2018 PRO thread

[CrankAddictsRich]

Watched this with a hint of delight as well as indignation. Couldn't decide whether it was an awesome display of pissed off aggressiveness, or a total dick move. Seems a bit like something I would do to a wheel sucker who I don't know personally on a club ride, but wouldn't do as a professional racer.

Seriously? You're debating whether or not it was a dick move from Terpstra, but it is something you'd do on a club ride? I'm on the fence of whether or not Terpstra did it purposely because of the lack of help from Cosnefroy or if he just changed his mind last second about where he wanted to go and while I do think its bad sportmanship personally, I can at least understand why he'd be mad and do, being that they are actually racing for a living.... as for you doing it ona club ride.. that's a total dick move. You're on a club ride, get over yourself. I've never understood this made up machismo about being on the front of the group ride, but then getting mad about people sucking wheel... If you don't want people sucking wheel, don't do group rides or get off the front.. it is simple.

[Renne]

Here is what I find sad about pro cycling:

Quickstep will now be Deceuninck-Quickstep. How is it that the team with the most wins doesn't have major corporations lining up to be the title sponsor?

And most of the world can't even pronounce the new name!

Deceuninck is active in over 75 countries in Europe, Asia and North-America with 3.000 employees...not really a small company either I'd say.

[AJS914]

I had never heard of them but my point was why isn't Coca-Cola, Nike, Microsoft, Apple, etc. not clamoring to own the #1 team in cycling.

[tymon_tm]

yeah, businesses that invest in cycling are hardly even 2nd tier enterprises. national lotteries, smaller banks or local insurance groups, stuff that's hardly recognizable by joe average unless he's about to re-decorate his flat with new floor or decides lavazza's a bit too expensive...

I don't think that's a bad thing at all though, but it clearly shows how poor pro cycling is and how relatively small a cost of entry is, even at the WT level

[wheelbuilder]

If I could take back what I wrote, I would. It did not come out right at all. You guys are right for calling me on it....except you Rich.....a little too aggressive.................to think I voted for you to become some brand ambassador.

I would never do that in a group ride. I have had an incident where I lost my cool with a fellow club member AFTER a group ride on the way home when it was just two of us. This is over a 15 mile stretch of road. Both of us presumably tired. I passed him with no previous drafting on my part. waved nodded etc, and continued on my way home down a long headwind laden road. I thought I had plenty of pace to not see him again and that would be that. Didn't feel like socializing, wanted to be done with riding wishing I had taken my car like I normally do. He closed the gap and clung to my wheel for about 4 miles. I did all the normal body language suggesting I wanted him to pull through. He did not. I changed pace drastically, changed position on road etc, and he still sat there. Not feeling like talking and growing irritated I started riding about a centimeter from the drop off of the shoulder trying to put him off the road or at least with nowhere to go.......trying to send a damn message. This continued with absolute silence and a dumb look on his face for the next 4 miles or so. If I could have lulled him into a trance and put him into an obstacle I damn sure would have. No question. I was furious at the time. I finally slowed down abruptly veered to the left a got next to him. Asked him what the hell he was doing and when was he going to pull. He stated he was really tired and didn't feel well and needed the help. I told him to communicate his wants/needs and I would have had no problem getting him back to where he was going. To not say a word and silently draft me for almost 10 miles was not cool, and not normal.

To see Terpstra do that resonated. My opinion is that it was very much intentional as he had been gesturing and yelling for a good while prior to this.

[Wookski]

If I could take back what I wrote, I would. It did not come out right at all.

Don’t worry, it’s only a forum. This place would be no fun without the occasional silly comment.

[Rudi]

I'm not actually minding Valverde's WC kit. The blue they are using for the Movistar branding is pretty much the same as the top blue band of the rainbow stripes.

I think from the get go it is probably better than Sagan's first attempt - the one where the bands didn't go all the way around.

[fogman]

Geraint Thomas’s TdF Trophy Stolen.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co ... s-45808609


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[simurs4]

That sucks big time for Gerraint. I cannot fathom why someone would want to steal that, you wouldn't be able to do anything with it, lest it raise massive suspicion.

[IchDien]

Geraint Thomas’s TdF Trophy Stolen.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co ... s-45808609


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"The trophy was snatched after being "momentarily left unattended"..."West Midlands Police said the trophy is believed to have been taken sometime between 18.30 and 19.30 (GMT)"

[IchDien]

It probably helps it was the smallest one of the three...the Giro one is massive.

[spud]

was watching the end of Tre Valli Varesine while I rode my trainer yesterday. And just started shaking my head in the last kilometer as I watched Michael Woods let himself slip back to 6th or 7th wheel while Uran rode the front. He's a talent, no doubt, but if that guy had ridden a few crits, he'd know that's not the place to start your sprint at the end of a long hard day. A wasted opportunity, hopefully he learns from it.

[tonytourist]

If I could take back what I wrote, I would. It did not come out right at all. You guys are right for calling me on it....except you Rich.....a little too aggressive.................to think I voted for you to become some brand ambassador.

The fame has changed him!

[BdaGhisallo]

Geraint Thomas’s TdF Trophy Stolen.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co ... s-45808609


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"The trophy was snatched after being "momentarily left unattended"..."West Midlands Police said the trophy is believed to have been taken sometime between 18.30 and 19.30 (GMT)"

That's one very long moment.

[CrankAddictsRich]

If I could take back what I wrote, I would. It did not come out right at all. You guys are right for calling me on it....except you Rich.....a little too aggressive.................to think I voted for you to become some brand ambassador.

I would never do that in a group ride. I have had an incident where I lost my cool with a fellow club member AFTER a group ride on the way home when it was just two of us. This is over a 15 mile stretch of road. Both of us presumably tired. I passed him with no previous drafting on my part. waved nodded etc, and continued on my way home down a long headwind laden road. I thought I had plenty of pace to not see him again and that would be that. Didn't feel like socializing, wanted to be done with riding wishing I had taken my car like I normally do. He closed the gap and clung to my wheel for about 4 miles. I did all the normal body language suggesting I wanted him to pull through. He did not. I changed pace drastically, changed position on road etc, and he still sat there. Not feeling like talking and growing irritated I started riding about a centimeter from the drop off of the shoulder trying to put him off the road or at least with nowhere to go.......trying to send a damn message. This continued with absolute silence and a dumb look on his face for the next 4 miles or so. If I could have lulled him into a trance and put him into an obstacle I damn sure would have. No question. I was furious at the time. I finally slowed down abruptly veered to the left a got next to him. Asked him what the hell he was doing and when was he going to pull. He stated he was really tired and didn't feel well and needed the help. I told him to communicate his wants/needs and I would have had no problem getting him back to where he was going. To not say a word and silently draft me for almost 10 miles was not cool, and not normal.

To see Terpstra do that resonated. My opinion is that it was very much intentional as he had been gesturing and yelling for a good while prior to this.

I still don't get it.... I don't know what your club rides are like, but the people I ride with, I like... granted it is weird that he said nothing for 10 miles, but still, I wouldn't run anyone into an obstacle for that, or any other of your perceived infractions. I guess I just don't get it... whether he was there or not, you were still going into the wind on your way home, it really makes no difference that he was there. Maybe he was unwilling to come through and help you because he sees you as the guy on the ride that takes offense to any small infraction or ettiquette violations and yells at people. As for voting for me to become a brand ambassador, thanks, but to clarify, you didn't.. I was chosen to be a Brand Ambassador by Pactimo. The voting process was to determine which of the brand ambassadors had made the best video. Needless to say, I appreciate the vote and I would actually say that this falls right in line with being a brand ambassador. When we sign up, we agree to help our fellow cyclists. I wave at ALL cyclists I come across, no matter whether they're fast, slow, or even if they don't do pulls in the wind. We also agree to stop and ask if someone needs help, if we see them on the side of the road. There's just no reason to be a jerk to someone really.

Back to pro stuff though... I think Terpstra probably did do it on purpose. He was deifnitely mad, but if you watched the podium presentation, he smiled, shook the kid's hand and seemingly apologized.