Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2022 (March 21-27)

[tobydawq]

Matthews now has more pro wins than his mate Pogacar

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Masnada wasting his talent in this team.

 

[JosefK]

Nice to see MM is back (for now).

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Seriously what a joke

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Masanada gives the pull of the century to put bagioli in perfect place because none of his teammates can be bothered to help. And then bagioli forgets how to sprint

 

[JosefK]

The crash monster was not too fierce today, though Carapaz took a small spill.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Masnada incredible.

 

[tobydawq]

Masanada gives the pull of the century to put bagioli in perfect place because none of his teammates can be bothered to help. And then bagioli forgets how to sprint

Haha, sure it was the pull of the century on a downhill, twisted road, and yeah, Bagioli has a much greater pedigree than Mattews and Colbrelli on such a finish.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Pacher probably wins that if he wasn't so poorly positioned, good ride from him but it says so much about the field.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[sir fly]

Congrats to Bling.
Great drag to the line.

 

[tobydawq]

Pacher probably wins that if he wasn't so poorly positioned, good ride from him but it says so much about the field.

It does? Okay, we don't have the crossers here but who else would beat Matthews and Colbrelli on such a finish these days?

Impressive by Pacher, he was also in the front group in MSR.

 

[tobydawq]

Yates and Almeida lost 11 seconds.

 

[SafeBet]

Happy for Matthews. You can feel how it meant to him after almost 2 years without a pro win.

Haha, sure it was the pull of the century on a downhill, twisted road, and yeah, Bagioli has a much greater pedigree than Mattews and Colbrelli on such a finish.

To be fair, I think Bagioli at 100% could challenge those guys. Last year he even beat Matthews in a flat sprint at the Vuelta if I'm not mistaken. But his shape doesn't seem good after he got sick in February.
O are you saying Matthews has the edge over Bagioli precisely because this was uphill?

 

[tobydawq]

Happy for Matthews. You can feel how it meant to him after almost 2 years without a pro win.


To be fair, I think Bagioli at 100% could challenge those guys. Last year he even beat Matthews in a flat sprint at the Vuelta if I'm not mistaken. But his shape doesn't seem good after he got sick in February.
O are you saying Matthews has the edge over Bagioli precisely because this was uphill?

I'm just saying that being beaten by Matthews and Colbrelli on an uphill finish is nothing to be ashamed of, and that Il Maestro as usual goes in extreme exaggeration mode when Masnada is involved.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

Yates and Almeida lost 11 seconds.

What happened to the rule that it had to be a 3 second gap between the back of the first group and the front of the second? Looking back that was about as big a gap of that to the 3rd and 4th rider....should get amended.

 

[SafeBet]

Yates and Almeida lost 11 seconds.

Chaves and Carlos Rodriguez too.
Oh and Meintjes.

I don't think the split was big enoug to justify a gap though.

 

[tobydawq]

What happened to the rule that it had to be a 3 second gap between the back of the first group and the front of the second? Looking back that was about as big a gap of that to the 3rd and 4th rider....should get amended.

Certainly that doesn't apply on an uphill finish?

 

[yaco]

Happy for Matthews - Although he did not get a win in 2021, he was consistent and always in shape - I suspect the team not getting him to ride flat sprint finishes may allow him to get another win or two in 2022 - I hope the team takes him to the Giro, however I doubt it will happen.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Yates and Almeida lost 11 seconds.

Yates, Rodriguez, Almida, Vanhouke, Chaves losing the time. Meanwhile fausto takes no losses after gregario duties. And higuita in the top 10. Difference in quality or just not paying attention?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

It does? Okay, we don't have the crossers here but who else would beat Matthews and Colbrelli on such a finish these days?

Considering that Matthews has won two races since his last appearance in Catalunya three years ago and Colbrelli won't be at his best here given his illness, quite a few people. For starters, Ewan and Pedersen. It's probably also hard enough for Alaphilippe, I would back Pidcock and Hayter in last year's non-illness-disrupted form too, then there's Laporte who destroyed everyone on a hill that wasn't much harder two weeks ago. And then there's a host of riders where this could have gone both ways, heck, in this field both Slovenians would have been in with a shout.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

Certainly that doesn't apply on an uphill finish?

if technically true it still wasn't a big enough gap

 

[Blanco]

Considering that Matthews has won two races since his last appearance in Catalunya three years ago and Colbrelli won't be at his best here given his illness, quite a few people. For starters, Ewan and Pedersen. It's probably also hard enough for Alaphilippe, I would back Pidcock and Hayter in last year's non-illness-disrupted form too, then there's Laporte who destroyed everyone on a hill that wasn't much harder two weeks ago. And then there's a host of riders where this could have gone both ways, heck, in this field both Slovenians would have been in with a shout.

Out of those you mentioned, only Ewan could beat him. Uphill sprint is a Matthews specialty.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It looks like Gerolsteiner might not have been the primary water related inspiration for the new BEX kit.

 

[tobydawq]

Considering that Matthews has won two races since his last appearance in Catalunya three years ago and Colbrelli won't be at his best here given his illness, quite a few people. For starters, Ewan and Pedersen. It's probably also hard enough for Alaphilippe, I would back Pidcock and Hayter in last year's non-illness-disrupted form too, then there's Laporte who destroyed everyone on a hill that wasn't much harder two weeks ago. And then there's a host of riders where this could have gone both ways, heck, in this field both Slovenians would have been in with a shout.

The fact that Matthews hasn't won anything in 18 months is more a mystery than something that tells you he has declined.