The Bicycle Racing Thread 2014
- Thread starter The Boy
- Start date
Sigmund Fraud
893 all the way.
Indeed it is. I think legally he could compete in both with dual nationalities...only the UCI would object.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
Kreuziger can hardly come as a huge shock.
I wonder who Saxo will take to the tour instead? Suddenly they are the team with somewhat limited options? Will they conscript a presumably out of form Majka? Maybe Zaugg?
I wonder who Saxo will take to the tour instead? Suddenly they are the team with somewhat limited options? Will they conscript a presumably out of form Majka? Maybe Zaugg?
No, but it's always a bit of a surprise when anyone gets pinged on the BP. It's from two periods during his time at Astana apparently.
Majka in to replace. Already quite vocally unhappy at the news, and I can see where he is coming from - he probs would have been down to lead the team at the Vuelta, already has a Giro in his legs and has had no time to prepare.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
I think Contador was supposed to ride the Vuelta, so Majka wouldn't have been leading. Still a bit shit to suddenly find you are riding the Tour, and riding it hard, just before it starts when you'd been relaxing post Giro.
I'm not sure how much use he can be, if he wasn't building Tour form. Now Contador's three main climbing domestiques will all have the Giro in their legs. The last week could be a serious problem for him in terms of support.
I'm not sure how much use he can be, if he wasn't building Tour form. Now Contador's three main climbing domestiques will all have the Giro in their legs. The last week could be a serious problem for him in terms of support.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
I'm not sure that Majka was well advised to go mouthing off to the press, however. He has generally had a privileged position at TS. The other second tier guys, Kreuziger, Roche and Rogers ride as domestiques for Contador much more often than him. He has every right to be annoyed about suddenly getting pitched into the Tour, but publicly complaining isn't going to do him any favours when leadership roles are being divvied up for the non Contador races next year.
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Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
Kennaugh beats Swift in a strange two man sprint at the British nationals. Poor Simon Yates got stuck with four Sky riders in the select group of five.
Demare beats Bouhanni in the FDJ championships. Apparently there were no congratulations and no handshakes, just open hostility.
Debusschere wins in Belgium.
Ryan Mullen wins in Ireland, coming home solo well over a minute clear of the chasers. The 19 year old does get to be both men's and u23 road champion, unlike in the TT where he was only awarded the u23. Why the difference? Fucked if I know. Anyway, the kid seems like a freak talent.
Ion Izagirre wins in Spain. Valverde was with him at the end, but didn't even pretend to contest the win.
Demare beats Bouhanni in the FDJ championships. Apparently there were no congratulations and no handshakes, just open hostility.
Debusschere wins in Belgium.
Ryan Mullen wins in Ireland, coming home solo well over a minute clear of the chasers. The 19 year old does get to be both men's and u23 road champion, unlike in the TT where he was only awarded the u23. Why the difference? Fucked if I know. Anyway, the kid seems like a freak talent.
Ion Izagirre wins in Spain. Valverde was with him at the end, but didn't even pretend to contest the win.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
I think it's more stony silence rather than more overt hostility, but either way the sooner Bouhanni moves teams the better for all concerned.
I am baffled by the Irish U23 situation. I saw someone explain that technically the elite and U23 TTs are separate races even though it's over the same course and the riding order is intermingled, while in the RR it's the same race with multiple classifications. Anyway, I hope they get the TT anomaly sorted by next year.
As for Mullen, it will be interesting to see where he rides next year. Usually you'd say that a WT or PCT team would snap him up, but he's just so young. Apparently Magnus Cort turned down WT teams to keep riding at Conti level this year (and it seems rightly because he's been tearing up the .2 races).
twistedAM
Left Of The Dial
Anyone ever subscribed to this site?
http://www.cyclingbetting.co.uk/membership/tdf-subscription
If nothing else it would probably ave a lot of googling.
I can't seem to find many goodies hidden away yet but I am betting on Stybar for Stage 5 whatever the odds. OPQS will be all out to win this and might well have to if Kittel is on form for the early sprint stages.
http://www.cyclingbetting.co.uk/membership/tdf-subscription
If nothing else it would probably ave a lot of googling.
I can't seem to find many goodies hidden away yet but I am betting on Stybar for Stage 5 whatever the odds. OPQS will be all out to win this and might well have to if Kittel is on form for the early sprint stages.
ChrisFilter
Like a boss.
Millar pulled from the Garmin squad a week after being told he was in.
Fairly awkward series of tweets:
None of my team will answer the phone to me. I under-performed at the nationals. I'm now so scared about losing my Tour spot I can't sleep.
I was selected for TdF last week, then they pulled me last night. Wiggo, Dowsett, Pete, Swifty, fancy a city break? I hear York's nice.
For the record, I was going to be ready for the Tour, so sad my team didn't believe in me, after everything we've been through. Not cool.
His last tour, as well. Cold.
Fairly awkward series of tweets:
None of my team will answer the phone to me. I under-performed at the nationals. I'm now so scared about losing my Tour spot I can't sleep.
I was selected for TdF last week, then they pulled me last night. Wiggo, Dowsett, Pete, Swifty, fancy a city break? I hear York's nice.
For the record, I was going to be ready for the Tour, so sad my team didn't believe in me, after everything we've been through. Not cool.
His last tour, as well. Cold.
ChrisFilter
Like a boss.
Underlines the point about a lack of British talent this year. Millar, Wiggins, Dowsett, Kennaugh, Swift... the makings of a reasonable team.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
I have some sympathy for Millar because he was apparently told he was riding only to be dropped at the last moment. He hasn't really given them any sporting reason to take him though - it would be a decision based on sentiment in an unsentimental business.
ChrisFilter
Like a boss.
Very true. He's not shown much this season.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
There is something to be said for loyalty, certainly. And Millar has been one of the core Garmin riders forever.
It turns out there will be an English rider, by the way. But on Orica! Simon Yates is in. Presumably not with the expectation that he'll finish.
It turns out there will be an English rider, by the way. But on Orica! Simon Yates is in. Presumably not with the expectation that he'll finish.
Sigmund Fraud
893 all the way.
As long as the course was pan flat
Wiggins and kennaugh can both climb tbf
Sigmund Fraud
893 all the way.
Pre Roubaix Wiggins maybe. Kennaugh can ride tempo for half a climb sure but both are fucked if there is any kind of change of pace.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
Well yes, but there's nobody in that team who could benefit from his work and he's not climbing well enough to finish the job himself.
An unbeatable TTT outfit mind you.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
After everything going quiet for ages, there's been a real rash of this shit recently.
Sigmund Fraud
893 all the way.
Perhaps not as good as the core Garmin powerhouse of Zabriske,Wiggins, Millar, Van de Velde of yore. Just for silliness I started to put together my own fantasy TTT unit:-
T Martin
J Anquetil
L Bobet
B Hinault
M Indurain
O Ritter
B Wiggins
F Moser
C Boardman
I would have had Obree on the team but he has no TTT or team pursuit experience - no room for sentiment in my unit. Lemond had good pace as a tester but was more of an innovator than a brute force rider. All of the above a stone cold killers contre la montre.
You are Jonathan Vaughters, and I claim my five Euro.
edit: and while I'm here, what's this about you and Wiggo being in talks?
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
Wiggins could do a job for anyone. The problem is that the job he can do isn't worth the wages of a recent Tour winner. Which would make him a more obvious fit for one of the more money than sense teams rather than Garmin, who are relatively speaking a bit of a shoestring outfit.
Barking_Mad
Non sibi sed omnibus
Emma O'Reilly on Lance Armstrong: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/02/emma-o-reilly-lance-armstrong-cyclist-doping
To which I would add what I assumed to be bad blood between them after him being bought out of his contract. But on the flip side:
a) American team with a rider who is clearly a big name in US (by cycling standard), and
b) Wiggins wants to go back to track for Rio 2016 so will need time away from road duties. Probably affects his value somewhat, especially for European teams.
