Podium Cafe - All PostsYou can check out, but you can never leavehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/25744/podiumcafe_f.png2024-03-18T07:25:00-04:00http://www.podiumcafe.com/rss/current/2024-03-18T07:25:00-04:002024-03-18T07:25:00-04:00Volta a Catalunya LIVE
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<p id="YKZQBt">This is going to be a crazy mountainous week in Catalunya with the big climbs starting on stage 2 (and st 1 isn’t that flat either) and then not really letting up much for the rest of the week. The teams have answered the call and with very few exceptions they are bringing some of their top climbers so it could be an explosive race.</p>
<p id="ZKNyOL"><strong>Stage 1</strong></p>
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<p id="HG1oBy"><strong>Stage 2</strong></p>
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<p id="hPvbNa"><strong>Stage 3</strong></p>
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<p id="sqJqih"><strong>Stage 4</strong></p>
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<p id="05hpdr"><a href="https://www.voltacatalunya.cat/en"><strong>Official Site</strong></a><strong> , </strong><a href="https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=14&y=2024&k=8"><strong>Startlist</strong></a></p>
https://www.podiumcafe.com/2024/3/18/24104631/volta-a-catalunya-liveJens2024-03-17T06:55:00-04:002024-03-17T06:55:00-04:00Trofeo Binda LIVE
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<img alt="24th Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio 2023 - Women’s Elite" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7hkBdWtoS61LkAr0COgWIy95A48=/0x0:5457x3638/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73212856/1474601256.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="32O0bG"><strong>Maccagno con Pino e Veddasca - Cittiglio 140.5 km</strong></p>
<p id="F29Lu7">After Strade and Drenthe we now come to Binda, the grand old lady of the big women’s classics. Much like Sanremo a race with a course that offers a chance for every rider type to win. We can get a solo climber’s win, a small breakaway or a big group sprint, everything is on the table on this hilly course.</p>
<p id="vIQBHO"><em>Expected finish time: 15:30-15:50 CET</em></p>
<p id="WlghUh"><strong>Primaverist of the Day: Marlen Reusser</strong></p>
<p id="nQSecB">After a traumatic first few weeks of not winning absolutely everything and filling half the podiums, SD Worx have panicked and thrown Kopecky into this race (which they usually tend to ignore a little and leave to the kids and the B-squad). I think it pays off but maybe in an alternate way.</p>
<p id="QMur38"><a href="https://www.cyclingsportpromotion.com/en/"><strong>Official Site</strong></a><strong> , </strong><a href="https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=9046&y=2024&k=8"><strong>Startlist</strong></a></p>
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https://www.podiumcafe.com/2024/3/17/24103667/trofeo-binda-liveJens2024-03-16T05:00:00-04:002024-03-16T05:00:00-04:00Milano-Sanremo: Philipsen Snatches Monumental Success
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<img alt="115th Milano-Sanremo 2024" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Trf7D4KejVnN44UeM6YRfHnEl64=/189x0:4671x2988/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73211227/2088971469.5.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="5NPsW8">Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin Deceunink came past the biggest names in cycling in the final 50 meters of Milano-Sanremo to score a sprint victory of the very highest order in Italy today, a few tire widths ahead of Jayco-Alula’s Michael Matthews. The victory, third by a Belgian in the last five years, came thanks largely to some luxurious teamwork, with none other than World Champion Mathieu van der Poel holding things together for Philipsen to win from a group of a dozen riders. </p>
<p id="vRlPBt">And it came at the expense of another champion, Tadej Pogačar of UAE Emirates, who fought to control the race for the final 90 minutes, only to end up third. Team Pogi had Wout Poels, Marc Hirschi, Isaac del Toro and others pummeling away at the peloton over the Capi, as a warning, and on the Cipressa in earnest, reducing the pack somewhat to make for a selective ride up the Poggio. An elite group of maybe 25 riders hit the final climb in contention, and after a bit more pulling from UAE, Pogačar launched a couple attacks, each time drawing van der Poel out, the second one at the summit of the Poggio. </p>
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<img alt="CYCLING-ITA-MILAN-SANREMO" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kSmrXnBeUaxBVIklLefDg1d9YlA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25339521/2082108815.jpg">
<cite>Photo by FABIO FERRARI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Pogačar leads van der Poel over the Poggio summit</figcaption>
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<p id="16ySD6">They were quickly tracked down by INEOS daredevil Tom Pidcock, and former winner Matej Mohorič joined in, attacking as they reached the Via Roma. At this point van der Poel was no doubt alerted to the fact that Philipsen had made the finale, as he went into elite teammate mode, first hauling Mohorič back and then tracking down a second effort by Pidcock and Matteo Sobrero of BORA Hansgrohe to get free. This held the race more or less together into the final stretch, when Philipsen and Matthews came around the attackers, ahead of Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek, who then watched Pogačar jump in. Coming along the left side barriers, the Belgian had the fastest turn, but Matthews made it quite close, with the Slovene third.</p>
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<img alt="115th Milano-Sanremo 2024" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1ww30jw_eO8X7M1s74-470MbrdE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25339531/2088999253.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="GNkKZi">No doubt UAE didn’t love the result, but the small-bunch sprint among elite sprinters was no doubt satisfying to many regular MSR fans, who have watched the Classics guys wrest the race away from the sprinters over the past decade. That too has been great theater, but MSR’s defining characteristic remains its resistance to control. UAE sent a climbing team into the race but couldn’t break it to their wrist. Trek had a team of pure classics guys in Pedersen and former winner Stuyven on hand, but it wasn’t their day. Only Alpecin-Deceuninck had Plans A and B ready to launch, depending on how the finale unfolded, and when the classics riders lost control, they were there to seize it.</p>
<p id="y9mDyS">Results</p>
<ol>
<li id="zfu6sh">PHILIPSEN Jasper, Alpecin - Deceuninck, 6:14:44</li>
<li id="MWIxCu">MATTHEWS Michael, Team Jayco AlUla</li>
<li id="j2kEJo">POGAČAR Tadej, UAE Team Emirates</li>
<li id="AlAh4X">PEDERSEN Mads, Lidl - Trek</li>
<li id="XoJWE1">BETTIOL Alberto, EF Education - EasyPost</li>
<li id="Y8tIrb">MOHORIČ Matej, Bahrain - Victorious</li>
<li id="otuPLd">VAN GILS Maxim, Lotto Dstny</li>
<li id="bQtApL">STUYVEN Jasper, Lidl - Trek</li>
<li id="d4knDz">ALAPHILIPPE Julian, Soudal Quick-Step</li>
<li id="CCHVGl">VAN DER POEL Mathieu, Alpecin - Deceuninck</li>
<li id="J8lF6A">PIDCOCK Thomas, INEOS Grenadiers</li>
<li id="6H8R8S">SOBRERO Matteo, BORA - hansgrohe</li>
<li id="FBqFzh">PEDERSEN Casper, Soudal Quick-Step, 0:35</li>
<li id="zduZvz">KOOIJ Olav, Team Visma | Lease a Bike</li>
<li id="VztBiF">PITHIE Laurence, Groupama - FDJ</li>
<li id="0WRcHp">ASGREEN Kasper, Soudal Quick-Step</li>
<li id="E85q6V">STRONG Corbin, Israel - Premier Tech</li>
<li id="5Acw5e">CLARKE Simon, Israel - Premier Tech</li>
<li id="tFH2u6">PACHER Quentin, Groupama - FDJ</li>
<li id="JWafyb">COSNEFROY Benoît, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team</li>
</ol>
<p id="s6aRhv"></p>
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<p id="QluuhJ"><strong>Pavia - Sanremo 288 km</strong></p>
<p id="F29Lu7">It’s officially spring. In Italy at least. The long march to the most hectic of all finales is here.</p>
<p id="vIQBHO"><em>Expected finish time: 16:45-17:30 CET</em></p>
<p id="WlghUh"><strong>Primaverist of the Day: Tadej Pogačar</strong></p>
<p id="nQSecB">I actually think he’s going to do it this time. Matty should have done at least a little prep racing because the ridiculous UAE team are going to rip his race-unaccustomed legs off and then Pog is going to finish the job. Or something like that.</p>
<p id="QMur38"><a href="https://www.milanosanremo.it/en/"><strong>Official Site</strong></a><strong> , </strong><a href="https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=4&y=2024&k=8"><strong>Startlist</strong></a></p>
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https://www.podiumcafe.com/2024/3/16/24102447/milano-sanremo-liveJens2024-03-15T12:27:07-04:002024-03-15T12:27:07-04:00Milano-Sanremo: Who Ya Got?
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<img alt="CYCLING-ITA-MILAN-SANREMO" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nRXuOjhXFHZnGpPa3ZWbZldWiXs=/0x0:3840x2560/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73209777/1248515618.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="FmMVfQ">Just back home from a family ski holiday and wow! Look at all those urgent work emails! Sigh...</p>
<p id="jUDB4j">This leaves me a bit at a loss as to what to say in advance of Milano-Sanremo, which doesn’t change much and which is the playground of... whoever really wants it. Numerous past previews here talked about how the variety of potential winners is what makes it so unique, although you could also shrug that off and just put together a list of ace descenders who can sprint. Would a Pidcock win be even slightly out of place here? No, it would not. </p>
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<img alt="82nd Paris - Nice 2024 - Stage 7" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BOUUWC13dt_sa_cIN8-HaNDcprU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25337935/2071003159.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="iDKoyq">Nobody wants this more than Mads Pedersen, the former World Champion who probably rates as the best active classics rider never to win a Monument. Given Mathieu van der Poel’s slow start to his race season, MSR is probably Pedersen’s path of least resistance, and it won’t hurt if his team can keep Jonathan Milan near the front in pursuit of a sprint scenario. Oh, and speaking of sprint scenarios, did you see Alexander Kristoff on Milan’s wheel earlier this week? In his UNO-X kit and large frame, how could you miss him. Don’t miss the warnings either. After that... Ganna? Bettiol? A home win? Always pleasant. Laporte? Mohorič? You know all the names.</p>
<p id="sf109t">But here’s the real question: <a href="https://wheres-my-vds-team.onrender.com/">WHERE IS YOUR FSA-DS TEAM</a>??</p>
<p id="76X0xa">If you haven’t been using this app to track your riders’ participation, you need to start now. The calendar is hitting the big time, races are everywhere in Italy and Belgium and beyond. The app will find your men’s and women’s riders instantly, within the limitations of what the current startlists say. If you don’t see your guy/gal listed, blame the teams for being cagey.</p>
<p id="KaI96G">Please don’t mistake my brevity today for anything more than logistical. And practical — how many times have I described the race in a technical manner? Who doesn’t already know about the Poggio? Sure, the Capi and Cipressa, the preceding climbs, will see some action, possibly a lot of action, if some enterprising team is able to finally crack the MSR strategic nut of the Poggio always deciding things. It is one million percent worth watching! It’s just a lot less worth talking about in advance, until the riders hit the coastline. </p>
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<img alt="112th Milano-Sanremo 2021" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GeyQYapoSVQ2sgxCWRcIBxerVZw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25337931/1308111475.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="9ryVwE">Tomorrow, the weather in Liguria looks to be dry and moderately warm, just creeping into the 60s F. I guess that’s a bit on the cold side, which itself is good news, not only for them but we don’t need to start the cycle of unusually warm weather right now. Let spring be spring! Let our own rides maybe feature one less layer, perhaps even less-than-full-fingered gloves, but let’s not go too crazy just yet. Seattle will be a few degrees warmer than Sanremo tomorrow, though we will be more grateful for a break than tricked into thinking it will last (it won’t). I personally could use some spring. I could use some greens and other colors, some early signs of growth in my garden apart from the overwintering garlic shoots. I’m digging the longer days already, and the clock change alone from last weekend means I can ride outdoors after work. But I don’t want signs of summer. They should wait.</p>
<p id="AIMIUO">OK, who ya got?</p>
https://www.podiumcafe.com/2024/3/15/24101935/milano-sanremo-who-ya-gotChris Fontecchio2024-03-15T07:15:00-04:002024-03-15T07:15:00-04:00Bredene Koksijde Classic LIVE
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<img alt="21th Bredene Koksijde Classic 2023" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/C65SkiSz8sNU1MktwEm2VAWPhxs=/0x0:6192x4128/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73208962/1474168247.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="5NPsW8"><strong>Bredene - Koksijde 201.2 km</strong></p>
<p id="F29Lu7">I got nostalgic for the time when this was the Hamsandwich Classic and christ almighty that was six years ago?! Well regardless, this is still a solid midweek classic for the gritty sprinters. And today potentially with some extra crosswind spice.</p>
<p id="vIQBHO"><em>Expected finish times: 16:30-17:10 CET</em></p>
<p id="WlghUh"><strong>Tram Conductor of the Day: Arvid De Kleijn</strong></p>
<p id="nQSecB">Can he keep the dream run going for Tudor?</p>
<p id="QMur38"><a href="https://bredenekoksijdeclassic.be"><strong>Official Site</strong></a><strong> , </strong><a href="https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=123&y=2024&k=8"><strong>Startlist</strong></a></p>
<p id="3PTfG1"></p>
https://www.podiumcafe.com/2024/3/15/24101630/bredene-koksijde-classic-liveJens2024-03-14T06:12:09-04:002024-03-14T06:12:09-04:00GP de Denaín LIVE
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<img alt="64th Grand Prix de Denain - Porte du Hainaut 2023" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0qoyTt5xI0FE2Nlxln5R2nSCeqA=/2x0:3521x2346/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73206106/1473960526.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Bruno Bade/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="FbC4g4"><strong>Denain - Denain 196.2 km</strong></p>
<p id="F29Lu7">Another mid-week potential killer race and another “little Roubaix” pretender.</p>
<p id="vIQBHO"><em>Expected finish times: 15:45 CET</em></p>
<p id="WlghUh"><strong>De Nain of the Day: Laurenz Rex</strong></p>
<p id="nQSecB">A list with lots of Pro Conti and some Sanremo-depleted rosters on the bigger teams. And the stars are preparing for a TdF gravel stage, not a cobbles stage this year. So a left field pick.</p>
<p id="QMur38"><strong>Official Site , </strong><a href="https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=146&y=2024&k=8"><strong>Startlist</strong></a></p>
<p id="J2WP6G"></p>
https://www.podiumcafe.com/2024/3/14/24100498/gp-de-denain-liveJens2024-03-14T02:36:37-04:002024-03-14T02:36:37-04:00A Winter Doldrums Brain Teaser: What Is Cycling’s Most Intriguing Skill?
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<img alt="18th Strade Bianche 2024 - Men’s Elite" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nJoUJoE75oUYHyAyJKHfrqVAFxI=/0x0:5337x3558/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73205986/2053372230.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Fabio Ferrari - Pool/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Who does a thing that gets you the most interested? [Take the poll!]</p> <p id="rqYH84">OK, hear me out. This is NOT my favorite couple weeks of cycling. I have always been a bit down on Paris-Nice, a frigid march across quiet areas of France with a lot of sprinting involved before the final weekend (which frequently ends up being thrilling, but still). Being in central Italy Tirreno-Adriatico would maybe interest me a bit more, but just a bit, except it tends to start and finish awfully early for someone in the Pacific time zone. I am content to monitor the results, catch a few highlights, maybe watch the weekend stages if there’s no skiing to be done (update: there is skiing to be done). I won’t quibble with anyone who is thrilled by the action — it is cycling, after all — and for us fans States-side the Jorgenson win might be a watershed moment for him, but between the Strade Bianche adrenaline hit and the real start of Classics Season, I will choose to pace myself. [I see you there, Nokere Koerse.]</p>
<p id="pKb6dO">So today’s fun is about looking into the upcoming/slightly underway season at large. I know we finished up last year talking about how 2024 was looking like one of the most exciting seasons in a while, where the talent tsunami reaches its full power and washes over the sport. That’s totally happening! But exactly what is it that is driving this excitement? Beyond just saying “that guy’s awesome!” what is the awesomeness exactly? Whose superpower is going to lift this cycling season to the next level of greatness?</p>
<p id="pvsRJN">Here is a list. As with all of my listicle posts, it’s my starting point and I heartily invite you to supplement it. Or shred it. It’s a free country, last I checked.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="50th Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta 2024 - Stage 4" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/v1svGiARgj_buLNGCQkjQdE2aTo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25335450/2017983097.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images</cite>
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<h3 id="YMVZxV"><strong>Remco’s Time Trialling</strong></h3>
<p id="SPc1Df">This one is a favorite of mine, bringing up the love/hate dynamic that every sport needs. For people who don’t like Remco Evenepoel, and there are a few (cough), you might see this as your biggest annoyance. But Evenepoel is blessed with a body type that fits time trialling the same way Mark Cavendish’s frame made him the world’s best sprinter for quite some time. Add in some truly elite power numbers, and... well, you won’t see the current World Champion don a standard Quick Step skinsuit anytime soon (unless he gets bored wearing Belgium colors, but hey, he’s not a monster). </p>
<p id="p6wuk1">Evenepoel’s skills extend beyond time-trialling, to the kinds of attacks on smaller climbs that he is apparently very well equipped to finish off, as he showed in the Paris-Nice finale and stuff like Liège-Bastogne-Liège last year, and 2022 Worlds, etc. etc. As for his major mountain climbing, the type that gets you recognized at the highest level... I mean, he’s better than almost anyone you can name, but against the trio of Rogs, Pogs and Vingo, the evidence isn’t there.</p>
<p id="WOB0CX">Still, the only thing better at the Tour de France than a Big Three is a Big Four, where alliances and interests can shift in several additional directions at any moment. [Have we ever had a Big Five? Is that like one order of magnitude better? Or do they just start getting in each other’s way? I sure do hope to find out someday.] Evenepoel as one of the Big Four is extra intriguing because of his world-champ-level time trialling. Not that his erstwhile rivals are any slouches there, but does his presence not increase the urgency of putting real time into him on the climbs? Does Roglič, ever hunting last km sprint bonuses, work against the other two in a three-up escape? The number of knives each rider will have out for his rivals in the heat of the moment will exceed the jersey pocket space available for carrying actual knives. The unknowable calculations to be made on the fly, with a final day TT looming, will be fascinating to watch, if the race remains competitive all the way to <s>Paris</s> Nice. I so can’t wait.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Strade Bianche 2024 – Team Presentation" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uTBhMIfyYJ7LgEkQfGdGrgP3dyc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25335453/2051151213.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Sara Cavallini/Getty Images</cite>
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<h3 id="qBBe3H"><strong>Pogačar’s Showmanship</strong></h3>
<p id="jQtuld">This one hardly needs much elaboration; it’s been the dominant theme in cycling coverage and fandom, if there is one theme above all others, for a couple years now. It’s why there doesn’t seem to be a cost high enough in our FSA Directeur Sportif game to scare off buyers. But I will try to give it a bit more flavor, in light of recent events.</p>
<p id="Bb9LBP">Yes, you already knew that Pogačar is capable of winning both classics and grand tours. His abilities are just as suited to the Vlaamse Ardennen as the Alps and Pyrénées. That’s pretty dope, as the kids say. But it’s not so much that he <em>can</em> go after any time of prize that makes him so special; it’s that he probably <em>will</em>.</p>
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<img alt="107th Ronde van Vlaanderen - Tour des Flandres 2023 - Men’s Elite" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VAVW2NCTY3cyOAn1s8r_9TsPm6k=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25335458/1479144888.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Dirk Waem - Pool/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="1hfdHO">Watching Pogs in the Strade Bianche was just a bit of additional color to his rainbow personality as a cyclist. Not only is he winning classics, he’s doing the Hinault thing of practically announcing his plans beforehand and daring anyone to stop him! [Hinault did this, didn’t he? I may have dreamed it, but even then it strikes me as Hinaultesque.] And he’s smiling! He actually enjoys this!! That to me is the really rare quality that makes you truly wonder what he’ll do next. Our whole lives we have willed on cyclists to race one way, only for them to tell us a million times that the smarter choice is to race some other way. Finally we have a man of the people, who’s willing to do all the dumb stuff we beg riders to do! And still winning!</p>
<p id="OFlu42">I think I have used up my quota of exclamation points, so let’s keep moving.</p>
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<img alt="96th UCI Cycling World Championships Glasgow 2023 – Day 4" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lagpMAhgW45SKbL-V3DTpFaQkFY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25335454/1597078410.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Pauline Ballet UCI - Pool/Getty Images</cite>
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<h3 id="ZFHqzE"><strong>Van der Poel’s Raw Power</strong></h3>
<p id="wr7Pzs">I just got through praising the excitement of seeing a guy who might do anything you can think of, so now, not being tethered to any standard of consistency, I am going to praise the rider who really only does one thing: generate watts. Lots and lots of watts. Usually when you, a rival rider, really wish he would just stop already.</p>
<p id="g31PnK">By comparison to Pogačar — a comparison that seemed ludicrous until they started trading Rondes van Vlaanderen — van der Poel is machine-like in his style and demeanor. But that is an awfully high bar, and I wouldn’t suggest for a moment that the Dutch World Champion lacks passion. It’s just not his defining feature.</p>
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<img alt="54th Amstel Gold Race 2019" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PvBBIeAEmSeQtfZ8W3lNQJBfv9w=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25335455/1144192413.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Vincent Kalut-Pool/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>The quintessential MVDP moment</figcaption>
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<p id="6e9ZcK">No, his defining feature is power, mixed with relentlessness. Not just in a machine-like way, but in a way that... I’ll just never forget his Amstel Gold win, when he just wouldn’t stop leading chases, even if guys tried to camp on his wheel. There’s a purity of spirit to his accelerations, He’s not another cynical guy who would punt away a chance for a win if he doesn’t think someone else is doing their fair share. He’s more like the Classical Greek sculpture version of a cyclist. It’s pretty cool in an understated way. I suppose he’s the perfect Dutch star then.</p>
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<img alt="109th Tour de France 2022 - Stage 18" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y5RB1Rs_3Si7SgW3owXVmsqnfwU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25335460/1410128794.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images</cite>
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<h3 id="nym7lT"><strong>Van Aert’s Climbing</strong></h3>
<p id="exWqD1">Speaking of perfect stars in the eyes of their home country... I won’t try to add anything to the Wout/Matti comparison, it’s beyond words at this point. But we should never let go of the awesomeness that Wout brings in those races when van der Poel is nowhere to be found. Yes, I’m talking about the high mountains. </p>
<p id="5tvIth">We all know that Van Aert has his limitations as a climber, but exactly when they will ever kick in is incredible, riveting entertainment. His presence in any middle mountain breakaway is pure poison to the rest, given his sprinting abilities. That talent is guaranteed to launch any number of strategic decisions. </p>
<p id="I6rer6">But more than that is just what his efforts mean to the sport. He’s the reverse-Pogačar in his total disregard for the labels you thought should apply to him, the Classics grunt who invades the holy space of the Tour mountains. And he’s as good a symbol of the beauty of cycling, not for the Pogačaric joy of it all but for a grimmer form of dedication, the ability to inspire an athlete to dig deeper than us outsiders could possibly imagine. Cycling has always been about glorious suffering. Wout won’t let you forget it.</p>
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<cite>Photo by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
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<h3 id="1jqnDM"><strong>Ayuso’s Precociousness</strong></h3>
<p id="YZm2sW">We have endured several rounds of “how young is that guy?!?” in cycling of late, the most recent of which involved Evenepoel rocketing into the upper echelon by winning his third-ever World Tour race, the 2019 Clásica San Sebastián at age 19. By that time, Pogs — two years older — was already on a Vuelta podium, though the Slovene would massively up the stakes a year later. Now we have this illustrious battle brewing for the biggest races, a mix of young and sorta young, as Evenepoel tries to insert himself into the conversation at the Tour this year. And the Belgian is only 24!!</p>
<p id="MLCwxG">Uh except he’s three years older than Juan Ayuso. And I’m not sure he’s a better bet in a grand tour. In fact, I kinda think the Spaniard will end the year on roughly equal terms when it comes to the high mountain battles which will (mostly) decide the Tour de France, and maybe the Vuelta if there’s an autumn rematch. </p>
<p id="z5aR8l">Just this past week, Ayuso shadowed Jonas Vingegaard around central Italy, with Ayuso taking second overall ahead of former Giro winner Jai Hindley. Small potatoes maybe but Ayuso ended 2023 as the top rider at the Vuelta outside of the Jumbo Three, a pretty cool result that paired nicely with his 21st birthday, which he celebrated by rolling in just ahead of the Kuss-Vingo group on the Vuelta’s penultimate stage. Oh, and in his spare time he won the Faun Ardèche classic.</p>
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<img alt="4th Faun-Ardèche Classic 2024" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/olUMC2YV7D4R8bBOOfESnsOxm60=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25335463/2035842058.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Billy Ceusters/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="CMwD5P">None of this is normal. Sure, his teammate Pogačar’s record is arguably a lot less normal, like than anyone ever, and what that means for Ayuso is a mixed bag — pairing with a great mentor who casts a massive shadow. Regardless, for all the talk of a youth movement sweeping the sport, we should probably focus in on the guy who might be the face of the post-Pogs wave of kids of kids. </p>
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<img alt="109th Tour de France 2022 - Stage 12" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zswED3CpcBXdK8KN4Ao1pcM-u3w=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25335468/1408688848.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images</cite>
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<h3 id="DebwDA"><strong>Pidcock’s Bike Handling</strong></h3>
<p id="vCjynL">The Netflix documentary on the 2022 Tour de France last year was predictably annoying at times, leaning way too heavily into drama (like all TV does) when the reality is more Xs and Os. But they are great at editing footage, and footage these days is incredible, and when Tom Pidcock decided on the Alpe d’Huez stage to throw all caution to the wind and just go flat out mach chicken on the descent of the Col de la Croix de Fer, it was utterly terrifying, breathtaking madness... even if you’d known the ending for the previous 11 months.</p>
<div id="3ngvcw">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="fr" dir="ltr"> À demain. 9h. <a href="https://twitter.com/NetflixFR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NetflixFR</a> <a href="https://t.co/CSiiKthHqc">pic.twitter.com/CSiiKthHqc</a></p>— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1666490208400072704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p id="p980GF">Pidcock is a truly unique mix of talents, a Cyclocross World Champion who is often in the picture with Van Aert and van der Poel, who also crossed over to the road very successfully, winning classics as early as 2021, shy of his 22nd birthday. Unlike those rivals, however, Pidcock is small in stature, an advantage not just going uphill but down too, especially once you add in the off-road skillset (he’s also the reigning Olympic MTB cross-country gold medalist) and nerves of... whatever is 1000 times harder than steel. You don’t become a Member of the Order of the British Empire by relying too heavily on your brakes.</p>
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<img alt="109th Tour de France 2022 - Stage 12" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XFn3WIAxU_lIwDj5UnYAOgq3ZhQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25335469/1408721339.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="fSFVhn">Pidcock is therefore, in our popular minds, the downhill belt holder, a title we very informally bequeath to whoever we can remember being unbelievably awesome at descending (which often happens away from cameras, so this is a very inexact science). He has inherited the title from such legends as Vincenzo Nibali, Paolo Savoldelli, Fabian Cancellara, and several others whose (less Italian) names I am not remembering right now, but you get my point. Great handling and nervy descending is so rarely on display that when we see it, we can’t believe our eyes, and our brains start to scramble over whether the race is about to be snatched away from the usual best-climber guys. Stage races can be a bit formulaic — who can climb well enough to beat the time trialer — and great descending is an absolute wild card, not to mention a huge adrenaline shot. And incredible television. </p>
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<img alt="CYCLING-BEL-MEN-NOKERE" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OauMuJ2cYm89yVsTiemnFjwY3rY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25335470/2074378921.jpg">
<cite>Photo by DAVID PINTENS/Belga/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
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<h3 id="IpxQWD"><strong>Merlier’s Instincts</strong></h3>
<p id="I1t6aA">I don’t know if everyone will agree with me here, maybe you have another name you’d like to put in this space, but to me, right now, Tim Merlier is the Sprint Wizard. And I’m not just overreacting to him winning his pet race Nokere Koerse.</p>
<p id="L2ib4F">Merlier is the latest example of a guy from the sprinter set who seems to get by on the subtle, murkier arts of the trade. Most cycling fans are up for a bunch sprint to see who is the “fastest man on two wheels,” even if usually that man requires an elaborate escort to reach that speed at the precise moment you need it to win the race. Which is, of course, the only goal. So there’s something special about the sprinters who seem to not need anyone’s help to win.</p>
<p id="9lzpsi">This is no wunderkind — Merlier started making elite Cyclocross podiums in 2015, and scored a lone sprint win on the road in 2016 at the GP Stad Zottegem, only finally becoming a sprinter to reckon with at the World Tour level in 2020, at age 27. All that experience, more so than raw talent, seems to have defined his career, which now includes stages of the Giro and Tour. Merlier so often seems to move himself into pre-sprint position just when he needs to, chaos be damned, and with few if any of his Soudal Quick Step teammates in the picture.</p>
<p id="9W4U44">And that’s what gets him on this list. I would describe it as predictable unpredictability, in that he appears out of nowhere — a Robbie McEwen specialty IIRC? — in time for the final push, but it happens often enough that you should expect it by now. And respect it too. The sprint trains are impressive teamwork, but there’s a lot to be said for a self-made winner. And yes, I know there is no such thing, that teamwork plays a constant role in Merlier’s success too, just maybe not in the last 100 meters. I’m not disparaging his mates so much as commending his positioning skills and pure, unteachable instincts. This is a form of genius, perhaps a bit more common in Belgium than other places? Perhaps another byproduct of Cyclocross training? Whatever it is, Merlier has clawed his way into the top class of sprinters, pedigree and leadouts be damned.</p>
<p id="25KEwt">*****</p>
<p id="m1GCS3">OK, this is a non-exclusive list of particular riders’ particular skills that you might find extra relevant to your cycling enjoyment. Who else’s what would you like to add in here? Have at it! </p>
<p id="JqjxZ2">And what the heck, let’s put in a poll to see which if any of these unique talents is your fave.</p>
<div id="yZoYuL"><div data-anthem-component="poll:12278796"></div></div>
https://www.podiumcafe.com/2024/3/14/24092991/a-winter-doldrums-brain-teaser-what-is-cyclings-most-intriguing-skillChris Fontecchio2024-03-11T14:55:52-04:002024-03-11T14:55:52-04:00On the scene at Tirreno-Adriatico
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<p id="wChLY5">This year, I made it back to Tirreno-Adriatico for the first time in five years. They’ve changed it up a bit (but just a bit) by starting with an individual time trial instead of the old team time trial.</p>
<p id="XWbfZy">Jonas Vingegaard was the third rider off the start ramp, looking like an alien in Visma’s crazy new tt helmet.</p>
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<p id="6EcZW1">Mark Cavendish:</p>
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<p id="BSgWLA">John Degenkolb:</p>
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<p id="12TZm1">Stage winner Juan Ayuso:</p>
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<p id="lgmc3m">Lawson Craddock:</p>
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<p id="IPCj38">Attila Valter at the finish, showing off the clear-visor, Hungarian national champion version of the new Visma lid:</p>
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<p id="gLXrB1">Tom Pidcock:</p>
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<p id="Ga0yqF">Jonathan Milan, third on the stage:</p>
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<p id="F30i80">Valentin Madouas in the finishing straight:</p>
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<p id="wy1m21">Magnus Sheffield:</p>
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<p id="ZXBxNv">Tobias Ludvigsson:</p>
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<p id="5vSWu3">Enric Mas:</p>
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<p id="BRWjGD">Georg Steinhauser:</p>
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<p id="t3Syzs">Filippo Ganna lunged for the line, but still came up one second off Ayuso’s winning time.</p>
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<p id="QQyxsB"> </p>
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<p id="JuLlGU">Ayuso had the podium to himself, picking up every classification jersey on offer.</p>
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<p id="EYTRsR">Stage three started inside the medieval walls of the hilltop town of Volterra.</p>
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<p id="gApdyT">Stage four finished in a sprint, won by Johnathan Milan ahead of Jasper Philipsen, Corbin Strong, and Biniam Girmay.</p>
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<p id="zaY6zh">Vingegaard won stage five on a solo break, with Ayuso and Jai Hindley finishing over a minute behind him.</p>
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<p id="vyHd8K">I watched stage six from a spot about halfway up the finishing climb of Monte Petrano. At that point, Vingegaard was still with Ayuso and Hindley, who ultimately finished 26 seconds behind him.</p>
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<p id="udiWnD">Isaac Del Toro, wearing the green climbers’ jersey, was in about fifteenth position when he passed me, but he ended up finishing fourth on the stage.</p>
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<p id="JxU9Ez">Jonathan Milan, in the magenta points jersey, led the gruppetto up the climb.</p>
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<p id="lglM3u">It was fun catching up with Tirreno-Adriatico again. Maybe I’ll do it again next year!</p>
https://www.podiumcafe.com/2024/3/11/24097472/on-the-scene-at-tirreno-adriaticoSusie Hartigan