The Bicycle Racing Thread 2014

[The Boy]

Yep its up there. Apparently the team moaned like hell at the brown shorts when they were unveiled but grew to love them. Its a perfect antidote to the bland, corporate pro jerseys like Trek, Giant-Shimano and Netapp.

In the same vein as Ag2r was the beautiful but short lived xacobeo galicia kit.

That *is* a nice jersey, but I hope they didn't do something silly like pair it with white shorts.

Anyway, i'm sure I post this every time the best/worst jersey debate but it isn't possible to look any more stylish on a bike than this:

 

[The Boy]

Actually, have one with the team casquette:

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

its the mullet that sets that kit off nicely.

 

[The Boy]

its the mullet that sets that kit off nicely.

Drugs, innit.

 

[DownwardDog]

I see team Sky have demonstrated their characteristic humility and restraint with their new team car for the ITT.

I hope it overheats.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

I see team Sky have demonstrated their characteristic humility and restraint with their new team car for the ITT.

I hope it overheats.

In fairness to Sky, a team nobody is going to accuse me of a surfeit of generosity towards, surely the tiny-penis-enhancer is a car Jaguar, one of their sponsors, wants to show off? And not the team just showing off like obnoxious city boys.

 

[DownwardDog]

I'm sure it is at Jaguar's behest as their can be no other reason for using a 542hp car to follow a cyclist at 40km/h.

Maybe we should have a best team car discussion. I quite like the Taxo-Sinkoff 525d Riismobiles.

 

[Fez909]

Gotta agree on Ag2r's kit. They're probably my favourite team atm just because the kit is awesome.

There's not many likeable cyclists in the pelaton, so I'm forced to go on kit. Feels a bit superficial

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

I'm sure it is at Jaguar's behest as their can be no other reason for using a 542hp car to follow a cyclist at 40km/h.

Maybe we should have a best team car discussion. I quite like the Taxo-Sinkoff 525d Riismobiles.

Anything other than a Skoda Octavia / Superb feels wrong.

apart from one of these

 

[The Boy]

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

And then nibbles gets a tow back.

 

[The Boy]

Massive stage today with some big losers. Think bardet might be getting close to the necessary cushion he needs against tvg in the TT. Not that I expect it'll make him feel any better.

 

[The Boy]

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

And then nibbles gets a tow back.

I only half saw this incident and for some reason thought it was an Astana team car. Looked to be a race car and was actually holding Nibali up rather than drafting him.

 

[stavros]

I've booked Thursday afternoon off work so I can watch the ascents of the Tourmalet and the Hautacam.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Great feature on the 1984 Renault-Elf team here - best tour team ever?

 

[Barking_Mad]

Watching yesterday i thought Nibali was struggling a bit up that final climb. Not entirely convinced time cant be taken out of his lead, but he does have a bit to play with and everyone else might be looking for the podium finish. Id like to see someone have a go though.

 

[The Boy]

Watching yesterday i thought Nibali was struggling a bit up that final climb. Not entirely convinced time cant be taken out of his lead, but he does have a bit to play with and everyone else might be looking for the podium finish. Id like to see someone have a go though.

Valverde and Nibali both insisted they were happy to let pinot go and catch up on the descent. Nibali at least had the excuse that they are very near the top.

If pinot has the legs I would love to see him try and duo valverde again.

 

[stavros]

Who's most likely to do the TT quickest out of the GC contenders? Valverde?

 

[Barking_Mad]

Interesting... http://www.climbing-records.com/2014/07/pla-dadet-top-50-refreshed-by-2014.html

 

[The Boy]

Albasini accused of calling Kevin Reza a "dirty negro".

 

[Barking_Mad]

Today's stage with some pretty (rotating) graphics of this climbs. (If you ride a bike and use Strava btw, Veloviewer is excellent!)

http://blog.veloviewer.com/etape-du-tour-2014-stage-18-the-route-and-climbs/

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Albasini accused of calling Kevin Reza a "dirty negro".

For fucks sake.

 

[twistedAM]

Who's most likely to do the TT quickest out of the GC contenders? Valverde?

I would have thought both Nibali (winner ITT in last years Giro) and Peraud would both beat him.

 

[twistedAM]

Awesome tour by Nibali/Astana. He may have won four road stages but for me his best performance was on stage 5 which he didn't win but probably took more time out of the other contenders than on any other stage.

 

[stavros]

He's looked as dominant as anyone I can remember winning the Tour who hasn't subsequently been exposed as a cheat, bar my early days of Indurain's latter years. The yellow and green and jerseys may have been processions, but the white and polka dots plus the rest of the podium have been fascinating.

 

[Numbers]

Surely it's been 'easy' without Frrome and Alberto tho?

 

[twistedAM]

Surely it's been 'easy' without Frrome and Alberto tho?

Who knows? As one of the commentators was saying today, that's pub talk. As is this drug speculation. Is there another sport where the winner is begrudged so much?

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Who knows? As one of the commentators was saying today, that's pub talk.

Of the four top GC riders in the world, only Nibali was still in the race by the halfway point. Any of the four would be expected to put minutes into our likely second place finisher, Peraud.

Then there are the riders who have recently won GTs or regularly are in the running for them and they also aren't there (eg Hesjedal, Wiggins, Uran) or are in desperate form (eg Purito, Horner).

It's a very weak field at the sharp end. And I say that as someone who for a change actually likes almost all the riders in the top ten this year.

As is this drug speculation. Is there another sport where the winner is begrudged so much?

There's certainly no other sport where the winners have been caught doping so much, so the "pub talk" is hardly just incomprehensible begrudgery.

(There are of course many sports that have been riddled with doping, but as the stars were never caught, people prefer to believe in each and every fairy tale)

 

[Cid]

Who knows? As one of the commentators was saying today, that's pub talk. As is this drug speculation. Is there another sport where the winner is begrudged so much?

The general manager of Astana has served a ban for doping (only 6/7 years ago as well) and had links with Michele Ferrari. Unrepentant about both. Does that mean Nibali has been doping? no... Provides more than negligible grounds for speculation though.

 

[twistedAM]

The general manager of Astana has served a ban for doping (only 6/7 years ago as well) and had links with Michele Ferrari. Unrepentant about both. Does that mean Nibali has been doping? no... Provides more than negligible grounds for speculation though.

A bit like Sean Yates/Bradley Wiggins in 2012, then?

 

[Barking_Mad]

@DavidWalshST: This year’s dominant teams in TdF run by Alexandre Vinokourov and Bjarne Riis, yet little talk of doping. #extraordinary

This is worth a read too: http://sportsscientists.com/2014/07...nce-implications-a-reflection-on-the-origins/