The Pro Road Cycling Thread

[simmo]

Downloaded the app. 1m 26s between the leader and the last rider. Such a high standard.

Kuss helmet I expect took some getting used to.

 

[chesterbells]

Downloaded the app. 1m 26s between the leader and the last rider. Such a high standard.

Kuss helmet I expect took some getting used to.

Yeah agreed. I think I’m glad Tarling didn’t end up 2nd as it would have been a more bitter pill tbh.

Btw, if you’ve not used it before the app is great - no ad breaks.

 

[simmo]

The Junior Tour of Wales course has had to be re- routed due to the 20 mph speed limit. Fine for the bikes but not the team cars.

 

[chesterbells]

The Junior Tour of Wales course has had to be re- routed due to the 20 mph speed limit. Fine for the bikes but not the team cars.

Wow, just wow. Talk about unintended consequences. That really is crackers!

Edit. I honestly thought they’d rolled back on imposing that law.

 

[simmo]

Just seen that Remco and Alaphillipe both announced as doing the Tour of Britain.
I mean seriously, Remco ffs!!

Can’t quite believe it if I’m honest. Assume he’s using it as World Champs prep.

Tom Pidcock announced today.

 

[chesterbells]

Tom Pidcock announced today.

Excellent news, I hadn’t seen that :-)

I read he’s doing the World XC champs soon too - must be going straight from one event to the other -

 

[give it to gordon]

What a ride by Adam Yates

 

[chesterbells]

What a ride by Adam Yates

Just got back from a blustery day on Kinder Scout and watching it back now. Wonderful effort.

Haven’t seen the others finish or seen the GC yet - does that put Yates in the podium mix now, or was he too far back? If it’s the latter it looks like UAE going for stages now maybe.

 

[chesterbells]

That interview!
He was all over the place there wasn’t he? He was totally spent.

 

[big gaz]

Solo attack at 50k out great ride and the blue dots to boot, is 5 mins back to much in 2 weeks ?

 

[Longballutd]

Great ride out of Yeats. Brilliant first week of racing at the Vuelta

 

[johnnytapia]

Spanish climbs can see riders ship huge swathes of time in a relatively short distance. A 4 minute lead can easily crumble on a 15%+ finish. Roglic still clear fave IMHO.

 

[chesterbells]

Spanish climbs can see riders ship huge swathes of time in a relatively short distance. A 4 minute lead can easily crumble on a 15%+ finish. Roglic still clear fave IMHO.

Yep, agreed. Thing with Roglic this tour is that he has shown he has flaws, so I think there’s a chance of an O’Connor sized upset. Roglic seems to win stages by shortish bursts on steep climbs to the mountain top finishes, but the gap he has to make up, he’s gonna have to get half a dozen of those 30 second gaps to be close enough to pull it back on the TT of the last stage.
I think Ben O’Connor has it in his own hands here. But yes, these Spanish climbs seem to really cause a lot of upsets and unpredictability.

 

[johnnytapia]

Yep, agreed. Thing with Roglic this tour is that he has shown he has flaws, so I think there’s a chance of an O’Connor sized upset. Roglic seems to win stages by shortish bursts on steep climbs to the mountain top finishes, but the gap he has to make up, he’s gonna have to get half a dozen of those 30 second gaps to be close enough to pull it back on the TT of the last stage.
I think Ben O’Connor has it in his own hands here. But yes, these Spanish climbs seem to really cause a lot of upsets and unpredictability.

Perfectly explained! I’ve not seen the parcours for remaining stages but I assume there’ll be some typically brutish finishes.

 

[chesterbells]

What a wonderful result for Eddie Dunbar there today :-)
Fantastic for him-he doesn’t get many wins! He just left the rest of his group for dead and took a flyer.
So brave.

 

[chesterbells]

Humdinger of a stage at La Vuelta this afternoon. Already!

 

[chesterbells]

Btw, I know it’s not Road, but just a heads up, Pidcock currently in action at World XC Championship MTB race in Andorra.
It’s on BBC Red Button channel, lap 2 of 6 at the mo.

 

[eric pode of croydon]

Humdinger of a stage at La Vuelta this afternoon. Already!

Absolutely mental. I don't know if you know Winnats Pass in the Peak District but I'm sure that it maxes out at 20% at the steepest. Today's stage was up to 24% which is unbelievable.

 

[chesterbells]

Absolutely mental. I don't know if you know Winnats Pass in the Peak District but I'm sure that it maxes out at 20% at the steepest. Today's stage was up to 24% which is unbelievable.

I know it well, unfortunately; I’ve come off going up it!

Yes, that final, and with the cloud too, one of the most memorable finishes to a bike race I have ever seen!!

 

[eric pode of croydon]

I know it well, unfortunately; I’ve come off going up it!

Yes, that final, and with the cloud too, one of the most memorable finishes to a bike race I have ever seen!!

Yep, a classic stage. I did a 14% section of road this afternoon and that was bad enough!

The worst part of Winnats is the last 50 metres. The road narrows and you need to be quite close to the curb to avoid the cars. If your front wheel hits the kerb you stop or you fall off.