2016 'PRO' cycling discussion.

[Norregard]

Cav, Van Avermaet and Kristoff all saying the WC this year is basically a 260km crit (kermiskoers).

[MRM]

and here's something that restores faith in mankind, an unexpected ride with a pro..

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/latestnew ... ri9PlJe_bU

Really nice article. Thanks for linking it!

[tmr5555]

haha first adam hansen responds to the drop topic and now cavendish must have read w-w about echelons =P (jk)

Cav, Hanseeno, blink three times if you read this

[boots2000]

This is true- what is it with a lot of riders where they feel like we are a "club" and we all want to ride together?
You get wankers who see a rider ahead and they ride harder to catch and pass them, then they sit up.
Or you pass a guy on a climb and he latches onto your wheel.
DR is a chump-

Maybe people are trying to be polite at first? That's what is commonly done when you're dealing with someone like that and/or just want to avoid confrontation. Its no different than paparazzi in this case in my mind, but Porte and other pros don't exactly want to be as blatantly mean as the rest of us. Just because an area is public doesn't mean someone can pester someone else and the other individual has no right to be annoyed.

Regardless of his physical attributes the fact that this guy seeks out pros to put these videos online to prove some point no one has even asked him to prove and no one cares about shows that he's got some kind of weird mental complex going on.

In the case of us normal riders it can actually be dangerous especially if the follower has no idea of what you are doing. I was doing micro intervals up a climb when a guy thought he would ride my wheel, but he had no idea that I was drastically accelerating and slowing. I went to slow/coast and he crashed right into the back of me. Or if someone is out enjoying themselves, why should they have to get in a pissing match with some random to drop them? In a lot of cases these types get super mad that you pass them and then attach themselves to you.

[KWalker]

I see you ride in Marin often! Its the worst in CA, not going to lie.

[prebsy]

Awesome sprint by Kristoff today, he looked terrible on stage 1 and totally bossed it today. I guess it was the natural movement of the sprint but he forced Cav to come around onto the windward side.

[tymon_tm]

It's been deemed that Luca Paolini's positive test last year was not 'doping', since it was a positive test from recreational drugs.

Gents, agreeably doping should not go unpunished, but the above is one of the rare instances where I feel the UCI's decision was well measured (In regards to Paolini). He effectively lost the second half of 2015 and probably will miss out on the first half of 2016. He has/had a serious addiction problem, correct me if I'm wrong but what positive effect does coke have on athletic performance? (if ingested 12 hours prior) He wasn't snorting the starting line was he?

The saying has been used to death but he really seems like the "victim" here of addiction and the severe nature of the sport. (pain killers--> sleeping pills --> coke).
Or have i missed something?

I totally agree drug abusers are the victims here. I'd go as far as claiming that keeping athletes from competition only adds to their frustration and might have even more devastating effect. nevertheless there should be rules that apply to everyone. I'm not for penalising positive cocaine tests, but since 'party drugs' are so common (frankly, they are) this issue should be addressed. why not suspend even for as little as a month adding a mandatory rehab and piss tests for a year or so. it's not about performance gains here, it's about riders' health and frankly - preserving the moral integrity of sportsmanship and athletism.

[sfo423]

I see you ride in Marin often! Its the worst in CA, not going to lie.

Word. Had a douche-hipster sit on me this AM w/out a "good morning" or "hey howya doin" or "mind if I sit on"

Happens on 90% of my mid-week AM rides.

[53x12]

Awesome sprint by Kristoff today, he looked terrible on stage 1 and totally bossed it today. I guess it was the natural movement of the sprint but he forced Cav to come around onto the windward side.

+1. Nice finish by Kristoff.

[tranzformer]

I see you ride in Marin often! Its the worst in CA, not going to lie.

Word. Had a douche-hipster sit on me this AM w/out a "good morning" or "hey howya doin" or "mind if I sit on"

Happens on 90% of my mid-week AM rides.

Couldn't drop the "douche-hipister" I assume?

[LeDuke]

I see you ride in Marin often! Its the worst in CA, not going to lie.

Word. Had a douche-hipster sit on me this AM w/out a "good morning" or "hey howya doin" or "mind if I sit on"

Happens on 90% of my mid-week AM rides.

Couldn't drop the "douche-hipister" I assume?

When I'm out for a recovery ride and the intent is not to blow up my legs, "dropping" people isn't really on the menu.

If people want to suck wheel, they should at least have the decency to announce themselves, or say hello, and ask if it's OK.

[tranzformer]

I see you ride in Marin often! Its the worst in CA, not going to lie.

Word. Had a douche-hipster sit on me this AM w/out a "good morning" or "hey howya doin" or "mind if I sit on"

Happens on 90% of my mid-week AM rides.

Couldn't drop the "douche-hipister" I assume?

When I'm out for a recovery ride and the intent is not to blow up my legs, "dropping" people isn't really on the menu.

If people want to suck wheel, they should at least have the decency to announce themselves, or say hello, and ask if it's OK.

No need to ask. Not like the tarmac behind you is private property.

If you don't like someone on your wheel, ride off. If you can't ride off because you aren't fast enough or because it is a "recovery ride" then just sit up and coast to a stop and have them ride past you if it is such a big deal.

Again, the tarmac behind your wheel is not private property. You don't like it, ride off or just stop riding and have them ride past you.

[Rodrego Hernandez]

I see you ride in Marin often! Its the worst in CA, not going to lie.

Word. Had a douche-hipster sit on me this AM w/out a "good morning" or "hey howya doin" or "mind if I sit on"

Happens on 90% of my mid-week AM rides.

Couldn't drop the "douche-hipister" I assume?

When I'm out for a recovery ride and the intent is not to blow up my legs, "dropping" people isn't really on the menu.

If people want to suck wheel, they should at least have the decency to announce themselves, or say hello, and ask if it's OK.

No need to ask. Not like the tarmac behind you is private property.

If you don't like someone on your wheel, ride off. If you can't ride off because you aren't fast enough or because it is a "recovery ride" then just sit up and coast to a stop and have them ride past you if it is such a big deal.

Again, the tarmac behind your wheel is not private property. You don't like it, ride off or just stop riding and have them ride past you.

Or you can all just act like normal human beings and not arseholes. It's only bike riding.

[tranzformer]

Or you can all just act like normal human beings and not arseholes. It's only bike riding.

No need for the elitist attitude of thinking the tarmac behind our wheel is private property owned by the rider, because it isn't. Or the arsehole attitude of calling everyone we don't like in the cycling community a "fred" or a "douche-hipster."

[Rodrego Hernandez]

Or you can all just act like normal human beings and not arseholes. It's only bike riding.

No need for the elitist attitude of thinking the tarmac behind our wheel is private property owned by the rider, because it isn't. Or the arsehole attitude of calling everyone we don't like in the cycling community a "fred" or a "douche-hipster."

Some pro riders are bellends, some 'freds' and 'hubbards' are too. I'm sure they would be even if they weren't on a bike!

If someone sits on me, I don't really care as I have nothing to prove. If they have a squeaky chain or a mudguard rubbing and that irritates me, I'll ride away but generally I don't care. I've trained with pros and always found them OK, I've bumped into pro riders out riding and have tagged along and they have been fine also but I wouldn't dream of doing so if I could see they were 'training' and not just riding along.