The Pro Road Cycling Thread

[Nervous Nedum]

Stannard wins Omloop! EBH 3rd and Rowe 11th rounding off a great day for Team Rascal. Poor Greg Van Armhart (sp) was second yet again.

With me not having a lappy atm, I missing loads of stuff. Bt fooking my tv up hasnt helped either.But great to see Stannard in good form :)

Interesting that with Froome injured, Porte has moved across to Tirreno- Addriatico and GT being given the leadership in Paris-Nice. GT looks in top form too.

Hope Thomas has a good race, and stays on his bike most importantly. Appears Prudhomme isn't too happy with Porte pulling out on the eve of the race:

"We find it a cavalier move to withdraw the defending champion just before the start of the race," race director Christian Prudhomme told AFP

Awesome finish to Roma Maxima too.

 

[Shands]

Did anybody manage to watch Strade Bianche today?

I was away at the weekend, so I recorded it and Roma Maxima and watched them both yesterday.

What a great race Strade Bianche is. I know it doesn't have the history or a Roubaix or Flanders, but taken on it's merits it's every bit as iconic for me. Those sections of sterrati winding their way through Tuscany are superb, all the dust and gravel kicking up as they go. Then to have it finish in such a beautiful city like Sienna, with that tight uphill drag, well it's just brilliant. You only have to look at the list of winners so far to see that it deserves to be regarded as a classic even at this early stage. The attack from Sagan was blistering, but Kwiatowski really looks to be something special doesn't he. He's shown he can do everything barring the very high or steep mountains and who's to say he wont master them in the near future too.

Really looking forward to he start of T-A today and getting a clearer picture of how some of the key GC men are shaping up for the season. Paris-Nice has been pretty dull so far, we'll see what today brings though.

 

[Shands]

Could be a big couple of days in T-A, if we're going to get a competitive TDF you have to feel Alberto will need to show something like his old form this weekend.

Thomas has done well in Paris-Nice. Betancur is such a big talent though.

 

[Nervous Nedum]

Could be a big couple of days in T-A, if we're going to get a competitive TDF you have to feel Alberto will need to show something like his old form this weekend.

Thomas has done well in Paris-Nice. Betancur is such a big talent though.

Spoiler

Despite going down again today. Good to hear that he hasn't broken anything though.

 

[Shands]

Wow, We've got an exciting Tour De France on our hands folks!! :)

 

[johnnytapia]

Could be a big couple of days in T-A, if we're going to get a competitive TDF you have to feel Alberto will need to show something like his old form this weekend.

Thomas has done well in Paris-Nice. Betancur is such a big talent though.

If Alberto's ever to show his "old form" we'll know why. Same goes for Cunego - why anyone ever questions why he can't replicate his Giro-winning form is beyond me. Simples. The juice. Same goes for Schleck(s).

The TDF will, unfortunately, be a walk in the park for Froome, unless there's a tumble, crash. Wiggins/Porte won't be allowed to attack him. The rest may take time in the mountain top finishes (Quintana, Rodriguez - just remembered, don't think he's doing the tour) but that pan flat time trial will be manna from heaven for Froome and he'll take massive chunks of time back (4/5mins+).

Mind you, if Chris Horner continues his exponential rise, he could be in yellow some time in 2036!

 

[Pokes28]

I'm a bit odd I guess. I seem to normally favor watching the Giro over the TDF. But the 2013 TDF might have been the greatest grand tour I've ever watched. Stage 13 was without question the most amazing stage I've ever seen. For those that don't remember, it was supposed to be a flat easy almost boring stage. But Belkin and OPQ had other plans. When they hit one section they drove into the crosswinds and completely destroyed the peloton. Cav and Sagan proved they are much more than just sprinters (we already knew that about Sagan, but Cav staying with the group was inspirational cycling).

To me, the 2012 TDF was as bad as a grand tour can get. Other than the upstart Sagan, it was horrible. The other teams simply allowed Sky to control everything from start to finish. Wiggins and Froome were so much better than everybody else that there was never any doubt and the other teams simply let them control everything. Froome was dominate again in 2013 but at least he was tested. There were some opportunities taken that required him to prove he was the best. The Giro is typically a far more contentious race, but in 2013 the weather was so bad that most of the premier mountain stages were either cancelled or shortened at a height that the drama was removed.

My plan is to go to Italy and take in a few stages of the 100th Giro. Two of the last three years I've gone to Colorado to watch some stages of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge and they are fantastic. Nothing like watching the elite riders in Europe come over to this continent and absolutely die at the elevation of the Rocky Mountains. For those wondering, the USA-PCC has multiple passes that exceed 12000 feet. The highest stage in the TDF in recent years wasn't quite 6800 feet. Heck even the Passo Dello Stelvio in Italty is "only" a little over 9000 feet. So when guys that haven't left Europe come to race, many of them simply can't handle it. Froome tried it last year, Cadell Evans tried it in 2011. Both of them suffered greatly. Froome was very respectful and was considering buying a home around Aspen or Estes Park to do off season training. I don't know if he did, but that was all the talk last year.

 

[johnnytapia]

I'm a bit odd I guess. I seem to normally favor watching the Giro over the TDF. But the 2013 TDF might have been the greatest grand tour I've ever watched. Stage 13 was without question the most amazing stage I've ever seen. For those that don't remember, it was supposed to be a flat easy almost boring stage. But Belkin and OPQ had other plans. When they hit one section they drove into the crosswinds and completely destroyed the peloton. Cav and Sagan proved they are much more than just sprinters (we already knew that about Sagan, but Cav staying with the group was inspirational cycling).

To me, the 2012 TDF was as bad as a grand tour can get. Other than the upstart Sagan, it was horrible. The other teams simply allowed Sky to control everything from start to finish. Wiggins and Froome were so much better than everybody else that there was never any doubt and the other teams simply let them control everything. Froome was dominate again in 2013 but at least he was tested. There were some opportunities taken that required him to prove he was the best. The Giro is typically a far more contentious race, but in 2013 the weather was so bad that most of the premier mountain stages were either cancelled or shortened at a height that the drama was removed.

My plan is to go to Italy and take in a few stages of the 100th Giro. Two of the last three years I've gone to Colorado to watch some stages of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge and they are fantastic. Nothing like watching the elite riders in Europe come over to this continent and absolutely die at the elevation of the Rocky Mountains. For those wondering, the USA-PCC has multiple passes that exceed 12000 feet. The highest stage in the TDF in recent years wasn't quite 6800 feet. Heck even the Passo Dello Stelvio in Italty is "only" a little over 9000 feet. So when guys that haven't left Europe come to race, many of them simply can't handle it. Froome tried it last year, Cadell Evans tried it in 2011. Both of them suffered greatly. Froome was very respectful and was considering buying a home around Aspen or Estes Park to do off season training. I don't know if he did, but that was all the talk last year.

Cav getting across that group was indeed something. He likened it to going under the ice didn't he - you've only a split second to get out or your fucked! Not suer I can agree that the 2013 TDF was the greatest - not a patch on Lemond/Fignon Hinault/Fignon (Fignon really was the bollocks in 83/84).

Most amazing stage - Andy Hampsten, Giro, snow.

 

[Rascal]

Missed the last weeks racing due to being in Barca/being on the piss etc.

But great to see Cav win today, his lead out train is amazing. Cav won by miles :)

 

[Nervous Nedum]

Could be a big couple of days in T-A, if we're going to get a competitive TDF you have to feel Alberto will need to show something like his old form this weekend.

Thomas has done well in Paris-Nice. Betancur is such a big talent though.

If Alberto's ever to show his "old form" we'll know why. Same goes for Cunego - why anyone ever questions why he can't replicate his Giro-winning form is beyond me. Simples. The juice. Same goes for Schleck(s).

The TDF will, unfortunately, be a walk in the park for Froome, unless there's a tumble, crash. Wiggins/Porte won't be allowed to attack him. The rest may take time in the mountain top finishes (Quintana, Rodriguez - just remembered, don't think he's doing the tour) but that pan flat time trial will be manna from heaven for Froome and he'll take massive chunks of time back (4/5mins+).

Mind you, if Chris Horner continues his exponential rise, he could be in yellow some time in 2036!

I think Froome will win it, but Contador will give him a run for his money. Kreuziger is looking strong, and how he fares in the mountains in comparison to Porte will be vital.

Kwitatowski is fast becoming one of my favourite riders, really liking the look of him so far this season.