The Pro Cycling Thread

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  • Cissy FairfaxCissy Fairfax Posts: 11,782
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    The Vuelta will be fantastic this year, Contador and Schleck, both probably. JRod, Poels, Gesink, Cunego, Sanchez if fit all with no tour or Olympic fatigue. Talansky at Garmin looks a decent rider for the future.

    Sky could have anyone of three on the podium with Uran, Henoi and Froome and Flecha is a good stage racer.

    Kittel, Boonen and Degenkolb should be there for the flat, Hushovd if he perks up plus anyone else in good nick from the tour.

    I didn't mean Poels in this, not sure why I wrote him. I mean Thomas de Gendt. Most of the Giro top half dozen should be in the Vuelta with all those above.

    Going to be a bugger picking the 9 for the Velogames team.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,832
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    De Gendt is an interesting one. Always had him down as a crazy attack-from-the-gun breakaway specialist, but after what he did in the Giro, maybe he fancies himself as a GC guy now.
  • d'@ved'@ve Posts: 45,452
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    swingaleg wrote: »
    I'd be surprised if that happened

    Over the last few years it seems to have become a tradition that the last stage is a non-racing procession into Paris then a race round the circuit for a sprint finish

    I suppose that Tommy Voeckler with his 'nobody likes me but I don't care' attitude to the peloton might be tempted..........:D

    We do get breakaways on the Champs Elysees circuits though and it's not always 100% certain that they will be caught, so that could happen and would make it more exciting.

    I assume that Wiggo can give it everything in his lead-out for the final sprint because once inside the final 3km, he cannot lose time if he crashes.
  • Eater SundaeEater Sundae Posts: 10,000
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    One thing that struck about watching the time trial was the techniques of different riders. Some were out of their seat and holding the wider parts of the bars (to get more leverage) out of every corner or slight incline, whereas others (Wiggins and Froome being prime examples) were rock solid on their bikes - very smooth at all times. Obviously a time trialling technique. I was a little surprised that they didn't all try harder to keep the tucked, aerodynamic position for more of the time.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,431
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    Loved the comment from thre ITV guy- "Brad Wiggins greats ahievemnt- Getting Cycling on ITV1"
  • DenleyDenley Posts: 4,657
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    salochin wrote: »
    Loved the comment from thre ITV guy- "Brad Wiggins greats ahievemnt- Getting Cycling on ITV1"

    :D nothing short of miraculous.
  • walterwhitewalterwhite Posts: 56,564
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    swingaleg wrote: »
    The prize money for the Tour is interesting..........

    Everyone who finishes gets prize money but the guys that finish below 50th only get 400 euros which is about 100 pound a week for the 3 week race............:eek:

    There are small prizes for everything, stage wins, intermediate sprints, days wearing a jersey, being first over climbs, team performances etc

    Brad will get 450,000 as 'first prize' plus monies for each day he was in yellow, each stage win or place, each day the team was 'top team'............he'll probably end up with just under 500,000 Euros

    The tradition is that the winner of the race donates his prize money to be shared amongst his team mates on the basis that he's going to malke millions from endorsements

    Yeah, Brad won't see a penny of the prize money.
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,325
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    d'@ve wrote: »
    I assume that Wiggo can give it everything in his lead-out for the final sprint because once inside the final 3km, he cannot lose time if he crashes.
    As I understand it (could be wrong) he still has to cross the finishing line so a crash even inside 3km could be catastrophic.
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,325
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    Oh dear, some people still don't understand, Radio 5 have just tweeted hoping that Wiggins does the ride of his life today.
  • swingalegswingaleg Posts: 102,979
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    John259 wrote: »
    As I understand it (could be wrong) he still has to cross the finishing line so a crash even inside 3km could be catastrophic.

    Yes.........he has to finish
  • grassmarketgrassmarket Posts: 33,010
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    John259 wrote: »
    As I understand it (could be wrong) he still has to cross the finishing line so a crash even inside 3km could be catastrophic.

    He can walk across the line though.
  • jcafcwjcafcw Posts: 11,282
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    I wonder if our Football Association can learn something from the way Team SKY/British Cycling is so organised and focused.

    Maybe David Brailsford can give them some pointers.
  • swingalegswingaleg Posts: 102,979
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    Was that Stuart O'Grady making the 'Knighting' sign on Brad's shoulders ?

    :p
  • TheFridgeTheFridge Posts: 4,142
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    jcafcw wrote: »
    I wonder if our Football Association can learn something from the way Team SKY/British Cycling is so organised and focused.

    Maybe David Brailsford can give them some pointers.

    They could learn a lot , will they ? fat chance !

    They are all more than happy in their well paid comfy jobs for the boys club.
  • swingalegswingaleg Posts: 102,979
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    El Presidente, Pat McQuaid, has just been in the ES com box........saying that he expects over a million people will line the road for the Olympic road race making it the most watched Olympic event ever..............well, I suppose it's a bit obvious, you're not going to get a million people in an aquatic centre............:p

    Previously Brian Robionson was in the box.......the first Brit to win a stage in the TdF in 1958

    Coming up after the adverts............Abdoujaparov is coming in.........the mad Abdou !............I remember him from when i started watching as a fearless sprinter, oblivious of any danger or indeed of anyone around him............:eek::eek:
  • ElectraElectra Posts: 55,660
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    swingaleg wrote: »
    El Presidente, Pat McQuaid, has just been in the ES com box........saying that he expects over a million people will line the road for the Olympic road race making it the most watched Olympic event ever..............well, I suppose it's a bit obvious, you're not going to get a million people in an aquatic centre............:p

    Previously Brian Robionson was in the box.......the first Brit to win a stage in the TdF in 1958

    Coming up after the adverts............Abdoujaparov is coming in.........the mad Abdou !............I remember him from when i started watching as a fearless sprinter, oblivious of any danger or indeed of anyone around him............:eek::eek:

    I used to love him.


    Then he tested positive for clenbutarol :(
  • swingalegswingaleg Posts: 102,979
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    Versailles...........I went there as well on my hitch-hike around france as mentionned earlier

    Not a bad little pad............:p
  • grassmarketgrassmarket Posts: 33,010
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    swingaleg wrote: »
    Versailles...........I went there as well on my hitch-hike around france as mentionned earlier

    Not a bad little pad............:p

    You'd dread window washing day, though.
  • swingalegswingaleg Posts: 102,979
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    You'd dread window washing day, though.

    Only since the Revolution.........you just can't get the peasants these days...........:mad:
  • swingalegswingaleg Posts: 102,979
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    Stephen Roche in the box now..............25 years since he won the TdF for Ireland

    Stephen thinks it's been a bit dull because of the lack of mountain top finishes...........
  • dofferdoffer Posts: 2,746
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    swingaleg wrote: »
    Was that Stuart O'Grady making the 'Knighting' sign on Brad's shoulders ?

    :p

    That's what I thought he was doing as well. :)

    Well, isn't Roche a little ray of sunshine?
  • batdude_uk1batdude_uk1 Posts: 78,722
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    May I just ask, does anyone know what is the record for most amount of stages won by (a) a single person and (b) a team in one tour?
  • dofferdoffer Posts: 2,746
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    May I just ask, does anyone know what is the record for most amount of stages won by (a) a single person and (b) a team in one tour?

    Don't know about team, but individual is 8 by Charles Pelissier in 1930, Eddy Merckx in 70 & 74 and Freddy Maertens in 76
  • batdude_uk1batdude_uk1 Posts: 78,722
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    doffer wrote: »
    Don't know about team, but individual is 8 by Charles Pelissier in 1930, Eddy Merckx in 70 & 74 and Freddy Maertens in 76

    8, wow that is impressive, many thanks for that.
  • swingalegswingaleg Posts: 102,979
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    May I just ask, does anyone know what is the record for most amount of stages won by (a) a single person and (b) a team in one tour?

    I didn't know the answer but I've found a site that lists some Tour records......

    http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/races/results/results_tour_de_france.txt


    8 stage wins in one Tour is the record - it's been done 4 times, twice by Eddie Merckx

    No team records there...........I'm not sure they've always had 'teams' in the same sense that they do now. I think in the past they've had 'national'' teams and also people could just enter as individuals..........though in modern times it's been sponsored trade teams
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