Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2018 - Spoiler

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  • ellerslierd
    ellerslierd Posts: 266
    Soler looks impressive as well, a great early season. Accidently happened across the Tour de l'Avenir that he won a few years back so keen to see how his career continues to develop.
  • ShutupJens
    ShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    Man Valverde made that sprint look so easy. Shouldn't be able to celebrate for so long before the line in a two up sprint surely, that man is so impressive
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    Apologies in advance for using a tired old meme, but:

    ed9Dc7Z.png
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ellerslierd
    ellerslierd Posts: 266
    RichN95 wrote:
    Apologies in advance for using a tired old meme, but:

    ed9Dc7Z.png

    I thought the same watching yesterday, won’t be long before Quintana/Froome are shuffled sideways for the likes of Bernal/Soler.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    ellerslierd wrote:
    Winning World Tour races should never look that easy. Valverde just eased past Bernal there at the finish, class from Movistar though surely Valverde could have really stuck it to Bernal to put the overall beyond doubt?

    Valverde is an old enough head to know he needs to ration it out. If he goes deep one day he has a tendency to suffer the next day.

    He’s at his best following the wheels of the best guys and popping them in sprints all over the place.

    IIRC that’s how he won the ‘09 Vuelta.

    He’s not a swashbuckler.
    _
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    ellerslierd wrote:
    Winning World Tour races should never look that easy. Valverde just eased past Bernal there at the finish, class from Movistar though surely Valverde could have really stuck it to Bernal to put the overall beyond doubt?

    Valverde is an old enough head to know he needs to ration it out. If he goes deep one day he has a tendency to suffer the next day.

    He’s at his best following the wheels of the best guys and popping them in sprints all over the place.

    IIRC that’s how he won the ‘09 Vuelta.

    He’s not a swashbuckler.

    Yeah, That's why he attacked on the downhill, chasing Mohoric.
    If Chaves could have/would have worked with him, they wouldn't have seen him again for dust.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    Just caught up with stage 4.
    Bernal was incredible. With 7km to go I thought things didn't look good for him in terms of getting worked over by the 3 Movistar riders; but his dig at 6.5km dislodged Soler and put Latour into the red. Then to pull back Quintana's attack just before 4km...
    Dan Martin and TJVG (amongst others) looking a bit 2nd rate - on a TJVG-type hill, too...
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    After 3 days of being way behind schedule, the race is now way ahead of schedule.
    They could even be over the final climb and on the run down to the finish by the time coverage starts.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    Does anyone else think Pantano is destined for GT glory?
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    Boom valverde on the front.
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Giong to be close. 5km to go, fast run in and a 36" gap.
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Giong to be close. 5km to go, fast run in and a 36" gap to the reduced peloton
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    cracking end to that. PANTANO
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,103
    Blow me Bohoric doesn't hang about on descents - riding off the front of a peloton on a wide dry descent and making it stick.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • ShutupJens
    ShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    For anyone unfamiliar with Mohoric, this is worth watching

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw8tmMAoXJs
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,545
    They're going to have to reconsider the parcours for this race given it's slot in the calendar - today's stage is shortened due to the weather - as was Wednesday's, and previous editions have suffered the same fate. The organisers need to accept that you can't use the high mountains reliably in March, even in Spain.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Indeed.
    To think they took it from a nice slot in early Summer.
    I've always found it a total mystery why one of the best months to race has so little racing.
    The nationals aren't exactly well attended.
    You would think there were 500 WT riders preparing for the Tour, the way the calendar is currently set up.

    Anyhow, what we have left for today looks all a bit naf.

    DZC3UwvWkAEeCv6.jpg:large

    So, there will be probably be about 10 minutes of coverage today, given this will be a cavalry charge.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • twotoebenny
    twotoebenny Posts: 1,542
    More importantly it's totally messing up my velogames team...
  • twotoebenny
    twotoebenny Posts: 1,542
    More importantly it's totally messing up my velogames team...
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Oh flipping brilliant. Echelons all over the place while Eurosport went on an ad break
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    Crash on the final descent as Rojas takes out Bernal.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • norvernrob
    norvernrob Posts: 1,448
    RichN95 wrote:
    Crash on the final descent as Rojas takes out Bernal.

    Bernal was down a long time, I hope he isn’t too badly hurt. It looked like he went head first into the tarmac, somehow Kirby decided he’d done his shoulder.

    Great ride from Yates to take the stage and miss out on a podium on positions only, finishing the overall on the same time as Latour.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    He looked broken to me.
    At that speed and the catapult over the front wheel, I'd be shocked if something up top isn't fractured.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Collarbone and shoulder blade fractures for Bernal.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.

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