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Tour of Vancouver Discussion
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| liefwarrior |
Posted on 15-02-2025 03:00
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Breakaway Specialist
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 Tour of Vancouver
2.2| Stages: | |  Pts |  KoM | 01.  | Coquitlam Mountain Timetrial (6.2 km) | 25 | 16 | 02.  | Lethbridge Criterium (108 km) | 37 | 12 | | 03. | Kananaskis - Olds (181 km) | 31 | 6 | 04.  | High Falls Creek - Upper Joffre Lake (182 km) | 37 | 42 | | 05. | Harrison Hot Springs - West End (157 km) | 37 | 12 | | 06. | Merritt - Zoa Peak (193 km) | 37 | 52 | 07.  | Richmond Team Timetrial (18.4 km) | 0 | 0 |
The Tour of Vancouver began life in the HC category, so has racked up quite an impressive winners list.  Timofey KRITSKIY,  Andrei AMADOR, and  Aleksandr PLUCHKIN have all finished this race in yellow. It was shifted down to the C2(HC) level from 2019 onwards, which was for  Andrei AMADOR to become the one and only two-time winner of this competition. No former winners are in attendance this time out, so the Costa Rican legend can rest easy: perhaps  Will BARTA can surprise everybody and be the first rider to graduate from winning the Youth classification?
The format here in Vancouver has remained remarkably consistent across the years. We still start the race off with the difficult climb from Sullivan Heights up to Simon Fraser University. This stage was traditionally a rather solid predictor for the overall win but the correlation has all but disappeared over the past few years. The next challenge for GC riders comes in the form of mountain finishes to stages 4 and 6, before things are finished off with a TTT in Richmond. Those mountain finishes were initially up Cypress (11km @ 6.3%) and Seymour (12km @ 7.2%), both of which overlook Vancouver. When the race expanded to cover more of British Columbia as part of the reclassification in 2019, these changed to Upper Joffre Lake (12km @ 11.6%) and Zoa Peak (7.1km @ 9.2%). Since the switch it is Stage 5 which has proved the most decisive, with plenty of opportunities for sapping the legs when the slopes max out around 20%.
He has dominated every 2.2 race that he has entered, so I don't think anybody who has taken a glance at the startlist will be surprised that I am naming  Matteo JORGENSON as the odds-on favourite to take his fourth overall victory this season. He is the complete package: he can climb, he has enough punch to mark other's attacks, and he has a decent enough squad of domestiques around him. The race for second will likely be rather open as well. After a poor start to the season  Richard Antonio CARAPAZ has scored podiums in the Middle East and Österreich, sandwiching a Top 10 in Eritrea. He, like everybody else, has suffered from inconsistency though.  Bakhtiyar KOZHATAYEV took the win in Táchira but has subsequently struggled.  Thymen ARENSMAN and  Luis Enrique LEMUS DAVILA were on the podium with the Kazakh. The former has done decently with a Top 10 in Österreich and 15th in Hallstatt; the latter has also secured a subsequent Top 10, at Catalunya. GT stagewinner  Dion SMITH has been there-or-thereabouts in all of his appearances thus far, but hasn't looked to threaten a podium just yet. Other names worth mentioning are  Pierre Paolo PENASA,  Daniel MUNOZ, and  Jaka PRIMOZIC.
A relatively thin sprint field here.  Willi WILLWOHL probably the strongest of the lot, but with a team clearly focused on the TTT he will suffer from a lack of support. He isn't alone in that though, there really isn't much depth in any of these sprint squads.  Hilcona might be the only team capable of building a half-adequate train, they'll be riding for journeyman Alexander KRIEGER. Ryan GIBBONS and Cameron SCOTT are the only other pure sprinters of similar quality.  Adam PHELAN and  Aaron GROSSER, on the other hand, will be hoping to benefit from some of the bumpier profiles. In terms of rouleurs, one might look to Felix ENGLISH or Jonas Iversby HVIDEBERG to make the most of the weak field.
The Team Timetrial will likely be decided between Genii Hyundai N,  Glanbia and  SEE Turtles. Newton might also enter the conversation, but the need to protect the GC should render them slightly more fatigued than the competition.
Startlist: |
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 15-02-2025 06:24
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Team Leader
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Good to see us on the favourites list. Davila and Scott should have a good race here and we are excited for this one as we have done well in the past here.
Good luck to everyone and an excellent preview liefwarrior!
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 15-03-2025 05:10
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 15-02-2025 12:59
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Grand Tour Champion
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Looking to achieve win goal #2 with Jorgenson, hopeful we can grab a couple of stage wins as well. This truly is a perfect route for Jorgenson with the opening prologue up a mountain and we should have the TTT firepower to bring the yellow jersey home safely.
Good luck everyone!
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| seancoll |
Posted on 15-02-2025 20:19
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Domestique
Posts: 541
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I don't think my TTT will be good enough here but we have to hope - otherwise it was a waste. Would love to get some breakaway options going and hope that we can find some KOM standings by the end of the race. Unlikely Siriwardena can manage a top 25
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| jt1109 |
Posted on 16-02-2025 16:24
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Classics Specialist
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Some ride by Ziga there for 4th not expecting that at all but the game does love the TT on these mountain TT's for some reason
Thanks for the report  |
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| seancoll |
Posted on 16-02-2025 17:55
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Domestique
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Siriwardena does manage to get into the top 25 on the stage here which means I have some hope for a point! Jorgenson showing why he's the top stage racer in CT. Looking forward to this trip around British Columbia.
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| 2kignacio2020 |
Posted on 16-02-2025 17:59
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Not a bad job bty Ablenado to secure us to a top 15 finish |
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 16-02-2025 20:57
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Really happy with 5th. Great start for Davila and now he just has to be up there in the mountains to be in a strong GC position before the TTT.
Congrats Mre and thanks for a great report
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| Caspi |
Posted on 16-02-2025 21:35
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Domestique
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We really need a top 5 in the GC and some minor points in the sprints, team classification or elsewhere to stay in promotion contention.
Looking forward to see how the next couple of stages unfold.
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| MacC |
Posted on 17-02-2025 10:46
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Sprinter
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A decent start for Kent, gives me hope that he will be protected over the mountains and with a decent to good ttt he can get a top 15...but hope's for fools
Realistically our best bet is to go for stages and KOM!
Thanks for the preview and 1st report
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 17-02-2025 12:05
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Grand Tour Champion
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Perfect start from Jorgenson! Now need the team to step up and prevent the breakaway spoilers.
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| hillis91 |
Posted on 17-02-2025 17:31
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If we can walk away with a top 3 and 2nd i youth, i'll take it.
GL everybody
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| jt1109 |
Posted on 17-02-2025 22:45
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Classics Specialist
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Happy with that 7th from Grosser a better result then expected
Congrats to the break and thanks for the report |
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 18-02-2025 04:34
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Not the best start for Scott in the sprints. Good little breakaway to stay away though. Hopefully the next stage can be a bit better for us
Congrats to the winner and thanks for the report
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| MacC |
Posted on 18-02-2025 08:16
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Sprinter
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Nice surprise win from Oram.
This race is now at least not a disaster, still want a top 20 to call it a success though
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| Jajajasper |
Posted on 18-02-2025 13:28
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Reddish crazy strong start |
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| jt1109 |
Posted on 18-02-2025 13:33
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Classics Specialist
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Decent again from Grosser for 10th this stage was never going to suit
prying for some good ride from our climbers tomorrow |
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 18-02-2025 14:08
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Classics Specialist
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Comical stuff from the lads today. Can't help but laugh. Beginning to think we may never get a win.
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| seancoll |
Posted on 19-02-2025 02:18
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Domestique
Posts: 541
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No complaints here so far! Stage 2 was tough, but I'm more than happy to see breakaway wins (although I'm never sure why I'm not in them with such a terrible team)
anyway a 2nd here means we score 9 points at least when I only expected 1. Still think there's an outside shot at a TTT podium on stage 3 - although my prediction is actually 4th. Siriwardena should also be able to maintain a low top 25 spot as since the MTFs are all single climb days.
Really happy with our trip to Canada!
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 20-02-2025 02:39
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Davila did fairly well today. He attacked probably too early when he should've just focused on following Jorgenson however its good to see him going for it!
Schleck did really well but wasn't meant to be for him. Davila still inside the top 10 and still getting us valuable points this race. Hopefully he can move up a bit more in the GC before the TTT and get some time gaps on the riders beneath him. Its important we get at least a top 10 in this race.
Congrats again Mre and another great report!
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