Are Van der Poel & Van Aert Ready for Pogačar at Flanders? | Gent-Wevelgem & Catalunya Breakdown | THEMOVE

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“Well, I think we can all agree on that in either way, it's actually super exciting racing,”

it's fun to watch, you don't know what's going to happen until the very end with E3 and getting well with them, and I mean, in many ways, like we haven't really seen that in the big one, every aces lately is this very one guy dominating and riding away from it. It was kind of times get a little boring, but this was fun. I mean, this was exciting. You didn't know what was going to happen until the last, you know, 500 meters.

Hey, everybody, welcome back to the move. I'm Spencer Martin. I'm here with Johan Berniel, in George and Capy. We are breaking down, again, we'll come, which is not really called, again, we'll come any more, but we will for just our purposes, speak of it as such, and the final few stages of Volta Catalonia won by Jonas Finnegard with a bit of ease,

shall we say it for being kind. But first, let's, I'll just go through quickly, go through what

happened at Gimmelgimm, as well as Catalonia, just in a minute, and then we'll get Johan and George

“is takes on how the race played out. So, Gimmelgimm, the big story is what been art. And I think”

Vanderpool broke away, two man break away, dropped foreign for me for Yokewood and Vanderpool did this for the second time in three days questionable decision. They're pulling, they look like they're going to stay away, but for the Pelotons are learning, they're adapting, they didn't chase initially, they organized, they set up an organized chase, pulled back Vanderpool and whatnot. There was a late attack from Alec Sejant, and then Jasper Phillips and who would have thought it wins in the sprint after kind of

perfectly position himself to come around to Beisland Anderson and hold off Christophe LePort.

For a win, he's quietly building up an incredible classics resume. Like if you go back and look,

get it, he's won, Melons and Raymond on 224, second twice at Perieu Bay. One curb bustles current, one, get bubblegum, one skeletal price twice, one Eschborn Frankfurt, the biggest classic, they say, third of Perieu tours, very good springer, very versatile. Let's get into this race first, and then we'll talk about Catalonia, but George is the former winner of this race in 2021, which 25 years ago now, 2001, 2001. That would be incredible if you want it, that would be incredible.

I feel like Tiger Woods coming back and winning the Masters in 2019 or whenever he did that,

“but what was your thought watching this race, would you think of it?”

Yeah, I mean, it was pretty quintessential in, well, we got him in the favorites, all presenting there at the on the Camelberg. Well, Benar was super strong in the second to last time up, and then of course, Benar Paul looked to me a lot stronger than Benar, the last time up, like it looked like Benar was just swinging on his wheel with everything he had in Benar Paul, super composed, but honestly, I wasn't, I was super surprised that they brought that go,

those guys back. I mean, you got forward with that, those guys, some too strong guys in the world, 40 plus second, usually that's a tailwind section back to the finish, and they seem to be working together pretty well, but then when you read the post race reports, it looked like maybe Benar Paul was holding some back, but yeah, I was a pleasure to see them come back. Yeah, I think it is a long way to finish, we should say. I think George, for me, in my opinion,

you're right, and Walt said it clearly that he felt like Mathew wasn't giving it a hundred percent, and I think that kind of makes sense, because you have, you have Jasper Phillips in in the back, although I think if it's, it's full and one art, the chances of the team are a lot bigger to win than a bunch, because a lot of things can go wrong. I think the big mistake was to leave Florian Vermeers behind, on the last time of the camelback, you know, they were testing

each other. I don't know if Father Paul wanted to drop out there and then go solo to the finish,

that would also have been super difficult, especially after his long, incredible ride on Friday

in E3. So I think, obviously in hindsight, it's easier to say, but if they would have gone steady up that climb, they would have been the tree of them together, and if it's about and Mathew and

to the finish for sure with three guys. Don't you think? I don't know, I mean, in today's cycling,

it's usually one guy, I've never had the way I was going to get him going over these catching them. So

to see both of these guys that are so strong and haven't done that race for many times, I mean, that's just pretty much dead flat a couple of rollers when you usually have the wind behind you, like they can do a lot of damage with just two guys. So it must have been the vaniple wasn't going all the way, because you saw the guys that birds across, I mean, how easily he jumped across on the ground with 12 seconds. Well, I was definitely feathering it, then knowing that the

catch was probably imminent, and then knowing Philipsons was Johan would say smoking cigars behind, like didn't make a poll all day. Well, Red Bull burns with their whole team. I was wondering about

this too, Johan. So first time up the Kimmelberg, Vism was also in Chambles, like while it's

fighting for a position by himself, they go up the Belvedere side, I guess. I'm not familiar with that side. They go up, wow, pushes it. He kind of causes the split, it's for me. The second time, the second time, the first time that was on TV is that correct? But I mean, it was the whole, I saw

“the three times up TV. The first time they go up, it's the port who's pushing it, I think,”

and vanart was kind of called behind a crash. Yeah. So that took a while, I mean, it's way too early, anyway, but I mean, that second time up the Kemmelberg was was impressive performance from vanart. Only vanart Paul could follow. And then finally, you know, that's how they get away with Vermeersh and then they catch whatever's left from the break away, right? But vanart Paul go, why did he do that on the final pass of the Kemmelberg? On the steeper, on the other side. Yeah,

why did he drop everybody? What's the advantage to do that? That's what I don't understand. I mean, as George says, you know, I mean, there's there are now guys who make it to the finish, let's not forget Peterson, for example, last year did whatever 60K by himself. So, but I think, I think, and especially because these guys know each other so well, since, I don't know how long,

“since they're juniors, right? After the second time over the Kemmelberg, I think much you must have”

felt also that what was pretty good, because I mean, let's not forget, hey, it's been a while, since Walt has been able to follow my view. And this was, again, the vanart that we like to see.

So, after this, first of all, with the three guys and then, you know, basically them driving the

break away, you kind of feel how the other, how your rivals are, especially, you know, these two guys who know each other so well. So, I don't know if he thought he could drop out. For sure, it was, you know, if you see vonart going up the Kemmelberg, that was everything he had, but he, he was not going to get dropped. He was not getting dropped there. So, I also, I don't know, if it was an other test, I think, you know, he tested himself on Friday already. So, he knows it lags are good.

He just looks off, but then he got caught. Yeah, but exactly. I mean, the thing that you just described, which, like, he drunk everybody, what else is he going to do? He's just from the guy in the race. It's not like, you're doing again. Well, we're going, it's not like he's doing it for training. He's going to go hard to last time up and see who goes with him or if he goes alone. Well, I think that was his only option. And there's got to be other ways to win a race,

then going forward to case solo, right? Yeah. Like, he could go up with Vermeesh fan art himself. He could try to drop in art. When he doesn't drop in art, don't you think he should have waited for Vermeesh? He was just dangling right behind and then they have three engines to get to the finish? I mean, that's basically the decision of both of them. It's not just, it's not just not you. I mean, I think if they see that Vermeer because Vermeer stayed behind them like a 10 to

half seconds for a long time. Yeah. Um, anyways, you know, it's easy for us to say this that they after, right? The day after. Yeah. I'm just surprised because it happened not the same. He's he drops stand a wolf on Friday and got caught. He wins, but I'm just wondering, like, why is he, is this just training? It's kind of what I'm wondering. He's just not training. It's not training. Dirt? No, I don't know. I mean, yeah, I don't think it's training. He's definitely well trained.

He's he's speaking for this time of this year, although he's been winning races the whole winter as well. Um, I think he had to go, he had to go all in and just see what he can do on that climb.

“Yeah. I mean, he's not a particularly arrow rider though. That's what surprises me. Like,”

40k solo against a peloton. I mean, maybe he stays away. But he's done it before. He's done it before. Oh, he's done it before, but the most recent data point we have is 460 watts for 90 minutes almost

Like, George, what do you think is that? Is that real for 60 watts for 90 minutes? That's crazy.

And that is crazy. Yeah. I mean, yeah, I think. Okay. This is a much different time, but like my best 20 minute or 30 minutes is maybe 44450 for 20 30 minutes. Like, this is 90 minutes of 460 minutes. Probably maybe about the same way that I was at my peak. But like, that's just crazy crazy. Yeah.

“I mean, what you have to add with, it's Spencer mentioned already. What you have to add with”

Mathieu is that, you know, he is extremely powerful, but he is not aero. That's a huge difference. You know, like super wide shoulders, you know, doesn't ride with a narrow handlebars. You know, he's still one of the guys who ride with a 42 centimeter handlebars, one of the only ones. It's shocking to see the width of Mathieu's handlebars in today's peloton. So, you know, if you look at the frontal surface, you know, the amount of extra watts he has to produce, it's considerable.

I don't know if they have done tests. I mean, it probably did. I mean, he probably can't go more aero than he is already in lucky for the other ones, but it takes that amount of power to go that fast.

But anyways, you know, I mean, I saw 460 for 90 minutes. That's like, that's, yeah, I've never seen this before.

Well, Pagatra poster writer earlier this year, where he was, his FTP was around 450. And he's way lighter than Vanderpool. Yeah, where the Vanderpool must have an FTP close to 500. Let me flip the question. You guys are the opposite directors. You're in the team car.

“You're going up to the final pass. The chemical burden. What are you telling Vanderpool to do?”

I don't think they say that much, you know, I mean, listen to me. It, there's, Vanderpool definitely knows how to race, right? I mean, and I think that's one of the secrets also of Vanderpool being on that team. They just let him do his thing and follow his

instinct and his feelings. He knows he can, he can do these long solo rides. I would personally,

I mean, both Alps in and Visma. I would personally have, you know, advice to wait for, wait for Vermeers after the chemical. And then try to try to make it with the three of them. Because Vermeers is riding really strongly. He just doesn't have that punch to follow these two big power houses. I don't know. I think in today is what we've been watching the last couple years. I don't think anybody was thinking that they would come back. One and also you're racing to the bottom of the

chemicalburg. I mean, you didn't quite get a good view of it on TV, but it's still a battle of a position. You get there. You're going to go hard. I got like Vanderpool. He almost has to go hard. He's one of the best guys in the world. And he probably just won testing his leg, his testing, his competition, because he's got a tour of Flanders coming up next week. And who can actually hang with him on the

“chemicalburg? And then see who's with him at the top to see how far they can go. But I think I'm,”

I was shocked to see them get caught. I'll say it again. I wasn't. Honestly, I wasn't, I wasn't especially. I was more shocked to see what happened in an e-tree, because you know, it was all little groups, but you can't be able to get them George. I mean, you've raised it many times. It is the ideal race for teams to gather again after the chemicalburg. And it was a peloton, right? It was not a small group behind them. And if you look, for example, a deck at long,

they wrote perfectly, with that in mind, they were not going to send anybody anywhere. And they all stayed around 100 seconds. And that almost worked because he almost won. So I think and we will again, is the perfect race to get organized and have a peloton. And then you have, you had Red Bull, who obviously were very motivated with your emails. So if you have a couple of teams, yeah, I would mean that's right, actually. Well, I think we can all agree on that. Either way,

it's actually super exciting racing. It's fun to watch. You don't know what's going to happen until the very end, or E3, and again, we'll agree on. I mean, in many ways, like we haven't really seen that in the big one. Every race is lately. It's this very one guy dominating and writing away from anybody, which kind of times get a little boring, but this was fun. I mean, this was exciting. You didn't know what was going to happen until the last, you know, 500 meters. Yeah.

And big, big applause for Alex, you know, I mean, that, that performance. You know, okay, they were obviously already, I mean, and then afterwards we heard from Van art that he felt like much, he was not giving it all, but still, there is almost nobody you can make, you can bridge to those guys on his own. This guy is on a big form. Showed it already, he won the now, he was, you know, I almost won no care. Great time trialist, and obviously now changing teams from

watch him for Parituba. If that guy goes in an early break, yeah, he's going to go far.

Well, we should say, strong super strong guy, obviously. I feel like he's one of the only

“riders in the Peloton that's correctly calculating on the fly. Basically, why would I sit in this group?”

I have nothing to gain by stating, I'm not going to win a sprint. Again, Storty May was Kristoff LePort. He asked for Phillips and I've got like, he's done this week after week. He just does these really calculated smart moves. So very strong, obviously, but very impressive. What he's doing. Like, you can see him, he's correctly weighing the balance. Like, and I thought he attacked it just right time, then he attacked with a key to go off those guys and they got caught,

Vanderbilt kind of kept the pace high. We should say, I think Vanderbilt was soft pacing at a certain point, and he went, maybe they left for me, maybe that was a mistake, but it all worked out perfectly for Alpsen. I mean, to have Vanderbilt pull up the road and then Phillips is sitting in the wheels, the whole chase. Like, that's impressive teamwork. And it is impressive to see a guy bit, they're both big starters, big personalities, and they buy into this teamwork perfectly.

So we should, we should applaud that. Yeah, and also 60 at victory in his career for Alpsen Phillips and already six to zero. Well, it's pretty, pretty, pretty impressive. Here's the question we keep, we keep asking you, Johan, and you're not convinced to see the best springer in the sport right now. I mean, it's difficult to say it was the best sprinter. I'm going to say he's the best sprinter when it really matters after Alpsen. Yeah. After Alpsen race, and after Classic,

“he can win, and the tour is always there. I think he's the most complete sprinter of, you know,”

the four, five top guys. What do you think, George? Yeah, I mean, getting winning at Milan's Enrimo

second place in Rubei two times, he can easily get top five, top maybe top three in flanders as well.

I mean, very complete sprinter, I'd say he's definitely one of the most complete, well, be most complete sprinter, we have out there. Well, you can, you can throw in Mad Speeders in Faso, who can win sprinter, feel sprints in the shorter France, and, you know, go solo and race again, well look, and, you know, yeah, I'm sure. Yeah. So those guys are pretty similar in that respect. It is crazy. Like Phillips and how much battery is in everybody else? When it, as you say,

you want to win at matters, to be able to pull out, I mean, he is 10 to the front stages since 2022. There's nobody, there's like 10, 10 mirrors aren't doing that. John of the Milan's aren't doing that. And here, here's some stats for you guys. This is kind of a, I do think we're seeing a change, a trend change. We were talking, hinting at it earlier with the solo, breakaways being common. So 2024, E3, Vanupe went solo by 131, again, Wellvagan, the fear member, it was Mad's

better send Vanupe to upfront, well, like what we didn't see yesterday. Flanners with solo, Vanupe, Rebase, solo, Vanupe, 2025, E3, Vanupe, solo, Vanupe was pretty good right, by the way, when you go back and look at this Vanupe, solo, over a minute, again, Wellvagan, Mad's better send solo by 49 seconds. But even right there, you'll hawn your scene, it's what you're saying. Again, Wellvagan, it's harder to build up these gaps,

just because of the course. Flaneters, Pagatio, solo by Albert minute, Rebase, Vanupe, Vanupe, solo by 1118. This year rolls around, like we saw it, I send Ramo, if you remember George, like, she little track was chasing, well, like they almost caught that group that was doing that surprise in Pagio record times. So that shows us right there, like they're getting better and smarter at these chances. E3, Vanupe is caught, caught not caught, it's a solo win,

but he did get caught. I was shocked to see that. Again, Wellvagan, Vanupe, and Wellvagan, Vanupe caught and then reduced bunch sprints. So you will, I do think we're seeing a trend change there. And I think it's because the Peloton has realized that we can't panic, we can't try to chase, we have to work together to close them down. My question for you guys, is that a good decision? Or did everyone make a mistake pulling that back for the sprint when the Phillips and sitting in the wheels?

“Or do you have to do that because you don't have another option? You have to do it. I mean, they're either racing,”

for third or they're racing for first, so the teams that did not have anybody in the break away,

it's their responsibility to chase it down. Yeah, I mean, you know, if you want to win the race, you have to first make sure that you get to the finish for first place. But I'm very good. A lot of teams forget that. I mean, people forgot that for a decade, right? No one could chase anything. It's just like, oh, someone's up the road. Let's not chase it, but that serves you the beauty of Sager on a attack. He's not a sprinter, but he sits in that group, waits until the right time,

then attacks. I'm in Red Bull did a bad luck, right? They chased really hard, and then they're spinner. Did you see collided with Leport? Yeah, Leport? Yeah, Leport. It kind of happens after the race.

Flanders, after watching and getting a bubble come. You go first, Johan. It's different with Pugajas there. I mean, obviously, as we said, you know, Flanders and Grube, it's a different race,

because there are always other factors coming into play than just being the strongest. There's

the positioning. There's bumping each other, they're quacking, you know, can lose position. You can

“get pushed into a ditch. Very easy. Something to happen like that. But I think personally, if everything”

goes to plan, Pugajas went solo. It's a much harder race than whatever we have seen until now. It would say, for example, in Flanders, it would probably only be Bander Pool, who couldn't try to follow him. Last year, we can say he couldn't follow him because Bander Pool was already involved in a crash before. Apparently, you know, he was not 100%. Had been a bit sick also before the race. This year, I was surprised to see Bander Pool getting dropped on the Pugjo. I did not see

that coming. I was convinced, you know, especially seeing his level in Tireno, that he would stay with that they Pugajas. So if you're not able to follow Pugajas in Milan, Sanremo, where the plans are longer, but sitting on the wheel is a lot easier. Then I think after a hard race of attrition in Flanders, Pugajas goes by himself, I know what he can follow him on the Quaramont.

“Yeah, I mean, sorry to argue with that one, you know what? I mean, the house strong,”

what he did in Sanremo was something we've never witnessed in cycling. And of course,

after the race, Bander Pool said that he had a lot of trouble getting out of saddle with his hand injury, but you saw Pugajas was just as messy and bloody everywhere else. So I mean, it's hard to say, I would love to see the more competitive race because it's such a, like you said, hard as race, we've seen thus far this year. But, you know, perhaps we see some sort of tactic change where they make UAE do all the work instead of teams like Alpsine Phoenix. And these mode helping out,

and maybe they just risk it all and say, this is all on you guys. You guys have to do the work. You won. And then you might see some, like an exciting dynamic start happening throughout the day. We're some, you know, some of the second tier riders may have a chance for the win because of the way of the tactics to play it out. So it could be an interesting race. It's a long race. Lots can happen. So yeah, we'll see, but I'm definitely excited to watch it.

“I think I think you're right, George. I think the scenario we could, you know,”

foresee for Pugajas are not to win, but probably come from, you know, and other jobs, not at all. Who goes in between climbs, you know, and it's part of a break away and it's strong enough to make it. And UAE runs out of guys. You know, we don't wish to anybody, but let's say there's problems in the first few climbs UAE has two guys involved in a crash. You're down to five. You know, things like that happen in flaters, right? I personally think if it's the favorites

racing for the win, I don't see who can follow Pugajas. Well, then also, and then you might see the same thing with all the favorites, you know, the selection happens before the final time up the the, the quorum out for the final time up, they go after potters break at the end too, right? Yeah, potters. So the other scenarios, you see the favorites. The second time up, they all get away with Pugajas, and then they're like, well, we're not going to pull through as hard as we normally would,

because you're most likely going to drop us. So they start to stand back. And like you said, that's maybe when this, the young dogs catch back up. So yeah, that would be a potentially very exciting scenario. I don't know about that. Underdogs catch it. I mean, like Mad Pederson is an underdog, maybe if that's. Oh, no, there's no question. These are still rock stars. Like yeah, I heard to what's happened lately in flanders. And also scenario, we can see somebody else

get up the road. Yeah, that's also George, you know, okay, we have Pugajas. Now we have, let's say, we have on the pool, uh, Van art and Pederson, you know, the thing is that these guys, once they're

ahead with Pugajas, it's not in their DNA. They always work, you know, they prefer to be upfront

and minimize the, you know, factors that you can't control. Yeah. So, you know, that's the beauty also of these guys, but it kind of makes it a bit, I mean, I'm going to say boring. It's still exciting, but it makes it easier for Pugajas in this team. Yeah, I agree. It was harder back back in the day like Peter Sagan, right? Everyone race tactically against them and then that doesn't

be up the road, you're minimizing variables. I'm surprised you guys didn't, I think Vanirpool, I'm going to take the opposite of you here and say pretty impressive. Like 90 minute power,

“I got it. You can't, the problem is if he's not dropping Van art, how's he going to drop Pugajas?”

That's kind of an issue. I guess he doesn't have the drop Pugajas. You know, he needs to try to stay with him. Yeah, it's what do you, I think Vanirpool is very, very fit, maybe maybe he could stay with the doctor, maybe, but what do you guys think about Vanirpool? I think it's pretty impressive for him considering his skills. Yeah, he's coming around for sure.

And I made the the selection on the second last time out of the camp, was the only guy able to

hang on, then Vanirpool's will pull, pull, pull, pull, pull with him the whole way running into the finish and he seems to be on, you know, getting better and better each race he does. Yeah, and also, you know, let's not forget we haven't talked about him a lot, but you know, what, what Vanir did in Milan Saint Rémo is equally impressive. You know, I mean, he was involved in that crash, had to wait much longer, had to get another bike, was not there on the Podjo, and then comes back

and finishes third. So that's already an indication that he's definitely better than what we've seen in the in the springs the last two, three years. Wait, not there on the Podjo. Wait, did he catch on before the Podjo? He must have. Yeah, yeah, but he was not, I mean, yeah, but he was, he was not in front of the group. I mean, he was in that group, but yeah, you know, when they got to the top,

he was in the middle towards the back of the first of the first group behind the leaders.

“I mean, and they, like, even we don't remember it as such, but they went up really fast, right?”

So to go up the Podjo that fast and then move up in the Senate, he almost wins in Rémo. Like, we want to remember it that way, but he was close to a few decisions go a different way. He wins that race pretty impressive. I do, I do worry, though, that we're seeing this is just the different speed on the climbs. And we're going to see if flangers from Pagachar, assuming he's healthy from his scent. Where is he right now? Does anybody know? Where is he,

Johan? I think he's in Monaco. He's, uh, he's been training. He's been, he's been doing some recon. I know he's been in Belgium. He's been in Parigobé. He's done a par, a par, a par, a very recon with, uh, with Vermiche, uh, after, after Milansan Rémo. So he's preparing, he's preparing, you know, that's he's preparing for flangers in Rémo. And you see the Vanderpool flu, little private jet trip back to home in Spain, in between now and flangers on Sunday. I do,

“I think this is the right move, but it's definitely on orthodox, right? Where you guys”

just sticking around George when you were doing the classics? If we had a week in between, I think I normally go back and you think you're on? Yeah, we can. It's also depends on whether, too. Like, if it's super cold up there, there's no reason. But, you know, the thing is George before,

I mean, since they've, you know, switched those dates around, there was never a week without race,

you know, you had, you had, I think, Carla Baker was on a weekend, and then you had, uh, you had, water again, I think, also in between, where we always had a Wednesday race. And then, and then, you had flangers, and again, wave again and Ruben. Yeah, it was never a week without, without, without the race. Well, technically, there is a race this week towards the word flanger, right? That's the vlog that I didn't do down. So, but he's just smartly not doing that. Um, I do, I did love this,

this, like, narrative of like, well, Vinter Poe was, was tired from Friday. So, he actually was, he was at a disadvantage compared to Vinter Poe. I was like, well, he did that voluntarily. Presumably, they're only doing this double if they think it's good for flangers, right? You, like, that should be the only calculation. I think also Spencer, it makes a lot of sense. I mean, especially after the two performances and, you know, energy that he spent both in Friday and in

E.T. and on Sunday in Engen, wave again, there's no way he should do drugs of London. He needs to take this week off. He knows his form is there. Just go a week, you know, like, chart the batteries and he's going to be, he's going to be full gas for flangers. That's for sure. So, I mean, I think it's the right way. He knows that in Spain, he can train properly. He doesn't need to train that much anymore this week. And I think, I think he'll just come down on Friday evening.

Anything else George? I'm getting more of a gum before we move on. No, yeah, like I said, it was a great race watch. Well, let's take a quick break. Then we'll talk about Volta Catalonia. Might be a quick conversation, pretty yesterday for an race. Everybody this episode is brought to you by Square. They have some genuinely big updates. At their latest releases event, Square rolled out a wave of new tools built to help local businesses

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Volta Catalonia's seven-day stage race. We would go on putting it in our list of top seven, or our big seven, one week stage races. One by the Jonas Finnegard by minute 22 over Lenny Martinez.

That's a massive gap at this race, because there's no time trial. Florian Lipowitz, third at 130,

helped by room covenable who fell out of the GC on the first mountain stage, back on Friday, on stage nine, sorry, stage five, which we talked about. What I didn't talk about is with Jonas Finnegard attacked, and one in that mountain stage, without standing up on his bike. Stage six, Saturday's stage was a little tougher. Red Bull really, they had RIMCO envelope on the front. Oddly climbing really well, so it's not a physical thing on the climbs. Apparently it's got to

be mental, because he was pushing the pace hard on the climbs leading into the final climb drop.

“If you look skull on a descent, I believe, which allowed Lenny Martinez to move into second,”

Florian Lipowitz to move in the third. Unfortunately, a byproduct of RIMCO envelopes in credible pace making was that it set up Jonas Finnegard for a pretty devastating attack on the

final climb. He wins. But just by 10 seconds over Lenny Martinez, second time Lenny Martinez is stuck

to Jonas Finnegard, and then Florian Lipowitz was third on the stage. RIMCO envelopes held on for an impressive fifth, 27 seconds back, and then stage seven in Barcelona at the Montjuic climb. Doublely important this year, because it is the venue for not only the first, but the second stage of the Tour de France. The first stage is going to be a team time trial up the climb, finishing up the climb, and then the second stage is basically the same circuit that we watched on stage seven,

a lot of attack and super aggressive racing. Jonas Finnegard isolated just like he was on stage six. I slated quite early. I was surprised by, but you can tell the guy knows what he's doing because he was just getting to the front, staying out of trouble, pushing the pace at times himself, only a 95 kilometer stage, by the way. That's hard. They test him. They can't drop him. He actually leads over to the climb, Oscar only tries to get away, but Vinnegard leads down

the descent after the final climb, and the Peloton slash chase group catches up to them, Brady Gilmore from Innocent, Procycling, wins the sprint ahead of Dorian and go down. With Rimko Appanapol, who readable will work pretty hard to position for that sprint,

gets third, would have been a taller order to be guys like Brady Gilmore is just

noticeably much bulkier than Rimko Appanapol, better spinner. I didn't, frankly, not been following him closely 24-year-old Australian. First year is a professional. I guess it sounds ridiculous. Kind of late to turn pro, but gets a win at this race. Innocent gets two wins with Ethan Vernon, winning on stage. For George, you were at this race with your Monitor Ventures Procycling team. What do you think about this? What were your impressions from the race itself?

Yeah, it was great to be at the race. Our first World Tour European race, so it was a big level up for us. The guys wrote really well. We got two top 10s. We were in the significant breakaways in the first four or five stages, and we learned a lot. So for us it was a great experience. It was a proud of the way the guys wrote, but it was some hard racing. They got the first stage. When they started in St. Louis, they closed. Bruce went through all the same roads that

I spent most of my career on, so that was kind of fun to be in the car watching them do the all the climbs that we know so well. But as soon as they hit the Coast Road, it was just like mass carnage, which I think is a lot different. I mean we did the Tour de France stage there in 2009.

“You'll know if you remember that, but I mean it was super fast, super strong out, but they feel”

stays together. Like this year we hit the Coast, and it's like 50 guys after like five can't the Coast. I mean I don't know if it's faster or just people just sit up when they don't, you know they're not feeling like they're in the front, but it was blown to pieces on the first

Dorona also went to the pool in Dorona. Yeah, to learn how to be a physiotherapist when the school in Dorona. So that's kind of a wild story. He's a French guy, but lives in Dorona.

So he knows the road really well. And of course, probably huge deal to win in his second home,

so to speak. But yeah, the racing was great to watch. It was a really aggressive racing, some interesting sprint stages. Yeah, it was just a typical bolted the Catalonia in my opinion. Yeah, I mean, it's a hard race. I would say compared to Paranese Tireno, Dorfinese, Dorubaskan, it probably a little bit less prestigious than I mean in terms of, but it's one of

“those seven prime, prime one-week stage races. So I think logic has been respected right, Jonas.”

We already saw how Jonas was in Paranese. I think this year in Catalonia he was stronger. And Paranese, you know, the first mountain stage he won, that was an impressive performance. And then, yeah, that last stage six Spencer, he didn't really have to, you know, he just attacked and then maintained it. Yeah, and then finish almost week. I'm going to have a question for you, guys. We're going to test your cycling historic knowledge. What's Montjuic?

That circuit famous for. George, you can go first. The Olympics in 1992. You race that you race there? Well, I did the team time trial, but I think the open ceremony is right there. Yeah, the stadium is right there on the course. Yeah. Yeah, Olympics 92, but also

“there's been two times World Championships there. I don't remember the first year, but I do remember”

there was huge scandal or drama. I'm on drama in Belgium because there was four riders in front and two Belgians, was Eddie Merck's Freddie Martens, Felicia Gimondi and Luis O'Canya and the Belgians didn't win. And so because Felicia Gimondi won and then in 1984, there was another World Championships there. One by my later teammates sadly passed away, slowly, quickly, one there, World Championships there on the Montjuic. And then finally, there was also the back in the days when

when we were approached, George, there was always the famous Craterium there. It's a lot of the Montjuic

at the end of the season. Like 10 times of that climb. It was first there was a time trial of the climb and then of course, 10 times of the climb, but famous, famous place. It's going to be who won, who won the stage in 2009 without looking anything up? For young. I'm not sure, wait, double. Wait, 2009. Yeah, 2009. Yeah. Yeah, pouring rain into Barcelona. Yeah, I remember it was slippery. Yeah, I was a big wind friend. Yeah. Yeah, that was a big wind frame. And they kind of,

I can't believe I just stomped the experts. I'm a problem myself. You were at that, you were in the drop of the mic. And then was that the tour that he went on this crazy green jersey campaign? I must have been right where he had a whole bunch of all a test team then. I wasn't sure he was in it for the green as well. And he was like, do a mountain break away because Cavendish was winning all the flat sprints and tough times to be a sprinter and a peak Cavendish area. And he had a great

“lead out guy. That's why he was so unbeatable. No one can get around George. But this race was kind”

of odd because it was like two races welded together. What you just described George, like the first

four stages were kind of this exciting, always on almost like one day races, four one day races

consecutively. Like I would say quite exciting. And then the last two or the last three stages, tough mountain stages. I would say quite boring. The air I say because Jonas was just so much better than everybody else. You yesterday in Barcelona, Jonas is better than everybody else, but it was still, I thought it was actually pretty good racing, pretty fun to watch. By the way, by the way, Spencer, sorry to interrupt. Before I forget, I don't know if you were at that stage, George.

But one of the hardest climbs I've seen in the season, they called the Pradele. I heard, yeah, no, I flew home today, but I didn't believe it. Unbelieve me. Like for somebody who watches it on TV, to really have a clear idea of how steep it is. And it was obvious from the

it's our scouting recline. Last five kilometers at more than 12%. That was Brutal.

Yeah, Brutal. And then, you go on, you were saying you had some stats about which, which some of it finished was it that Vindigar, it's a little misleading. So the misleading part would be Jonas Vindigar crushes Taddy Pagachar. What it's going to happen at the two to friends, but actually a bunch of guys in the front group, Beat Pagachar on the climb, which climb is that? Was that on Saturday? Was it called Geralt or something? Yes, yes, it's that one.

Geralt, yeah. So I have the times here. So you're, Pagachar won in 2024, two years ago, 14 minutes, 56 seconds. So it's a seven and a half, sorry, five point, eight kilometer climb at seven and a half percent. Jonas, Lenny Martinez, Lippewitz, and Valentin Pagachar went faster than Pagachar. You know, you can't compare, right? The circumstances are different. First of all, the temperature. This year was good weather. I remember back then it was

freezing cold, and Pagachar was went up there in the final of the race after a 30 kilometer solo. So that explains a lot. But, yeah, I mean, just the Peloton keeps improving. There's many, many riders on that climb on, was it, was Friday, right? Was it Friday? Yeah. That was close to Pagachar's time.

“So every year, it's a percentage, one and a half percent, that the level goes up, and that's why,”

you know, people who compare times on climbs that makes no sense. It's, it's always different,

circumstances. Yeah, the context is like, hilariously different between these two performances. They had a rim co-evenable pacing them at a perfect pace this year. It's different. This is kind of funny. You stage seven of that 2024 catalog in your final day, Pagachar wins. Do you know who got second? Doorion go down. Same. Yeah. Second this year. Yeah. Go down. It's a face of funny rider. Go through his pulmaris. He's the forest gump of sprinters. He's always kind of there and it's like,

oh, yeah, it makes sense that he's having a great year. I think we came away from this race thinking, wow, you know, it's been a good pretty good and got to be the favorite for this year to tell you, because one of his biggest competitors, as well, made a look to awful. I mean, crashed. And we, you know, and I wrote off his under performance in that client's is the, from the crash and then he came out later after the race and said,

"Sexually, not the crash. I just don't feel good. I don't know what's going on." And Yohan, you thought he didn't look, you know, quite like the ometa we're used to, even just physically.

“But I think it's, I mean, I don't think the meter has ever been more over on is,”

is vending guard the favorite for this year to tie right now, because I was in the ometa camp. I'm not feeling so good about that camp at the moment. We're suffering with flooding rising seas on Jualemeta Island right now. Yeah, I think Yohan is definitely the big favorite. You know, there's this no doubt about it. I mean, most likely Yohanos will win the Jiro. I haven't seen the team yet they're bringing, but

I think he has, you know, he has the stage racing pretty much dialed in. I've got to send a team that can support him. It would take a really, really good all-mada. It would take a super, um, palli-zari. And still, I don't see how they can beat Yohanos.

“I mean, if everything goes to plan, Yohanos wins the Jiro, I think.”

You were, I remember, I remember the beginning of the season, you were worried about Yohanos. Yeah, I was worried that there's this in races. It's like he said out, we just funny is, you know, last year. The writer I was worried about was Valmeda. Maybe I was a year off, but then he

went on like an incredible run where he won three consecutive world tour stages and had like the

career season. So you want me to be worried about you in January because you're going to have the best season of your life. Yeah. But yeah, I think Yohanos, it's, I think, second, second best writer, second best stage racer in the sport right now. I think he's held onto that crown, looking good for the Jiro, looking good for the tour, behind him, I'd say Lenny Martinez. It's quite impressive. We were singing philosophical phrases on Friday and then

Felix Gaul went on to be dropped under the scent and followed the six overall.

over the weekend. Flooring lipwits is, it's coming on. These are, these are who doesn't this

“point. No, which is important for the Tour de France, specifically. I think that's a great race for”

that type of writer. Any other GC that you had, Yohan, about? The crash of Pitcock obviously, I saw Pitcock was super motivated for this race. He even counted himself as one of the potential winners for the GC. Had a bad crash in a downhill, you know, the best, arguably, the best center of the whole peloton crash. He said it was his own fault, miscalculated while he was drinking. But yeah, he finished that stage, but then the aftermath was not good, so he's recovering now.

I don't know if the Hilly classics like Amstall flesh and Leesh were on his program, but that's obviously not going to be a knee injury like this, you know, damaged ligaments and stuff like that. That could take a while. So that's a bummer. Well, and I was curious to see how he was going to do in the GC. I do his career form in the now. We don't know what would have happened

“with, I think he's not going to be Jonas, but I was, I thought he was going to do pretty well.”

With this, that confirmed he has damaged ligaments and his knee. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he had the in the hall explanation and he gave the hall medical report. So there's this, his knee was swapped. And yeah, it's going to take, it's going to take a few weeks before he can get back to the normal. Yeah, that's not good for the classics. It all because it was going for the ardent classics. Any thoughts on the Remco Avenue poll situation continues to befuddle me because on Friday,

I was like, he's just dying to climb anymore. Don't know what happened. And then on Saturday, I thought he looked unbelievable on the climbs. And I mean, he gets distance at the end, but he'd done it. A huge turn of work. I mean, leaving in this race, like, what are you thinking about Remco Avenue poll as a GC contender? I mean, because he's great as a dummy. He looked great as a domestic didn't didn't think it'd be that good as a domestic, but that's not what Red Bull's

pain for him. They did not buy a mountain domestic with Remco Avenue poll. I'll let you go first,

“George. I mean, I believe we had the same conversation two or three years ago when he got third”

toward a France. Like, the guy is incredible. When he's on form, he's on form, when he's not

in form, he could still do things like what he did in stage three, both Catalonia, you know, write everybody up as a wheel on a flat stage. I mean, he's got incredible power. And I think he's just, I think he's just buying the time till he gets to the summer to really hone in on this climb and ability. That's my thought. He certainly has the capability to climb amongst the top three five guys in the world. Yeah, yeah, but I agree, but that's not, you know,

that's not good enough for Remco for him in his mind. I'm analyzing his interviews after the stages, you know, and he was frustrated with Catalonia. He obviously there was this crash, which still is unexplainable how he crashed. I still don't know how he crashed. Yeah. So he said that, you know, the day after he felt okay, usually two days after crash, he's usually doesn't feel good. That makes sense. I mean, anybody who crashed hard knows that two days after the crash is the worst day,

then he felt better again the day after, but I had the impression he was frustrated not happy as work to do, but also we have to be realistic with Remco. You know, I mean, even if even if he's gets up a level and gets better, he's still not going to be anywhere close to Jonas and today to the France, the third place is the maximum achievable in my opinion. And then there's this big debate and especially in Belgium, you know, in Belgium, the Belgian media are, they're all,

you know, it's crazy how they're applauding you and adoring you when you win and then when you disappoint two or three times they're kind of criticizing you. And now it's all, yeah, I'm going to forget about the GCs and go for the classics. I think I think that's not true. I think he he's definitely a complete rider and you know, and I know and on this podcast, sometimes I'm

being criticized to be too soft on Remco, but I've been sometimes critical, but I repeat, I would

like to see, but again, this is an observation from the outside. I don't know exactly how it all works within within the team and within with his entourage, but I feel like the Remco's always stressed,

off, obsess less, and just take things as a common, right on feeling a little bit.

That's maybe going to work out better in the long run for GCs, right? But then again, I don't think that Remco is that kind of personality. It seems to me that he has started

“cycling focused on his, you know, his performances on analyzing his data, that's what he needs.”

And it's like if something's off a little bit, it's all of a sudden it's like a switch, and then that you have this, this, not so good performance. So again, you know, that's just the impression I have from the outside. I don't know of what happens there, but I would definitely, and I said, there's any other podcast Spencer, I would definitely try to, you know, take in a little bit differently. Let's just say, okay, let's just take it as it is, you know, don't obsess about GCs,

go for good performances, stage by stage, and a GC will come automatically. Well, yeah, I think if we can all agree as bananas, idea to stop going for GCs and just focus on one day. So when you're that kind of a time trial, and then that kind of a climber, and you're getting paid that much money, you should probably go for some GCs. Don't just focus on one day's, what you said, George, it's just quickly touched on that, like, honing on his climbing form,

what seems to be happening, and that is how the sport used to work. But why does it seem like what Taty and your own is, you could wake them up at one in the morning and say, on January,

and say, climb up to us, and they would go really fast. Like, why do they never have to

climb, honing on their climbing form? Yeah, that's, I don't have cancer to that, but my point was that we have seen Ramco climb really well. We have seen him finish on mount tops with guys, like Jonas, and now far away from Bogotá, so it's within him. And so far, the season we haven't seen

“that, but I think that he can figure out what's going on and get back to that top level climbing form.”

But then George, an interesting observation, I don't know if you, if you have looked at it, you know, Ramco is, what is, is that he starts his seven or his eight-year professional now? He's still young, but he's, yeah, eight-year professional, eight-year professional, you know, with those qualities of a complete rider, my, my observation is that of those seven important one week stage races, he still has not won a single one, and that's not normal.

That is not normal for a guy with those capabilities, such a good time for all this, to defend himself in the mountains. There are other riders who have won already multiple of them. For example, let's just say, Matthew Jerkinson, he has won twice parodies. Tell me that Ramco is not a better rider than Mateo. If you look at it, I don't know the potential. So why is it that Ramco just has this you know, problem of winning these important one week stage races? I don't understand it.

I agree with you, but the same time being in Belgium, like winning Leia's best only as solo is more important than winning to work out over here. This, but he should be able to do both. Yeah, but with the qualities, I agree with him. He should be able to do both.

The problem is usually can't contend for grand tours if you can't win Catalonia. If Catalonia is a

problem, like you've got problems as a stage racer, in my opinion, you can't. The funny thing about that, Johan Mateo Jerkinson, one of those stage races over in, again, because he let him go, when he shouldn't have let him go, it's, yeah, it's fascinating actually. Another just quickly, Oscar and Leia, I was didn't have finished 12th overall, did not have the race. He wanted from this. Do we think this has to do with, if you think back to Perry Knees was sick, crashed,

and like what should he be thinking come out of this race? Because he's got a lot of expectations on him as a GC leader for that team after he didn't force that the tour last year. Yeah, yeah, I mean, it's, you know, it's difficult to confirm, you know, I mean, obviously last year's fourth place was huge. Now, the question is, is this his, is ceiling, is this his maximum, or will he be, I mean, he's still young? Let's not forget. This is it. Yeah, that's it. Let's not forget,

he had a complicated winter, like, insecurity, you know, it probably prepared, you know, in all, you know, very peacefully to the season, then he had the crash and in Paris, I would give him some

“credit. I think the guy has definitely the potential. For the moment, it's not such a big deal.”

Only nails, I think, because they are winning races compared to other seasons where they hardly were winning races. They won and Italy again two times, I saw. So they have more races. They won

So I would give him some time, what's currently? Yeah, I was going to say the same thing,

“that the teams on fire, they keep winning. I think they're happy and they're probably just letting”

the Oscar, you know, recover from his, his crash with their imparines and focus on what their

main goals are for him. It also speaks to what fans never remember if he just watched just to

be like, man, Oscar, what happened? These guys, thanks. You got 12. Oh, well, uh, two and a half weeks ago, he was sitting third overall at Pyrenees and he was sick and crashed out of the race on a miserable day. You know, like, there's things that actually affect your performance that people don't tend to give you credit for. Was he not? Was he not top three in on Garvey also? He was fourth in

“our Garvey and he actually rode really well at our Garvey. So I would, I would, yeah, I think he's actually”

having to get here. That's a tough series of stages. There's two of you say, y'all not knowing what your future is and then you join a new team and then you're doing our Garvey Pyrenees, just a miserable Pyrenees, by the way, and then Catalonia. That's that's not easy. And as an next racer in this program is the Dolfeney. Well, I'll do something before them, but that's a

“long time off. That's crazy. They might, I think, anyways, there's a late start list, so maybe they'll”

fill that out in. But anything else before we go, guys. No, I guess, you know, this week will just sit

and wait and, uh, yeah, Sunday to the runner. Your Sunday is the big day. It's the most important day

of the faculty. So it's, you know, it's two of the flounders. That's a belching day. I forget the two of the friends. George, you think, I agree. I mean, that's one day on the calendar. It is a great race. I'm very excited that George is going to be back. The lions aren't strong. I hear is going to be on that show. So, Joe and his next Sunday, Johanna and I will have a usual Friday show where we're going to predict what's going to happen to flanders and talk about anything

else that happens during the week. But thanks, guys, and we'll talk soon. Thank you. Okay, thanks.