Welcome back to Lantern Rouge Cycling Podcast presented by Zwift here with Benji as always for the UAE to

all the stages this week starting with stage one that we've got sprints. We have a team time trial

which was introduced that's coming up. There's the her feet finish and the last stage

but really this is the world champs of sprinters. So Benji, it's been a long while since the race

recaps in Skadelevance. I think that's the last one maybe. Who have we got here? No Pagaccia.

Like that's the big surprise. Who isn't here? Yeah, exactly. Everybody was expecting UAE to

arrive once again with Pagaccia on their team because this is one of the more important races for

that team in their season but instead they've got a pretty stacked squad still available. Admiades,

JVine, Brandon McNulty, Soler, all lining up for this team together with a sprinting option in

Molano. I would say with some other dumbestheaks to route but the competition is also pretty good.

Admiac were even a pull for quickstep combined with Metalieta for the sprints there. Look,

Blapp for any else. Can he compete? Because last year I remembered that infamous tweet you sent

out where Blapp is the next generation GC rider, better than Avonipul and so if all of you think

he'll prove it this week? I mean, he might prove it for my purposes in being able to

quote tweet that tweet with a mini victory lap but I think I think I'm behind on the scoreboard so far.

Remko had a half decent year last year but yeah it's UAE's to go a strong squad, Vine and Yates

being here means like they have to be on if Pog's not being brought here but it's the sprinters

deluxe. The only ones who are missing a Yarkobson and Philipson, I'm sure I'm missing somebody big.

We've got Damar, Groeneverechan, Wellswoods now up in that tier, Koi, Viviani, Cavendish, Merlier,

Jensen Plow right, Phil Boulhouse, Gaviria who's looked really really good. It's a even Malano,

it's a really stark sprintfield and stage one which we'll get into now is from Aldafra Castle to

Almya for 153k's. Now this stage, I look back through the history of UE A2 or I did that because I

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