The Bicycle Racing Thread 2015

[The Boy]

Looks like one of the three faves is out of the running now.

 

[ChrisFilter]

Are Sky destined to be nearly-men for the next few years?

 

[The Boy]

Are Sky destined to be nearly-men for the next few years?

it does seem like they've had a total reversal in fortune since their two golden years.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

If Froome is in top shape, I think he's the Tour favourite still.

 

[The Boy]

Porte came in with the autobus today. Expect he'll withdraw and focus on helping out his buddy in July.

 

[Ponyutd]

Withdrawn he has. The team are saying they pulled him out. Off to Manchester to lick his wounds.

 

[Ted Striker]

If Froome is in top shape, I think he's the Tour favourite still.

Realistically I'd say he's a (distant) third.

 

[The Boy]

Just tuned in and looks like the totally not suspect Astana are really taking it to Contador today. 25 second split between the Aru group (third on the road) and COntador group (third on road). 55km or so left to go,

 

[sleaterkinney]

Looks like Contador had some steak last night though.

 

[Hollis]

Greg LeMond seemed fairly disdainful of Astana's efforts at the end - thought they could have given the GC a better go if they'd got organised. Either way I'm happy.

 

[sleaterkinney]

 

[The Boy]

Greg LeMond seemed fairly disdainful of Astana's efforts at the end - thought they could have given the GC a better go if they'd got organised. Either way I'm happy.

He has a point. Though if landa hadn't nicked the Cima Coppi then zakarin might have worked with him.

 

[Dan U]

This is in Croydon tonight and Canary Wharf on Thursday if anyone is interested.

http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/sp...s_cycling_in_Croydon__Your_at_a_glance_guide/

http://www.tourseries.co.uk/home.php

 

[The Boy]

UCI drop their appeal to CAS over Kreuziger's biopassport irregularities. New evidence apparently.

 

[hash tag]

The Dauphine is being shown live on ITA4

 

[Ponyutd]

Went to Eurosport, was disappointed it wasn't on. Flicked through, and as you say, there it was on itv with 6 k left. Plenty going on there!

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Great Dauphine stage today. Bardet doesn't so much have a screw loose as a large part of a meccano set. That was crazy descending.

Interesting to see Van Garderen catching and then dropping Froome too. He's a somewhat boring TTer/steady pace climber, but he's looking very good. The absence of serious TT kilometers in the Tour will make it tough for him to be a real contender though, unless he can climb with the likes of Froome every day.

Valverde and Nibali terrible.

 

[Sprocket.]

That descent by Bardet was a joy to watch, even though I had my heart in my mouth a few times.
The motorbike camera crews did a good job keeping up with him.

 

[The Boy]

Wonder if Bardet will be thinking he should have saved that move for the Tour?

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Wonder if Bardet will be thinking he should have saved that move for the Tour?

There will be other guys willing to take risks in the Tour stage. Here he benefited from the fact that all of the other GC men and their teams had making it to the bottom in one piece as their primary goal. He won't take them by surprise in the Tour, but the likes of Nibali wouldn't just let him disappear off down the mountain when it really counts anyway.

I really hope that Pinot has his descending head fully screwed back on, or people like Bardet are going to put minutes into him on that stage. God help him if it rains. I was shitting it just watching Bardet on a perfectly dry day.

 

[The Boy]

.

I really hope that Pinot has his descending head fully screwed back on, or people like Bardet are going to put minutes into him on that stage. God help him if it rains. I was shitting it just watching Bardet on a perfectly dry day.

He seems fine when it rains - presumably because speeds are lower, and that was what everyone around him were saying was the problem.

Also seemed fine last year as long as he had someone to hold his hand. Between jeanneson and Morabito, I imagine he should have a dom with him at least till the last climb on most stages so unless the pressure gets to him. Which it might given there'll be even more hype than 2013.

 

[The Boy]

In other news Southeast - the team formerly known as Neri Sottoli, Yellow Fluo, Vini Fantini and Farnese Vini - have had yet another positive test for EPO. This time Ramon Carretero, appropriately enough at the Tour of Turkey.

Another changeof lead sponsor and team name will no doubt be imminent. As no doubt will a Giro wildcard.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Carretero is the lad whose dad sponsors his teams, isn't he?

 

[The Boy]

Carretero is the lad whose dad sponsors his teams, isn't he?

Possibly. I've seen reference to him buying his place on the team, but didn't realise it was like that. Team is a disaster zone in any event.

 

[stavros]

I saw my first stage of the Critérium today, having taken the day off. It was very impressive how after bonking yesterday Nibali took the bull by the horns.

 

[stavros]

And so the pendulum swings the other way, with Nibali and Valverde dying roughly inversely proportional to how well they did yesterday.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

And so the pendulum swings the other way, with Nibali and Valverde dying roughly inversely proportional to how well they did yesterday.

The joy of the warm up races.

 

[hash tag]

Seeing Stavros''s post about Nibble's, he is certainly giving cause for concern. Great day Friday and blown on Saturday.

 

[The Boy]

Today we're going up this beaut:

 

[ChrisFilter]

Where's that?