Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2025, March 24-30

[Rackham]

They have a transfer to Barcelona and an early start tomorrow, so if they would race the 60 km lap, they would finish to late.

And for those of us in western Europe (Spain included) our clocks go forward tonight. So we lose an hour.

That's another reason not to dawdle.

 

[Samamba]

I think we also would need enough riders who would say "*** it" and ride off when the peloton goes into protest/stand up strike mode. Let them them win a time or two and the protests will decrease. But it can't just be one or two rebels riding off, cause they will just get blackballed.

Bessèges??
And those organizers and even riders that continued are still being seen as the bad guys.

 

[Netserk]

And for those of us in western Europe (Spain included) our clocks go forward tonight. So we lose an hour.

That's another reason not to dawdle.

Apparently, an issue today was the speed of the riders during the neutralisation. They also started later than what the organisers wanted.

 

[Sciatic]

And for those of us in western Europe (Spain included) our clocks go forward tonight. So we lose an hour.

That's another reason not to dawdle.

Dang, that means getting up extra, extra early to catch tomorrow's stage

 

[Sciatic]

Bessèges??
And those organizers and even riders that continued are still being seen as the bad guys.

Yeah, omerta-type closing ranks is used for more than clinic coverups

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Dang, that means getting up extra, extra early to catch tomorrow's stage

You're not wrong, for us on the West Coast coverage should start around 2:15am!

 

[Unchained]

Uh?

Yes?

That's like the fastest way to future WCs probalby too

If race director told Bora,UAE and others, race or else.. I think it's safe enough.. and there was an argument, race director is gone.. Likely by days end

 

[Unchained]

Has the -Crashes What Can Be Done?- thread closed?

 

[Escarabajo]

Who is to blame if crash happens?

Crashes can happen regardless of weather.

 

[Escarabajo]

After watching the stage and reading the comments here and from some of the riders, I think we can all agree that today turned out to be a really unfortunate day for not racing. The weather was absolutely perfect. What are you supposed to tell a casual viewer—that there was a bad weather protocol in place? They’re just going to think we’re crazy for following this sport.

 

[Red Rick]

Who is to blame if crash happens?

Organisers.

We blame them every time, they should have stopped giving a shite ages ago tbh.

 

[Red Rick]

If race director told Bora,UAE and others, race or else.. I think it's safe enough.. and there was an argument, race director is gone.. Likely by days end

I doubt it. If the commisaires greenlight it, the director keeps steady, you really think entire teams are gonna step out the race?

I guess we should just sell the sport to Saudi after all.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Ofcourse it's the retirement home team

Breaking a hip at that age is a serious thing.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Who is to blame if crash happens?

Philipsen

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Just tune in ...what the hell was that ??

I presume there was a hurricane today in Spain ???

Why have people no sense

 

[AnotherArmChair]

I wonder what Adam will do this year...
Tirreno and Catalunya: helping Ayuso
Milan Torino: helping Del Toro
Giro: helping Ayuso
Tour: helping Pogacar

He has ridden for others before and ended up on the podium of theTour de France

Also you never know what can happen in a race to a leader..and you have to step up ..but seems to me he needs better form by then

 

[proffate]

I think the gun part was a reference to the Tucson Arizona fast-paced group ride known as the shout-out (which ends with an uphill sprint like today's stage). Not sure what the chest thumping was a reference to. Maybe something he saw in a Chimpanzee documentary.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I think the gun part was a reference to the Tucson Arizona fast-paced group ride known as the shout-out (which ends with an uphill sprint like today's stage). Not sure what the chest thumping was a reference to. Maybe something he saw in a Chimpanzee documentary.

Honestly, it was just an exact copy of El Pistolero‘s signature celebration, I doubt Contador has done any group rides in Tucson AZ

 

[Netserk]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1906106268474806347

View: https://x.com/JamesAlonso_007/status/1906106268474806347

After removing several climbs (forced by a weather alert), it was agreed between the riders and the organization to do two laps of a 70 km circuit around Berga. Everyone agreed except, according to TV3, the Ineos team, and according to CdA, several foreign riders. They managed to start the stage with the idea that the first lap would serve to check if racing was possible (it was), and the second would be full competition. However, shortly after the start, some teams stopped and said they would quit after the first lap and wouldn’t continue racing.

After some negotiations—Roglic involved—the riders imposed that only one lap would be done, as they had already completed half a lap in a neutralized manner. Spanish riders Omar Fraile, Marc Soler, and Juanpe López went up to the race car to negotiate and told them that they had to start pushing already, that if they were only going to do one lap, they should at least get going. By the time all the negotiations were over, only about 20 km remained.

The race organizer later came out and called the situation a disgrace, naming three riders who wanted to race: Verona, Mas, and Fraile. Fraile was one of the CPA representatives today, but according to TV3, it was actually his team that refused to start. I recommend looking up the statements from Rubèn Peris, and I eagerly await the analysis Carlos de Andrés will give tomorrow once he goes live.

Oh, and Ayuso and Soler were also willing to race on that circuit, which, by the way, was beautiful—140 km, 2500 meters of elevation gain, with some tricky sections.

Ineos and the Welsh W destroyed the stage. They got delayed because some teams stopped after the neutral start had begun, practically taking the race hostage.

A minority of riders sabotaged the stage and violated what had been agreed.

 

[CyclistAbi]

The way i see it it was the weather that killed this stage and everything else is just an indirect consequence of that. That is this would never be a GC decisive stage, due to ending up being to easy. Frankly, after slowly riding one lap the idea to do one more, racing, we in the end sort of got that. So it is what it is.

If other factors wouldn't be involved, commercial nature, whole stage to be cancelled altogether, that would make the most sense. Now onto tomorrow on where it should be an interesting battle for the overall. Rogla with a bit harder challenge involved but hey, nobody is complaining. Lets do it.

 

[Põhja Konn]

One shorter night between two junior lenght stages at the end of a week-long tour is a complete non-issue and should never be a reason to forfeit an agreement you've just made, screw over organisers, fans and those of your collegues who are actually ready to keep up their end of the bargain and race. It's not like they have two further weeks of a GT ahead of them to worry about.

Yesterday was a complete embarrasment for riders and teams, who showed they just aren't a trustworthy partner to deal with. Doesn't even matter which team or rider was the biggest culprit yesterday, everybody else in the peloton is stained, because they all followed the deal breakers in the end.

 

[Rackham]

One shorter night between two junior lenght stages at the end of a week-long tour is a complete non-issue and should never be a reason to forfeit an agreement you've just made, screw over organisers, fans and those of your collegues who are actually ready to keep up their end of the bargain and race. It's not like they have two further weeks of a GT ahead of them to worry about.

Yesterday was a complete embarrasment for riders and teams, who showed they just aren't a trustworthy partner to deal with. Doesn't even matter which team or rider was the biggest culprit yesterday, everybody else in the peloton is stained, because they all followed the deal breakers in the end.

I'm more of the opinion that when a stage gets butchered like yesterday and especially when climbing gets sliced from the menu, it's pretty understandable that teams and riders who'd prepped especially for stage 6 would lose all interest. Even more so when weird stuff gets added like 'no bonis' or riding 60km neutralized. And a late start as well.

I realize dunking on riders is the popular thing these days and yeah in some cases they totally deserve it but I think yesterday had mitigating circumstances for everyone - Ineos included.

And honestly the biggest litmus test in these sorts of scenarios is generally speaking the 'how many spectators actually care?' question. I'd wager... not many. Not since the main attraction of the stage (climbing and/or bonus seconds) had been amputated.

 

[Netserk]

Even more so when weird stuff gets added like 'no bonis' or riding 60km neutralized. And a late start as well.

None of that was part of the original deal, but imposed by the saboteurs.

 

[Red Rick]

I'm more of the opinion that when a stage gets butchered like yesterday and especially when climbing gets sliced from the menu, it's pretty understandable that teams and riders who'd prepped especially for stage 6 would lose all interest. Even more so when weird stuff gets added like 'no bonis' or riding 60km neutralized. And a late start as well.

I realize dunking on riders is the popular thing these days and yeah in some cases they totally deserve it but I think yesterday had mitigating circumstances for everyone - Ineos included.

And honestly the biggest litmus test in these sorts of scenarios is generally speaking the 'how many spectators actually care?' question. I'd wager... not many. Not since the main attraction of the stage (climbing and/or bonus seconds) had been amputated.

When you take GC times early and take out boni's you actively make sure the GC riders don't even have to show up and it's all about a asterisked WT win where like 3 guys suddenly cared.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So today the ultimate showdown between Rogla and Ayuso. Watch intermediate sprints and exciting action in the last 20 seconds of the stage!

Prediction: Rogla to win by 0 seconds.