Volta a Catalunya - Spoilers

[Blazing Saddles]

Tomorrow's stage butchered due to high winds
https://www.domestiquecycling.com/e...orce-major-route-change-in-catalunya-stage-4/

Should have looked like this, but the'll finish at Camprodon
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This is becoming a recurring theme in Spain. How many stages have been more or less neutralised this season, due to wind? Then there’s the snow affected Paris-Nice.
We are not talking shoot small races here.

I have to say it’s one of the main reasons that my interest in the sport is waning, along with having to work quite hard to get consistent live streaming.

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

I think the thing that jars is that Jonas has form for this, when he followed Remco and Pog in the TDF stage to Troyes in 2024.

It's everything that the anti-Sky detractors complained about, conservative racing that somewhat dulls the spectacle.

Would those defending Jonas' tactics also complain if Ineos towed the bunch in for a Godon "bunch sprint" win?

 

[M.R.M]

Well the Remco attack was rather stupid. They could have put Almeida out of GC. Red Bull and Visma had numbers and UAE had much fewer or possibly only Soler and Almeida in the chase group. Given that circumstance, it was dumb to attack at all. Once Remco attacked, Vingegaard has to follow and bridge. Once there it still doesn't make sense to work, but I guess you could say it's 50/50 if you should.

All that being said, Jonas probably would not work even when there is reason to do so like on that Tour gravel stage. He is an old school GC rider who conserves energy as his main focus and tries to make a time difference on the ITT and mountain finishes (rather 1-2 than 3-4).

If you read instagram comments, the love of panache makes (casual) cycling fans rather dumb.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

I think the thing that jars is that Jonas has form for this, when he followed Remco and Pog in the TDF stage to Troyes in 2024.

It's everything that the anti-Sky detractors complained about, conservative racing that somewhat dulls the spectacle.

Would those defending Jonas' tactics also complain if Ineos towed the bunch in for a Godon "bunch sprint" win?

I'll accept some criticism of Jonas here if someone can explain to me what Remco was trying to do yesterday and why? Both Red Biúll and Visma had plenty of domestiques in the front group when he attacked with nearly 30km to go. They could have absolutely buried Almeida in the second group, ended his race bar a Hail Mary. Instead Almeida came back and they gained nothing. Even if Jonas had cooperated they'd have only gained a handful of seconds in the end, max 30, instead of the minute or two they could have had. Not sure why Remco should be mad at Jonas, it should be the other way round really.

Incidentally, the pothole that is supposed to have caused Remco to crash seems to be little more than a small crack in the road (though JOnas says he saw it, the photo I've seen doesn't show anything a GB council would have considered a hole), so the explanation doing the rounds now is basically a handling error caused by massive loss of head.

The idea that Jonas should have worked on the gravel of Troyes is also faintly ridiculous. It's absolutely not his terrain, the attack wasn't his project, working would have been daft, a waste of energy that would have made him even more vulnerable to a mechanical. It's fine for Remco to want to race that, Unlike Jonas he was never trying to beat Pogacar - a project over three weeks.

If Ineos had come back for a bunch sprint that's fine, that's racing.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

This is becoming a recurring theme in Spain. How many stages have been more or less neutralised this season, due to wind? Then there’s the snow affected Paris-Nice.
We are not talking shoot small races here.

I have to say it’s one of the main reasons that my interest in the sport is waning, along with having to work quite hard to get consistent live streaming.

I'm afraid climate related race alterations is only going to become more common, not much anyone can do about that. Glad they made the decision yesterday though, rather than this morning or mid-race

 

[Dogtrousers]

All that being said, Jonas probably would not work even when there is reason to do so like on that Tour gravel stage. makes (casual) cycling fans rather dumb.

On that gravel stage IIRC I think he had more to lose than to gain because he would be getting isolated on territory that didn't suit him as much as it did his GC rivals, so just sitting on made sense. But maybe I'm not remembering it right.

It does make him look like a big party pooper though.

 

[mididoctors]

Sam Bennett watch live .... 54 secs 51k

 

[No Ta Doctor]

On that gravel stage IIRC I think he had more to lose than to gain because he would be getting isolated on territory that didn't suit him as much as it did his GC rivals, so just sitting on made sense. But maybe I'm not remembering it right.

It does make him look like a big party pooper though.

This is 100% correct. It was the stage where Remco accused him of having no balls

It should be noted that two days later he chased down Tadej alone and beat him on the line, so the following morning he could

🎶 Put a hump in his back, shake his sack in Aurillac, Then ride on, let's take a ride 🎶

This is the absolute greatest joke I've ever made, bar none, by miles... and only about three people have ever got it, and I don't think any of them were around to read it at the time I made it.

Actually, @mididoctors might have got it at the time

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Bart Lemmen with a good "hop off the bike and stay on your feet" response to Derek Gee going down in front of him at the back of the bunch

 

[wakemalcolm]

Fairly untidy sprint in the end. Good win for Vernon: good bonus seconds for Pidcock.

 

[Dogtrousers]

and only about three people have ever got it,

This running total has not changed

 

[No Ta Doctor]

This running total has not changed

Think I'm going to go and cut off an ear or something. The joke is that level of genius, spurned.

 

[M.R.M]

Well if that is referring a 50 year old song, you should not be that surprised, grandpa. 😉😛

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Well if that is referring a 50 year old song, you should not be that surprised, grandpa. 😉😛

I prefer "timeless" or "classic" to "50 year old", and the same re the song.

I don't think I heard it until almost twenty years later anyway

 

[phreak]

I think the thing that jars is that Jonas has form for this, when he followed Remco and Pog in the TDF stage to Troyes in 2024.

It's everything that the anti-Sky detractors complained about, conservative racing that somewhat dulls the spectacle.

Would those defending Jonas' tactics also complain if Ineos towed the bunch in for a Godon "bunch sprint" win?

Remco is a pretty good one day rider. Vingegaard never rides one day races. That's probably the main difference.