2016 'PRO' cycling discussion.

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

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xena
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by xena

See what I mean team GB is just a boys/womans club . If your face don't fit etc Disgrace.

Simmonds was hoping to be Britain's representative for the hilly time trial in Rio, which would also mean being part of the three-woman squad for the road race, led by Lizzie Armitstead. The selectors instead opted for Emma Pooley, who has recently come out of retirement but only raced two events prior to the national time trial, where she was a minute slower than Simmonds over the 34.7km course. Nikki Harris is the third member of the team
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KWalker
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by KWalker

Martin doesn't look any lighter. Probably lighting, being more tan, and a hotter day to draw out vascularity. All tricks used in bodybuilding competitions and weigh in photos in MMA.

Definitely brought his hands higher and more in line with his hip axis and saddle. I know there are advances in equipment, but I wonder how he could have spent so many years testing and refining his position and no one ever thought to perhaps try out a different configuration. There are only so many to try that it doesn't seem hard that in the last 6-7 off seasons they didn't use a different bend and angle.
Don't take me too seriously. The only person that doesn't hate Froome.
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wingguy
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by wingguy

xena wrote:Back on topic . Its the UCI who run cycling and IMO that tour was set up for a Wiggo win.


ASO set the Tour route on their own, the UCI absolutely, positively do not get to dictate anything to them in that regard. Also, the UCI can't be held responsible for Other riders being rubbish, or compromising their race schedules.

I do agree that BCs selection policies seem pretty dangerous. Remove the appearance of fairness and instead let an 'old boys network' of sorts decide who's in or out and the whole thing could come tumbling down. If Rio is a failure for our teams the entire set up could crumble under the recriminations.

BdaGhisallo
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by BdaGhisallo

wingguy wrote:
xena wrote:Back on topic . Its the UCI who run cycling and IMO that tour was set up for a Wiggo win.


ASO set the Tour route on their own, the UCI absolutely, positively do not get to dictate anything to them in that regard. Also, the UCI can't be held responsible for Other riders being rubbish, or compromising their race schedules.

I do agree that BCs selection policies seem pretty dangerous. Remove the appearance of fairness and instead let an 'old boys network' of sorts decide who's in or out and the whole thing could come tumbling down. If Rio is a failure for our teams the entire set up could crumble under the recriminations.



I would agree that the 2012 TdF route favored a rider such as Wiggins, but you cannot say it was expressly designed so it would favor him to win, and aided him doing so. When the 2012 route was set, around the end of the summer of 2011, Wiggo's best GC results in a grand tour were 4th in the 2009 Tour and 3rd in the 2011 Vuelta. Does that look like someone who (even if he were french) ASO would tailor a route for? The Tour route changes every year and follows some familiar patterns and sometimes riders luck out in that they encounter a Tour route favoring their strengths when in the peak years of their careers. It's nothing more than that.

The Giro of the 1970s and 1980s was a different story of course, when Torriani would tailor the route to suit favored Italian riders... as the race was ongoing! See the '84 Giro! Oh the good old days of Euro cycling before it got so mondialised and corporatized! They were good days for cycling fans.
Last edited by BdaGhisallo on Sun Jun 26, 2016 1:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

xena
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by xena

Good points made. Cheers
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Antoine
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by Antoine

how to lose the women french championship thanks to the Shimano neutral service: 1mn15s for a rear wheel change

good news for L.Armitstead, P. Ferrand-Prevot won't be ready for Rio apparently. She's not in a good form due to many injuries she has had for a long time

jooo
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by jooo

KWalker wrote:I know there are advances in equipment, but I wonder how he could have spent so many years testing and refining his position and no one ever thought to perhaps try out a different configuration.

I'm sure it's not quite that simple. Martin was already doing incredibly well for a number of years, so I guess the motivation to change something might not be there :noidea:

Also, why test out a bunch of positions that were previously not UCI legal? I think it's less than a full season since the rules have changed on bar/arm position which give the rider much more freedom.

bikewithnoname
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by bikewithnoname

Antoine wrote:good news for L.Armitstead, P. Ferrand-Prevot won't be ready for Rio apparently. She's not in a good form due to many injuries she has had for a long time


The bad news is that she has Emma Pooley as her teammate, picked on past performance rather than any sort of form...
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xena
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by xena

bikewithnoname wrote:
Antoine wrote:good news for L.Armitstead, P. Ferrand-Prevot won't be ready for Rio apparently. She's not in a good form due to many injuries she has had for a long time


The bad news is that she has Emma Pooley as her teammate, picked on past performance rather than any sort of form...


which just goes to show what a boys club GB cycling is.
I bumped into Emma Pooley and she was very nice [ tiny] But in all honesty she is a GB [peep]. There has been more than one occasion where she could have done better for herself i.e. race wins yet she softens up the field for LA etc.
They opt for her because she is compliant just like Froome was when Wiggo won the tour.
I hate this. If Froome for instance said "[peep] this" and attacked on every climb at the tour and dropped Wiggo and lets have no doubts Wiggo was on a mental knifes edge anyway then right now I would be a Froome fan. Contador was never going to be Armstrongs [peep].

Tour view.
Even though I am a huge Bertie Fan I would like to see Aru attack the [peep] out of the race and Astana make this a exciting tour.
We need some action and aggression and Quintana needs to get some [peep] if he wants to step up because last year he tossed the tour away and he can only attack on the last climb which I think will be his undoing. Many good climbers will attack early and at every opportunity . I think this tour will throw up a surprise or 2.

I Want Bertie to win but he needs 2014 form to win it and he has not convinced me so far this year even though there have been some good signs.
Froome struggled towards the end of the dauphine and that was only after a week. There are just a lot of good climbers around who can put time into him and Sky just cannot control every attack. Pinot. Bardet. Bmc boys, Bertie. Aru. Martin even Nibs. etc to many. if they get serious time can win the tour. If he has to counter attacks in the first 2 weeks and he will have to. Then come week 3 he will capitulate and lose huge time. This could well be a tour of ride smart and don't burn out
Last edited by Frankie - B on Sun Jun 26, 2016 6:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: [peep] inserted for improper language.
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maquisard
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Location: France

by maquisard

Quite remarkable run of National Championships jerseys by Tinkoff.

Four with; Sagan ( the other one! ), Blythe, Majka and Kreuziger

cedced74
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by cedced74

Excuse my ignorance and stupidity, I am waking up : but WHO is Bertie :oops: :oops: :oops: ???
Please, help me :D ...

wingguy
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by wingguy

Alberto Contador.

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prebsy
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by prebsy

Tinea Pedis wrote:
hasbeen wrote:remember, riding the turbo after an injury is the new beet root juice.

No, it's simply just the best way to try and hold on to form.

prebsy wrote:Yeah but now companies can sell a $1200 unit with that promise of new found fitness.

Yep. I ride my Kickr and think 'this thing really does ride just like my $80 trainer'...

:roll:


who you 'cussin with? I never said your flash trainer didn't feel good. I personally found heaps of hidden fitness this winter with zwift and my 7 year old cycleops trainer. I'm certainly not arguing the efficacy of indoor training, I don't think anyone is. I think people are just surprised by the "hype" and "coverage" surrounding trainers now, which I believe is caused by the new found market for high end smart-trainers.

KWalker
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by KWalker

I believe its caused by people just latching onto whatever pros are doing. Beet juice, maple syrup, skratch labs bars, whatever, a pro does something and then everyone thinks its the secret.

I think the Tour is Quintana's.

The last week including that bonkers uphill TT really plays in his favor as there are so many massive, long climbs that consistency will win out. If Froome can stay consistent then he could take it as well, but I think it'll be:

1st- Quintana
2nd- Contador
3rd- Nibali?
Don't take me too seriously. The only person that doesn't hate Froome.
Gramz
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by Weenie


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maquisard
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by maquisard

I think the Tour is Quintana's as well.

I hope Contador and the Nibali/Aru partnership will pull off some surprise attacks to mix things up.

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