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The Pro Cycling Thread (Part 2)
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cmq2
17-07-2016
Nearly half the field quit the Tour of Poland yesterday due to cold and wet conditions. The main peloton finished after 6:43hours - 46 mins down on the solo winner Tim Wellens.

The organiser have taken heed of rider complaints about long stages and transfers by shortening today's stage to 155km.

http://www.velon.cc/en/news/2016/07/...of-poland-live
culttvfan
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by aggs:
“Okay - so I officially love Cav even more and will be watching the Olympics Omnimum from either behind a cushion or inside a cupboard ”

I guess I'm the only one who's rather puzzled by Cav's transformation. He's been on the decline for years and last time he was up against Kittel in the Tour in 2013 Kittel destroyed him.

I can understand a GC contender improving in his early 30s but not a sprinter. Cav is showing the sort of explosive speed we haven't seen from him since he was a young man, and as everyone knows that's what goes first and it's nigh on impossible to get it back, especially at his age, not by conventional means anyway.
apaul
17-07-2016
Greipel also won 4 stages last year and he is 3 years older than Cavendish.
culttvfan
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by apaul:
“Greipel also won 4 stages last year and he is 3 years older than Cavendish.”

My point entirely. Last year Cavendish was outclassed by Greipel yet this year, against stronger sprinting competition, Cav is smashing everyone including Greipel and the returning Kittel.
grassmarket
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by culttvfan:
“I guess I'm the only one who's rather puzzled by Cav's transformation. He's been on the decline for years and last time he was up against Kittel in the Tour in 2013 Kittel destroyed him.
.”

I disagree. I still think Kittel is a flat-out faster sprinter than Cav, but he is being incredibly naive tactically by 1) allowing Cav to get onto his wheel and then 2) by starting his sprints too early he is hitting max speed some distance before the line which 3) allows Cav to come past him as he is slowing and can't respond.
aggs
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by culttvfan:
“I guess I'm the only one who's rather puzzled by Cav's transformation. He's been on the decline for years and last time he was up against Kittel in the Tour in 2013 Kittel destroyed him.

I can understand a GC contender improving in his early 30s but not a sprinter. Cav is showing the sort of explosive speed we haven't seen from him since he was a young man, and as everyone knows that's what goes first and it's nigh on impossible to get it back, especially at his age, not by conventional means anyway.”

Not really

For the last few years he's been riding predominantly the road and training to get over the high mountains to actually be able to finish the tour and be in with a shout of the green jersey - which blunts the pure speed. It's the reason Cippo used to veer off towards the beach whenever the road became even slightly vertical. This year, he's gone back to training for the track, so will be doing pure spring training. I imagine his ability (small though it was anyway!) to climb has diminished even further, but as he has ceded the green jersey to chief points truffler Sagan the intermediates are irrelevant for him so he can sit in the autobus and work out the cut off time.

Let's not forget either that Cav has a tactical mind second only to Sean Kelly. If he is up there at the end of a stage, it's because he thinks he can win. He doesn't need a lead out train, although they can come in handy. If he's up there at the last 500 meters, has the wheel of a nice wind block like Kittel and a gap my money would be on Cav every day of the week.
cmq2
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by culttvfan:
“I guess I'm the only one who's rather puzzled by Cav's transformation. He's been on the decline for years and last time he was up against Kittel in the Tour in 2013 Kittel destroyed him.”

We saw part of the answer yesterday. His former team's lead out was atrocious. Kittel had no chance on his own with a good 250m to go. Sabatini was pulling over from 300m. Cavendish had similar problems at times with EQS. A poor lead out is worse than none at all.

The other challengers Greipel, Sagan and Kristoff all sprinted at the same speed as Cavendish but lacked the advanced position and shielding afforded by Kittel. Kristoff and Sagan also favour a tougher stage and finish. The average speed yesterday was comparable to an easy training ride pace. Other Cavendish wins this year were on slower stages. Possibly if Bouhanni had not missed the Tour, the number of wins would be different.

Also. he probably had a severe salary shock leaving EQS on his old Sky's terms and joining DDD. In my view, this season for him is all about raising his game or retirng.
grassmarket
17-07-2016
Off we go with the Depart Fictif from Bourg-en-Bresse, famous for its maize-fed chickens.
Edward_Sloley
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by cmq2:
“Nearly half the field quit the Tour of Poland yesterday due to cold and wet conditions. The main peloton finished after 6:43hours - 46 mins down on the solo winner Tim Wellens.”

Big learning curve for OPC, who lost six of their riders yesterday. Now they'll have a better idea of what improvements they need to make before applying for a WT licence, whenever that is.

Hell of a ride by Wellens.
Edward_Sloley
17-07-2016
Today's breakaway is 30-strong (from CN):
Spoiler
Jon Izagirre and Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali and Tanel Kangert (Astana), Rafal Majka (Tinkoff), Domenico Pozzovivo and Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R-LaMondiale), George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo), Haimar Zubeldia (Trek), Stef Clement, Jérôme Coppel and Jarlinson Pantano (IAM), Pierre Rolland, Tom-Jelte Slagter and Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac), Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data), Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin), Steve Morabito and Sébastien Reichenbach (FDJ), Bartosz Huzarski (Bora-Argon 18), Alberto Losada and Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha), Kristjian Durasek, Tsgabu Grmay and Jan Polanc (Lampre-Merida), Romain Sicard and Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie), Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick Step), Dani Navarro (Cofidis) and Ruben Plaza (Orica-BikeExchange).
cmq2
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by Edward_Sloley:
“Big learning curve for OPC, who lost six of their riders yesterday. Now they'll have a better idea of what improvements they need to make before applying for a WT licence, whenever that is.

Hell of a ride by Wellens.”

Due to the predicted rain throughout today's stage, it has been shortened further to 116km. No guidance on when coverage will start.

Looking at the profile, sea sickness could also be an issue https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CnkeelAW8AAKb0V.jpg

EDIT: Just been cut again to 70km.

And, now the TDF stage comes to life...
Edward_Sloley
17-07-2016
Stage 6 in Poland has apparently been cancelled...
swingaleg
17-07-2016
I just couldn't get into todays stage in the Tour........I was flicking between ITV4 and ES but there were just too many ad breaks......the coverage was so broken up and disjointed that I just couldn't get the flow of it......... the whole thing had the impression of a slideshow rather than live action

It's sad but nowadays the Tour is my least favourite of the 3 grand tours solely because of the TV coverage......
Darren Lethem
17-07-2016
Is it is Sean Kelly's contract that he has to start every sentence with "well, yes" ?
John259
17-07-2016
Meanwhile David Millar often starts a sentence in which he agrees with Ned, with the word "No". Very strange, but there are worse sins.
swingaleg
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by Darren Lethem:
“Is it is Sean Kelly's contract that he has to start every sentence with "well, yes" ?”

I thought it was usually 'well, yes, but.......' as he contradicts what Carlton has just said

Marti S
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by swingaleg:
“I thought it was usually 'well, yes, but.......' as he contradicts what Carlton has just said

”

Well it's not hard to contradict Carlton, he was going on about aerodynamics and Portes neck chain, like it slows him down, lol
cmq2
17-07-2016
Conditions on Stage 6 of the Tour of Poland: https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video...yrH35JcCpi.mp4

https://twitter.com/faustocoppi60/st...11057722114048
Richard46
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by swingaleg:
“I just couldn't get into todays stage in the Tour........I was flicking between ITV4 and ES but there were just too many ad breaks......the coverage was so broken up and disjointed that I just couldn't get the flow of it......... the whole thing had the impression of a slideshow rather than live action

It's sad but nowadays the Tour is my least favourite of the 3 grand tours solely because of the TV coverage......”

I have resorted to watching ITV4 with a time shift so as to skip the ads. Does not help with the missed sections though.
aggs
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by swingaleg:
“I thought it was usually 'well, yes, but.......' as he contradicts what Carlton has just said

”

It used to be even better with David Duffield - Duffield would ask a long, rambling question and Sean would just answer with a well no, David.
swingaleg
17-07-2016
Oh dear.......just noticed a snippet of news that Chris Boardman's Mum has been killed whilst out cycling.......hit by a truck

commiserations to Chris
Richard46
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by swingaleg:
“Oh dear.......just noticed a snippet of news that Chris Boardman's Mum has been killed whilst out cycling.......hit by a truck

commiserations to Chris”

That is terrible. We where just wondering why he is not doing the post race analysis.
Thoughts with him and his family.
cmq2
17-07-2016
Sad news. Sincere condolences.

Boardman's tweet: https://twitter.com/Chris_Boardman/s...08455622049792

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/nort...nnahs-11626954
aggs
17-07-2016
Lovely tweet.
So awful.
Sincere condolences to the whole Boardman family.
d'@ve
17-07-2016
Originally Posted by Richard46:
“That is terrible. We where just wondering why he is not doing the post race analysis.
Thoughts with him and his family.”

Yes, very sad news.

I thought ITV 4 had a nice ending to the highlights programme, posting Chris's tribute to his mum in full with appropriate music, and slow enough to let us comfortably read it all.
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