From Provence and Oman he goes this week to the Iberian Peninsula and the United Arab Emirates. The Algarve and Rota del Sol Tour will begin on Wednesday, and the WorldTour’s first stage race will start on Sunday with the UAE Tour. We focus our attention first and foremost on the Portuguese Five Days.
The Algarve Tour – or Volta ao Algarve – attracts a diverse staging area because nearly everyone will find something for their mouths.
On Wednesday, the peloton will head to Lagos, where it is expected to have the first encounter between the two runners after 199 kilometres.
During the second stage they disappear into the background, because the classification men have to show their colors on the way to Foia.
It is an outcrop about 8 kilometers long with an average gradient of 6 percent. Nice detail: Remco Evenepoel could be there private statue With Regards.
After a chance for a new runner on Friday – after riding 209 kilometers – the speed men’s turn is completely over.
On Saturday, the rating will be further shaped by a 32.2-kilometre time trial. The road diaphragm has some ripples, but in particular, the somewhat long distance – and certainly for a short stage race – will weigh on it.
On Sunday we will know the overall winner at Malhao, another Algarve classic. This climb – 2.6 kilometers at 9 percent – is offered twice during the final stage.
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Luxury at Ineos Grenadiers, Brandon McNulty is the perfect man
Anyone studying the contenders circuit can’t ignore Remco Evenepoel (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl). Evenepoel won there in 2020, just before the outbreak of the Corona pandemic.
Evenepoel has explored the stages on stage especially as the Time Trial has become a reference point. The 30-plus kilometer allotment is a good valuable indication of what’s on the menu in the Vuelta, for example.
In that trial period, Evenepoel has to factor in teammate Kasper Asgren (who made his debut of the season only after contracting coronavirus), Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) and the Ineos Grenadiers.
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Who will send the British next? Former winner Michal Kwiatkowski stays home at the last minute, but two-time overall winner Geriant Thomas, Daniel Martinez and Ethan Hayter (slightly angular in Provence) are valid alternatives.
And then, of course, there’s Tom Bidcock. More than two weeks into his world title on the field, he’s moved on to spring on the road.
Pidcock moved to New York after Fayetteville for a few days off – with some comfort food left and right – and has been preparing for 10 days…in the Algarve.
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Anyway, there’s no doubt about Brandon McNulty’s level of form. The American from the United Arab Emirates won in Mallorca, also took a few places of honor and was also a trendsetter in Murcia on Saturday.
On the starting field – where smaller Portuguese teams also get their money’s worth – we also push Tobias Vos (Jumbo Visma), Ion Izagiri (Covides), new Colombian champion Sergio Higuita (Bora Hansgrohe) and David Godo (Grupama-FDJ) forward.
Tim Merler’s first racing days
Like we already did He said, runners also get two chances. Fabio Jacobsen (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) is the man to beat after a dime in Valencia, but Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) is also keen on a great start to the season.
Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) is the other Belgian ironclad, and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) still live on in last weekend’s victory.
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Don’t forget the Rota del Sol and the UAE Tour
In conjunction with the Algarve tour, the Rota del Sol is also organized. In Andalusia, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) have had to drop out of school due to Corona measures or pollution, but there are plenty of attractions.
We’re thinking of: a very powerful Bahrain – victorious with, among others, Jack Haig, Damiano Caruso, Mikel Landa, Morey Vincivenant (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl), Miguel Angel Lopez and Alexei Luitsenko (Astana Kazakhstan), Ivan Sosa (Movistar) and Oliver Naesen and Greg Van Avermaet (AG2R-Citroën), Sep Vanmarcke (Israel-Premier Tech), and Simon Yates (BikeExchange).
Team Emirates should excel in the Emirates Tour from Sunday to Saturday. Tadej Pogacar sets his first competition kilometres, Joao Almeida is his wing pilot.
Alexander Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) takes up the challenge, as Adam Yates (Inios Grenadiers) and Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) have been announced.
Finally, sprint duels between Elia Viviani, Fernando Gaviria, Sam Bennett, Mark Cavendish and Dylan Groenwegen are expected. Caleb Ewan withdrew.
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