn cheap bikes!

Stage 6 tomorrow - Valls - Vila Seca 169.1 km

Matthews to try again, and who knows, maybe the break wins again! Start 12.55 CET

They should do the last little climb backwards. I am sure it would be hard to climb a 90 degree angle climb.

 

[Robert5091]

https://twitter.com/VoltaCatalunya/status/1111962670100557824
Greipel's gone home

Cyclist who haven't started today @acmorata (@CajaRural_RGA) @AndreGreipel (@Arkea_Samsic)

 

[Velolover2]

I'm cheering for Bernal. The hardest worker who isn't afraid to get up front deserves to be rewarded.

Hope he can pick of some bonus seconds today.

 

[Robert5091]

Re:

I'm cheering for Bernal. The hardest worker who isn't afraid to get up front deserves to be rewarded.

Hope he can pick of some bonus seconds today.

Should be interesting to see if Dawg does his trademarked descending to lead Bernal to the two sprints with bonus seconds. Astana will be close behind though.

 

[repre]

Re:

https://twitter.com/VoltaCatalunya/status/1111962670100557824
Greipel's gone home

Cyclist who haven't started today @acmorata (@CajaRural_RGA) @AndreGreipel (@Arkea_Samsic)

Why was he even there? It was better for him to ride some one-day races

 

[Salvarani]

Re: Re:

https://twitter.com/VoltaCatalunya/status/1111962670100557824
Greipel's gone home

Cyclist who haven't started today @acmorata (@CajaRural_RGA) @AndreGreipel (@Arkea_Samsic)

Why was he even there? It was better for him to ride some one-day races

Maybe they thought he could have snatched a stage in a weak sprinters field.

But also, Arkea has not received an invite to these one-races in Belgium. As far as I can see. It is if they would have sent him to these French ones instead. Dont know if they suit him though?

He could also just be needing the miles from this race to get in shape.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Pity that Gorilla went home
now that they took out the finishing loop/lap
making it easier for the sprinters

-58km break at 1m12s

 

[Valv.Piti]

Pretty pathetic that Greipel and Hodeg went home I have to say...

 

[TourOfSardinia]

oops Simon Yates gets binned

Update: he got back

 

[Carols]

Cheeky move by MAL, Love it!

 

[RedheadDane]

Lopez, you absolutely amazing person.
Okay, he got caught, but... just... doing that! :lol:

 

[Carols]

Bling wins but MAL was awesome

 

[Laplaz]

MAL and Formolo looked really strong

 

[RedheadDane]

I may be squemish (however you spell that…), but I almost wish Matthews would go against the "no interviews with sunglasses" rule. His eye!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[Robert5091]

Chapeau Matthews - just! Superman now super sprinter?!

 

[Escarabajo]

Got to love MAL. I'd love to see him hiving trouble to the time trailers at the Giro.

 

[Lequack]

I guess nowadays everyone just accepts that there are designated sprint stage to be won only in sprint finishes, so no team even tries anything, apart fro the doomed breakaways.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

I guess nowadays everyone just accepts that there are designated sprint stage to be won only in sprint finishes, so no team even tries anything, apart fro the doomed breakaways.

Thats a pretty odd comment considering breaks have made it on stage 1 and 5 which you'd expect would end up in sprints.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

I guess nowadays everyone just accepts that there are designated sprint stage to be won only in sprint finishes, so no team even tries anything, apart fro the doomed breakaways.

Thats a pretty odd comment considering breaks have made it on stage 1 and 5 which you'd expect would end up in sprints.

Which probably meant that the sprinter teams probably weren't going to let anyone get very far today.

 

[Robert5091]

Sunday's final stage 7: Barcelona 143.1 km with 8 laps around Barcelona
https://www.cyclingstage.com/volta-a-catalunya-2019/stage-7-route-cat-2019/

The 7-day stage race ends with eight runs on a hilly 6.6 kilometres circuit in Barcelona.

Alto de Montjuïc is an iconic hill overlooking the city. It pepped up numerous finales of the Volta a Catalunya. As the Montjuïc is included eight times the punchy slope wears out the riders. The 2 kilometres climb has an average gradient of 5.7% and steepest ramps of up to 8%. A 1 kilometre drop then takes the riders to a 700 metres slope at 6%. Each lap concludes with a further 2.3 kilometres descent to the line.

The Volta a Catalunya’s final stage opens with an inland loop with only one obstacle, the Coll de la Creu d’Ordal. At kilometre 85, the riders enter the Barcelona circuit.

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Superman, A Yates and Bernal only 17 seconds apart and time bonuses for sprints and at the finish so it'll be fast and furious.