Bicycle Racing 2012

[The Boy]

Never understood why they (EE) were so keen to stay WT. They'll always get invited to La Vuelta and the other Spanish stage races, plus Le Tour. Given they're a team of climbers the Giro is pretty nailed on too, I would imagine. The only thing I could really see them missing out on would be the cobbled classics - and they don't have anyone to ride them anyway.

Or do they punt Riis, Tinkoff and Clenbutador out after their recent spat?

 

[twistedAM]

Cav has gone to Omega Pharma Quickstep

 

[The Boy]

Cav has gone to Omega Pharma Quickstep

Biggest shock since he signed for Sky

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Wiggins confirmed that the Giro is his 2013 priority, and says he'll "probably" be a Tour domestique. He's a smarter boy than I gave him credit for. I assumed money/ego/sponsor pressure would combine to push him into a Tour focus, and I don't think he can win that with a climbers parcours and a tougher field. But the Giro field will be much weaker. Assuming he can find the motivation, he has to be a main favourite. The Giro parcours, while still more climber friendly than Wiggins would like, is less mental than it has been recently too.

 

[The Boy]

Wiggins confirmed that the Giro is his 2013 priority, and says he'll "probably" be a Tour domestique. He's a smarter boy than I gave him credit for. I assumed money/ego/sponsor pressure would combine to push him into a Tour focus, and I don't think he can win that with a climbers parcours and a tougher field. But the Giro field will be much weaker. Assuming he can find the motivation, he has to be a main favourite. The Giro parcours, while still more climber friendly than Wiggins would like, is less mental than it has been recently too.

The sponsors have a massive interest in Italy. He was always going to go there as Tour champion, imo. That's why Sky have been building up the Giro at every opportunity.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

That French blog has updated its sporting criterion estimates:

Everyone above Ag2r is pretty much definitely safe. Everyone below Europcar is out of the running. As Europcar are apparently uninterested in World Tour status, that means that if the blog is right, it should be three from from Argos, FDJ, Lotto and Saxo. It's so close and the points system so unclear that it's concievable that Argos are above Euskaltel.

Riis really seems to have taken a big risk with his signings. They've almost certainly spent more money on new riders than the likes of Ag2r, but they haven't really bolstered their tally with cheap riders who have a bunch of points. Presumably he figures that they have enough big names, and enough financial backing, that the powers that be will prefer to them at least one of the other low points teams. Euskaltel appear to have pulled the same trick Ag2r did last year and signed a whole bunch of very low profile riders with points. Ag2r somehow managed to sign a load of really good riders this year.


14 Ag2r 645
15 Euskaltel 637
16 Argos Oil – Shimano 630
17 FDJ 580
18 Lotto – Belisol 589
19 Saxo Bank 459
20 Europcar 400

 

[The Boy]

I'd go with AG2R, FDJ, Argos and Lotto. Which means that those four will probably be chasing WC entries...

 

[Nigel Irritable]

I'd go with AG2R, FDJ, Argos and Lotto. Which means that those four will probably be chasing WC entries...

Well, at most one of them won't make it, and I suspect Ag2r are safe. If Euskaltel have definitely managed to scrape 15th, then that would remove perhaps the most obvious contender to lose out. I suspect it'll be FDJ or Argos who don't make it.

 

[The Boy]

http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails2011.asp?id=ODg0OA

Between Argos, FDJ, Lotto and Saxo.

I will laugh so fucking hard if Saxo get the chop. Or rather, I *would*, because it probably won't happen. /pessimist.

 

[Numbers]

Have any of you guys ever cycled in the Alps? specifically, has anyone ever climbed the Alpe d'Huez?

 

[Frumious B.]

Yes

 

[The Boy]

Alex Dowsett to Movistar? Seems an odd move.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Have any of you guys ever cycled in the Alps? specifically, has anyone ever climbed the Alpe d'Huez?

Yes, twice. Its by no means a great climb, there are loads of other great cols that are a deal less developed and heaving with two and four wheel traffic.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Alex Dowsett to Movistar? Seems an odd move.

The timing struck me as slightly off.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

There are rumours that Micheal Rogers is off to Saxo from Sky:
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...inked-to-possible-Team-Saxo-Tinkoff-move.aspx

A pretty big deal if true.

 

[The Boy]

Boyer has a dig at Vaughters.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boyer-unhappy-with-vaughters-presence-at-change-cycling-now

Although they have apparently now made up.

 

[The Boy]

There are rumours that Micheal Rogers is off to Saxo from Sky:
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...inked-to-possible-Team-Saxo-Tinkoff-move.aspx

A pretty big deal if true.

Now confirmed. And, as is to be expected, Sky have had to go on the record and say that it is nothing to do with the doping-related cleansing.