Vuelta a España Vuelta a España 2023, stage 8: Dénia - Xorret de Catí, 165.0k

[Krzysztof_O]

They can make this stage really hard, there's almost no flat. If that's the case the peleton can absolutely explode on Xorret de Cati producing moderate gaps.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Evenepoel did 7.2 w/kg for 12 minutes on Erlaitz in a 225k race and still had enough to solo everyone to death for an hour. That's a bit off the Vingegaard Marie Blanque effort, but not by much. If Evenepoel is at that level, Vingegaard needs to be pretty close to his Tour shape to match him.

So you compare a muro near sea level in a one day race to a higher-altitude col during a stage race? Pog & Vinge did nearly 7 w/kg in the last few km of Tourmalet at around 2000 m ASL demolishing the rest. There's no doubt they have the strongest bazooka w/kg, especially during a stage-race, where recovery is important. When it comes to fresh bazooka w/kg Remco is very strong, yes (still a bit below those two methinks).

 

[jaylew]

Remco, Mas, and Almeida to lose time to Roglic, Vingegaard, and Ayuso,

 

[movingtarget]

Another win for the elephants.

 

[Angelo1985]

If its raining the whole day, i can see Roglic losing time. Roglic is not so good in bad weather.

 

[ashhutch1997]

If its raining the whole day, i can see Roglic losing time. Roglic is not so good in bad weather.

I'm not so sure about that IMO, remember Lagos de Cavadonga 2021?

 

[Rob5091]

If its raining the whole day, i can see Roglic losing time. Roglic is not so good in bad weather.

If I remember correctly, it's not the rain that causes a problem, but putting on a rain jacket.

 

[RedheadDane]

If I remember correctly, it's not the rain that causes a problem, but putting on a rain jacket.

As long as he didn't get Kelderman to teach him how to do it...

 

[tobydawq]

As long as he didn't get Kelderman to teach him how to do it...

Or Hindley.

 

[RedheadDane]

Or Hindley.

Hindley isn't Roglic's teammate, though...

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Nice stage, Xorret de Cati always brings me to rewatch the hilarious final of the first mountain stage in the 2000 Vuelta on the same climb where breakaway rider Roscioli lost about 5 minutes in 3 kilometers on it, weaving across the road like a drunk sailor:

Climb starts at about 25 minutes.

The american co-commentator always gets me "DYING A THOUSAND DEATHS" "HE IS CREEPING".

 

[tobydawq]

Nice stage, Xorret de Cati always brings me to rewatch the hilarious final of the first mountain stage in the 2000 Vuelta on the same climb where breakaway rider Roscioli lost about 5 minutes in 3 kilometers on it, weaving across the road like a drunk sailor:

Climb starts at about 25 minutes.

The american co-commentator always gets me "DYING A THOUSAND DEATHS" "HE IS CREEPING".

It was also Rein Taaramäe's kryptonite in 2009, where he came to a complete standstill near the top and lost out on a stage win.

So I will not be putting my money on him for today.

 

[Berniece]

The weather is really really bad, roads are extremely wet. Hope everyone stays safe.

 

[tobydawq]

The weather is really really bad, roads are extremely wet. Hope everyone stays safe.

Isn't the wetness of a road pretty much maxed out after even a slight rainfall? How can a road be 'extremely' wet? Apart from flooding obviously.

 

[Rob5091]

PCS reporting that it's raining but it must be out on the course as it seems dry at the signing-in at Dénia.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

So you compare a muro near sea level in a one day race to a higher-altitude col during a stage race? Pog & Vinge did nearly 7 w/kg in the last few km of Tourmalet at around 2000 m ASL demolishing the rest. There's no doubt they have the strongest bazooka w/kg, especially during a stage-race, where recovery is important. When it comes to fresh bazooka w/kg Remco is very strong, yes (still a bit below those two methinks).

Marie Blanque is only at 1000 metres, the effect of altitude is negligible there. Recovery also doesn't play that big a role yet in the first mountain stage of a GT. It is very much a valid comparison.

If you want the same altitude and same number of days into in a stage race, he also did 6.8 W/kg for 24 minutes on Lo Port in Catalunya this year. That is basically on par with the Marie Blanque effort, with the caveat that that was an easier stage.

Nobody is disputing that Vingegaard (and Pogacar) can put in better performances on just about any climb, but on a shorter effort that comes earlier in the race (like today's), Evenepoel can run them closer than anywhere else, and closer in this case is, in fact, pretty close. So that means that a) if Evenepoel is getting dropped here, it will likely be far worse come the Pyrenees and therefore a clear sign that he isn't going to win this thing, but also that b) Vingegaard needs to be very close to his Tour level to drop Evenepoel here assuming that Evenepoel is at 100%.

 

[KZD]

Hope that Remco or Ayuso drop the Jumbots. Its not going to be easy though.

 

[Rob5091]

Remco & QS team seem not to be looking forward to today's race - grim faces.

 

[Berniece]

Isn't the wetness of a road pretty much maxed out after even a slight rainfall? How can a road be 'extremely' wet? Apart from flooding obviously.

It could be that the road is not be able to properly discard of the water, so you get big puddles

 

[Angelo1985]

Soudal Quickstep with Rain Tires at the start.

 

[Samamba]

PCS reporting that it's raining but it must be out on the course as it seems dry at the signing-in at Dénia.

It was raining hard resulting in lots of standing water, but it seems to by dry now and the roads are also drying up. So we should be good.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Remco & QS team seem not to be looking forward to today's race - grim faces.

They have to hope one of the trident doesn’t get in the breakaway with Mas and Ayuso or Almeida because that group isn’t coming back.

 

[search]

in the Sporza interview at the start, Evenepoel sounded confident to me (from what I understood). He knows the roads well, and if there's the opportunity, he wants to go for the win.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

PCS reporting that it's raining but it must be out on the course as it seems dry at the signing-in at Dénia.

PCS also reporting that "There are vertical meters today. There are stages with less vertical meters*."

Good to know.

*: Whether they mean metres that are not as vertical, or fewer vertical metres, is unclear. Given the scope of the comment, both are probably true.

 

[hayneplane]

Every man wants a bj. Anyone but Jumbo.

I am sure they do but not in the middle of a bike race