Pro Cycling Discussion 2020

[#Chri5#]

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?

Yes, for some TDF was replaced by something about it's acronym you shouldn't be using

I know Froome was way behind on GC for Tour de l'Ain but he was hardly slacking:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...-from-final-stage-of-tour-de-lain-2020-462336

On the Montée de la Selle de Fromentel segment – a 10km-long, eight per cent climb – Froome climbed at an average speed of 18.4km/h and held a power of 390 watts for the entire 35 minutes of the climb.

 

[#Chri5#]

Full start list for the Dauphine - it's stacked!

 

[SoliD]

The way France is going I wonder if even the dauphine will get finished!

 

[SoliD]

Shots fired!

Spoiler

another great stage, Roglic showing some superb form, but is it too early? Ineos took it on early but just overestimated capabilities, although they did thin it out a bit. Think rest of the week is a foregone conclusion, but definitely interesting for the TdF. Pinot, Porte and Quintana all showing good form too.

Loads of spectators out there though at the finish which I thought they were trying to remove.

 

[Berger]

Hard to know whose peaking too soon and who is just better. Nairo has looked a new man this year.

Maybe not so much the top GC guys who could peak early, but the remainder of the team. Tommy D looking like he’s still finding form, but a worry that Kuss could do too much this week.

 

[SoliD]

Yep, it's going to be interesting and different from anything we've seen before, think more than ever it will rely on a team who can survive strong for the whole three weeks Domestiques and all. Kuss did look super strong yesterday continuning where he left off last year.

Dan Martin out after his crash yesterday, poor positioning too far down the bunch causing it as usual. Richie Porte hasn't crashed yet though.

Missed this during the live coverage, but ouch....

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/huge-hail-storm-hits-criterium-du-dauphine-riders-and-spectators/

 

[Roady]

Has anyone signed up for the GCN Race Pass?

https://racetv.globalcyclingnetwork.com/

Coverage schedule for the UK is:

https://www.playsportsnetwork.com/what-can-i-watch/race-pass-schedule-united-kingdom/

£20 for the first year until 12th August, so cheaper than Eurosport Player. Seems to be app-only though, so watching on a TV looks to involve casting from your phone/tablet.

Just wondering if it's worth it as now my Eurosport app sub has finished. What do we think?

I'd hate to miss the Dauphine and all of the TDF after only really having YT to view, but if TDF is cancelled (along with everything else) then that's £20 wasted.

Can you only use their app, or does it give you access to 'private' stuff on YT (so can play from SmartTV without streaming from mobile)?

Fiver on Kwiato for tomorrow.
LOVE Strade. Cannot wait!!

Where can I watch Strade? Eurosport catch up? Or is it on GCN?

Ventoux today.

Which was race this?

rolling thunderstorms passing by.

How right you where...

Missed this during the live coverage, but ouch....

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/huge-hail-storm-hits-criterium-du-dauphine-riders-and-spectators/

https://twitter.com/TourDeJose/status/1293950240765214725/photo/1 Tim DC's back. Damn!

https://twitter.com/phmauduit/status/1293939622377132032 FDJ team car DS footage of a group including Sagan riding through it and Dan Martin who comes to a stop because of it (then continues).

Other riders caught up in the storm while they were still riding included Tony Martin (Jumbo-Visma), who sought shelter under a fan's rubber raft, Luis León Sánchez (Astana), and Jérôme Cousin (Total Direct Énergie), who finished 14 minutes after the time limit haven taken shelter further down the climb.

And sounds like the podium was caught short as the roof collapsed on Bernal!

 

[xdcx]

@Roady - I bought the race pass. It's just the Eurosport stream in a different app tbh.
And if you want to watch live it's a pain because there is going to be days of 2 or even 3 races on and you need to pick one to watch in the app alone..... I think I am barely going to use it and simply use highlights recorded on Eurosport and ITV4 as usual. for £20 I just thought it was fine for the punt as £20 is nowt for a whole year.

Strade is on GCN race pass. I watched it on GCN at the time.
Ventoux race I was on about is the Ventoux Dénivelé, was on GCN also.

 

[SoliD]

I bought it as I'll get the usage just from cx which isn't broadcast on eurosport. But it has come in useful with eurosport doing they're usual awful scheduling and missing big Chunks of races for snooker... Think you've missed the half price offer now roady.

 

[#Chri5#]

I sub'd to the Race Pass as well and have been using it a fair bit (extra benefit of WFH when I'm not on a call!).

At the moment it's mobile (iOS and Android) app only, so if you want to watch it on a big TV / monitor you need to cast the app somehow. I've casted the app from my P30 Pro to a Windows 10 PC (PC obviously needs WiFi) and that worked well. GCN have said on Twitter there is a web browser version in beta at the moment, so hopefully that will drop soon - means you don't have a PC and the mobile both tied up for one task. Perhaps then you have a couple of streams going when races overlap? I have signed up to join the beta programme but not had anything yet.

There's no advertising on the GCN app (which is good), so when Eurosport goes to a commercial, you get bonus banter / discussion between the commentators.

 

[SoliD]

I've been disappointed with the quality so far, with no capability to define what you want. Some docus etc all on there analysing races and stuff and no doubt be more coming.

 

[AndyCr15]

If I wanted to 'dip my toe in' so to speak, is there a YouTube channel that has the highlights of all the big races?

 

[SoliD]

Itv4 do 1 HR highlight of the criterium du dauphine ,le tour and vuelta every evening at 7. Catch this week's racing on catchup.

 

[SoliD]

Day of accidents and injuries, bernal out before the Start, kreuiswijk dislocated shoulder, buchmann down on same descent both pulling out. Roglic going down and suffering some awful burns in the dauphine.

Then remcos awful crash in lombardy breaking his pelvis. Hopefully that'll be it as the drop looked horrific.

Dauphine was a bit of a damp squib but lombardy was great. Fuglsang deserved winner.

and just seen this morning that Schachman was hit by a rogue car in the last 20k on Lombardy fractured his collarbone but still finished 7th! Beast!

 

[SoliD]

Such a strange and yet compelling final day in the dauphine.

More people pulling out, most notably roglic left it wide open and so as usual in that when the big teams aren't there to control, chaos ensued. Great to watch and unfortunately for pinot it went against him, but he looks super strong for le tour.

Kuss just looked ona different planet to most this week, and a great ride from sivakov again. Weird accident though, more like a motorbike one with the way the front gripped up.

And overall martinez played it to perfection doing the right amount of work required and letting those around him get him where he needed.

Be interesting now to see who is pikcked for ineos considering the poor races of froome and Thomas but we've seen them both do similar in warm up races before, but not usually this close to le tour. Kwiato has done himself no harm and obviously sivakov is a dead cert.

 

[xdcx]

Sivakov interview saying he has no idea what happened.... I paused the replay on Sky can clearly see he's leaning left and pedals in the bend and his foot strikes the ground causing his rear wheel to lift and throw him. Ala just gives the wee shoulder shrug and merci au revoir

I want Pinot to win the tour. Or be in yellow at least for a good while. He is a proper racer and loves to bring it. I just want to see an up in the air attack fest on the mountains where we have no idea who may actually win the damn thing as there is so much people in contention.... hard to see beyond Roglic though especially with Kuss because that lad is insane.

 

[SoliD]

haha, just rewatched and can see it now. Was still a strange old one the way it gripped up the front end though, would have been amazing if he caught it!

 

[xdcx]

Ag2R signed Jungels now.
Next year they will have GvA, Naesen and Jungels. Total focus shift from GC as per previous years as Bardet moves on.

 

[SoliD]

Maybe Citroën wanted some guarantees around a more competitive overall fairing when coming in. That and they will help them throw some money around.

 

[SoliD]

No froome or Thomas at le tour. Didn't think both would ever be dropped but obviously the numbers aren't there for either. Still looks a strong lineup for ineos looking at the form of the guys who have been picked.