DS Forums

 
 

The Pro Cycling Thread (Part 2)


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 12-03-2014, 21:34
cmq2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
Thomas leads Nibali by 19 seconds in P-N. Worrying for the Italian, Astana left him to do his own chasing. Fuglsang, his chase group companion, apparently unable to assist. Not much in the way of organised teams visible after the climb.

Thomas suspects Degankolb (@ 3 secs) may regain lead tomorrow from intermediate sprint time bonuses (3pts each).

The Schlecks are only seen when something goes wrong.
cmq2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 12-03-2014, 21:44
swingaleg
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,824
I noticed that ES have 'jocked off' Paris-Nice in favour of live coverage of Tirrano-Adriatico

Highlights of P-N after the Italian race finished today

Cav took the leaders jersey in Italy being first of his team over the line in the team time trial
swingaleg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2014, 22:02
cmq2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
Why ditch a decent climb and chase to the finish in favour of a short opening TTT?

At least it wasn't replaced by show-jumping. I noticed Bruce Springsteen's daughter was competing in that.
cmq2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-03-2014, 20:20
swingaleg
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,824
Kittel did a spectacular 'bike chuck' today when he crashed out of T-A with about 2K to go........

Even with no Kittel, Cav could only finish 17th in the sprint.......I really am beginning to worry now that he's gone over the top.
swingaleg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-03-2014, 15:44
cmq2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
Geraint Thomas down in P-N hitting armco barrier - he rode to finish seven minutes down.
cmq2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-03-2014, 19:47
fluffed
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,789
The Crashy Mc Crash version of GT from last year is back then :/
fluffed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-03-2014, 21:23
cmq2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
Oleg Tinkoff tweeted the Sky tactic with Froome/Porte did not work at T-A today
cmq2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-03-2014, 15:09
fluffed
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,789
Contador looked rather impressive in the T-A today, last climb was a bit comedy value though.
fluffed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-03-2014, 18:27
cmq2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
The difference this year is there was no depth in the Sky team to tap out a high pace and draw the sting out of Contador's attacks: http://youtu.be/A-vm3frG9tI?t=51m40s
cmq2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-03-2014, 18:48
cmq2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
Contador looked rather impressive in the T-A today, last climb was a bit comedy value though.
CN reports Contador is now personally coached by Steve De Jongh, formerly of Sky.

After OPQS nailed the finish at T-A yesterday, Cavendish is looking forward to Sunday's MSR. Still is not decided if the new Pompeiana hill between the traditional Cipressa (22km out) and Poggio (6km out) is excluded.
cmq2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-03-2014, 09:28
swingaleg
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,824
World Tour round up.

We've now had 3 events of this year's World Tour and the winners are......

Tour Down Under - Simon Gerrans
Paris-Nice - Carlos Betancur
Tirreno-Adriatico - Alberto Contador

The leader boards in the various categories.......

Individual rider

1 Betancur - 114 points
2 Gerrans - 114 points
3 Contador - 112 points

The highest ranked British rider is Geraint Thomas with 25 points

The top 3 teams -

1 AG2R - 216 points
2 Tinkoff=Saxo - 183 points
3 Lampre-Merida - 171 points

The team classification totals up the points of the 5 highest scoring riders in each team. Sky are currently in 7th place with 98 points

The top 3 nations -

1 Australia - 336 points
2 Colombia - 248 points
3 Spain - 206 points

Like the team classification this takes the top 5 scoring riders from each country. This classification is quite important as it determines how many riders each country can enter into the World championships. The Brits are off to a slow start, languishing in 11th place with 35 points


Coming Up..........

We have 4 world tour races coming up in the next week or so

Milan- San Remo. A one-day classic on Sunday
Tour of Catalunya - a week long stage race starting Monday
E3 Harelbeke - a one day race in Belgium on Friday
Gent-Wevelgem - a one day race in Belgium on Sunday 30th March


Next update after that lot !.........

ps Eurosport are showing Milan-San Remo and the Harelbeke races live, with live coverage of Catalunya Mon-Thurs . Recorded highlights of Catalunya on Friday.

Haven't seen the schedule past next Friday yet
swingaleg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-03-2014, 13:02
cmq2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
Video preview of tomorrow's MSR: http://youtu.be/Y0mwvbm5Qj4

Bookies have it narrowed down to Sagan, Cavendish or Degenkolb.
cmq2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-03-2014, 21:29
Cissy Fairfax
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,350
Video preview of tomorrow's MSR: http://youtu.be/Y0mwvbm5Qj4

Bookies have it narrowed down to Sagan, Cavendish or Degenkolb.
Always a difficult one to call, weather will be a huge factor.

If it comes to a sprint it's either Cav, Greipel or Deg but if it doesn't then the first two and probably all three will not even be placed.

Given the distance, it isn't the most difficult thing to jump off 20km out, which will likely include Sagan, Fab maybe Roelandts.

Hard to see how anyone outside of those, even Gilbert, the FDJ guys can find a way to win it.

It's really either Sprint=Cav or Deg, no sprint=Sagan. If I was to be pushed for someone outside of those Kwiatowski looks a good price (40/1) for a place.
Cissy Fairfax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2014, 13:55
swingaleg
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,824
It's chucking down in Italy............Sean reckons the sprinters might struggle in the conditions

87K to go
swingaleg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2014, 14:58
cmq2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
MSR organisers reporting Ulissi, Renshaw and Kwiatkowski as recent abandons
cmq2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2014, 16:12
Edward_Sloley
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,043
It came down to a bunch sprint.

Flash results for Milan San-Remo:

1 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha
2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek Factory Racing
3 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky
4 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team
5 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team
6 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
7 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team
8 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida
9 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN-Qhubeka
10 Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale
Edward_Sloley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2014, 16:13
cmq2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
Kristoff beats Cavendish to the line for the second year running. OPQS did very little from what I saw with only Stybar left at the end despite their apparent team strength.

Cancellara histrionics breaks the unwritten rule about keeping his hands on the bars. All riders is disappointed to miss out by a small margin.

It seems Sagan's Cannondale tried to apply the pressure early and break the group rather than wait for the sprint.

Great ride by Swift.

The race really needs bike transponders on the top of the last two climbs. It was a very elite group and a run down of riders remaining would have been useful (instead of a confusing split screen of the final kilometre).
cmq2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2014, 16:16
swingaleg
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,824
Kristoff wins from Cancellara with Ben Swift in 3rd

Well done Ben !

Cav made it to the final in the lead group of about 20 ?.........Griepel got there as well but had had to do a bit of a solo catch up to reach them so had nothing for a sprint

I thought Cav was going to win as he came up on the outside but he just couldn't go through with it
swingaleg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2014, 17:21
cmq2
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2,090
Amazing sprint by Kristoff: http://youtu.be/7QZuAUhcl8M?t=2m4s
cmq2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-03-2014, 17:23
fluffed
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,789
I thought Cav was going to win as he came up on the outside but he just couldn't go through with it
Same, he seemed to hit the front, but immediately realise he was too far away to make it stick.
fluffed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-03-2014, 11:10
swingaleg
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,824
Just noticed this on the BBC Sport website......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/26663953

It's a nice little guide to the 'Spring Classics'
swingaleg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-03-2014, 14:40
swingaleg
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,824
Stages 3 and 4 of the Tour of Catalunya are the mountain stages (Wed and Thurs)

Although stage one, today, has a 1st category climb and there seems to be climbs on most stages.

Carlton and Magnus in the box

Live pictures just starting.........
swingaleg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-03-2014, 08:21
doffer
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Oldham
Posts: 2,072
The commentary at the finish has to be the worst I've heard. Think he mentioned 2 riders names, the rest of the time was just naming teams. Absolutely awful!!
doffer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-03-2014, 15:54
swingaleg
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,824
Coming up to the finish today in the rain.........Tommy Voeckler has gone out on a solo and has about 10K to hang on

The race finish today is in Gerona

I've been to the bull fighting in Gerona.........sometime in the 1960s

I see now that the bullring was demolished in 2006 as the Catalan Government has outlawed the barbaric practise.......Hemingway would be turning in his grave
swingaleg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-03-2014, 09:16
swingaleg
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,824
Should be a corking stage today in Catalunya............two category 1 and a Hors category climb with a mountain top finish

starting at sea level..........getting up to over 6000 feet on the HC

a few tired legs today !
swingaleg is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 16:21.