2018 PRO thread

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

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themidge
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Location: underneath sweet Scottish rain

by themidge

It wasn't a particularly steep climb, so I think Yates overreached somewhat when he reacted to the more powerful Dumoulin's first attack. Also, if it hadn't been for Pozzovivo following Froome, I don't think TD would heve even followed it, he would have stayed with Yates thinking he couldn't shake him.

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tymon_tm
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by tymon_tm

Rondje wrote:
Thu May 24, 2018 10:22 am
If you look at Jered Gruber’s Instagram photos and story the Finestre of tommorow looks terrible (to ride, that is). https://instagram.com/p/BjIhNSCg_Cp/
actually it looks just lovely - at least to me :thumbup: dirt, snow, no living soul anywhere close - I'd love to go there some time
kkibbler wrote: WW remembers.

by Weenie


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MarkTwain
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by MarkTwain

ave wrote:
Thu May 24, 2018 5:59 pm
Maybe Yates played the i am vulnerable card - so his win is more believeable.
Who knows? ;)

Without bonuses it would be even closer.
This is always reductio ad absurdum. It would be closer. But then it would have been a totally different style of racing if they were not up for grabs. You have been around long enough to know better than this ave



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fa63
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Location: Atlanta, GA, US

by fa63

Am I the only one who thinks these steep unpaved climbs have no place in a Grand Tour?

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kkibbler
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by kkibbler

Do you feel the same towards cobbles?

Both are fine in my opinion. They add to the flavor without changing the dish.

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fa63
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Location: Atlanta, GA, US

by fa63

kkibbler wrote:Do you feel the same towards cobbles?
I kind of do, actually :)

I get that it makes for a good show; but I think they are pretty good without them also (well, except the TDF; which I find to be rather dull compared to the Giro and Vuelta).

maquisard
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Location: France

by maquisard

The Finestre is an incredible climb, particularly at the top where it is a real amphitheatre. Today I think it comes too far from the finish though to make a difference. I expect Sky to put in a few digs against Yates though to look for cracks.

NS
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Location: Manchester, UK

by NS

What a ride by Plaza though. Was really hoping he could pull it off at the end.

BdaGhisallo
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by BdaGhisallo

fa63 wrote:
Fri May 25, 2018 3:08 am
Am I the only one who thinks these steep unpaved climbs have no place in a Grand Tour?
I think you're a member of a very small club.

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tymon_tm
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by tymon_tm

anything that breaks up a routine is welcome IMHO, of course within reason. cobbles were there since forever, and so were dirt paths (smooth asphalt on mountain passes in the 30's or 50's? :roll:)
kkibbler wrote: WW remembers.

Wookski
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by Wookski

BdaGhisallo wrote:
Fri May 25, 2018 10:44 am
fa63 wrote:
Fri May 25, 2018 3:08 am
Am I the only one who thinks these steep unpaved climbs have no place in a Grand Tour?
I think you're a member of a very small club.
Agree- let’s put him in the “I want grand tours to be less entertaining” club

BdaGhisallo
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by BdaGhisallo

Just looking back at some pics of yesterday's stage, I see the reason why Yates lost time. It was the first stage of the race where he wasn't wearing lace up shoes. He was sporting some Boa dialled Scott shoes. I expect we'll see him back in his lace-ups today and all will be well.

by Weenie


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fa63
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by fa63

This is a quote from the article linked a couple posts above mine:

The already difficult final seven kilometers are smoother than normal, but that comes at the price of riding through wet dirt, which feels approximately like riding through peanut butter. The wet road has made an already difficult climb just that little bit worse.

I have done a little bit of amateur racing, and I can't imagine wanting to ride through peanut butter like conditions up a 10% climb. Then again as an amateur I wasn't paid to entertain people (or paid at all, actually). When the organizers decide these stages, they of course have no idea what the actual conditions will be like on the day of the race, and we have all seen how difficult it is for UCI to cancel a stage.

But to each their own of course.
tymon_tm wrote:
Fri May 25, 2018 10:55 am
anything that breaks up a routine is welcome IMHO, of course within reason.

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