Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2023, March 20-26

[topcat]

Catalunya in the (sand)bag for Remco. All tactics for the giro, just like MVDP gifting E3 to WVA with the ronde coming up. This is the kind of insight that’s beyond most of the partisan prejudiced bickerers here.

 

[Red Rick]

At this point, it's more surprising when a climb record doesn't get broken. Could see the AdH or Ventoux records seriously challenged for the first time in decades next time the Tour heads there.

Tbh Lo Port was basically one of the single biggest watts bazooka of the 2010s

 

[Devil's Elbow]

As for Evenepoel flipping the GC on Sunday, here's why that's unlikely.

Final circuit:

There's barely any flat on the circuit, and the false flats are downhill. That means Evenepoel pretty much has to make his move(s) on the climbs, where his comparative advantage over Roglic is minimal or nonexistent on paper. It's also almost completely on wide roads, which makes it harder for Roglic to be caught out by poor positioning. And everyone else is decently far down on GC, so Roglic probably won't have to waste his bullets chasing down Almeida.

In other words, there's a reason the GC lead basically never flips here. Yes, Evenepoel will have an easier time keeping a gap than pretty much anyone else, but unless Roglic is on a lesser day (when the murito stage was his best day in Tirreno), I have a hard time seeing him getting that gap.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Tbh Lo Port was basically one of the single biggest watts bazooka of the 2010s

It is the perfect climb for huge watts, though - unipuerto by necessity and starting at close to sea level.

 

[Luthor]

As for Evenepoel flipping the GC on Sunday, here's why that's unlikely.

There's barely any flat on the circuit, and the false flats are downhill. That means Evenepoel pretty much has to make his move(s) on the climbs, where his comparative advantage over Roglic is minimal or nonexistent on paper. It's also almost completely on wide roads, which makes it harder for Roglic to be caught out by poor positioning. And everyone else is decently far down on GC, so Roglic probably won't have to waste his bullets chasing down Almeida.

In other words, there's a reason the GC lead basically never flips here. Yes, Evenepoel will have an easier time keeping a gap than pretty much anyone else, but unless Roglic is on a lesser day (when the murito stage was his best day in Tirreno), I have a hard time seeing him getting that gap.

The stage is not hard enough and Roglic only has to mark Remco. Montjuic is not hard enough for Remco to make gaps easy unless Roglic has a bad day. In classics there is usually more than one contender and recovery does not come into play. I think Remco is far more explosive when he is well-rested.

 

[Riek s]

It is the perfect climb for huge watts, though - unipuerto by necessity and starting at close to sea level.

looking at the time, it doesn't seem like 'huge' watts for an easy stage though. Maybe considering they haven't peaked yet... (= 6.6W/kg for 23minutes)


Almeida was also looking good today. Don't think the Giro will be solely between Roglic and Remco Their rivalery might give other a better chance.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Here Remco erred in opening up the sprint from too far out, against one who is a mountain sprinter specialist. Poor tactic. He still likely would have lost, but on the wheel and not at 6 secs.

Yes, he started an all-out effort too soon probably expecting Primoz to be weaker or just made a mistake. But Primoz today in the finale was stronger than before.

 

[Carols]

Has he ever needed that much time to find his top form though? He was clearly somewhat behind at Tirreno, but by now I'm not sure he has that much more room for improvement compared to Remco going towards the Giro.

He's never been in the situation were he had bone graft surgery and was completely off the bike for 2 months. So I'm sure not even he knows how long it'll be to find top form. And with a chronically injured shoulder fixed even what his top form might be!

 

[Riek s]

He's never been in the situation were he had bone graft surgery and was completely off the bike for 2 months. So I'm sure not even he knows how long it'll be to find top form. And with a chronically injured shoulder fixed even what his top form might be!

I haven't seen any rider not cycling when he has an upper body surgery/problem. They just ride stationary/hometrainer.

 

[Riek s]

looking at the time, it doesn't seem like 'huge' watts for an easy stage though. Maybe considering they haven't peaked yet... (= 6.6W/kg for 23minutes)


Almeida was also looking good today. Don't think the Giro will be solely between Roglic and Remco Their rivalery might give other a better chance.

I retract what i said:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1639316234079551498

View: https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily/status/1639316234079551498?cxt=HHwWlIC-7b3bgsAtAAAA

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I retract what i said:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1639316234079551498

View: https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily/status/1639316234079551498?cxt=HHwWlIC-7b3bgsAtAAAA

Jeez, over 1900 m/h for 24 minutes? This is thermonuclear. This was a bigger VAM fest than I expected (as indicated in my post yesterday). Those guys are close to their peaks actually or there is some mistake in calculations.

 

[Didinho]

He won't get away from Roglic tomorrow, it's the last day of a stage race, where he wasn't stronger today. Not a classics ride.

 

[cen]

I don’t expect Remco to ride away on Sunday just because Roglic will sit on his wheel and follow whenever he tries something. Roglic is a Liège contender so it’s not like it’s easy to drop him

Liège winner*

 

[zlev11]

the only way Remco was winning that stage was if Fred Wright was involved in the finale

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

I retract what i said:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1639316234079551498

View: https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily/status/1639316234079551498?cxt=HHwWlIC-7b3bgsAtAAAA

So we should expect VAM 2200m/h when the Remco loses a couple of kilos and when Roglic starts doing long climbs in training.

 

[Oldermanish]

He's never been in the situation were he had bone graft surgery and was completely off the bike for 2 months. So I'm sure not even he knows how long it'll be to find top form. And with a chronically injured shoulder fixed even what his top form might be!

Realistically his final repaired shoulder should allow him greater overall flexibility. That should also translate into more relaxed, prolonged efforts and greater strength in his upper body. We could be seeing the start of a new top peak for Roglic. He's not a geriatric so arguments about aging are starting to fall away. Sprinting decline is allegedly the first attribute to define an aged cyclist. That doesn't seem to be suffering at the moment.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Jeez, over 1900 m/h for 24 minutes? This is thermonuclear. This was a bigger VAM fest than I expected (as indicated in my post yesterday). Those guys are close to their peaks actually or there is some mistake in calculations.

VAM should be pretty simple to calculate, so I guess it‘s legit.

 

[durtyfat7]

What happened to Landa? It seems his shape is worse than at Tirreno,

 

[johnymax]

Who is the biggest meme rider...Kuss, Landa or Soler?
Soler=Team Soler, Landa= free Landa, always a pretender, Kuss= well, he is just there

 

[Krzysztof_O]

VAM should be pretty simple to calculate, so I guess it‘s legit.

Not necessarily. There can be various vertical profiles of a climb that could alter calculations. It can be true especially for climbs rarely used (like this one). Pogacar and Vingegaard never reached 1850 m/h for 24 minutes on sub 10% climbs (Pog's 1840 m/h on Peyresourde must be the closest). So 1925 m/h is either an ET performance (even considering low elevation and uni-puerto stage) or something is off with calculations.

 

[Carols]

Realistically his final repaired shoulder should allow him greater overall flexibility. That should also translate into more relaxed, prolonged efforts and greater strength in his upper body. We could be seeing the start of a new top peak for Roglic. He's not a geriatric so arguments about aging are starting to fall away. Sprinting decline is allegedly the first attribute to define an aged cyclist. That doesn't seem to be suffering at the moment.

Exactly what I was trying to say ).

 

[hfer07]

Lucky Remco blowing up with just 50 metres to the finish line, otherwise it would have been carnage.
It was a fine example on how Roglic's experience overcame Remco's brutal force

 

[rallybanana]

lol , please link to this map, I really need it for my Italian cycling friends

Italy does not exist - Cipsta

 

[Carols]

Who is the biggest meme rider...Kuss, Landa or Soler?
Soler=Team Soler, Landa= free Landa, always a pretender, Kuss= well, he is just there

Landa is a joke, never shows much no matter how free he is,
Kuss, what exactly is he doing there? And then he's gone. Maybe on the really big multi climb stages he'll serve a purpose.

 

[Netserk]

Not necessarily. There can be various vertical profiles of a climb that could alter calculations. It can be true especially for climbs rarely used (like this one). Pogacar and Vingegaard never reached 1850 m/h for 24 minutes on sub 10% climbs (Pog's 1840 m/h on Peyresourde must be the closest). So 1925 m/h is either an ET performance (even considering low elevation and uni-puerto stage) or something is off with calculations.

It's just simply the perfect VAM climb.

Peyresourde was on the back of Balès, 600 m higher, and with 1.2 percentage point lower average gradient.