The Pro Road Cycling Thread

I’m at the womens game today but it’s the 4th of the 5 one day Monuments LBL, being portrayed as a Pog vs MVDP showdown. The course should favour Pogacar in theory, but let’s see.

On a different note I see the womens Tour of Britain has been announced for June, with stages In Welshpool, Wrexham, Warrington and Manchester. I just hope it means we don’t miss out when it comes to the mens tour route being announced next week. I’ve heard rumours at least some of the mens stages will be in Scotland.
 
Giro starts today :-)

Really hoping Thomas can get himself on the podium, and you never know, with events out on the road over 3 weeks, he could end up on top.
Pogacar of course strong pre-race favourite, but as a fan of his, happy to see that. What’s also good, is it’s a lumpy from the off, so today and tomorrow should make good viewing.

I’m gonna try and do one of my “quarter tours” for this one; 25% of the day’s race distance myself each day. I’ve managed it for the Tour before but never the Giro. It tends to have too many wet days in May, but let’s see!
 
Off to the Adriatic coast a week on Wednesday to take in a couple of stages will ride from Rimini to the Finish at Fano then next day it starts in Riccione. Hired a rather nice Bianchi for the week in Celeste blue of course. As for the race unfortunately nothing in G’s early form gives me much hope for a podium finish.
 
chesterbells said:
Agreed.

Some of the constant comparisons to Pantani today were getting on my nerves though, considering what’s become known about him.
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Understandable given the route but agree, the Pirate wouldn’t have lived with the like of Pog it’s that simple.

He along with WvA and MvdP have taken the sport to a different level imo.

They can literally do everything.
 
blueinsa said:
It is but it’s still utterly incredible the level the man is riding at.
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I don't doubt that but it is making races boring. We used to see cyclists fighting just for an extra second or two. You now have two stage racers who will win a race by minutes if they turn up and not crash. Each can with a GT within the first week. This race will be over by Saturday afternoon barring a crash. I am guessing it could be interesting for a few days after with stage winners coming from breaks. Apart from the queen stage as Pogacar, more often than not, usually decides he wins them.

The only things I am interested in are if Thomas can podium and to see how Lipowitz does.
 
Manc in London said:
I don't doubt that but it is making races boring. We used to see cyclists fighting just for an extra second or two. You now have two stage racers who will win a race by minutes if they turn up and not crash. Each can with a GT within the first week. This race will be over by Saturday afternoon barring a crash. I am guessing it could be interesting for a few days after with stage winners coming from breaks. Apart from the queen stage as Pogacar, more often than not, usually decides he wins them.

The only things I am interested in are if Thomas can podium and to see how Lipowitz does.
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I’m not sure it does make races boring.
My take would be:
1) he’s one of 4 or 5 big names are the top of the sport, he isn’t always “out on his own”, unbeatable etc - it just depends who else is in the race, and who each has as team mates etc. It’s a structural fault is the sport (and injuries, crashes etc) they don’t ride against each other more often, not his.
2) He is a leader who animates races. Jonas wouldn’t have done what Pog and Thomas tried today imho; I love that about Pogacar. He’s an example of someone fighting for a second or two, as well as intermediate sprints.
3) As things stand currently, he’s one of the ones I actually believe in (as a non-doper), so that’s a further reason I’m happy to see him leading the race, and will still keep watching etc.
4) and I think every era has had those dominant riders - I’m not as rose-tinted about those past eras and riders having a different mind-set then.
 
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chesterbells said:
I’m not sure it does make races boring.
My take would be:
1) he’s one of 4 or 5 big names are the top of the sport, he isn’t always “out on his own”, unbeatable etc - it just depends who else is in the race, and who each has as team mates etc. It’s a structural fault is the sport (and injuries, crashes etc) they don’t ride against each other more often, not his.
2) He is a leader who animates races. Jonas wouldn’t have done what Pog and Thomas tried today imho; I love that about Pogacar. He’s an example of someone fighting for a second or two, as well as intermediate sprints.
3) As things stand currently, he’s one of the ones I actually believe in (as a non-doper), so that’s a further reason I’m happy to see him leading the race, and will still keep watching etc.
4) and I think every era has had those dominant riders - I’m not as rose-tinted about those past eras and riders having a different mind-set them
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In terms of stage racers, he and Vingegaard are on their own. They rarely race against each other so the stage races are predictable as long as one of them participates.

Yes, he does animate one day and stage races. Often, in stage races, by stomping all over everyone and it becomes obvious he will win within a few seconds of him making the move. He has literally had one or two bad days in four years. Contador, Purito, Froome and Nibali would have several a season. It's becoming F1 like.

One day races have been fairly predictable this year because of WvA injury.
 
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Italy looking absolutely gorgeous today on this stage that will end in a completely different landscape with the chaos of Naples.

Having been out for a ride already this morning, and now got my feet up, this is great viewing - though not much actually happening in the race!
 
What a shame for Navarez there - he really deserved that, was probably the efforts of Pogacar in the final that ended up gifting it to the sprinters.
Chapeau to Alaphillipe too.
 
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