The Pro Road Cycling Thread

[without a dream]

Choo choo, all aboard the sky train!

It is impressive how they do it, time after time.

Watched Tirreno Adriatco today and they were at the front virtually the whole coverage. It was a superb finish to the race.

Great win for Porte at Paris-Nice, he comes across as a really decent fella, especially as i have always found aussie sportsmen to be arrogant fuckers lol.

It’s certainly impressive, but it’s not a style of racing I’m enamoured with to be honest. I’ve read that Nibali has suggested on Twitter there should be a ban on power meters and I’m inclined to agree with him. Riding tempo up a mountain may well be a legitimate approach, but ultimately its tactical raison d’être is the stifling of individual attacks, and that’s not something I want to see. I think this adherence to how many power watts they’re pushing is too clinical for my own liking. It doesn’t help that the last teams to display this dominant team approach were US Postal (Armstrong) and T.Mobile (Ulrich), and given how they both turned out SKY’s modus operandi is bound to stir up negative connotations.

I have to say the last couple of days have thrown up some questions for me over Team Sky, not so much with regard to ‘are they cheating?’ but more ‘how are they managing to achieve what they are?’. When I see guys like Lopez, Cutaldo and Pate, who have been average domestiques on other teams, suddenly setting a pace capable of distancing top climbers/GC contenders, it makes me scratch my head. Then you have guys like Porte and Froome who just two or three years ago were losing many minutes zigzagging on climbs, now flying up mountains faster than habitual dopers and TT’ing as fast or faster than the best in the business. Add in the drop off in performance from guys like Rodgers since leaving SKY and it all becomes puzzling. Given the vocal public stance made by the team management I find it very hard to believe that they are doping (certainly not systematically anyway), but their competitors aren’t exactly a bunch of amateurs fumbling in the dark, so what is it on the sports science side that SKY are doing to make themselves so strong?

Having said all that when the SKY train does get put under pressure, like Kreuziger and Purito managed yesterday, it does make for exciting viewing!

Any highlights on ITV4 on any cycling event this year does anyone know? Obviously the TdF will be on and (possibly) the Giro again, but what about any others? I reckon Froomy's got the TdF in the bag already.

Despite what I’ve just written there^ I don’t think Froome will be infallible for le Tour. He does look extremely strong and composed in these one week races, and in all likely hood he will be turning up in France with the strongest supporting cast of any on the GC contenders, but I still think there’s the possibility of him cracking over three weeks if the race is ridden hard (a la last year’s Vuelta). I think a lot could depend on Andy Schleck actually. It doesn’t seem likely right now, but if he is able to get himself back in his top shape (both physically and mentally) by July, I think Froome will have a fight on to control both he and Contador. Time will tell.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/21331484" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/21331484</a>

Was quite interesting and goes some way to explaining their success.

 

[Shands]

Was quite interesting and goes some way to explaining their success.

Thanks for that mate. It doesn't really give me the answers I'm after, but interesting none the less.

Incredible stage at T-A today. If you want to see the pro's suffering like normal people make sure to watch the highlights later on!!

 

[Rascal]

Incredible stage at T-A today. If you want to see the pro's suffering like normal people make sure to watch the highlights later on!!

Fantastic stage and that 27% climb was just astonishing.


Today showed the sky train wasnt invincible

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

Just seen the pics on SkyProCycling's website. Some riders resorting to WALKING up the hill. I've never seen that before, ever. It's got to be the ultimate embarrassment! Some cracking pics though.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.teamsky.com/gallery/0,27401,17548_8557595,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.teamsky.com/gallery/0,27401, ... 95,00.html</a>

 

[Rascal]

Just seen the pics on SkyProCycling's website. Some riders resorting to WALKING up the hill. I've never seen that before, ever. It's got to be the ultimate embarrassment! Some cracking pics though.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.teamsky.com/gallery/0,27401,17548_8557595,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.teamsky.com/gallery/0,27401, ... 95,00.html</a>

Quality pics.

I saw one rider who had stopped and was being pushed upp the hill by a fan. The commentator explained if you stopped on a hill like that there was no way you could start again without help as you could not get traction especially as it was pissing it down.

 

[Shands]

Just seen the pics on SkyProCycling's website. Some riders resorting to WALKING up the hill. I've never seen that before, ever. It's got to be the ultimate embarrassment! Some cracking pics though.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.teamsky.com/gallery/0,27401,17548_8557595,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.teamsky.com/gallery/0,27401, ... 95,00.html</a>

It was a crazy stage that’s for sure! The climbs weren’t long or in any way high, but they were many and very steep. In truth the parcour was probably a bit extreme but it was fun to see the pro’s having to get a shove off the crowd or dismount and walk up the hills. At one point two poor guys were zig-zagging up a road at about a metre a time... and they still had 50km to go at that point! It felt cruel to laugh, but I did anyway, now you know how I feel lads!!

55 riders abandoned the race in a single day lol and poor Taylor Phinney did 130k of it all on his own, only to come in outside the time limit and get kicked out!

Oh and almost forgot, a camera bike toppled over too and nearly took out a chunk of the peloton! Action wherever you look!

Rascal, I’m not sure today gives us much clues about stopping Sky. I think it was just so extreme that it really became every man for himself/survival of the fittest stuff – all bets are off with a hill like that last one. There are few better sights in Cycling though than seeing Nibali and Sami Sanchez racing down the other side of a climb, especially in the wet, so much talent and guts in their descending!

Magnus Backstedt has been very good with his commentating hasn't he, lots of insights. I guess that he's still riding at a decent level helps.

 

[Rascal]

Rascal, I’m not sure today gives us much clues about stopping Sky.

Magnus Backstedt has been very good with his commentating hasn't he, lots of insights. I guess that he's still riding at a decent level helps.

As a relative newbie to watching the sport you want to hear the likes of Backstedt explain things and he does it very well, but then ive found all the commentators and summarisers do. I was thinking before that the length of coverage allows more insight in the same way cricket does and a sport like football doesnt as its so quick. Today was brilliant to watch though, i loved it and it helped educate me further for sure. Nibali descending when he got his lead and flew past the Basque lad was spectacular and Backstedt called it so right.

I have a soft spot for Sky,they are "British", they are based in Manchester and have some sky blue on the kit so they feel like the team i should support and loved seeing Porte win Paris-Nice and imagining more trophies in Manchester as sad as that sounds lol. I do understand your point about them though and i thought without a dreams link was a good answer. Has Brailsfords marginal gains theory and way of working made such a difference on the road, it has on the track and he thinks out of the box so to speak.

Anyway im watching the highlights of today and im still amazed at it and i was gobsmacked when i watched it live earlier.

 

[chesterbells]

Rascal, I’m not sure today gives us much clues about stopping Sky.

Magnus Backstedt has been very good with his commentating hasn't he, lots of insights. I guess that he's still riding at a decent level helps.

As a relative newbie to watching the sport you want to hear the likes of Backstedt explain things and he does it very well, but then ive found all the commentators and summarisers do. I was thinking before that the length of coverage allows more insight in the same way cricket does and a sport like football doesnt as its so quick. Today was brilliant to watch though, i loved it and it helped educate me further for sure. Nibali descending when he got his lead and flew past the Basque lad was spectacular and Backstedt called it so right.

I have a soft spot for Sky,they are "British", they are based in Manchester and have some sky blue on the kit so they feel like the team i should support and loved seeing Porte win Paris-Nice and imagining more trophies in Manchester as sad as that sounds lol. I do understand your point about them though and i thought without a dreams link was a good answer. Has Brailsfords marginal gains theory and way of working made such a difference on the road, it has on the track and he thinks out of the box so to speak.

Anyway im watching the highlights of today and im still amazed at it and i was gobsmacked when i watched it live earlier.

Bloody recorder didn't work earlier so I missed it; set it for the 3am replay so will watch over brekkie.
Yes, Magnus B great commentary, and tbh I find him easier to understand that Sean Kelly!
I agree Rascal, I'm inclined to give Sky the benefit, partly cos I want to believe in them, and partly cos I've read no 'evidence' to seriously doubt them, other than links to a tainted doctor who no longer works there.
It seems they can't win; as soon as they get successful they are doubted.

 

[Rascal]

Bloody recorder didn't work earlier so I missed it; set it for the 3am replay so will watch over brekkie.
Yes, Magnus B great commentary, and tbh I find him easier to understand that Sean Kelly!
I agree Rascal, I'm inclined to give Sky the benefit, partly cos I want to believe in them, and partly cos I've read no 'evidence' to seriously doubt them, other than links to a tainted doctor who no longer works there.
It seems they can't win; as soon as they get successful they are doubted.

You will love it mate, its awesome, hope you catch it.

I like Sean Kelly but i too struggle at times to understand him, im glad its not just me. I find myself turning the TV up when he on commentary.

Sky to me have done things right, they purged any staff with any links to doping and i do believe Brailsford is a genius who looks after his programs so well and with such passion he would never ever countenance doping.

Imagine how bad it would be for British sport if Brailsford and his team was involved. Was Sir Chris Hoy a doper, was Vicky Pendelton, were Wiggo and Cav?

 

[Shands]

I have a soft spot for Sky,they are "British", they are based in Manchester and have some sky blue on the kit so they feel like the team i should support and loved seeing Porte win Paris-Nice and imagining more trophies in Manchester as sad as that sounds lol. I do understand your point about them though and i thought without a dreams link was a good answer. Has Brailsfords marginal gains theory and way of working made such a difference on the road, it has on the track and he thinks out of the box so to speak.

I don’t think that’s sad at all, in fact I understand it completely, I’ve had the same thoughts myself regarding the kit and links to Manchester. It’s probably coming across that I’m anti SKY, but that’s not the case. I’ve always been an admirer of Euskatel’s adherence to their Basque identity and I was only thinking the other night about how there are now (to my knowledge) 16 British or Irish riders in the pro peloton and how it would be cool if they all ended up under the SKY umbrella. This country has come a long way from just a few years ago when we were lucky to have 2 or 3 (largely anonymous riders) in any given race.

What I would reiterate about SKY though is that, given the levels of talent they have at their disposal, I’d like them to be more instinctive in their approach to races, rather than this methodical mindset. I was actually heartened yesterday seeing Froome chasing on alone, trying to bridge the gap to the group in front – to me that was proper racing, reacting to the situation and burying himself to try and hold on to his lead. I gained more respect for him in that losing cause than from his stage victory earlier in the week. Geraint Thomas is someone who I really admire because he doesn’t sit waiting for things to happen, he likes to get involved and try to instigate, force the action if you will; if he can be the template for the young SKY riders like Edmonson, Rowe, Swift, and Dombrowski then I’ll be cheering them on just as much as anybody.

On the doping issue, I’m inclined to agree, I don’t think Brailsford would entertain it within the team. Like any other squad I think there’s the chance two or three of the riders may have gone rogue and are following their own ‘programs’ but I don’t think there is a cover up that is being endorsed by the management. I do think though that on the sports science side they must be doing something far advanced to the other teams that is allowing them to facilitate such a massive improvement in riders who were previously fairly average. Looking at the article, we know for a fact that other teams also do blocks of altitude training; that SKY’s race days are broadly similar to everyone else’s; that other teams also utilise wind tunnels, data analysis and such (Orica Greenedge for example I think are linked to the Australian Institute of Sport) so I’m not convinced that ‘marginal gains’ is the answer. Whatever the secret is I’d love to know, because having one team dominate is never healthy for the sport, and, if as we hope they’ve found a way to achieve the levels they have while clean, it can only be for the benefit of all involved if those methods are shared around, hopefully helping to eradicate doping for good.

Anyway I’m hoping for a good TT from Alex Dowsett today, he seems to have had a decent week and it’d be nice for him to show what he’s capable of. Also hope Rodriguez can hold on to third as well as he deserves it..not sure he will though.

And no I don't understand Sean Kelly either. Apparently he really knows what he's talking about.....I'm glad someone does!!

Sorry bit of a long post.