Bicycle Racing Thread 2013

[The Boy]

Unless I'm mistaken, one Brit left (Thomas), no Irish. Spain looking like their usual self.

 

[Ponyutd]

http://www.hahabar.com/20130921/v-cycling-646822-523df2d4524587.07454309.html

 

[butchersapron]

BBC2 coming on to no riders left.

 

[The Boy]

BBC2 coming on to no riders left.

Geraint is still in there, isn't he?

edit: No, he's in the second bunch around a minute back.

 

[butchersapron]

Geraint is still in there, isn't he?

For now!

 

[The Boy]

Have to say, I didn't think he had a chance of fighting it out for the win but I'm amazed to see Froome gone so soon. See also: Horner, TJVG and probably a dozen others. Not sure how many of those big names have been brought down in/held up by crashes though.

 

[The Boy]

For now!

gone

 

[The Boy]

Always nice to see a former Ferrari client riding off into the distance.

 

[Frumious B.]

Italians can't be trusted to organise a world championship. Bunch of crooks and amateurs.

 

[The Boy]

Fucking piti.valv is gonna win this.

 

[Frumious B.]

If we all pray for Purito...

 

[The Boy]

Rui Costa?

edit: yup.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Well at least it wasn't Valverde. Costa was smart but hardly very likeable with his absolute refusal to do any work whatsoever. Purito and Nibali made the race, but on this occasion Nibali was as stupid as he was strong. Costa got away with leeching on Nibali's efforts because he knew the Italian wouldn't sit up in front of his home fans and let Purito ride away.

Bit of a pity really. Purito or Nibali would have made much better champions.

 

[Silva]

Costa is Road World Champion, and for the first time, a Portuguese player won a (minor) ATP tour tournament. Local elections today, so no football. If any of the sports rags here have anything but them in the cover, angry emails shall be sent.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Well at least it wasn't Valverde. Costa was smart but hardly very likeable with his absolute refusal to do any work whatsoever. .

Yeah but this is the worlds, to quote Tim Krabbe 'you must first lick your opponents plate clean before starting on your own.' That has never been truer than if you're in a 7 hour rain lashed suffer fest, you're from a minor cycling nation and (probably) under some pressure to ride in the interests of your trade team. Well done to Rui Costa, he was smart and ruthless where it mattered most and benefitted from Valv.Piti wtching Nibbles too closely.

 

[Frumious B.]

The sheer length of the race, the weather, the slippery white lines....such fucking agony and misery and torture. Who would ever want to be a racer? I tried TTing for one season...then it was 'fuck this, I'll stick to touring'.

 

[ChrisD]

I don't normally feel sorry for Nibali but I did yesterday afternoon. Ruthless stuff this hiding behind till the last moment but I guess they all do it and he was hiding in the peleton most of the race.

 

[The Boy]

Teams folding this year: Vacansoleil, Eustaltel, Accent Jobs, Sojasun, Champion Systems. Have I missed any?

Looks like Eurpocar fancy that spare WT spot though. Not sure I like that idea myself.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Hasn't accent jobs just found a cosponsor? Last I heard they were poaching a dozen Vacansoleil riders.

 

[The Boy]

Hasn't accent jobs just found a cosponsor? Last I heard they were poaching a dozen Vacansoleil riders.

Think you're right, aye. Only had a quick shufty of the interwebs when I posted.

 

[The Boy]

JRod wins Lombardia, Janse Van Rensburg wins Binche-Tournai-Binche, The Giro 2014 route has been announced.

More importantly, though, would seem to be the announcement from the UCI about plans to create a 'league' system.

 

[The Boy]

I do love Paris-Tours. Tour of Beijing, not so much.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

I do love Paris-Tours. Tour of Beijing, not so much.

To be fair, tomorrow mornings stage could be good.

 

[The Boy]

It's certainly possible. Not holding my breath though.

edit: In case it wasn't obvious, I've been recording the stages and watching in the evening.

 

[The Boy]

Bit of a bizarre sprint today. Almost as if everybody misjudged how long the finishing straight was.

In other news, drugs cheat David Millar to retire at the end of next year.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

TdF 2014 route announced - 5 mountain top finishes, a third moyenne range of mountains (Vosges), no TTT, 15km of pave including the Arenberg (!!!) and a 54km ITT. You can't say Prudhomme hasn't tried to mix it up, it looks 'epic' frankly.

 

[ChrisD]

I bet the window seats in Betty's teashop (Harrogate) are booked out already...

 

[Ted Striker]

TdF 2014 route announced - 5 mountain top finishes, a third moyenne range of mountains (Vosges), no TTT, 15km of pave including the Arenberg (!!!) and a 54km ITT. You can't say Prudhomme hasn't tried to mix it up, it looks 'epic' frankly.

Isn't it a bit weird to have the TT as the penultimate stage (and realistically the last stage)...Will spread out the interest after froome runs the mountains, no?

 

[Numbers]

Can't wait for this already. Mate and I are going to head over for the Tourmalet stage

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Isn't it a bit weird to have the TT as the penultimate stage (and realistically the last stage)...Will spread out the interest after froome runs the mountains, no?

That is the traditional time for an ITT - from memory Roche, Landis* and Evans have all won the tour after the saturday TT. Not weird at all.

*not really