Javier Ares

Latest comments

• mij16-07-2026
  UAE had their reasons. They didn't want teammates from Visma to get up the road to help Jonas later and it kept aggressiveness down in the main peloton. plus it preserved the stage should they want to go for it. they can race as they wish based on the best tactics for them, they are not there to please you, or the peloton.
• mij16-07-2026
  it isn't the intermediate sprint that is the leg crusher, it is getting up the road to be a part of it. that burns a lot of matches.
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  Rafionain-Glas16-07-2026
  I think there is more resentment because they didn't end up going for the stage win on stage 9. Then it ends up being unsportsmanly as they help the peloton against the breakaway, without actually trying to win, as I said in my other comment. It is also possible that Pogačar wants to show van der Poel that he can fight it out with him I'd he wanted to, but doesn't because it's the Tour de France and he can't exactly join in in the breakaway.
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  Rafionain-Glas16-07-2026
  Merlier has been going for the intermediate sprints but not at the cost of the stage win. He never sprints fully. Although I don't see how a little sprint would mean he can't sprint later. But maybe it does. It was like that last year, where Milan always outsprinted him at the intermediate sprints but Merlier was faster at the finish.
• Bublubublu16-07-2026
  They have a strong team indeed but it is not really UAE to WHAT or WHO Pogacar is. You could pick his supportive riders from any team and make several hundreds of variations and yet he would still win. About the salary cap: Pogacar is extremely underpaid despite being the most paid rider:) Just look at price / performance. How much captains of rival teams earn and how much they actually win? Put all their achievements in one bag and directly compare it with his bag. Just to have idea of what he should have earned... People have a lot of money they cannot really spend, or better to say, don't really know how to enrich it. If smart, one would just buy out the player clause and put his name in "eternity", relying on Pogacar already having a legendary status in the cycling industry. Then start something greater. Anyone? It's peanuts!
• mij16-07-2026
  His sprints are unbelievable - coming out of the back row and winning by substantial margins. really impressive.
• mij16-07-2026
  so it is interesting - everyone complains about UAE attacking and resisting the break aways to protect their yellow. where are the haters for Lidl Trek doing the same to protect their green? and BTW, I don't have an issue with either team dictating the tempo that is best for their team. go for it.
• mij16-07-2026
  The good news for Mads is that I don't think Merlier has any interest in green - so him winning is great. Merlier won't go after the intermediate points.
• Ketterechts16-07-2026
  was anybody injured?
• mij16-07-2026
  I'm in agreement with you. and at your age group too - double 25. I respect not attacking during a feed zone so everyone has an organized chance for nutrition and such. but the rest of it is b.s. I love watching racing. bare knuckled, fight it out every day, and shake hands at the finish. not "oh we will let you win today so you feel good about yourself" crap.