The Cycling Thread

[lmnop]

Well, they can't all be short stages but throwing one or two into the mix the second or third week really has the potential to liven things up. Teams and riders that aren't strong enough to do something over 200km definitely have the strength to ride hard for 100km. That allows for so much more strategy from all teams. I don't think Aru's lack of teammates really factored into what happened today.

I do find it interesting that Landa didn't just sit on Contador's wheel and then come back to help Froome before the last climb. Landa even took turns pulling. The GC could easily have let Contador have 2-3 minutes today. But Froome found himself without any teammates for a while, while Landa was riding away and potentially taking yellow. After the firework of the day before things may be getting interesting at Sky.

There are cracks in the Sky armour. That much is evident.

Landa pulling away on at the end of stage 12 may have been arguable but coupled with this, on back to back days? Landa is going for the win.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

There are cracks in the Sky armour. That much is evident.

Landa pulling away on at the end of stage 12 may have been arguable but coupled with this, on back to back days? Landa is going for the win.

Sky is sure talking a good game about teamwork. With Landa's pending UFA status he wouldn't be the first such rider to decide to ride for himself in a big event. We can only hope.

 

[Fighter]

Nibali is something else: managing to make a difference on the Poggio (not exactly the toughest climb...) and arrive alone in the Milano-Sanremo, which is mainly for sprinters, certainly not for climbers/grimpeurs. Unbelievable what he did, screw Froome, modern cycling and specialization! If cycling has life it's because of people like Nibali and Sagan!

 

[Jack Straw]

Great win for Sagan at Paris-Roubaix. Exciting to see a sprint finish on the track even if there wasn’t much chance Dillier would beat Sagan.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Dillier staying with Sagan all the way to the finish was probably a more impressive ride than Sagan’s, and Sagan’s was quite impressive.

 

[Albatros]

Froome chasing the Giro victory, has thus a good chance of doing the Contador winning the race only to get banned for doping after. Would make cycling look bad, too.

 

[alko]

Great win for Sagan at Paris-Roubaix. Exciting to see a sprint finish on the track even if there wasn’t much chance Dillier would beat Sagan.

Im only a behind TV-allknowexpert , but IMO Dillier did make it really bad. He hast any chance to react on Sagans start. There is always some delay. He should run for himself.

Btw., how popular is Sagan in North America?

 

[Jack Straw]

Im only a behind TV-allknowexpert , but IMO Dillier did make it really bad. He hast any chance to react on Sagans start. There is always some delay. He should run for himself.

Btw., how popular is Sagan in North America?

I don't know about Canada but in the US very few people would even know who he is.

 

[Fighter]

Froome made an epic on the Colle delle Finestre stage but... he shouldn't be in this Giro, plain and simple.

 

[Incubajerks]

Froome made an epic on the Colle delle Finestre stage but... he shouldn't be in this Giro, plain and simple.

He should not be allowed to continue pedaling.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Im only a behind TV-allknowexpert , but IMO Dillier did make it really bad. He hast any chance to react on Sagans start. There is always some delay. He should run for himself.

Btw., how popular is Sagan in North America?

For those who follow cycling in the US he is extremely popular.

 

[Jack Straw]

Hinault gives his opinion on Froome

Hinault calls for peloton to strike if Chris Froome takes part in Tour de France | Cyclingnews.com

"The peloton should put its foot down and go on strike saying: 'If he's at the start, we're not starting!'" Hinault told Ouest France. "The peloton is too nice. Others have been sanctioned, and everybody was in agreement, but they won't sanction him because they say it was an abnormal control? No, it's not an abnormal control… Ventolin, perhaps it's not a big thing, perhaps that's not what won him the Vuelta a España, we don't know, but [at that level – ed.] it's banned, and that's it. The rules are the same for everybody…"

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Funny thing UCI is. They absolved Froome. Sucks to like such a joke of a sport

 

[Fighter]

Really... So they found out that the amount of prohibited substance was not double but "only" 19% more than the norm and that was due to dehydration. Excuses upon excuses.... f*** UCI!!!

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

The UCI cannot have another Lance Armstrong situation. Brailsford knows it and has been miking it for all he's worth. The Froome hate will continue around the globe despite his stupid schoolboy grin. The fact that his adverse finding only became public because somebody in the media found out and was about to go public, tells you all you need to know about the UCI's unwillingness to do the right thing. Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

 

[Jack Straw]

Great performance by Van Avermaet today. Not only held the yellow jersey but actually gained time on the top guys. Also a great ride by Alaphilippe to win the stage in style.

 

[The Imp]

I will say this, cycling is hitting it home on the feels right now.

The non-stop drama of the Roubaix stage, the Degenkolb win and reaction, the Alaphilippe win, hell even the reaction after the ladies' race yesterday. Compelling tv, all of it.

 

[Jack Straw]

I will say this, cycling is hitting it home on the feels right now.

The non-stop drama of the Roubaix stage, the Degenkolb win and reaction, the Alaphilippe win, hell even the reaction after the ladies' race yesterday. Compelling tv, all of it.

The Roubaix stage was fantastic. Great bike racing.

 

[The Imp]

Yesterday was less than fantastic. Relatively heavy hitters like Valverde and Dumoulin attack. Sky just sit there, reel them back in, then send their no. 2 up the road ftw.

And what the WHAT was Bahrain Merida doing, pulling in front of Sky? They need to make Sky work, not pull for them. FFS.

 

[Jack Straw]

Big battle on Alpe d'Huez.

 

[Jack Straw]

Wow. Huge win for Thomas. Froome booed pretty much the whole way up the mountain.

 

[The Imp]

Team Sky is just too strong. Unless Froome or Thomas wear down (not unthinkable with Froome, considering the Giro), they'll surely top the GC.

The Green jersey is pretty much decided (very few sprinters left).

The White... meh, I guess that's still interesting.

The Polkadot... Hmmm, they might well end up fighting to the end for that one. Could be somewhat interesting.

Oh, Nibali is on the way to the hospital, to have his back checked out, after the crash. The details that I've seen are sketchy, but it sounds like a moto was blocked by spectators, and he rode up into it. Possibly a cracked vertebrae.

Edit: Yep, he's out. Cracked vertebrae indeed. Some maligned imbecile doofus had his camera out in front of the riders, and Nib's handlebars got caught up in the strap.

 

[Fighter]

Why are there so many IDIOTS creating problems to the cyclists? Like they didn't have it hard enough... Get well Vincenzo...

Note: Nibali did all he could chasing back Thomas, Froome and the others ending up with only a 13 secs gap... with a broken vertebrae. Neymar is still rolling on the field crying after he was touched.

 

[Jack Straw]

Why are there so many IDIOTS creating problems to the cyclists? Like they didn't have it hard enough... Get well Vincenzo...

Note: Nibali did all he could chasing back Thomas, Froome and the others ending up with only a 13 secs gap... with a broken vertebrae. Neymar is still rolling on the field crying after he was touched.

It's always been that way, especially on the big climbs.

 

[Jack Straw]

Sagan again!