Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2023, March 20-26

[theyoungest]

I'm not sure what UAE in this mode reminds me of, but I'm sure it's not a cycling team...

Pogacar is the glue that keeps it all together for that team. If he's not there they ride without a purpose, and without a leader.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

GC

 

[Ilmaestro99]

I think Yates is coleader considering they have both won stages in this race?

Yates lost over 10 minutes yesterday . He is not leader anymore

 

[Red Rick]

I would surely like to hear those Roglič and Evenepoel fans today.

Guys.

I call for an armistice until tomorrow

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Ciccone was swaying like D(e)an Martin, but well done by him. I thought he was going to blow up in Remco's wheel, and that Roglič would regret not being in second wheel.

Ciccone looked quite good in the 2021 Giro before he crashed out, so it's nice to see him finding some form and consistency, although it might be a bit too early.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Guys.

I call for an armistice until tomorrow

What about the girls, can they carry on?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Seriously different riders come of age at different rates. It’s not like this guy has been pack fodder. We all knew he was a supremely talented climber.

He already looked really good in the 2021 Giro before that crash. Then he rushed back and did 2 stage races to somehow hold shape/built it back up for the Olympics and rode Donostia and the Vuelta afterwards (before his DNF). Last year he had to postpone his pre-Giro altitude camp because he had Bronchitis (he was on antibiotics) and was clearly not ready for the Giro, despite his stage win. He still rode the Tour afterwards and wasn't bad during the 2nd half of the race, but not in peak shape.

Bad luck and questionable choices when it came to his schedule have been a thing over the last 2 seasons and in 2020 he had Covid in late August to mess up his Giro prep...

 

[Samamba]

First ineos guy 30th place. Pretty impressive.

What's the last time this happened in a WT climbers race?

EDIT: Castroviejo 23rd.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

Seriously different riders come of age at different rates. It’s not like this guy has been pack fodder. We all knew he was a supremely talented climber.

I didn't say he wasn't? + plus people mentioning giro stages, yes. but they weren't in the gc against remco and rog

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Uijtdebroeks 10th and Martinez 15th today, the kids are more than alright.

 

[Andy schleck]

Looks like Remco made a mistake in the final bend. That might have cost him the win.

The same excuse of yesterday.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Pogacar is the glue that keeps it all together for that team. If he's not there they ride without a purpose, and without a leader.

I mean, at least Mas was somewhere on the GC, Yates on the other hand already lost 10min yesterday and is still riding for himself...
It's a shame, because Almeida was really strong.

 

[noob]

Yates lost over 10 minutes yesterday . He is not leader anymore

I mean not as GC leader but as a protected stage winner. Like Soler. Not saying it's right.

 

[Valanga]

Looks like Remco made a mistake in the final bend. That might have cost him the win.

It sure was a mistake, but I don't think it would have mattered in the end.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

First ineos guy 30th place. Pretty impressive.

What's the last time this happened in a WT climbers race?

23rd, Castroviejo; but it must be a long time ago. Maybe 2010?

 

[Divergence]

A bit dissapointed by both Rogla and Remco, I thought they would gap the others. I am not sure if it was the gradient or Rogla had to break his cadence because of the tightness of the last curve, but that cost him the win today. In any case it was not a good showing from him, I just hope he was saving himself for the efforts to come. Well done to Ciccone.

On another note, WTF was that from Sepp, what a dumb move.

 

[JosefK]

Uijtdebroeks the most impressive ride today? (Age adjusted?)

 

[Samamba]

23rd, Castroviejo; but it must be a long time ago. Maybe 2010?

Yeah my bad, I looked over Castro. I mean can you blame me, how is Castro their first guy.

 

[Valanga]

I mean not as GC leader but as a protected stage winner. Like Soler. Not saying it's right.

In a volta a catalunya you don't have a protected stage winner when your protected GC guy is having a mechanical. That's just stupid.
On the other hand, Almeida seems to prefer climbing alone...

 

[BR2]

About UAE, I don't know if it is deliberate, but there really is no team. It's basically every rider for himself. At least there is no hierarchy between the big names. They have to fight it out on the road by themselves. It has been like that in many other races now. Funnily it really kind of suits Almeida's general style very well. He rides for nobody, nobody rides for him, he's just doing his thing and pace, whether a comet falls down or a fairy appears.

 

[Samamba]

Uijtdebroeks 10th and Martinez 15th today, the kids are more than alright.

Van Eetvelt 20th not bad too. A bit behind Martinez, as expected.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

First ineos guy 30th place. Pretty impressive.

What's the last time this happened in a WT climbers race?

They had nobody in the top-30 on GC in Itzulia in 2019, unless we're counting Pologne as a climber's race that's the last time they did at least similarly terribly.

 

[Tim Cahill]

You have to feel for the boy Almeida, the loneliest man in the peloton, this website isn't prepared for the traffic it's about to get from the nation of Portugal this May.

 

[Carols]

He is the peace maker!

Everyone coming together in unison.

He didn't put his face in the wind once and his team was useless.

Yes his team was useless and the Race Leader doesn't need to attack. They have to take the jersey off him, and Remmy couldn't even finish in front of him .

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

According to Twitter it was a new record on the climb today. And Almeida probably even faster, depending on if his mechanical happened before or after the start of the climb.