"PRO" Cycling Discussion

[shoopdawoop]

I thought that was quite exciting! Big names going at it up a rather spectacular climb

[AGW]

And now the race for third place can begin. :/

[Liggero]

and another boring tour....

Hope Berty eats some beef on monday, otherwise this is gonna be too boring.

[prendrefeu]

Glancing at my watch, we should also expect the next few weeks to have posts rife with nationalism over reason, logic and rationalism as people get angry over the internet.

On the plus side, I can thank Sky for a second year of losing interest in watching any stage-race in which they are participating with a favorite. Due to the time zone differences, the races come on during prime 'riding' hours (or sleeping-in hours, as I'm sick at the moment). I can now spend those hours free of the burden to watch something happen for the next few weeks. Thanks!

[pastronef]

I can now spend those hours free of the burden to watch something happen for the next few weeks. Thanks!

burden? isn't that a slightly negative view?

try to enjoy the racers, the views, the mountains, the breakaways (after tomorrow we'll see breakaways succed)
look how many people on the roads watch the race, they don't care who's in maillot jaune

[prendrefeu]

You're correct, burden was a poor choice of word there. I suppose some other word that references needing to keep-up with the results as they happen. Now I can comfortably watch the stages (and beauty of the race) without any social pressure to keep up with the results in order to discuss them. No sarcasm there, just trying to better explain what I meant by 'burden'.

[AGW]

What's the problem with negativism? I don't speak for others, but I watch racing to see the 3-week long chess game that are the grand tours unfold. I'm not "enjoying scenery" when the contract EuroSport helo flies a brief pattern around some castle-turned-tourist attraction, nor am I biting my nails for the ill-fated wild card breakaway that started immediately after the neutral zone.

It may be too early to the tell, but barring a disaster, Froome looks to be on track to repeat Wiggins' win. I've been looking forward all year to the Wiggo/Froome controversy, to Contador attacking as he did in the Vuelta, to Cadel finding his form as he had begun to over the last few months. Or Rodriguez just blowing up climbing stages. Now I know I can put all those ridiculous hopes for entertainment aside and just wait for Worlds.

[pastronef]

David Millar tweet

Well, @TeamSky rode a perfect race, and for the record, I believe they are clean and they deserve respect and admiration for it.

Just saying, because I don't think they deserve to have mud thrown at them when they work so hard to do it right. It doesn't seem fair.

[Jersland]

Unreal that the likes of BMC and Saxo Tinkoff couldnt keep with Sky on the climbs today... Both Cadel and Contador in a spot of bother. I thought for sure that after last years Sky train some of the other GC teams would know what was coming and be able to prepare for it. Contador looked to be sliding off the nose of the saddle and have absolutely no power what so ever. After the first few stages I was starting to think this tour was going to be exciting. More to come I guess.

[KWalker]

Why are people surprised that Sky is this good? What other team has the money, training/coaches, and cohesion that they do? Bar Wiggo they certainly aren't rife with tension like Cadel and BMC in the video a few pages back. That leaves the riders free to train. Of the 3 people I've talked to that race on the World Tour level and have had to negotiate contracts with different teams, Sky has their shit together more than others. In December, a RSLT rider I spoke to said they had no idea when/if they were getting paid, when their camps were, what riders were doing what races, and some guys didn't even have finalized sign contracts in place. Meanwhile Sky had had 2 camps and helped another rider I spoke to find a house, have training bikes ready wherever he lived, had a nutritionist and coach already working with him, and had his year's schedule mapped out. I'm not sure of many teams that actually have gotten their shit together enough to cover all of these details and it clearly helps. In the interview with Mick Rogers, who has been on a ton of teams, he even says that simply put no one else comes close to covering all of their bases.

If doing everything right and succeeding bores you then either you have a poor appreciation for perfection or you need to find another sport. People complain when doping makes things a sideshow, or when Sky makes things boring/controlled. Never happy with anything.

[ichobi]

Talansky: "the pace Sky set on the first climb of the day was almost faster than any climb we’ve done all season."

That tells a lot.

[MattSoutherden]

Boring? Maybe I was watching a different race.

As for anyone thinking that Froome has things sewn up; take a look at the parcours for the next 2 weeks and consider who else is still in this race. I don't think they're going to give up without putting Sky under real pressure. Anyone remember what SBTB did for Bertie in the Vuelta?

[tymon_tm]

i wonder what would've happened had Wiggo been there too.. even Armstrong's lieutenants would drop after setting a killer pace like that, but i guess it's gotta be this minor improovements strategy that does the job #sarcasm

on the other hand, that's how pro cycling is, it's a show not a boy-scouts contest. i don't mind what they do to themselves as long as we cut the whole 'riding clean' crap and stop this result-canceling and contaminated toilet-seat nonsense.

as i said some time before, this race will most probably be entartaining only for those who follow the battle for green. or white, as Kwiatkowski is as impressive as a young, relatively inexperienced cyclist can be, fighting for stage wins among the top sprinters, working for Cav, and now finishing ahead of Schleck, Evans or Gadret. he's deffinitelly a bright star in this year's Tour

i can only hope someone finds strenght to make the high mountain stages even remotely interesting. i'm not counting much we'll see something regarding the yellow jersey contenders, not after today. but some nice escape or two could save this rather dull perspective of SKY's utter dominance

[Straff]

Why do (some) people think that it behoves cycling teams to entertain them? They are professional sportsmen, paid to win, not provide a pleasing aesthetic. If you want entertainment go see a film.

[Pharmstrong]

What KWalker said. Team Sky is backed by UKSI and British Cycling. All the riders have to do is ride, they're incredibly well managed and taken care of. The whole organisation takes a methodic, scientific approach and I personally love seeing it play out.

Hopefully other teams will start catching up. I notice most are now doing trainer warm downs, something I believe Sky was sniped at for doing a few years ago?