The Bicycle Racing Thread 2015

[The Boy]

When the break were finally caught, pretty late on, he promptly attacked again like a proper lunatic.

That was brilliant . He then went on to finish 26th @ 1m38s. Hat doffed etc.

Anyway, Degenkolb becomes only the second rider to win MSR and Roubaix in the same year. And the first German winner of Roubaix since the first time it was raced.

 

[Ted Striker]

Wiggins goes. Doing a Boonen.

Mad roar in the velodrome for that moment...Really lamenting we'll never see that from him again

Really happy for Dege. Won the race through being the best - not luck or other riders staring at each other

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Mad roar in the velodrome for that moment...Really lamenting we'll never see that from him again

Really happy for Dege. Won the race through being the best - not luck or other riders staring at each other

You might get to see Wiggins do it again in the Elite Road Series, if he's seriously going to be riding for Team Wiggins. Admittedly, attacking in the Chorley Grand Prix probably doesn't carry quite the same level of excitement.

I'm not normally very pleased about sprinters winning monuments, but both Kristoff and Degenkolb were very strong this year and neither just followed wheels.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Really happy for Dege. Won the race through being the best - not luck or other riders staring at each other

Nobody ever wins Roubaix through luck, thats why its peerless as a single day race.

I was busy at the London Classic and only got the last 4km...I have 4 hours to savour today at some point.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Thread quiet..

My prediction that Malverde wouldn't win anything is sadly wrong. Can he not just fuck off?

 

[The Boy]

Thread quiet..

My prediction that Malverde wouldn't win anything is sadly wrong. Can he not just fuck off?

I've been cheering him on for a podium at the Tour for the past couple of years in the vain hope that that's the last thing he needs.

Anyway, Vuillermoz 6th in FW @ 4s, Fatty Betancur way down @ >2m. Wonder if Lavenu is regretting not just getting shot, tbh.

 

[The Boy]

Press reporting that Astana keep their licence.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

this + Malverde = good week for bad guys

 

[The Boy]

Greg Henderson has called Fabio Aru out on Twitter for doping.

 

[Ponyutd]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/04/news/aru-to-pursue-legal-action-over-henderson-tweets_367770

 

[The Boy]

Liege shaping up nicely. Astana obviously getting frisky.

 

[The Boy]

Valverde again. Just ahead of 22 year old Alaphillipe again.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Yuck. The big crash took a lot of the fun out of it.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Valverde winning took all the fun out of it.

And the 'bad rep' teams all finished very strongly (Katousha, Movi, Astana).

 

[Nigel Irritable]

To be fair to Valverde (not something I often say), he showed evidence of a functioning brain in a way he often doesn't when he's the favourite in the finale of a big race.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Cavendish back to winning in Turkey. He's not looking particularly dominant but he is crossing the line first. I'm looking forward to some showdowns with Kittel, with both in form and neither crashing.

 

[The Boy]

This year's totally legit and not doping winner of the Tour of Turkey: David Rebellin.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

This year's totally legit and not doping winner of the Tour of Turkey: David Rebellin.

He's fucking with tradition though. You are supposed to murder everyone in the Tour of Turkey first, then get popped.

On a related note, I was enjoying Katusha's out of nowhere super climber, Zakarin's performance in the Basque Country up until I noticed (possibly here?) that he copped a ban at nineteen. 19 for fucks sake.

 

[The Boy]

He's fucking with tradition though. You are supposed to murder everyone in the Tour of Turkey first, then get popped.

On a related note, I was enjoying Katusha's out of nowhere super climber, Zakarin's performance in the Basque Country up until I noticed (possibly here?) that he copped a ban at nineteen. 19 for fucks sake.

Yeah, he piqued my interest a few weeks back and had me thinking katusha might have found a Russian who want pack four. They're just one of those teams though.

In other Rebellion news, RCS have apparently said they don't want him at the giro. They haven't publicly stated how they would feel about Schumacher. I'm sure they have another "old school" rider on their books too.

 

[The Boy]

Alex Dowsett sets a new hour mark just a shade under 53km. Wiggins shoudl smash that if the numbers he posted last week are for real.

 

[The Boy]

On a related note, I was enjoying Katusha's out of nowhere super climber, Zakarin's performance in the Basque Country up until I noticed (possibly here?) that he copped a ban at nineteen. 19 for fucks sake.

Second today in the Queen stage in Romandie.

edit: just seen that he's taken the overall lead.

 

[Ponyutd]

Mas Bonet showed how it's done this morning. Superb riding...very emotional at the end. Good on him.

 

[The Boy]

Mas Bonet showed how it's done this morning. Superb riding...very emotional at the end. Good on him.

I didn't bother watching cos it looked like a nailed on sprint and there aren't really any riders to challenge Cav here. Will have to watch the highlights later.

I also notice that Rebelllin DNF yesterday.

 

[The Boy]

The aforementioned ex-doper Zakarin take the overall in romandie after finishing the final TT just thirteen seconds behind Tony martin. And that includes a bike change.

 

[The Boy]

Yup, have seen the ToT stage, and Mas Bonet gave a good lesson in the benefits of studying the road book. Smart move.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Yup, have seen the ToT stage, and Mas Bonet gave a good lesson in the benefits of studying the road book. Smart move.

Yes, great move at exactly the right time.

 

[Ponyutd]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05tbsqb
Wiggins... Desert Island Disc

 

[The Boy]

GC action on stage 4? I'll take that.

 

[The Boy]

GC action on stage 5? I'll take that.

Shame we know who will be on the podium already though.

 

[The Boy]

Also, Sam Bennet beats Bouhanni and Degenkolb in Bayern Rundfahrt.