Pro Cycling Discussion 2019

Lethal` said:
Would be nice but I'm doubting it. The footage was shocking. Streamed by 4G on what seemed like camera phones from two motorbikes in a 3G area. Really choppy, the commentators did a good job regardless but in the final few miles we even had laggy footage so the audio was 10s ahead... we heard who won before the footage even showed them on the finish straight.

Would have been nice to see some proper footage of Swift's chase to Stannard. Only caught the glimpse of him flying by.

The time trial was similarly poor footage. A finish line webcam with a commentator standing next to it. Quick flash of the riders as they whizz by at the end.
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Sounds the same as last year!

No Cav at the TDF this year :(
 
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I could have sworn they had better coverage last year? It might have actually been on TV too rather than just youtube/GCN?

I'm sure the time trial at least had the odd motorbike following some riders.
 
Lethal` said:
Would be nice but I'm doubting it. The footage was shocking. Streamed by 4G on what seemed like camera phones from two motorbikes in a 3G area.
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Yup, seemed really bad! I couldn't quite understand how bad it was for coverage as there's not many hills around that part of the world, but if streaming over 3G that would certainly answer it. What a joke! :(

Lethal` said:
I could have sworn they had better coverage last year? It might have actually been on TV too rather than just youtube/GCN?
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Yup coverage last year although a bit spotty had several motorbikes and 'streams'. I recall seeing footage of Bibby trying to chase down Connor Swift, which then dropped, so they covered the Peloton without knowing what was happening up front! Then footage of Connor finishing and no sign of Bibby so we know he hadn't caught him lol.

Will hunt down YT footage, but really hope there's a catchup/highlights show with some decent footage... The early footage on ES last night didn't seem to have any overlay/UI with gaps/names or anything. Just Carton Kirby and think it was Andy Tennant trying to identify riders by their pedalling/riding styles lol. They where doing amazing considering what they where given! Seemed really amateurish whoever was tasked with televising the race, I guess we're just so well used to the European races, BC track cycling and things like the Tour Series where they're run regularly enough to be well polished, professional and slick shows/coverage/footage we just expect the same of our Nationals. :o
 
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Roady said:
Yup, seemed really bad! I couldn't quite understand how bad it was for coverage as there's not many hills around that part of the world, but if streaming over 3G that would certainly answer it. What a joke! :(
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Yeah I thought this too but I guess there aren't enough people to warrant much spend in high speed data mobile network coverage.

Edit: it was actually Ned Boulting. He wasn't too happy about it: https://twitter.com/nedboulting/status/1145395908454076416
 
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SoliD said:
No Cav at the TDF this year :(
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Shocked by this. Do we know how much this was a mutual decision? Assuming Cav has acknowledged he is out of form and is not going to be in shape for the TDF. Would be a sad end, if this does turn out to be the end of his TDF involvement :(
 
Bubo said:
Shocked by this. Do we know how much this was a mutual decision? Assuming Cav has acknowledged he is out of form and is not going to be in shape for the TDF. Would be a sad end, if this does turn out to be the end of his TDF involvement :(
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It’s professional sport, if he’s not up to the required level then he’s not going and doubt he has any say in that.
 
True, he's clearly still suffering with this epstein Barr stuff, if he's not competing as much as he can sell kit and gets coverage if he's only there for a few days it doesn't help.
 
SoliD said:
True, he's clearly still suffering with this epstein Barr stuff, if he's not competing as much as he can sell kit and gets coverage if he's only there for a few days it doesn't help.
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I read the other day that his blood work came out clear for him. Looking at his recent results hes been so far of the pace, I guess he needs to find his form again but hes what 34 now? There cant be many years if any left in him after this. A real shame that he probably wont beat the 34 TDF wins that he was set on beating
 
Lethal` said:
Yeah I thought this too but I guess there aren't enough people to warrant much spend in high speed data mobile network coverage.

Edit: it was actually Ned Boulting. He wasn't too happy about it: https://twitter.com/nedboulting/status/1145395908454076416
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Good shout, knew it was just so used to Carlton being the 'guy who does commentary' even thought I don't know what he looks like - I know what Ned Boulting looks like! He did really well and fair play for him saying something!

Bear said:
I read the other day that his blood work came out clear for him. Looking at his recent results hes been so far of the pace, I guess he needs to find his form again but hes what 34 now? There cant be many years if any left in him after this. A real shame that he probably wont beat the 34 TDF wins that he was set on beating
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It's a shame for him as he is a real fighter - proven time and again - especially the last couple of seasons of him trying to get fit and back into the big races.

Just hope he continues fighting rather than losing faith/hope and calling curtains on his career. There's a lot of young sprinters out there proving themselves, really makes it hard for him to compete when not 100% fit. But if anything Viviani is proving you can still mix it with them. It would be a shame to lose such an icon of sprinting like Cav without him ending on a high, but this is professional sport so unlikely to happen to many... Like we're seeing with Greipel. Shame. How similar in age are they I wonder...?
 
Roady said:
Just hope he continues fighting rather than losing faith/hope and calling curtains on his career. There's a lot of young sprinters out there proving themselves, really makes it hard for him to compete when not 100% fit. But if anything Viviani is proving you can still mix it with them. It would be a shame to lose such an icon of sprinting like Cav without him ending on a high, but this is professional sport so unlikely to happen to many... Like we're seeing with Greipel. Shame. How similar in age are they I wonder...?
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Cav is 34 and Greipel is 36 I think
 
Trouble with likes of Cavendish etc is don't have any other strings in there bows! As get older they slow down loosing the fast twitch muscles become more prone to injuries.
Because as you age your speed reduces but your stamina increases.
So top end sports people who are right at the top end have all there eggs in one basket so to speak so hard to diversify as not climbers or time trialists etc
Where as likes of Sagan is more of an all rounder "one man army" hes not at the top in sprinting but does ok not a top climber but holds his own ok against the clock perfect one day rider so as he ages his other strengths take over.

With likes of Epstein Barrs virus you never get rid of it just hides away but often over stress the body and will flair up it's the same with Lymes disease
 
I admit to being a Cav fan but do DD really think Nizzolo has a better chance in a bunch sprint than cav? I don’t understand the marketing perspective either what with it being 50 years of Merckx this year. Cav doesn’t have to win to give DD publicity.
 
I was in stitches at Wiggo on the back of that moped.
Checkout his Instagram stories as well for a laugh... I read somewhere on Twitter the full thing he says in one of his stories is that he "just had a barmy with Jabba Hut in the Wanty car"... hahaha!
 
SoliD said:
Boring couple of days then La Planche Des Belles Filles with added gravel!
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I think both the stages before that one have potential for some exciting finishes. Both have some small climbs close to the finish. Perfect for a late attach like Alaphillipe yesterday or Bora to push it hard on the climbs and try to lose some of the other sprinters maybe causing some gaps in the peloton.
Maybe today isn't hard enough but certainly tomorrow's stage isn't going to have all the big sprinters there at the end.
 
Missed them in my quick glance, looking forward to the next couple now, maybe a breakaway day in one of them with a tough few days to come. Good finish today, thought dylan g was going to come by and couldn't believe my eyes. Looks like teunison could be the man in form though!
 
SoliD said:
Missed them in my quick glance, looking forward to the next couple now, maybe a breakaway day in one of them with a tough few days to come. Good finish today, thought dylan g was going to come by and couldn't believe my eyes. Looks like teunison could be the man in form though!
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I may be wrong as I didn't catch all of it but I thought Dylan Groenewegen had some problem as I recall him trying to catch up to the front for quite a while and must have expended a bit too much energy to contest the sprint properly
 
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