Pro Cycling Discussion 2021

touch · 12 Sep 2021 at 19:30

Took a drive over to Aberdeenshire to see the tour today. We were at the top of the Queen's View climb just after Ballater.
The break:

The bunch coming:

Lead by George Bennet with Alaphillipe and Cav in the line:

Lethal` · 12 Sep 2021 at 20:12

Nice shots! Looks like every Scottish cyclist was up that way today judging by my Strava. I'm actually heading up for the NC500 next week - wild camping :eek:

-Ad- · 12 Sep 2021 at 20:36

Busy busy up in the Shire today, a great turnout for the race.

Managed to catch them in 4 spots (Stoney, Auchenblae, Strachan and Queens View), but couldn't get back to Abz in time to beat them to the finish, so settled for the tv covereage.

AndyCr15 · 14 Sep 2021 at 17:07

Great pictures! Definitely want to see some live racing next year, although I can imagine you probably don't know so much about what's going on? Just see them whizz past briefly?

SoliD · 14 Sep 2021 at 19:10

Indeed some good photos, @AndyCr15 yeah unless you have capability to follow it you never really know what's coming up ahead, Mountain stages are great to see the dribs and drabs coming in. I watched at Planche Des Belles Filles in 2017 and Mt Etna last year and you see so much more! but a good day out usually no matter the stage talking to others and hanging around all day. if you're into that sort of thing. just make sure you take a picnic

resurgam · 14 Sep 2021 at 20:15

Yeah, I tend to see it as an excuse for a day off work and a ride out with mates. If it's a normal road stage then it's all over in a couple of minutes, although TT stages give a bit more scope for a longer stop. I rode out to the ToB TT stage a couple of years back and was chatting to one of the motorbike marshals who was manning the road closure. He was having a busy few weeks as he was off to do the Worlds in Harrogate straight after.

SoliD · 18 Sep 2021 at 16:06

Anyone see Mollemas crash yesterday, lucky to get away with no bad injuries.

Also today Movistar announced Lopez leaving, seems mad as he's the only one who has really delivered for them all year!

xdcx · 20 Sep 2021 at 14:22

SoliD said:
Also today Movistar announced Lopez leaving, seems mad as he's the only one who has really delivered for them all year!

Quitting like a little baby at the very end of a GT can't be excused by much.
Let's see who is brave enough to take on that nonsense.

Bear · 20 Sep 2021 at 14:54

xdcx said:
Quitting like a little baby at the very end of a GT can't be excused by much.
Let's see who is brave enough to take on that nonsense.

Hes going back to Astana apparently

#Chri5# · 20 Sep 2021 at 14:58

Worlds TT start seems like an odd / strange design - roll off and then have a 90 degree right as the ramp finishes. One of the men U23 riders went down on it this morning.

SoliD · 20 Sep 2021 at 15:44

#Chri5# said:
Worlds TT start seems like an odd / strange design - roll off and then have a 90 degree right as the ramp finishes. One of the men U23 riders went down on it this morning.

Saw that, not sure what happened as he went down before the ramp even finished! Close yesterday and close again today for the women! That support for WVA and Remco yesterday was insane!

xdcx · 20 Sep 2021 at 16:48

The Belgian fans asking Ganna to slow down was amazing haha.

SoliD · 21 Sep 2021 at 09:26

xdcx said:
The Belgian fans asking Ganna to slow down was amazing haha.

haha yeah they love their cycling but they're not absolute lunatics like the dutch (see F1...) and will cheer on everyone sportingly! Good to see that young Dane win yesterday after his wipe out in the puddle in Yorkshire! Brits went fairly well across the 3 TT's not up at the top, but still good top 10s for the 2 Ethans and Joss Lowden who is due to go for the womens hour record next week I think!

SoliD · 21 Sep 2021 at 12:27

Close for Backstedt this morning! That family has some impressive genes!

Bear · 23 Sep 2021 at 06:16

Fantastic that Tony Martin got to ride off into the sunset with a rainbow jersey on his back

SoliD · 23 Sep 2021 at 12:49

Yeah that was a mega ride by that team! Brits did well considering the selection and the course I thought.

SoliD · 24 Sep 2021 at 15:07

Juniors this morning and now the u23 has been absolute carnage! Soooo many crashes in both. Norwegian lad attacked perfectly this morning when the French kid crashed, but how he finished I think he would have won either way. U23 is looking like a cracking race. Still ages to go, yet hardly anyone left!

SoliD · 25 Sep 2021 at 10:15

Wow, that junior women was an amazing race! Far fewer crashes than the testosterone filled races yesterday. Brits rode it perfectly. Backstedt super strong and then team behind shutting everything down. Having 4 riders in thag front group is hopefully promising for the future. Difference in size between backstedt and the American was ridiculous. How zoe is younger than her I don't know.

Funny seeing Millie Couzens riding as been seeing her smash up the local cx league over the last few years!

SoliD · 26 Sep 2021 at 07:10

Anna Henderson, so so impressive yesterday but had to do too much, reckon if the rest of the squad could have protected her a bit she'd have been on the podium. Always good to see the Dutch not win with such a star studded line up.

On to the mens today, won't be watching live but wonder how many will be coming go the line after seeing the women's race, certainly noway near as hard as they were predicting and the other races had been. But its certainly a course where if a couple of riders can get a gap late on it could be held with the narrow nature of the circuit.

SoliD · 27 Sep 2021 at 06:31

Julian does it again, wva nowhere and everyone else looking at him for magic. Great for van baarle to come second! And pidcock although missed the decisive move looked surprisingly spritely at the end. Italians just got it all wrong. Roubaix next week will be interesting, lot of riders will want to finish up the year, but it looks like its going to be wet!