Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (spoilers)
03-19-23, 03:40 PM
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Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (spoilers)
Yeah always good racing here. My thoughts are Carapaz takes stage one. Hoping Quinn Simmons and Will Barta get some chances.
03-19-23, 03:57 PM
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Am curious to see Carapaz' form. He's been under the radar so far this year.
03-20-23, 09:02 AM
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I just noticed that stage 1 is on roads outside Girona that I know quite well. I'll be back there sometime soon and I'm looking forward to seeing the new big names on the Strava segments.
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03-21-23, 08:00 AM
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Sepp Kuss for stage two? Would be nice...
Thinking of Cataldo, heal up buddy. Hoping they honor the rest of his contract ...
Thinking of Cataldo, heal up buddy. Hoping they honor the rest of his contract ...
03-21-23, 12:13 PM
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Chavez SO CLOSE. Bummer. Azparren in the break 
Could Adam Yates have done anything for Almeida? His mechanical almost caused him to veer into a team car. Why does no one on his team support him? He flew up that mountain to reconnect with the favorites.
Go for a stage Bernal ....
Young American Matthew Riccitello got super lucky with this light crash. It looked nasty the way the bike whipped over.
Could Adam Yates have done anything for Almeida? His mechanical almost caused him to veer into a team car. Why does no one on his team support him? He flew up that mountain to reconnect with the favorites.
Go for a stage Bernal ....
Young American Matthew Riccitello got super lucky with this light crash. It looked nasty the way the bike whipped over.
03-21-23, 12:58 PM
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Lots of action from EF so far. None of it in a Carapaz shaped package. He finished behind Bernal today.
UAE had Soler up there, too. Not exactly an all for one, one for all musketeering thing going on there. I was surprised to see Yates hang on after his spill yesterday, and to see Almeida come back after his bike change.
UAE had Soler up there, too. Not exactly an all for one, one for all musketeering thing going on there. I was surprised to see Yates hang on after his spill yesterday, and to see Almeida come back after his bike change.
03-21-23, 02:40 PM
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Bad luck for Almeida. He spent a lot of energy coming back so as to remain in GC contention. It shows strength. It makes me think that without the misahp, he'd have been up there following Remco's move in those last 2 km.
Also, Kuss didn't impress when he tried to follow Chavez and couldn't.
Also, Kuss didn't impress when he tried to follow Chavez and couldn't.
03-21-23, 03:05 PM
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How badly do the real grand tour GC contenders want to win Catalunya vs treat it as a tune-up/test before the Giro? I didn't see much in Roglic's or Evenepoel's body language that they desperately wanted Stage 2. They certainly went hard, but the only riders that looked like they were turning themselves inside out for the race were Chavez, Landa, and Almeida (fighting to stay in the mix).
Could also explain why UAE didn't make much of an effort to back one leader, although I haven't witnessed then operating with clear leadership in non-TdF stage races for a while. Maybe because no one there has established themselves right under Pogacar on the pecking order, or because UAE has no strategy when Pogacar's not around. Arguably, even when Pog is racing, UAE's strategy boils down to 1) make the race hard until they're all used up and 2) leave the rest to him.
Could also explain why UAE didn't make much of an effort to back one leader, although I haven't witnessed then operating with clear leadership in non-TdF stage races for a while. Maybe because no one there has established themselves right under Pogacar on the pecking order, or because UAE has no strategy when Pogacar's not around. Arguably, even when Pog is racing, UAE's strategy boils down to 1) make the race hard until they're all used up and 2) leave the rest to him.
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03-21-23, 03:17 PM
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How badly do the real grand tour GC contenders want to win Catalunya vs treat it as a tune-up/test before the Giro? I didn't see much in Roglic's or Evenepoel's body language that they desperately wanted Stage 2. They certainly went hard, but the only riders that looked like they were turning themselves inside out for the race were Chavez, Landa, and Almeida (fighting to stay in the mix).
Could also explain why UAE didn't make much of an effort to back one leader, although I haven't witnessed then operating with clear leadership in non-TdF stage races for a while. Maybe because no one there has established themselves right under Pogacar on the pecking order, or because UAE has no strategy when Pogacar's not around. Arguably, even when Pog is racing, UAE's strategy boils down to 1) make the race hard until they're all used up and 2) leave the rest to him.
Could also explain why UAE didn't make much of an effort to back one leader, although I haven't witnessed then operating with clear leadership in non-TdF stage races for a while. Maybe because no one there has established themselves right under Pogacar on the pecking order, or because UAE has no strategy when Pogacar's not around. Arguably, even when Pog is racing, UAE's strategy boils down to 1) make the race hard until they're all used up and 2) leave the rest to him.
Not sure about Roglic, but Evenepoel leading the charge to catch Chaves showed some desire, I think. He could have just marked Landa and it wouldn't have made a difference, give or take, to his GC position.
03-21-23, 03:24 PM
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Landa underperformed IMHO. Bahrain V. as a team did a remarkable job on the front in the lead in to the final stages of the climb, and then Landa launched....except that moments later Evenepoel rode right past him.
Not sure about Roglic, but Evenepoel leading the charge to catch Chaves showed some desire, I think. He could have just marked Landa and it wouldn't have made a difference, give or take, to his GC position.
Not sure about Roglic, but Evenepoel leading the charge to catch Chaves showed some desire, I think. He could have just marked Landa and it wouldn't have made a difference, give or take, to his GC position.
Remco's comments post-race generally point to him using this stage as a test for the Giro. He seemed much angrier losing the first stage sprint to Roglic. https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/eve...-sprint-error/
03-22-23, 11:28 AM
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Remco and Roglic seem pretty evenly matched in the mountains at this point, which is probably ultimately a good thing for Remco given how many TT kms there are at the Giro this year.
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03-22-23, 02:59 PM
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Marc Soler brought the Movistar dramaqueen thing with him to UAE.
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03-23-23, 03:55 PM
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We're still seeing flashes of immaturity from Remco, but I have little doubt he's learning these lessons. His talent is undeniable.
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03-27-23, 08:11 AM
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I haven't seen the final stage of Catalunya yet as I'm still working my way through Gent Wevelgem, but it's in the record books.
I was sad to see Ciccone's GC stumble but he clung on to minor placings in the mountains and sprints to give me enough end of tour points to keep Keka76 and his two Iberian assasins at bay. Thanks Giulio.
The next stage race in the VG series is Itzulia, starting in a week. I shall Basque in the glory of my temporary lead, but it's a real long way to Madrid.
https://www.velogames.com/index_stage_season_2023.php
I was sad to see Ciccone's GC stumble but he clung on to minor placings in the mountains and sprints to give me enough end of tour points to keep Keka76 and his two Iberian assasins at bay. Thanks Giulio.
The next stage race in the VG series is Itzulia, starting in a week. I shall Basque in the glory of my temporary lead, but it's a real long way to Madrid.
https://www.velogames.com/index_stage_season_2023.php
