Author Topic: cycling in 2018 & beyond (Read 26323 times)

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #425 on:** February 26, 2024, 10:52:11 am »

Visma - Lease a Bike won 3 races on Saturday with Tratnik, Vos, and Vingegaard, then Van Aert won on Sunday.

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #426 on:** February 26, 2024, 10:56:20 am »

They need to stop changing their name. Can we just call them "Kwantum" or "Rabobank"?

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #427 on:** February 26, 2024, 10:59:00 am »

Quote from: Ali the Baseball Cat on February 26, 2024, 10:56:20 am

They need to stop changing their name. Can we just call them "Kwantum" or "Rabobank"?

Blanco.

They had a US sponsor one year. Some sort of earphone / charger / other things supplier.

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #428 on:** February 26, 2024, 11:15:54 am »

Maybe just call whatever team has the GC winner "La Vie Claire"

English Natsie · « **Reply #429 on:** March 05, 2024, 05:36:10 pm »

Get your socks off...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/68483752

English Natsie · « **Reply #430 on:** March 12, 2024, 08:37:10 am »

Looking ominous for the Tour...I hope Pogacar can avoid illness, or injury, this year so that we, finally, get a true Tour showdown...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/68518815

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #431 on:** March 12, 2024, 08:53:14 am »

Quote from: English Natsie on March 12, 2024, 08:37:10 am

Looking ominous for the Tour...I hope Pogacar can avoid illness, or injury, this year so that we, finally, get a true Tour showdown...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/68518815

Jorgenson to Visma/ Lease a Bike was a terrific move, like the signing of LaPorte but much younger and even more room to develop. I like McNulty, too, but Jorgenson may be ready to do a lot of winning. At the first northern classic, he had a terrific attack from about 20 or 30 km that should have gone to the line but for the headwind.

Visma is deep, but UAE is just as deep. I am not sure Soudal has the depth around Evenepoel, but he is so individually deadly he can probably just ride in the wheels of UAE and Visma, let them wear down the others, and attack at distance. I think the big hmmm . . . of the week may have been Roglic, but Vlasov looked great for Bora so I expect their depth to put them in contention.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #432 on:** March 16, 2024, 05:44:12 pm »

Why cycling is a team sport.
https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/jasper-philipsen-wins-milan-san-remo-in-select-group-sprint/

Vander Poel marks Pogocar's big surge after UAE couldn't drive the pace hard enough to shed more sprinters, refuses to pull because Phillipsen was in the group trying to catch up, marks the next surge by Mahoric, which allows the Phillipsen / Matthews/ Pedersen / Bettiol group to overtake the leaders and for Phillipsen to win the sprint.

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #433 on:** March 19, 2024, 01:29:28 pm »

Per the current forecast, next weekend's Gent-Wevelgem will be cold, windy, and wet - as it should be

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #434 on:** March 19, 2024, 02:31:19 pm »

Quote from: Ali the Baseball Cat on March 19, 2024, 01:29:28 pm

Per the current forecast, next weekend's Gent-Wevelgem will be cold, windy, and wet - as it should be

did you see the little Paris- Roubaix race about a week ago when Stephan Kung went down in the mud on cobbles and took out the entire lead pack? This was the race I think one of the sport directors said "I didn't realize we put a cyclocross race in the UCI road schedule."

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #435 on:** March 27, 2024, 11:38:48 am »

Quote from: JCA-CrystalCity on March 12, 2024, 08:53:14 am

Jorgenson to Visma/ Lease a Bike was a terrific move, like the signing of LaPorte but much younger and even more room to develop.

Looks like the US and Visma have a classics monster in Jorgenson.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #436 on:** March 27, 2024, 07:48:12 pm »

Quote from: JCA-CrystalCity on March 27, 2024, 11:38:48 am

Looks like the US and Visma have a classics monster in Jorgenson.

but the day is an overall downer as the star of the team and, without argument, one of the top 5 cyclists in the world, Wout Van Aert, crashes and breaks a collarbone, his sternum, and seven ribs after tapping the back wheel of another teammate as they accelerated going into a tough stretch of road.

varoadking · « **Reply #437 on:** March 27, 2024, 10:34:09 pm »

Quote from: JCA-CrystalCity on March 27, 2024, 07:48:12 pm

but the day is an overall downer as the star of the team and, without argument, one of the top 5 cyclists in the world, Wout Van Aert, crashes and breaks a collarbone, his sternum, and seven ribs after tapping the back wheel of another teammate as they accelerated going into a tough stretch of road.

That's gonna hurt for good a while...

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #438 on:** March 28, 2024, 08:31:44 am »

Quote from: varoadking on March 27, 2024, 10:34:09 pm

That's gonna hurt for good a while...

did I mention the "road rash" abrasions from falling on pavement?

Funny thing is, the fall was on one of the paved multi-lane highway portions of the route and not the tricky cobblestones or narrow paths. It's just the top riders and their supporting teammates were altogether so that when Van Aert's team decided to attack, there was a wind gust that led to his wheel touching the back wheel of the guy guiding him to the front. It also took down his top challenger and several other contenders.

It can get a bit like NASCAR in a bike race because they race so tightly together. No bump drafting, but "peloton" is associated with cycling to refer to the pack of cyclists that form one big aerodynamic mass for a race.

English Natsie · « **Reply #439 on:** April 04, 2024, 06:13:32 pm »

Not what we wanted...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/68729075

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #440 on:** April 04, 2024, 08:12:09 pm »

Roglic, Remco, and Jonas down. Pog might double

English Natsie · « **Reply #441 on:** April 05, 2024, 06:28:35 pm »

Worse than first thought...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/68740658

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #442 on:** April 05, 2024, 06:41:47 pm »

Quote from: English Natsie on April 05, 2024, 06:28:35 pm

Worse than first thought...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/68740658

so much for Visma's dominance this season. Both Van Aert and Vingegaard out for substantial time. I don't know how you can recover from a collapsed lung to start the Tour in less than 3 months. I also don't see Wout doing the Giro.

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #443 on:** April 07, 2024, 12:02:16 am »

Could be an epic Vuelta

Quote from: JCA-CrystalCity on April 05, 2024, 06:41:47 pm

so much for Visma's dominance this season. Both Van Aert and Vingegaard out for substantial time. I don't know how you can recover from a collapsed lung to start the Tour in less than 3 months. I also don't see Wout doing the Giro.

English Natsie · « **Reply #444 on:** May 10, 2024, 06:56:22 pm »

So we're at the end of the first week of the Giro, and what have we learned? Pogacar looks to be in superb form - barring some unforseen circumstance, the result isn't in doubt. Thomas, alas, looks as though he's pushed one season too far - needs to now see his role as a super-domestique, for Ineos.

English Natsie · « **Reply #445 on:** May 27, 2024, 04:05:21 am »

As entirely expected, Pogacar cruises to victory in the Giro - his winning margin is the greatest since 1965. Thomas now publicly accepting that his team leading days are over.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #446 on:** May 27, 2024, 10:08:37 am »

Quote from: English Natsie on May 27, 2024, 04:05:21 am

As entirely expected, Pogacar cruises to victory in the Giro - his winning margin is the greatest since 1965. Thomas now publicly accepting that his team leading days are over.

Thomas said Pog is the best he's ever raced with or against. Contador may disagree, but Froome I think would say it too.

For a guy who turned 38 during the race, Thomas's 3rd was certainly a good showing for a leader. I suppose Carlos Rodriguez leads at the Tour. I don't know what the plan is for Bernal.

English Natsie · « **Reply #447 on:** June 04, 2024, 06:55:44 pm »

How many more times?....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/c1rrgnlgd43o

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #448 on:** June 04, 2024, 08:01:17 pm »

4 year penalty dated back to 2018? And he continued to compete? Now he's out of contract, great time for a suspension.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #449 on:** June 08, 2024, 10:05:37 am »

Funny thing is, roglic likely would have led Visma at the tour this year. May be better off with Vlasov and Bora's support riders now that Van Baarle and Kruiswijk are out. Meanwhile, Jorgenson!

Dauphine discussion starts here. Let's give a week before we show results discussions without spoilers.