The Cycling Thread

[Live in the Now]

Figured I should start this now. Few bits of news and two things going on this weekend, unfortunately not on TV in the States but streams and YouTube highlights for those won't be a problem I'm sure.

- Alberto Contador's hearing with CAS has been postponed once again, until November.

- Samuel Sanchez will not ride in the Vuelta, no surprise there

- Qatar is interested in hosting the start of the 2016 TdF, PLEASE NO.

- Andreas Kloden is rumored to be moving to Quick Step, and Thor Hushovd is rumored to be moving to BMC.

Clasica San Sebastian is this Saturday, a rare somewhat mountainous classic which is quite interesting.

Some notables: LL Sanchez, Tejay Van Garderen, Peter Velits, both Schlecks, Cunego, Gilbert, Flecha, Uran, Rodriguez, Kreuziger, Zubeldia, Hushovd, Hesjedal, Basso, S. Sanchez (my favorite to win), Roche, Chavanel, Sastre, Menchov.

The Tour of Poland (week-long race) starts on Sunday, good prep for the Vuelta for these notables...

Dan Martin, Nibali, Le Mevel, Peter Velits (doesn't seem right for him to be on the start list for both), Sagan, Scarponi, Ballan, Boonen, Haussler.

Haven't seen a map of stage profiles for that race by the way...

Click to read more...

 

[HighAndTight]

Awesome thread. I'm really starting to get into this.

The possible moves of Kloden and Hushovd are very interesting considering the teams their going to.

 

[Epsilon]

Nice field for the San Sebastian, lots of potential winners there. Menchov could be a good pick to win due to not getting to ride in the Tour (and hence being really fresh).

 

[Epsilon]

I'm starting to think the Contador hearing keeps getting postponed because the rules for Clenbuterol testing and reporting of positive tests are going to be changed in short order, which will render the whole thing moot.

There's a long post in here:

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=14742

about members of Mexico's Gold Cup team testing positive for clenbuterol, one with a level 84 times higher than Contador's, and the possibility that nothing is going to come of it. There's also the recent story (posted in the TdF thread I think) of athletes being given lists of "safe" restaurants in China where they can eat and avoid meat tainted with clenbuterol.

 

[The Imp]

Tour of Denmark begins august 3rd, with the following teams participating:

Saxo Bank-SunGard (Porte, Cooke, G E Larsson)
Team Leopard-Trek (Fuglsang (3xGC winner), Bennati)
Rabobank Cycling Team (Breschel, Kruijswijk, Niermann, Weening, Mollema)
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
Team Garmin-Cervelo
Sky Procycling
Colnago-CSF Inox
Team Geox-TMC
Cofidis, le Credit en ligne
Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
Team Europcar
Team Type 1-Sanofi
Team Concordia Forsikring Himmerland
Glud & Marstrand-LRØ Rådgivning
Christina Watches Onfone (Michael Rasmussen)
Team Post Danmark

I'll post a few times about the race. It's mainly flat (the highest point in Denmark is a bridge, I kid you not), so a good time trial is essential.

 

[Dom]

Looking forward to the Pro Tour race in Quebec City in September. Both Schlecks, Voeckler (last year's winner) confirmed, Cadel is expected to be there as well.

 

[KevFist]

Hushovd to BMC? Wondering if something happened to his relationship with Cervelo....

 

[The Imp]

Hushovd to BMC? Wondering if something happened to his relationship with Cervelo....

Speaking of, I saw a Cervelo S5 in a store yesterday. SRAM Red and Ritchey high-profile wheels. OMFG!

The S5 and the Pinarello Dogma have to be the best-looking bikes out there, right now.

 

[KevFist]

Pinarello, Colnago and Litespeed have to make some of the best looking frames on the market. That is, the old school brushed titanium frame Litespeed bikes....

 

[Negative Split]

Speaking of, I saw a Cervelo S5 in a store yesterday. SRAM Red and Ritchey high-profile wheels. OMFG!

The S5 and the Pinarello Dogma have to be the best-looking bikes out there, right now.

I've never seen a Cervelo or Pinarello I didn't like. A kid on my team owns both a Cervelo TT bike and a Pinarello road bike. Zipp 808 front and 1080 rear wheels. That's like $12,000 worth of bikes for a 15 year old kid. Awesome looking set-ups, though.

Bikes and components these days have gotten absolutely ridiculous...which is why I've been looking to upgrade mine ever since the Tour started.

I see a lot of fast bikes during racing season, and I get bike envy all the time. I have pretty nice TT and road bikes, but there's a huge difference between what I ride and a $10,000 top of the line frame. I did splurge on SRAM wheels, best purchase ever.

 

[Negative Split]

Also, the US Pro Cycling Challenge is coming up in a few weeks. They're showing it on VS. Evans and both Schlecks are confirmed on the start list, as well as HTC Highroad and Garmin Cervelo. Contador is out. The elevation is higher than any of the European tours, and it's supposedly the most difficult race in the states.

It's really too bad that most of the races in North America (besides the Tour of California) can't find sponsorships. I love watching the races in Europe because they're so crazy about cycling there, but it's always fun when the race is close to home and you can go watch in person. The Tour de Georgia was such cool experience when it was here, especially with the finish being in my hometown most years. Seeing Lance, Ivan Basso, Andy Schleck, Levi Leipheimer, Bobby Julich, etc. in the post-race tent remains one of the highlights of my life thus far!

 

[Live in the Now]

Gilbert attacks from 3.5 km in San Sebastian, Sanchez and Zubeldia try to follow but predictably they were no match for Philippe. That's 6 classics won this year by Phil!

1 Philippe Gilbert (OPL)
2 Carlos Barredo (RAB)
3 Greg Van Avermaet (BMC)

 

[Live in the Now]

More transfer related news

- Kanstantsin Sivtsov, who finished 10th in the 2011 Giro, will be racing for Sky next season.

- Tony Martin and Vincenzo Nibali are rumored to be heading to Astana, Martin is also rumored to be heading to Radio Shack.

- Few people saying that Quick Step and Omega Pharma will merge together. Lotto however will become a new team. Also rumors of Highroad and Vacansoleil merging together.

- Kloden renewed his contract with Radio Shack so he won't be leaving.

- Stuart O'Grady is leaving Leopard Trek and joining the new Aussie outfit GreenEdge.

 

[NMF78]

- Few people saying that Quick Step and Omega Pharma will merge together. Lotto however will become a new team. .

has been confirmed officially today, Lotto still looking for a second sponsor i think

 

[HighAndTight]

While budget was not released, nor the names of the riders who will form part of the pooled teams in 2012, the duration of the deals was confirmed today. Omega Pharma has committed for 2012 and 2013, and has an option for 2014. Quick Step has pledged its support until the end of 2014. Innergetic, which is currently a co-sponsor of Lefevere’s team, has confirmed its backing will stay in place for one more year.

The newly merged outfit will be called Team Omega Pharma-Quick Step.

While Tom Boonen is certain to be there, it remains to be seen if Gilbert will be part of the squad. While speaking to Le Soir, he suggested that things might be tense with the chief sponsor of his current team.

“I regret that I am not able as promised to inform my supporters and the press as to my decision [about a new team] but suffice to say that the last official contact I had with BCC [Omega Pharma’s holding company] was through our respective lawyers.â€

He confirmed that he had received ‘interesting offers’ from four teams: Lotto, BMC Racing Team, Astana and QuickStep.

If real differences are indeed there with Omega Pharma, it makes things more complicated in relation to the fourth of those potential suitors.

Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/9260/Omega-Pharma-and-Quick-Step-confirm-merger-for-2012-and-beyond.aspx#ixzz1Tpjz1sia

Is BMC trying to become a sprinters team?

 

[Live in the Now]

They sorta need to improve their classics squad but Thor and Gilbert would definitely be overkill.

 

[Filppula]

Can German youngster Marcel Kittel make it a hat-trick of wins today at the Tour de Pologne? His win on Day 1 was excellent, his win yesterday was just unbelievable, not one got close and he was celebrating a mile out from the finish.

 

[Live in the Now]

He did! I think he can be a strong rival for Cav in the future.

 

[HighAndTight]

^ Thanks for the link. It wasn't showing your posts for some reason so the thread wasn't showing up for me.

Quick Step and Omega Pharma merger complicates Gilbert transfer saga
Fresh uncertainty has been cast over Philippe Gilbert’s future following Monday’s announcement that Omega Pharma and Quick Step will join to form a single team in 2012.

Gilbert has been heavily linked with a move away from Omega Pharma-Lotto at the end of the season, with BMC strongly tipped to land the Belgian champion. However, it is has been reported in the Belgian media that he still has a contract with the team’s management company BCC (Belgian Cycling Company) for 2012.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/quick-step-and-omega-pharma-merger-complicates-gilbert-transfer-saga

Cavendish reveals he has decided his team for 2012
Manxman refuses to name the team but is 100% happy with his decision

Mark Cavendish has revealed that he has decided which team he will ride for in 2012 but has refused say the name of the team.

The HTC-Highroad sprinter was speaking on BBC Radio 5 and after poignantly talking about his success at the Tour de France and his love for the sport, he was asked about his future plans by a listener. He initially refused to go into details but then revealed he had decided his future on Saturday while in Eindhoven for a criterium.

“There’s been lots of rumours about which team I’ve been joining for three years but I can’t really say,” Cavendish said.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-reveals-he-has-decided-his-team-for-2012

 

[obsenssive*]

what speed does cav sprint at?

I recently got 52km/h

 

[HighAndTight]

what speed does cav sprint at?

I recently got 52km/h

I seriously don't understand how you guys can be that fast.

 

[Dom]

what speed does cav sprint at?

About 75 km/h, flat no wind etc. Faster in slight downhill. 1600 watts output.

Link

It's interesting that Cavendish is nowhere near the man with the highest peak speed on a bicycle. Track sprinters can lay down 2300 watts peak power. They are simply not able to run their sprint like that after a 4 hour race.

 

[NMF78]

what speed does cav sprint at?

I recently got 52km/h

his sprint, at top speed, 70 km/h or something (maybe more), 52 is nothing really, there have been long distance time-trials at that speed

 

[obsenssive*]

ok. professional sprinters are really amazing athletes. I wish they would show speeds live on the sprints. it must be thrilling to sprint that fast. it's a thrill for me just getting over 50 km/h. wind assisted I have sprinted at 58. I've gone downhill faster but it is not nearly as satisfying.

 

[HighAndTight]

Holy crap...70-75!?!?

That is nuts.

I've seriously got to pick up a bike. Running is fine, but I enjoy biking so much more.

Geez the fastest I've ever run was when I was keeping pace when my friend who was gunning it on an electro bike scooter thing lmao.

Edit: On the topic of buying a bike, is there a one with a road frame/look but you can ride it on gravel. I know about hybrids, but they don't look and feel right for me. Or they didn't last time I checked a few years ago.