Pro Cycling Discussion 2020

Jonny ///M · 6 Aug 2020 at 10:30

He deviates from his line so much and then flicks the elbow....got to be on purpose as with that gap Jakobsen had him and he knew it.

SoliD · 6 Aug 2020 at 10:43

Really hope he pulls through, but it was a pretty horrible line from Groenewegen along with the elbow, hopefully it will remind them why you shouldn't deviate lines. I suspect Groenewegen will get a substantial ban, and he best hope he does pull through as depending on the justice system he could potentially be in a lot of trouble.

#Chri5# · 6 Aug 2020 at 10:48

Daniel Friebe has been looking at this finish from 2018 on Twitter and somebody linked Pascal Ackermann's Strava ride (same finish on a stage from 2018):

https://twitter.com/LucGrefte/status/1291304070054137856

Over 80km/h then, so I'd expect similar terminal speeds yesterday. I'm amazed Jakobsen is still alive.

xdcx · 6 Aug 2020 at 12:01

#Chri5# said:
Over 80km/h then, so I'd expect similar terminal speeds yesterday. I'm amazed Jakobsen is still alive.

No spinal fractures and no brain damage either apparently. Absolute miracle to be honest.

SoliD · 6 Aug 2020 at 12:09

I briefly saw it this morning and it looked like his helmet had come off as well. As always with these things hopefully it will bring improvements to the safety of the riders with improvements in boarding etc.

#Chri5# · 6 Aug 2020 at 12:17

On a slightly lighter note, the Ineos team for Tour de l'Ain is impressive:

Amador
Bernal
Castroviejo
Froome
Geoghegan Hart
Thomas

xdcx · 6 Aug 2020 at 12:25

Ventoux today.
Bardet out

Quintana looks hella lean so I think he goes in as big name favourite.
Ciccone is my outside bet. Loves a daring break on the mountains and with it going up Ventoux almost twice fully it will encourage the likes of him to go on the first ascent and try to stay away for the 2nd ascent. Really looking forward to this one today after not giving a toss for it last year.

SoliD · 6 Aug 2020 at 15:15

xdcx said:
Ventoux today.
Bardet out
Quintana looks hella lean so I think he goes in as big name favourite.
Ciccone is my outside bet. Loves a daring break on the mountains and with it going up Ventoux almost twice fully it will encourage the likes of him to go on the first ascent and try to stay away for the 2nd ascent. Really looking forward to this one today after not giving a toss for it last year.

Good race that in the end. Looked brutal up the top, Ventoux always looks incredible and just a completely different place from everywhere else on earth.

Quintana had the accident and had a number of days off the bike recently so faded at the end, Porte looked strong but didn't time it too well. Great win for Vlasov in the end though

#Chri5# said:
On a slightly lighter note, the Ineos team for Tour de l'Ain is impressive:

Amador
Bernal
Castroviejo
Froome
Geoghegan Hart
Thomas

So what 9 GC wins and 7 podiums total between the three of them....

SoliD · 6 Aug 2020 at 20:25

Much more calm sprint today in Poland luckily.

Mads getting that monkey off his back, with an epic sprint from so far out!

Berger · 6 Aug 2020 at 21:01

I saw the Poland result and assumed they had rolled in under neutral after yesterday! Couldn’t have picked that winner!

#Chri5# · 6 Aug 2020 at 21:37

SoliD said:
So what 9 GC wins and 7 podiums total between the three of them....

Jumbo-Visma are bringing the big guns as well:

Roglic
Kruijswijk
Dumoulin
Bennet
Gesink
Martin

xdcx · 7 Aug 2020 at 09:51

Everyone is going on about INEOS GC squad and the drama of it.... but the Jumbo GC squad is out of this world!

Also, if you want even more evidence at the deliberate and blatant elbow from that Pologne stage 1 crash.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=woh0zYAs0zw&feature=emb_logo

Not a leg to stand on. Needs banned for a long time.

SoliD · 7 Aug 2020 at 14:46

Ahh a good old GC sprint in Tour L'Ain, hilariously awful, as xdcx says 2 GCs and what 4/5 podiums? Plus the animal Tony Martin!

Berger · 8 Aug 2020 at 18:13

So good. I recorded the tour l’ain and watched the last 30km of that, then swapped over to the last 30km of MSR.

My bets didn’t come off but it was a great watch and race.

GSVBagpuss · 8 Aug 2020 at 18:15

Seriously, Remco isn’t human right?

xdcx · 10 Aug 2020 at 11:35

GSVBagpuss said:
Seriously, Remco isn’t human right?

Confirmed. Cyborg.

Also, crisis talks at the top bike manufacturers this week.
WvA is killing the marketing that everyone has fallen for.
How dare he descend the Poggio like that whilst NOT on the SL7 and NOT running disc brakes.....
And winning Strade on a rim brake bike? BUT THERE IS GRVL! It's unacceptable.

SoliD · 10 Aug 2020 at 14:16

Absolutely fantastic few days of racing. Poland was good even with all those finishing circuits. San Remo incredible! That sprintfrom WvA was awesome, especially when you watch it back and see he goes through a drain 15 yards from the end. Could have scuppered it all. L'Ain also awesome just seeing the two big guns going toe to toe, although I got the impression it was a little bit phoney war, I suspect Ineos will be doing what they usually do and peaking absolutely on time for TdF. Seriously impressued with Martin of Cofidis to stay with those guys so long too!

Interesting point raised on the Never Strays Far podcast about how many stages are required to make the TdF a TdF, 10, 12? With the way the numbers are changing with covid over the last few weeks in europe it could potentially be stopped half way through. Will be hopefully something we don't see, but you never know.

And the transfer have started to kick off properly. AG2R getting Van Avermaet and Bardet to Sunweb so far.

#Chri5# · 10 Aug 2020 at 14:17

xdcx said:
Confirmed. Cyborg.

Also, crisis talks at the top bike manufacturers this week.
WvA is killing the marketing that everyone has fallen for.
How dare he descend the Poggio like that whilst NOT on the SL7 and NOT running disc brakes.....
And winning Strade on a rim brake bike? BUT THERE IS GRVL! It's unacceptable.

Nah, with discs, he'd have dropped Ala' on the Poggio

{Edit to see if T D F is now barred... TDF}

{Edit2 - yes, it is censored - have just reported my own post to see if it can be at least be allowed in cycling given it's the biggest stage race in the world}

{Edit3 - TDF is allowed again now

}

xdcx · 11 Aug 2020 at 09:16

https://twitter.com/JumboVismaRoad/status/1293082520872005633/photo/1

Just lol at that team.

Calling it now. This short Dauphine is going to be better than the TDF.

@#Chri5# - WTF was TDF censored? Mods modding?

SoliD · 11 Aug 2020 at 12:26

Why and how is Tony Martins neck so long!

Doesn't even have Bennett in the team....

Ineos Lineup ain't bad either.
Chris Froome (GBr)
Egan Bernal (Col)
Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp)
Michał Kwiatkowski (Pol)
Pavel Sivakov (Rus)
Geraint Thomas (GBr)
Dylan van Baarle (Ned)

FDJ loading up with GC ambitions too.

Dauphine is going to be immense, think the heat will play a big part and suspect one of the stages will be wet with rolling thunderstorms passing by.