|
Vuelta a Espana - Discussion
|
| Marcovdw |
Posted on 02-02-2024 07:16
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7773
Joined: 04-07-2012
PCM$: 20845.00
|
Fantastic sprint from Hodeg. The downhill helped a lot to maintain his speed. With nothing on the line now I'm fine with him DNF'ing like in the Giro 
|
| |
|
|
| alexkr00 |
Posted on 02-02-2024 15:16
|
World Champion
Posts: 13561
Joined: 05-08-2008
PCM$: 400.00
|
Too bad Van Poppel couldn't end the Vuelta on such a high note that the one he started with.
|
| |
|
|
| ryant |
Posted on 02-02-2024 20:32
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2388
Joined: 15-08-2012
PCM$: 200.00
|
Demare grabbing a couple stage wins is good for Tryg, at least their wildcard wasn't wasted. 
As for us Hansen missed his last chance for a decent result after losing great positioning in the last few kms which is a little disappointing but we can't expect too much from him outside of the TTs. Morton was strong enough in stage 15 - another 3rd place s.t. as Kudus is not something I can complain about too much. Although I would appreciate some aggression from him as Latour, Sivakov and Wellens really aren't too far behind and really need to be further behind for us to feel comfortable in our podium spot. I only pray that theres no funny business in the last week as we aren't well placed to join in on these breaks. 
 John St Ledger in Team Bunzl-Centrica and Team U25Red Bull Driver in RFactor
|
| |
|
|
| Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 03-02-2024 02:47
|
Team Leader
Posts: 5568
Joined: 12-06-2013
PCM$: 500.00
|
Well it wasn't to be with a stage win for Thijssen but another Top 5 cements his spot as essentially 3rd most consistent sprinter! Can't complain about that much even if Prasad is worse on paper.
Go time now for Wellens and the Climbers! Hoping we don't just support the Top Teams but rather make life hard for them, split the peloton, drive the gaps and make these 4 stages hell for all. We're probably the best team suited to do so and I still have hope that a big day for Wellens gives him a podium 
|
| |
|
|
| Marcovdw |
Posted on 03-02-2024 06:21
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7773
Joined: 04-07-2012
PCM$: 20845.00
|
A breakaway is successful but we miss it sadly 
|
| |
|
|
| Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 03-02-2024 06:23
|
Team Leader
Posts: 5568
Joined: 12-06-2013
PCM$: 500.00
|
3rd on the stage, of the main contenders, is where we want Wellens to be! Team looked a bit more stretched on such a short sharp stage but it was important that Wellens remained up front and he did so. 4th is where he should be really and so the only "disappointment" is that he wasn't able to get a gap on Sivakov.
Conci 23rd in the GC is very respectable so far! Plenty of riders ahead of him who should, pending breakaways, drop back behind him too.
Thank you for the report and let's see the chaos in the real mountains to come!
|
| |
|
|
| alexkr00 |
Posted on 03-02-2024 07:41
|
World Champion
Posts: 13561
Joined: 05-08-2008
PCM$: 400.00
|
A shame Formolo can't quite get that stage win. He was close a few times last year as well. We might not achieve our goal here, but closer to the top 10 and with the KoM jersey on his shoulders, things are looking brighter.
I was wrong about the stage profiles in the last week. Looks like weaker climbs actually favor the breakaway because the big guns can't gain back the time by themselves like they do on a hard final climb.
|
| |
|
|
| knockout |
Posted on 03-02-2024 07:52
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8236
Joined: 21-12-2010
PCM$: 500.00
|
Finally we get something out of this race. Great ride by Eenkhoorn, looked like he saved some crucial energy over the earlier climbs and finishing in style. Love it
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
| |
|
|
| jandal7 |
Posted on 03-02-2024 09:13
|
World Champion
Posts: 11621
Joined: 17-12-2014
PCM$: 1120.00
|
Pascal!!!
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
1x  x1
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
| |
|
|
| Ad Bot |
Posted on 06-12-2025 21:29
|
Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
|
|
| IP: None |
|
|
| Croatia14 |
Posted on 03-02-2024 09:46
|
Directeur Sportif
Posts: 9137
Joined: 13-03-2013
PCM$: 2100.00
|
Eeenkhoorn wiith aa biig oonee!
|
| |
|
|
| cio93 |
Posted on 03-02-2024 10:36
|
World Champion
Posts: 10616
Joined: 29-10-2007
PCM$: 500.00
|
Hm, we did exactly what I warned about in particular for stage 20: attack too early and waste energy on flatter parts in the wind.
Luckily, no time loss to Kudus results out of this mistake, but there certainly was more possible today if approached more conservatively.
Congrats to knockout for the win, and it's good that alex can start to feel better about this race by now too!
As long as we don't let a favorite get away over the final climb tomorrow and don't give too much leeway to the break either, it'll be a good stage.
Slight hope the hilly rating of the stage won't give us a GC-relevant break anyway.
|
| |
|
|
| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 03-02-2024 13:56
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 16554
Joined: 27-07-2011
PCM$: 13638.70
|
At this point Quintana has refused to join the break enough times that even a successful break or two wouldn't put him in a great GC position. He clearly doesn't have the backups to last with the peloton, and Aranburu, who should be strong on a lot of these finishes, is nowhere to be seen to help him - I guess Quintana is not high enough up on the favorites list to get any helpers, and the rest of our guys just sag off the back. Which they would attack, but apparently they refuse.
Quintana has to go into the break now or our race is a major flop. He's behind everyone similar to him and several who are objectively worse. And he won't gain on them in the TT. Not even being top 15 here would be very very rough.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
| |
|
|
| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 03-02-2024 13:57
|
Directeur Sportif
Posts: 12681
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1961.50
|
Lovely to see Eenkhoorn get a GT stage win 
Choi looks locked in on that 7th spot.
Thanks for the reports!
|
| |
|
|
| ryant |
Posted on 03-02-2024 14:05
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2388
Joined: 15-08-2012
PCM$: 200.00
|
Trust Morton to be best of the favourites when a break away wins
Herklotz's life fire is draining now and with Morton now at his peak abilities - who knows what can happen in the last week here in Spain...
In truth I hope this form can continue, but what is crucial is that the breaks don't reign supreme, even if stage 18 has break win all over it - I hope that will be the end of it all. Time will tell though...
John St Ledger in Team Bunzl-Centrica and Team U25
Red Bull Driver in RFactor
|
| |
|
|
| whitejersey |
Posted on 03-02-2024 14:48
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 3221
Joined: 07-08-2011
PCM$: 300.00
|
Eenkhoorn
|
| |
|
|
| SotD |
Posted on 03-02-2024 17:29
|
World Champion
Posts: 12631
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 2980.00
|
Solid stuff from Mavrikakis there. Carapaz is a joke though. Would be great to see them pair up in the final week to get Mavrikakis up to top 15.
|
| |
|
|
| alexkr00 |
Posted on 03-02-2024 21:36
|
World Champion
Posts: 13561
Joined: 05-08-2008
PCM$: 400.00
|
I'm starting to really like what that 6 minutes lost did to Formolo.
Yet another second place for him is kind of tough to see, but it's brining in good points nonetheless. In this manner he is going to beat Van Poppel in the green jersey rankings. Good to see him taking quite a commanding lead in the KoM competition mainly thanks to his better punch as well.
Not far from the top 10 in the GC now either, but with the KoM jersey on the table, I assume he will keep going into the breakaways in the last 2 "in line" stages and it will be interesting if another one will be allowed to survive.
Quintana seems to be riding this way just to spite bbl at this point.
|
| |
|
|
| cio93 |
Posted on 03-02-2024 21:42
|
World Champion
Posts: 10616
Joined: 29-10-2007
PCM$: 500.00
|
Could have been another stage win, probably should have been another stage win, but again I take any stage without GC changes by now.
Congrats Polar again! And sorry bbl
Tomorrow's stage is again hilly rated, so I hope for another break and chase like today.
Should be a good finale for Silvio, the final climb should be tackled with full energy reserves by all the big climbers.
|
| |
|
|
| Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 03-02-2024 21:48
|
Team Leader
Posts: 5568
Joined: 12-06-2013
PCM$: 500.00
|
Not quite rewarded for all of the efforts from various members of our team in the chase but 3rd brings in points and slight bonuses. Wellens going to really need to attack the next 2 days or he'll lose that 4th to Sivakov in the final stage TT. It looks like our team has the capacity to make it difficult for others & Wellens appears to be keeping enough in the tank for a final assault!
Thank you for the continued amazing reports! Stages are pretty action packed at the moment and I expect that'll continue for the next 2
|
| |
|
|
| Marcovdw |
Posted on 03-02-2024 23:06
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7773
Joined: 04-07-2012
PCM$: 20845.00
|
Vosekalns losing another place but not for a lack of effort. More opportunities still to come
|
| |
|
