Road Cycling 2018 Discussion Thread

[heywoodu 15,135]

[Gianlu33 4,546]

What crash in the last 3km at the RideLondon Btw. great final sprint for  Wild

[De_Gambassi 1,223]

Here is a interesting interview (yes really) from Lappartient 

 

https://www.letemps.ch/sport/david-lappartient-aujourdhui-un-cycliste-gagner-un-grand-tour-carburant-leau

 

A couple of key points:

• Believe that the peloton is much more cleaner today that it was 20 years ago
• Calls Froome "innoncent" (heum...), and says that WADA left UCI with no choice
• ASO knew that Froome was going to be cleared when they made their statement a few days before the Grand Départ (so, yeah, pure PR move by them)
• UCI spent 10 M€ on anti doping every year, that's 25% of UCI budget. According to him, some IF spent as little as 50 K€ a year.
• Very aware of the boring nature of modern day cycling (specifically modern day sky cycling): Six riders teams, ban of power meters and headsets, salary cap are all considered at that point (*do it, David, do it now !)

[bestmen 2,817]

World University Championship july 31 - august 4  

i can't find the entry  list

[heywoodu 15,135]

On 28-7-2018 at 21:57, De_Gambassi said:

Six riders teams, ban of power meters and headsets, salary cap are all considered at that point (*do it, David, do it now !)

 

Smaller teams have absolutely no effect on the race being more interesting. If anything, it shifts focus even more on controlling the race. Lose the headsets and add salary caps, fine. I don't see the reason to ban power meters, unless much more 'accepted' stuff like meters showing your speed or heart rate are banned as well (which would be odd, I think).

[hckošice 14,820]

The road and teams for the upcoming 62nd edition of the Okolo Slovenska (Tour of Slovakia) has been announced, 5 stages as usual are scheduled with a hell of opening 1st stage in the High Tatras (more than a test before the Innsbruck World Championships)

 

 

First stage Details

 

 

For the first time we will have 2 pro tour teams competing and Quickstep is coming with a quite noticeable squad including Julian Alaphilippe, Niki Terpstra, Bob Jungels, Yves Lampaert and Zdeněk Štybár

 

More info in the official site http://www.okoloslovenska.com/

 

Participating Teams http://www.okoloslovenska.com/sk/timy

 

[heywoodu 15,135]

Cyclists are a tiny bit sarcastic about Lappartient's plans and they do have a rather good point.

 

 

[heywoodu 15,135]

The Tour of Portugal has started, often one of the most fun tours in terms of seeing things that are just impossible (like riders from W52/Porto sprinting up the mountains in a way that makes US Postal and Gewiss-Ballan look like 5-year olds). This time though, it coincides with insanely hot weather (40-45+ degrees), which has already caused one rider to abandon with a heat stroke.

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2018 by heywoodu

[heywoodu 15,135]

 

Kidney failure for Louis Bendixen (?) in the Tour of Portugal. That's a recipe for Grand Tour success I've heard in recent months

 

[heywoodu 15,135]

Today in Portugal, this dude won and that's the Tour of Portugal at it's very best: since 2015 he had 'abnormal' blood values five different times, which lead to a provisional suspension which was lifted only last week because the Spanish 'sports judges' said a rider first has to have a hearing before getting a provisional suspension. Very big chance he'll get a real suspension right after the Volta ao Portugal, but at least he got a stage win for the 4th consecutive year. Oh, and he was clear in the way he finished 

 

Spoiler