2016 'PRO' cycling discussion.

[de zwarten]

Amazing how Sagan is put in the "he-is-a-roadie"-box, while he has won the WC MTB for juniors and did about the same (or 2nd) in the cyclocross when a junior.

So I dare to say that Sagan is as much a MTB as the other guys. He does it in winter, he has had big success in this sport when he was a junior. So why wouldn't he be able to follow other MTB riders? He is one of the same kind. He's just better on the road.

[Nigel53]

Schurter did ride Tour de Romandie and Suisse for Orica in 2014.
But if you want to be at the top in road cycling you have to be a super climber, sprinter or TT-guy. He's just non of these. He weighs 68kg just being 1m73, in road cycling that's fat, then you'll never be at the best on long climbs. He would be a decent allrounder but on the road then you just become a helper.

We compare everything to road cycling but in Switzerland mtb is really big, Schurter won the best male cyclist award in 2013 ... in that year Cancellara won E3, RVV and PR

Schurter got two Top 10s in Tour de Suisse in 2014. His second ever World Tour race. He physiology is perfectly suited to riding the classics, similar height and weight to Kwiatowski, Stybar, Gerrans, Gilbert, Alaphillipe et al. Certainly could have been world class roadie if he wanted to.

[hasbeen]

Hard to believe the steepest finish ever at the Vuelta today?! Stage 3!!! Who will be ready for that? Pressure on Bertie I think.

[Haydn]

I prefer this to having to wait till the 2nd week of the tour for some good climbing. 30 degree gradient is insane, I'm already feeling sorry for them

[HammerTime2]

30 degree gradient really would be insane. 30 degrees is 58%. The climb supposedly gets up to 30% gradient, which is about 17 degrees.

Still tough, but not insane.

[Haydn]

Yeh good point, I meant percent not degrees.

Still Im pretty sure I would have to walk/crawl up that

[ichobi]

And Bertie is now +1:18 behind...from a guy who supposedly is the freshest of the bunch having good long rest. And Froome just open a warp portal or what...got back to the lead groups in seconds after getting dropped. Probably pacing himself and not panic. Still looking good.

[petepeterson]

Awesome and exciting stuff from Sagan to hit the front group like that but I agree he would have done well to hang in the top 10. To suggest he just got unlucky and would have beaten a bunch of the best mtb racers in the world on a whim is ridiculous. He would have slipped back and his lack of skill was likely why he flatted. Part of XC racing is not getting flat tires and unlike road there is much more to it than just bad luck. Tire selection, pressure, and how you ride all play a big part of it.

[martinko]

Seeing Valverde riding Vuelta after Giro and TdF, I really hope he will do better than Quintana

[LouisN]

If I was a promoter I would create a few "head-to-head" matches between cycling stars in different contexts.

That would be great for the sport in general, selling bike stuff, and reinforce biases in cycling forums around the world .

Louis

[pastronef]

And Bertie is now +1:18 behind...from a guy who supposedly is the freshest of the bunch having good long rest. And Froome just open a warp portal or what...got back to the lead groups in seconds after getting dropped. Probably pacing himself and not panic. Still looking good.

it took him a while to get back. pacing well.

we know he did that in the 2014 Vuelta, we know he doesnt usually respond to attacks.
it was great so him grinding back to the lead group, who had to slow down a bit after going full out at the foor of the climb

[prebsy]

If I was a promoter I would create a few "head-to-head" matches between cycling stars in different contexts.

That would be great for the sport in general, selling bike stuff, and reinforce biases in cycling forums around the world .

Louis

Love this, it's actually a gambling option for those in the UK I believe.

[OJ]

Awesome and exciting stuff from Sagan to hit the front group like that but I agree he would have done well to hang in the top 10. To suggest he just got unlucky and would have beaten a bunch of the best mtb racers in the world on a whim is ridiculous. He would have slipped back and his lack of skill was likely why he flatted. Part of XC racing is not getting flat tires and unlike road there is much more to it than just bad luck. Tire selection, pressure, and how you ride all play a big part of it.

As I mentioned before, Sagan wasn't supposed to even get in the race from his starting position as "he doesn't have explosivity", "He isn't used to fast starts", "it's not a 200km cruise"...until he overtook the group and looked quite effortless while at it. World road race champion, who obviously has fair bit of MTB skill, is not really that ridiculous. Him beating Schurter would be ridiculous, but MTB crowd is bashing him little too much.

[petepeterson]

So Hugh Carthy last on the stage today. Guess he is going for few targeted stages and not GC.

[KWalker]

For the Special Olympics they should take roadie climbers and not let them pre-ride the XC course and then have the main prize be not a 1, not a 2, but a 3 year contract. Let the carnage being.