agonist/antigonist

At the Tour of Romandie this week, Primož Roglič has drawn some (to say the least) cycling pundits for his seeming lack of serious demeanor in a stage race where his teammate placed second overall while Roglič seemingly lost needless time on stage 3, then went in the break on stage 4 instead of working for Lipowitz.  The attentive among us will have noticed that this behavior is a hold-over from the last week of last year's Tour de France, where Roglič went on several ill-fated escapades up the road, losing his top-5 placing in the process, all while seeming nonchalant. Coupled with a sparse racing calendar so far this year and a long break in racing planned until the Vuelta a España in August, some are wondering if the Slovenian is already riding off into the sunset at age 36. No crocodile tears but maybe an alligator smile? While this may, in fact, be the case, I am not so sure. We can argue that Roglič should have worked for Lipowitz in Romandie, given Lipowitz was branded with ...

Only rainbows after rain?...we'll see about that. Profile from procyclingstats.com Long...I would expect the winner's finishing time to be north of six hours. With over 4000m of climbing, the race will be hugely selective as well, but there are several nations capable of bossing the race. No rain in the forecast, but it will still be cold. Only one of the best Ardennes classics riders or the fittest GC climbers have a shot. While none of the climbs are long or particularly punchy, there are so many they will gradually strain the peloton until ~15 riders are left in the front group going into the final circuit of town. Contenders TADEJ POGACAR -- Looking to become the third man to pull rainbows over yellow over pink, and he has the form to do it following a masterclass in Montreal, which came after mucking up the finale in Quebec. He's a class apart right now, especially on these parcours, and he can go it alone without needing help from someone like van der Poel to get and ...

 The big dance...this year it's a waltz on the Zürichsee. Profile from procyclingstats.com Long-ish, but not the marathon grind (270+ km) that is the men's race. However, the length with the circuit climb will make it selective -- only one of top five riders in the peloton will win on the day. The startlist is absolute quality, there's at least ten riders with a legitimate shot at winning...it should be a smashing race. Finishing circuit Circuit climb It looks like the finishing circuit plus the embedded climb is tackled four times on the day...there's also a 0.7 km longer kicker at 8.4% on each lap. To be honest, the winning move could be launched there with a follow-up on the ultimate climb. The climb is short and shallow enough that a classics rider could very well take the win, but, with the amount of total vertical, all the sprinters should have folded by the final ascent of the circuit climb. IBut, with ~20 km of downhill/flat after the final climb, the winner wil...

 Queen stage Stage 8 profile from procyclingstats.com   Of a different kind than the previous few stages; only the pure climbers will survive 'til the finish line in the lead group. Plus the Glandon is actually the harder climb, but it is less mythic. I don't think any big moves will be made on the GC before the final climb, given how close the gaps are. But there be a decent break since Ghekiere will surely be looking to sew up the mountains jersey by going over the Glandon first. Profile of the finishing climb The finale is 14 km @ 8%, it will really hurt. There were no big GC moves today due to how selective Alpe d'Huez will be; in a stage like this, it's possible to go out the back with 6 km to go and lose 4+ minutes. Contenders DEMI VOLLERING -- Looks recovered given she was able to drop Niewiadoma to take the last of the bonifications on the line. Right now, barring disaster, I don't see a reason why she shouldn't win this stage and take the leader's ...

 Into the Alps Stage 7 profile from procyclingstats.com  The hardest stage so far, although the finishing climb is not the hardest even though it is quite long. Will the break stay away? I think not! The lead group at the finish I would think will look similar to today: a mix of the true GC riders and the best puncheurs in the peloton. Like the previous lumpy stages, I expect the racing will be aggressive all day and this stage will end up being selective. None of the climbs are too difficult, but there are a lot of them the whole way. Contenders JULIETTE LABOUS -- Rode aggressively today, I'm sure she would like to take a win here in the French champion's jersey. The form is there, but can she outsprint the rest of the group? PUCK PIETERSE -- Continues to climb brilliantly even though she no longer owns the mountains jersey, but is the mountaintop finish a bit of a reach for now? LIANE LIPPERT -- Seems all the way back after injury, the finish is a good fit plus she is in the...

 Finally in France for the hardest of the three lumpy stages   Stage 6 profile from procyclingstats.com The looming question over this stage is how is former race leader Demi Vollering's health following yesterday's crash? The way she chased without teammates was hugely positive, but frequently the day-after crash soreness is worse. Regardless, I think she'll go into this stage angry, which doesn't bode well for the rest of the bunch! Finally, with a bonus sprint and at the threshold of proper mountains, this day will be selective (like the others haven't!) I expect to see a small group containing the heads of state go over the final climb and contest the win amongst themselves at the line. Contenders KASIA NIEWIADOMA -- The new race leader faces a stage that suits her well. Can the yellow jersey give her enough of a boost to secure her second win of the season? CÉDRINE KERBAOL -- The French rider is going well and is now fourth on GC. Another for whom the stage is ...

 The middle lumpy stage...not as hard as yesterday, but not easy by an means! Stage 5 profile from procyclingstats.com    Is it hard enough to be a GC day? I don't think so. I can see the stage going to a rider that lost time today, but is strong in the classics. Contenders SILVIA PERSICO -- Seemed interested in collecting QOM points; will that continue today? The profile of this stage is also likely a slightly better fit.   MOVISTAR -- It's a good stage for Baril, Norsgaard, and Lippert, all of whom are now down on GC.    ALISON JACKSON -- Down on GC, the profile is a good fit.   LORENA WIEBES -- I'm not sure the profile is hard enough to drop the sprinter...if SD Worx decide to work for her (I don't think they will), look out.   KRISTEN FAULKNER -- Won't get the freedom to chase the win   ELISA BALSAMO -- Another who I think is favored by the slightly easier profile compared to yesterday.   DEMI VOLLERING -- Just because I don't think ...

The miniature LBL stage Stage 4 profile from procyclingstats.com   There are many riders with the capabilities of winning today, but things are complicated by Vollering already being in the yellow jersey, meaning SD Worx will be working to boss this stage. Given that, it's looking to be a big GC day already.  Contenders I'll be going more-or-less based on the results from this year's LBL results. GRACE BROWN -- A winner of LBL in the spring, a flat in the TT may have cost her the win. The Olympic TT champion, she's clearly on great form. Down 23 seconds on GC, she might get some freedom, but can also win from the sprint. DEMI VOLLERING -- Twice an LBL champion, was third in this year's edition after getting outsprinted at the line. I'll look for her to go solo over the final unclassified climb to get the bonus seconds and the win. Futhermore, she should get a massive leadout from Wiebes to go over the top and ride the rest of the contenders off the wheel. CANYON...

 Second verse, same as the first Stage 2a profile from procyclingstats.com  Short, flat, and non-technical, it's going to be another sprint Contenders CHARLOTTE KOOL -- Now two wins in the last five days of racing, the confidence will be high and rightfully so. It could be just what is needed to get past Wiebes in a head-to-head sprint for the first time this season. LORENA WIEBSE --  A mechanical ruined an opportunity to sprint in the stage 1 finale, it's hugely unlikely lightening strikes today as well, so she's still the favorite in my estimation. ELISA BALSAMO -- Came on late to take third in the stage 1 sprint; with a better leadout, a win is possible, the form is clearly there post-Olympics MARIANNE VOS -- Should be challenging for the top 3 again Prediction Kool by half a wheel ahead of Wiebes -- confidence is everything Stage 2b profile    "Stage 3" is a short and flat TT in the afternoon. It's one for the specialists and sprinters. To be honest, the m...

 Pan flat, with the most ridiculous QOM/KOM I've ever seen. Stage 1 profile    Always a possibility of crashes with the opening-stage-of-a-grand-tour nerves, but should otherwise be a straightforward sprint stage. Contenders LORENA WIEBES -- The best sprinter this season, and had a good race in Paris last week, so the form is still there.  CHARLOTTE KOOL -- Consistently the second-best sprinter this season, and broke the winless streak last month, so confidence should be high. But, she still has yet to get the best of Wiebes this year. MARIANNE VOS -- Second in the Olympic road race and has gotten the better  of Wiebes in a sprint this year (okay, maybe Amstel doesn't count!). Sprinting well this year, it could happen on home roads (okay, the first three contenders are all on home roads!). ELISA BALSAMO -- Recovered from the Olympics? We'll see! Prediction Wiebes!  

With an extra stage and a new spot on the calendar due to the Paris Olympics, it's time for the Tour de France Femmes.  This year's route features eight stages over seven days, starts in the Netherlands, and finishes atop the Alpe d'Huez (sorry; once again no celebratory final stage). The route is very balanced: two stages for the sprinters, one time trial for the specialists, three hilly stages for the punchuers, and two high mountain stages for the climbers. The change in date off the men's tour is also of interest; I've no doubt the opening stages in the Netherlands will have massive crowds, but how will the French attendance look post-Olympics and the men's tour? If the crowds are large, it bodes very well for the race as it expands in length next year. Stages As usual, all stage profiles are taken from procyclingstats.com Stage 1 profile   Flat! It's a bit outrageous the organizers squeezed a category 4 climb in there, but I guess the sponsors want some...

 It's time for the second grand tour of the women's calendar. Placed a few weeks before the Paris Olympics, the startlist is lacking a bit in firepower, but the route most certainly is not. After languishing for a few under the previous organizers, the first year under the purview of RCS sees a welcome return to the challenging courses of years past. A decade ago, the Giro was the premier race stage race on the women's calendar; with the fumbling of television coverage by the previous organizers in the last few years and the concurrent re-introduction of the Tour de France Femmes, that's no longer the case. But, it is likely the hardest stage race on this year's calendar. Let's take a look at the key stages: Race map from procyclingstats.com   Eight stages in total, most of them featuring the Apennines. A short-ish ITT kicks things off. Reusser has scratched, so we'll probably see Kopecky take the leader's jersey here. The third stage features the firs...

 Here we go again...time for the annual 21-round bout via bike around France. Previously... Last year we saw an epic two-week battle between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard that looked as though it would go down to the wire until Vingegaard took a huge chunk out of the Slovenian with "the time trial of his life" on the first day of the third week. Then, the unthinkable happened when Pogacar infamously imploded on the climb of the Col de la Loze and bled out about 6 minutes by the time he crossed the line. And, just like that, over the span of two days, two riders who had been separated by seconds over the course of two weeks were now looking at each other across a gulf of almost 8 minutes. The moment when everything went sideways for Tadej Pogacar in the 2023 Tour on the Col de la Loze during stage 17    The Route Here's the route and my key stages: 2024 route from procyclingstats.com   In total, 21 stages and 3491 km of cycling goodness, including 8 days in the h...