Pro Cycling Thread

[TheFrog]

The season is back on with Ruta a Burgos. This will be a weird year for Pro Cycling and pundits expect lots of surprises as teams did not have their usual training and racing patterns to prepare the big events.

Let's see how the Ruta a Burgos develops, to get an idea of the teams' form. So far, no big surprise though.

[Un Pilier]

So, are we confident le tour will go ahead in September?

[Hugo]

Just popping in here to recommend this book, a social and cultural history of the Tour de France written by Christopher Thompson. I read it last summer just prior to watching the Tour for the first time and it does a really good job of explaining the historical and cultural significance of the tour, how it helped create a national identity for modern France, improve morale after both World Wars, promote good health and hygiene habits and so on.

[Un Pilier]

Piece on the Beeb website speculating on Ineos’ process for deciding who goes to Le Tour this year.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

Piece on the Beeb website speculating on Ineos’ process for deciding who goes to Le Tour this year.

While it's a nice problem for Ineos to have, it's still a problem. They've sent a very strong team to La Route d'Occitanie and as there's under a month to go, everybody who wants to be considered for the TdF will need to show well there.

[Un Pilier]

Piece on the Beeb website speculating on Ineos’ process for deciding who goes to Le Tour this year.

While it's a nice problem for Ineos to have, it's still a problem. They've sent a very strong team to La Route d'Occitanie and as there's under a month to go, everybody who wants to be considered for the TdF will need to show well there.

I was hoping to find a bit of this on TV. Not found it yet, though.

[dob]

I don't think there's ever been such a fuss made about the Route d'Occitanie before, under any of its previous names.


Strade Bianche was a good one on Saturday. Between the conditions and the weird season, the time gaps were what you'd expect in a week-long stage race, not a one-day classic. VanAert finally showed what he can do.

Milan-San Remo is under threat for next weekend; the mayor of Alessandria has apparently told them he doesn't want the revised route of the race coming into his city.

[dob]

Route d'Occitanie

Strade Bianche

Milan-San Remo .

How / where do you watch these or any cycling In the US ?

Tiz-Cyling mostly, though it can be inconsistent. Come the Tour, I'll be watching on NBC.

[dob]

Jumbo Visma are looking scary good this year. They’re basically winning anything that Remco isn’t.

[Blackmac]

Froome unable to do his domestique duties on the Dauphane today. Dropped off before he took his turn on the final climb.

[Un Pilier]

Froome unable to do his domestique duties on the Dauphane today. Dropped off before he took his turn on the final climb.

Not looking good is it. Ineos didn’t seem unhappy to see him go on his way.

[dob]

Remco Evenepoel just took a somersault over a stone bridge into a ravine descending the Sormano in Lombardia. Race organizers have tweeted that he’s awake in the ambulance.

[dob]

Actually, they’re just loading him into the ambulance now, head in a brace. Scary stuff.


6 man break with 3 Trek riders, 2 Astana, plus George Bennett leading with 40ish km and 2 tough climbs to go.

[clydecloggie]

No Froome, Thomas, Kruiswijk in the Tour.

All gearing up nicely for a cheeky Dumoulin challenge, which would make me very happy. Although Roglic would be a worthy and appreciated winner as well.

Will be interesting to see if Bernal can do it as an out-and-out team leader rather than as a lurking third man.

And there will probably be more Bardet / Pinot / Alaphillipe heroics that will ultimately prove fruitless.

[Un Pilier]

It will be interesting to see what happens in regard to crowds. I would expect a lightish touch but how light remains to be seen. Won’t be a problem for much of the route but the mountains and end stages could be a challenge.

[Un Pilier]

Btw, there’s a PR group on Superbru if you’re interested / have missed it.

[Slick]

Really, really looking forward to this.

Only really got in to the TdF 4 years ago and have become completely hooked.

re crowds, if it stops the pissed up twats on the mountain stages running alongside and abusing then maybe COVID has been worth it.

[Un Pilier]

Really, really looking forward to this.

Only really got in to the TdF 4 years ago and have become completely hooked.

re crowds, if it stops the pissed up twats on the mountain stages running alongside and abusing then maybe COVID has been worth it.

Yeah, me too. I should imagine the attention seeking idiots will be the least likely to behave sensibly.

[fishfoodie]

What cabbage is organizing this years Giro ?

Todays stage was a absolute shambles. The UCI needs to stop these stages with finishes that are bound to have high speed crashes; if the riders Union wasn't so gutless, they ride, "go slows", on any stage that doesn't have a safe finish !