"The pressure is on Jumbo-Visma" - Jan Bakelants believes Jumbo-Visma have the responsibility to control Vuelta a Espana
Cycling
The Vuelta a Espana is to begin soon and we will have a big spectacle in the mountains. One of the most anticipated battles is that of Jumbo-Visma against Remco Evenepoel, and Jan Bakelants weighs in on the debate.
"I think this is an experiment at Jumbo-Visma with a view to next year's Tour," Bakelants argued in 'De Tribune' show. "I think Roglic would like to ride the Tour again. At Jumbo-Visma they want to test whether those two three weeks can correspond if they start on an equal footing. It is not a disadvantage to be with two, because Remco Evenepoel is now in the grip in advance. But I would like to see what Vingegaard does when Roglic comes into the jersey. I think it's an interesting experiment."
This is reinforced by the fact that Vingegaard's form coming into the race and how it'll evolve is a mystery. It is the first time in his career that the Dane will ride two Grand Tours in a season, in this case consecutively and after the colossal task of winning the Tour de France. He announced his Vuelta participation still during the Tour however which signals that he and the team already had this possibility in mind when preparing for the second half of the season.
Teaming up with an in-form Primoz Roglic who's just dominated the Vuelta a Burgos, the Belgian thinks Jumbo-Visma has the responsibility to control. "The pressure is on Jumbo-Visma. With that team and that duo, they are the top favorite. To carry the race and win the Vuelta. Individually, Vingegaard and Roglic are not necessarily stronger than Remco, but if they shoot over with two, he has to control two. I think that will do the trick. If those two find each other, that is."
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Meanwhile Remco Evenepoel will take to the start in Barcelona with a very modest lineup for the mountains when comparing to rival teams. The battle will involve other riders and teams, most likely UAE Team Emirates and INEOS Grenadiers having a saying, and Bakelants believes that the indecision on which riders must be followed the most can lead to tactics that put him on the wrong foot.
"It would be a huge advantage for Remco if it immediately became clear who will be the real leader at Jumbo-Visma. Then you have one anchor point on which to fixate. But Jumbo-Visma will postpone that choice as long as possible. Roglic is definitely better than last year at the time of the Vuelta. For Vingegaard's form it is a matter of time, he is riding his second grand tour in three months," he concluded.
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Call me crazy.. that's ok... Pressure is on Evenepoel. Defending Champion and the team as to prove that they stepped up. Pressure on Ayuso and Almeida because they have to step up to prove themselves from contenders to winners. No pressure on G. and no pressure on the other 3 week grand tours winners this year.
I think both Roglic (has pressure against teammate Vingo) and Remco also as defending champion this time. With Also both UAE's Almeida and Ayuso are weighing their respective nations. I think G.Thomas has less pressure this time as he will perform his maybe his last GC option.
How is the pressure on JV whose 2 leaders won the Giro and the Tour? In fact the pressure should be completely off. Besides they have enough strong riders who can go into the breakaway as well
There is pressure on TJV because they have two riders who could win it and a strong lineup to support them. But the idea that it is their responsibility to "control" the race is misguided. They probably will, because they have the strength to do so. And certainly other teams will be reluctant work with them to chase down breaks, so as a practical matter they may have to do a lot of that work themselves. But from a purely strategic standpoint, they don't *have* to control anything. Their goal is to win, and they would be just as wise to conserve their strength as to expend it in the name of control. UAE has a strong team and two riders who could podium, and there will be lots of teams with an interest in stage wins. TJV can afford to be patient at times and let other teams do some work if they decide that is the right play.
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