2014 Cycling Thread

[DaddyTorgo]

Well the Classics season is over (I guess Gerrans winning Liege-Bastogne-Liege was the biggest surprise to me - or someone not named Bonen or Cancellara winning Paris-Roubaix) and we're on to the meat of the calendar.

It's Giro d'Italia time!

Be interesting to see if Quintana can continue making strides up.

Always enjoy a good TTT.

[DaddyTorgo]

Hideous by Katusha - that's going to hurt J. Rodriguez.

[bhlloy]

I assume you are watching a recording - it's going to get a lot worse than that for one major team

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

I assume you are watching a recording - it's going to get a lot worse than that for one major team

I am indeed - I DVR'd it earlier.

Not pretty for Movistar either...big gaps at the top caused by the weather.

I'm guessing you're alluding to something bad happening to BMC though. Which is fine - I'm not a big BMC fan.

[DaddyTorgo]

Holy shit...ouch. So much for their hopes.

[DaddyTorgo]

The big time gaps for some of the favorites should make for some interesting attacks later on though, which is nice.

[bhlloy]

Yeah, though the weather discrepancies weren't exactly fair to all teams it's going to make for a hell of a race later on.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Yeah, though the weather discrepancies weren't exactly fair to all teams it's going to make for a hell of a race later on.

Definitely not fair, which on one level is irritating, but that's kinda the luck of the draw, which was totally random in this case, and it will definitely force some people's hands later - particularly Katusha and Movistar.

[DaddyTorgo]

The time trial of the Tour of California went like...right past my sister's house in Folsom. Literally...they live right off East Natoma St., and the TT went right down East Natoma.

Funny about the Giro - when Kittel had to abandon I misunderstood them and thought they said he had a "femur" not a "fever" and I was like "WTF?!!?!"

[DaddyTorgo]

Great Stage 5 at the Giro. Love to see a wide-open medium mountain finish with a lot of guys in it at the end.

Diego Ulissi...whoa. Hell of a ride by Matthews to hold onto the Maglia Rosa too.

[HarryLime]

I think Uran is probably the best placed for the overall atm, and is my favorite.. He has a good support team when the road starts to rise, and i think Cadel will be quickly isolated on the big slopes..

Quintana is only 1 min behind, and if he rides anything like in the tour last year he can make that up very quickly and is a big threat, and you can never write off Basso in this race..

For stage 6 i would not be surprised to see Ulissi back up and win his 2nd on the trot, but i would love to see Boassen Hagen have a red hot crack at it to and might try to steal the jersey from Orica..

Stage 7 will be for the sprinters.. Bouhanni is prolly the best left after Kittel had to abandon, and stage 8 it gets interesting!

Tour of California is shaping up to be an exciting race, Garmin will throw everything at Wiggins on Mount High in stage 6 and will hope Dennis can take the lead from him there! should be a great stage!

[DaddyTorgo]

Hi Harry - welcome to the cycling thread, where me and 2-3 other guys are the only participants...LOL.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by HarryLime

I think Uran is probably the best placed for the overall atm, and is my favorite.. He has a good support team when the road starts to rise, and i think Cadel will be quickly isolated on the big slopes..

Quintana is only 1 min behind, and if he rides anything like in the tour last year he can make that up very quickly and is a big threat, and you can never write off Basso in this race..

For stage 6 i would not be surprised to see Ulissi back up and win his 2nd on the trot, but i would love to see Boassen Hagen have a red hot crack at it to and might try to steal the jersey from Orica..

Stage 7 will be for the sprinters.. Bouhanni is prolly the best left after Kittel had to abandon, and stage 8 it gets interesting!

Tour of California is shaping up to be an exciting race, Garmin will throw everything at Wiggins on Mount High in stage 6 and will hope Dennis can take the lead from him there! should be a great stage!

Agree with you on Uran being well placed, and I think we'll see a great duel between Uran & Quintana when they get to the high mountains that will determine the overall winner. In my mind (overly simplistically), Quintana has the acceleration to ride away and open some time gaps on the steeper gradients, while I think of Uran more as the "steady pace" type of climber who will have to try to reel him back in over the longer climbs. I think Quintana has the stronger support team in Movistar too - OPQS is not exactly a climber's team. I'm not so sure Basso has anything left in the tank to be honest - especially when you hear the announcers talking about him on the coverage yesterday and they're saying that Basso was telling them that he didn't feel 100%.

Sprint is definitely wide-open since Kittel had to leave, which is fun to see. Leaves chances for someone like Vivianni, Petacchi, or Bouhanni to step up. Maybe we'll finally get to see if Bouhanni is legit, or if he's more hype than substance in the grand tours?

[bhlloy]

Wow, don't think anyone saw that coming on that stage (not watching, but following along at work)

[Critch]

I thought taking advantage and attacking after a crash was breaking an unwritten rule? Good day for Cadel Evans though, not so good for the Katusha guy who looked pretty bad, the camera hardly left him til he was loaded into the ambulance.

[HarryLime]

Originally Posted by Critch

I thought taking advantage and attacking after a crash was breaking an unwritten rule? Good day for Cadel Evans though, not so good for the Katusha guy who looked pretty bad, the camera hardly left him til he was loaded into the ambulance.

It was the last 10km, the break of the day had been caught, and the race was well and truly on.. Nobody was ever gonna sit up and wait with 10km to the finish.. 40km to go, yeah they prolly would have waited...

Quintana and Uran showed zero interest in working themselves to chase back the break, and suffered the time loss...

Can expect to see a more attacking race i think, as GC contenders try to cut their losses to Evans. Tomorrow is 1 for the sprinters, and then 2 days of attacking racing.

[DaddyTorgo]

Badass Taylor Phinney in the Tour of California today. Nice to see!!

[DaddyTorgo]

Have a feeling the BMC guys didn't even hear about the crash behind them before they separated from the peleton. They were cooking pretty fast.

Great tactics by BMC to get Cadel and like fully half their team up to the front heading into the final climb, that definitely saved their bacon. Pretty funny when you see that split-off select group at the front and it's basically half BMC.

And I'm not a BMC fan at all.

Maybe this will teach Quintana that he's gotta ride on the front.

[bhlloy]

That was one of the most impressive TT rides I think I've ever seen... talk about shaking things up

[HarryLime]

wow what a ride from Quintana.. probably the best individual performance i have seen in over 25 years watching the sport.. yes i understand there was confusion around neutralisation on the stage, but to gain 3 minutes on the final climb, that is incredible..

[bhlloy]

Tough one - yeah he put most of the time in on the climb but I don't see how you can call a result fair when some teams clearly had their riders pull up on the descent and others didn't. The commentators who were listening to race radio thought it was getting neutralized as well.

No doubt an incredible performance, just a shame the other stuff overshadows it somewhat

[DaddyTorgo]

I got behind a few days while I was on vacation and had to rapid-fire watch a bunch of days on Sunday night/Monday afternoon.

Still have to watch today's stage.

Interesting that Uran took the Pink Jersey by virtue of his TT. Didn't necessarily see that coming - in fact I still have the TT on the DVR to watch so I'll have to go back and check his ride. You could definitely see the impact that Quintana being sick has had on him so far - he looked a different rider entirely yesterday than he has so far.

I don't see Cadel being able to get back into things.

Majka has been a pleasant surprise.

[HarryLime]

It is a tough one.. the RCS deny ever using the word neutralize, and have released recordings to show such.. they said bikes would be placed with red flags to stop attacks on descents... yet there is photos showing quintana/europcar attacking behind a bike with a red flag...

I think the confusion has been more caused by the interpretation, not by the message itself..

On Uran, it was a stunning TT, but i think he burned to much and has not been able to recover.

Cadel is cooked unfortunately. He is just not at the same level as this new breed of climbers, and i could almost see him dropping out of top 5 on the mountain TT stage. He is out of contract i believe at the end of this year, and I would be surprised if he signed on again next year, knowing he cant compete in these big races any more.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by HarryLime

It is a tough one.. the RCS deny ever using the word neutralize, and have released recordings to show such.. they said bikes would be placed with red flags to stop attacks on descents... yet there is photos showing quintana/europcar attacking behind a bike with a red flag...

I think the confusion has been more caused by the interpretation, not by the message itself..

On Uran, it was a stunning TT, but i think he burned to much and has not been able to recover.

Cadel is cooked unfortunately. He is just not at the same level as this new breed of climbers, and i could almost see him dropping out of top 5 on the mountain TT stage. He is out of contract i believe at the end of this year, and I would be surprised if he signed on again next year, knowing he cant compete in these big races any more.

Agreed on everything you said about Cadel. I've never really been a Cadel fan, so it doesn't really "break my heart" or anything, but I do have MASSIVE appreciation for the way that BMC controls a race and dictates tempo and works to keep their leader at the front of the peleton and clear of danger. It's really really impressive.

And yes - Uran may have burned too much too early. He would have been better off letting Cadel and BMC hold the jersey for a few more days and just stick on his wheel and try to take the jersey a few days later.

OPQ didn't really bring what to my mind was a particularly impressive GQ-focused squad (to be fair I don't know that I'd say that their entire roster is really suited to controlling a race and keeping someone in a leader's jersey), so he hasn't had a ton of help.

[DaddyTorgo]

Goddamn - that was a monster ride by Quintana (and Rolland/Hejedahl too).

[DaddyTorgo]

Really awesome to see 3 stage wins by Bardiani. Always fun to see a non World Tour team taking stage wins on a Grand Tour.

[HarryLime]

Yeah they have done a stellar job in preparing for this race, and sending the right team.. Once there tho, they have done what all pro continental teams should be doing and that is get in the break every day... there performance this year should guarantee them a spot in the race next year to..

For mine, Bardiani have been the team of the race so far.. Orica had a great first week, but have literally all literally all but disappeared from the race..

[bhlloy]

Terrible job by the other 4 to let him go though - I never understand why it's a better idea to ruin your own chances to win rather than possibly carry another rider to the line, but it always seems to happen once in every major tour at least

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by HarryLime

Yeah they have done a stellar job in preparing for this race, and sending the right team.. Once there tho, they have done what all pro continental teams should be doing and that is get in the break every day... there performance this year should guarantee them a spot in the race next year to..

For mine, Bardiani have been the team of the race so far.. Orica had a great first week, but have literally all literally all but disappeared from the race..

Totally - but I mean their riders in the breaks have had great tactics and great rides too. Versus say Neri or Androni Giacattoli who've also had presence in the breaks but not capitalized nearly as much.

Hell - their performance has been better than some of the World Tour teams who have failed to really make an impact and haven't adjusted (due to injury yes, or just guys not showing up) - Cannondale, Lampre, Katusha, or like you say, Orica since Ireland. They haven't adjusted and put guys into the breaks who've really competed.

Definitely team of the race material.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Terrible job by the other 4 to let him go though - I never understand why it's a better idea to ruin your own chances to win rather than possibly carry another rider to the line, but it always seems to happen once in every major tour at least

Because being in 2nd position there is a vastly better position to be in to launch the final approach, but yes...at some point the cat-and-mouse becomes self-defeating.

He timed it perfectly though and they dickered back-and-forth wayyyyy too long.

[bhlloy]

Oh I understand the sprint strategy, but better to at least be at the finish than watch somebody else go from 500m and give yourself no chance to pull him back

[DaddyTorgo]

Note: Orica's had 6 abandons. They're down to Santoromita and 2 others.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Oh I understand the sprint strategy, but better to at least be at the finish than watch somebody else go from 500m and give yourself no chance to pull him back

I agree. I'd rather be second then third/fourth in that case.

[DaddyTorgo]

Love me a mountain TT.

Good to see Pozzovivo get a strong result.

Hell of a ride by Aru. Kid's got some serious talent (and/or he's just doped up to his eyeballs). He ripped Majka up something serious and laid down a serious marker for the future. Shame that Quintana pipped him in the end - and looked so effortless doing it.

Great show by the Bardiani guys again - they had 3 guys in the Top 5 up until the top like...fifteen guys started finishing.

Barring some sort of disaster I've got to think Quintana sewed things up.

[HarryLime]

The race organisers get a big thumbs down for their efforts this year.. from poor communication, to awful decisions, to completely insipid security placements on the final climb.

If they dont pull their finger out next year and right some of these issues, the big riders will choose to forgo this race and focus on le tour and Vuelta..

The fans behaviour was attrocious, but with 300 police at the top and none down the rest of the hill, it was a free for all for idiocracy.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by HarryLime

The race organisers get a big thumbs down for their efforts this year.. from poor communication, to awful decisions, to completely insipid security placements on the final climb.

If they dont pull their finger out next year and right some of these issues, the big riders will choose to forgo this race and focus on le tour and Vuelta..

The fans behaviour was attrocious, but with 300 police at the top and none down the rest of the hill, it was a free for all for idiocracy.

Agreed.

Shame too, cuz the Bardiani guy was sticking with Rogers pretty well to that point.

[DaddyTorgo]

Tony Martin looking less dominant than usual in the ITT in the Tour of Belgium.

Too bad Phinney won't be making the TDF this year.

[Critch]

Wasnt good that the worst idiot, the guy with the World Champions shirt that pushed Bongiorno, was still bouncing around like an idiot when next couple of groups came past. Should have been well on his way to a cell by then.

[DaddyTorgo]

Whoa...Contador looked GOOD today in the Dauphine. He tore Froome a new one.

Nibali's a different type of climber than Contador and Froome, but he didn't look really impressive the whole week.

At least having someone else able to challenge Froome and with a strong team to rival Sky ought to make the Tour de France interesting this year.

[bhlloy]

Froome had a really nasty crash the day before. I'm not reading too much into it, although Contador has generally had his wheel in the mountains the whole time.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Froome had a really nasty crash the day before. I'm not reading too much into it, although Contador has generally had his wheel in the mountains the whole time.

I'd just be happy to have someone that can legitimately challenge Sky in the TDF. And if Contador is feeling that good (which he clearly is - his acceleration was enough to leave all the other favorites behind, not just Froome keep in mind) you know that he's the kind of team leader who will have Tinkoff working overtime to try to get him the lead.

Should make for more of an interesting race.

[DaddyTorgo]

Wow - amazing last day of the Dauphine. Andrew Talansky burst away and squeaked out a victory, leaping from 3rd overall to first overall on the last day by a matter of seconds despite a frantic chase by Alberto Contador.

[DaddyTorgo]

Jens Voight makes the Trek squad for the Tour de France in his final season.

Going to be bittersweet.

[HarryLime]

And in the least surprising news of the Giro, Diego Ulissi has returned and adverse analytical test for salbutamol. He had an excepemtion to use ventolin throughout the Giro, but a test shows he had double the legal limit in his blood.. sample b request taken.

I kinda hope this one is a lab error, but at the same time his results at giro were surprising...

It is great Voight made the team, hopefully he can get a stage victory to cap his career off... Not expecting anything from the Schlecks tho...

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by HarryLime

And in the least surprising news of the Giro, Diego Ulissi has returned and adverse analytical test for salbutamol. He had an excepemtion to use ventolin throughout the Giro, but a test shows he had double the legal limit in his blood.. sample b request taken.

I kinda hope this one is a lab error, but at the same time his results at giro were surprising...

It is great Voight made the team, hopefully he can get a stage victory to cap his career off... Not expecting anything from the Schlecks tho...

Yeah - kind of a down year for Trek in terms of GC hopefuls in the big races.

Zubeldia will no doubt get a top 15 like always. Guy is consistent as hell.

[AlexB]

Only thing for Ulissi to cling on to is that the positive was stage 11 I think, but he was clean after his two stage wins (I assume like the TdF all Giro stage winners get tested?)

[Critch]

I know it makes sense for Sky's team, but no Bradley Wiggins at the tour makes me sad.

I'm just hoping it's not the Contador/Froome two horse race that the bookmakers are expecting, cant take to either of them.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Critch

I know it makes sense for Sky's team, but no Bradley Wiggins at the tour makes me sad.

I'm just hoping it's not the Contador/Froome two horse race that the bookmakers are expecting, cant take to either of them.

I'm not a Contador fan either, but I'm less a Froome-fan, and so in the sense that it's "lesser of two evils" I'll root for Contador if nobody else can really threaten the two of them and make a run at it.

I think Tinkoff has the team - particularly in guys like Rogers and Kruezinger, to really challenge Sky and break open what have been some pretty formulaic Grand Tours lately. It's seemed like a lot of teams have been reluctant to challenge Sky's control of the peleton lately and that makes frankly, for a less interesting race to watch.

Hopefully this year will be different.

[DaddyTorgo]

This also in

Hushovd to retire after the World Championships.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hush...-championships

[HarryLime]

Hushovd retiring is sad, but he has lost his power and motivation so I am glad he is bowing out now, as opposed to dropping to a pro contintental team and sucking for the next few years.. He was my favorite rider for a long time there!

In other news.. Kreuziger of Tinkoff-Saxo is being investigated for abnormalities in his biological passport from 2011-2012 and has been pulled from the Tour.. By the sounds of it, this has been going on for about 8 months, and the UCI decide to do something about it a week out from the Tour.....