Vuelta Ciclista a Andalucía - Ruta del Sol 2022 (February 16-20)

[armchairclimber]

Bagioli gone from the team list too?

 

[SafeBet]

Bagioli gone from the team list too?

Tested positive for COVID a few days ago.

 

[Earns1985]

So, what do we have to expect for today? The biggest mountain is right in the beginning. So weak break or a strong one, who could make it to the finish? I would expect a weak one today and on stage 2. From stage 3 on it can get interesting in the beginning..

 

[Samamba]

An 8 rider group has more than 14 minutes right now

 

[BlueRoads]

Wow, the break has almost 15 minutes? No particularly strong riders, but at least they are 8 guys. And the hardest mountain they have done. Could this get exciting?

 

[Faserr]

Noone wants to ride. Yes, they have a chance if the big teams can't decide who wants to control the race.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Bahrain should have bought Luis Leon to this race. He can ride the front all day

 

[Tim Cahill]

Herregodts is legit, unsure about his climbing ability but I wouldn't be giving him that much time tbh.

Looking at his mountain results he looks at least competent, 13th last year in this race.

 

[Roku]

Back in the 2000s (early-mid) there was a rare edition in which the peloton basically gifted the race to a small break in the first stage, they got a huge gap.

The break was composed of one of the García-Quesada brothers, late Serge Baguet, Oliver Zaugg and two / three more riders.

More recently on Spanish soil, a couple of years ago the Vuelta a Murcia featured a similar break, a bit larger, with names such as Meurisse (who went on to win the race), Cerny and Kamna.

Are we in for a repeat? Riders in the break are much weaker though.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Herregodts is legit, unsure about his climbing ability but I wouldn't be giving him that much time tbh.

Looking at his mountain results he looks at least competent, 13th last year in this race.

You are exactly right. He had two top-5 results in mallorca challenge last year. And then he was 11th on Puerto de Onsares, 2:23 behind Superman Lopez. He also obviously won Ronde Van Drenthe and finished 13th in European ITT champs, just a few seconds off Pogacar and Almeida. I wouldn't give him more than 2 minutes. He is also very young so maybe improved from last year

 

[Roku]

You are exactly right. He had two top-5 results in mallorca challenge last year. And then he was 11th on Puerto de Onsares, 2:23 behind Superman Lopez. He also obviously won Ronde Van Drenthe and finished 13th in European ITT champs, just a few seconds off Pogacar and Almeida. I wouldn't give him more than 2 minutes. He is also very young so maybe improved from last year

I haven't been following cycling that closely the last two or three seasons, so he comes a bit of an unknown to me (this year i'm meaning business though). Is he the new Thomas Sprengers?

 

[Anderis]

Herregodts is legit, unsure about his climbing ability but I wouldn't be giving him that much time tbh.

Herregodts gives me de Gendt vibes. I would never give him so much time, especially with 7 breakaway companions to shield him from the wind at the beginning of the stage.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

I haven't been following cycling that closely the last two or three seasons, so he comes a bit of an unknown to me (this year i'm meaning business though). Is he the new Thomas Sprengers?

He already has more pro wins. I think @Anderis is right, he is more like a new degendt

 

[SafeBet]

What is the gap now?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

What is the gap now?

Looks like still 14 mins

 

[SafeBet]

Looks like still 14 mins

I think PCS hasn't been updated but the gap is going down. At least the official twitter account is saying so:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1493935918511763460

View: https://twitter.com/VCANDALUCIA/status/1493935918511763460?s=20&t=rrZCdVaii56BWRnvBQRO3Q

 

[zigzag wanderer]

What is the gap now?

PCS just updated to 7 minutes 108km to go

 

[Hugo Koblet]

7 minute gap now according to PCS. Not sure you can count on these times

 

[Wvv]

Rune Herregodts solo incoming.

I know him quite well in personal life. To me he is indeed a bit like De Gendt and Cavagna. The way he won the ParisTours U23 was really spectacular. Did it as well in Drenthe last year, first pro win and not his last one.

 

[AlfaLum]

7 minutes looks a lot less interesting for the break all of a sudden.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Herregodts can still win this stage if he attacks on Parilla.

 

[AlfaLum]

Herregodts can still win this stage if he attacks on Parilla.

Yes, but it is very much depending on how fast the peloton will close the gap in the next 40-50k. Herregodts is a very decent rider, but the other riders are not that good. Isasa is a decent talent but unproven and Repa was quite decent in 2020 but has suffered from some eye injury in 2021 so I don't think he will be back to a decent level just yet. Also Herregodts probably needs at least 1,5-2 minutes heading into Parilla, just because the peloton will increase speed in that final phase.

For now I think the chances of the peloton going for the stage win are bigger than the chances for the break if those 7 minutes are correct.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Just 5 minutes now according to PCS. Break is doomed.

 

[BlueRoads]

6.50?

 

[SafeBet]

6.50?

That would make it interesting.