Watching the peloton - Professional Road Racing thread 2026

Jeremy McCreary said:
Is this the same Visma that looked so weak and disorganized in the TdF? Seems like night and day.
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But think about it, in the Tour they had a single aim; get Johannes to the top step of the podium in Paris, once Johannes dropped out all plans changed into chaos. Here, from the get go they are stage hunting, a much simpler proposition, and have the right weapons to do it. In the mountains Kuss i imagine will continue this tactic -unless he feels he has a shot at second, which he does, so that may well complicate tactics later on.
 
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stompandgo said:
The Vuelta has now officially become boring. Sigh
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Really? Still seems pretty exciting to me, but I don't mind shifting more attention to the podium race.

And I never tire of watching Pogi win.The question just shifts from "will Pogo win?" to "how's he gonna do it this time?"
 
Jeremy McCreary said:
Really? Still seems pretty exciting to me, but I don't mind shifting more attention to the podium race.

And I never tire of watching Pogi win.The question just shifts from "will Pogo win?" to "how's he gonna do it this time?"
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Apart from maybe blue ocean sailing having a race over 21 days is so exciting and complex. With no challenger to Pog it loses a whole layer of tension and interest. When 2 or 3 riders are neck and neck everything is elevated. Its not just about the spectacle, it feels really flat when it's only individual stages at stake.
 
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Rás Cnoic said:
But think about it, in the Tour they had a single aim; get Johannes to the top step of the podium in Paris, once Johannes dropped out all plans changed into chaos. Here, from the get go they are stage hunting, a much simpler proposition, and have the right weapons to do it. In the mountains Kuss i imagine will continue this tactic -unless he feels he has a shot at second, which he does, so that may well complicate tactics later on.
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LaPorte, Van Aert, and Brennan really change the complexion of the team. Visma might have had a shot at more stages if those first 2 riders weren't late scratches from the Visma squad.

It's nice to see Brennan off to a good start, but we still need to see how he holds up over 3 weeks. He said last year he hopes to get a shot with the 2027 TdF. You have to think if he doesn't completely fall apart here, that he's making a good argument for that so far. I'm sure the organizers are licking their lips at the thought of a young British rider taking one of the opening stages next year.
 
Pro racing seems kinda like Pokémon
Each Pokémon character has a mix of powers, strengths, and weaknesses. You face them off with these more or less fixed traits in mind.

Ditto for pro riders. As I get to w some of them, it's fun to guess how they'll act and interact as a race evolves.

No illusions about my odds here. Veteran commentators do this all the time with at best limited success. But that element of surprise is a big part of what makes this sport interesting.

You could say that Tadej takes some of the surprise out the top spot in the GC. But he does add back surprises of his own. As does the race swirling around him.

I'd say we're even.
 
Jeremy McCreary said:
Really? Still seems pretty exciting to me, but I don't mind shifting more attention to the podium race.

And I never tire of watching Pogi win.The question just shifts from "will Pogo win?" to "how's he gonna do it this time?"
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Because you're a Tadej fan. I find him boring and predictable.

That may be because I grew up a Red Sox fan living 40 miles from NYC.
 
Rás Cnoic said:
Apart from maybe blue ocean sailing having a race over 21 days is so exciting and complex. With no challenger to Pog it loses a whole layer of tension and interest. When 2 or 3 riders are neck and neck everything is elevated. Its not just about the spectacle, it feels really flat when it's only individual stages at stake.
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Right. A race is about winning. When the winner is decided 3 days into a 21 day race, it's become officially boring.
 
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