2018 PRO thread

[Rondje]

It is still his golden Pinarello from his Sky times right? Just Pinarello removed due to QS riding on Specialized.

The Italian team is sponsored by Pinarello, nothing to do with QS

Might be, but riders who ride in commercial road teams usually ride team issued bikes in races, not what the country is sponsored on. Only riders who ride on the national sponsored program ride national bikes, riders like sprinters, or on special teams like team pursuit.

Else they wouldn't have removed the Pinarello logo which was on it before:

[Antoine]

Viviani used also a blue Pinarello and another pair of shoes :




I guess most use simply what they have, only few teams like France provide the same bike and wheels for every rider
other teams used 2 or 3 different bike brands, like Russi and Poland (Look, Cervelo, BT, ...)


a dutch guy rode an Avanti instead of a Koga :


don't mess with a dutch sprinter :

[blaugrana]

I wonder why the UCI isn't enforcing the sock height rule, as the dutch guy in the last pictures is clearly well above it. At that point, they might as well allow compression socks that reach the knee and be done with it.

[tymon_tm]

meanwhile, on the road, Kwiato wins 2nd stage in a row just a week after burning himself out in the Tour sure, it's only TdP, but this guy really needs a leadership role in bigger races

[Rondje]

I wonder why the UCI isn't enforcing the sock height rule, as the dutch guy in the last pictures is clearly well above it. At that point, they might as well allow compression socks that reach the knee and be done with it.

Just as high as the French rider, and the German and Polish in the picture above? I believe the rule is 1/3rd of the leg has to be visible, or is it a different rule?

About the Dutch bikes, all the sprinters from the Dutch national selection ride on Koga's but the one on the Avanti in the picture is riding for BEAT cycling and not for the national selection.
With the exception of the team pursuit, I think all riders who ride in a road team ride on that brand of track frames if the brand has one, that's also why the biggest mess of brands is on the points race, where most endurance riders are. I don't think specialized has a (good) frame, which causes Viviani to ride an unlabeled Pina. Niki Terpstra also rides an unlabeled black track frame during the six days in the winter.

[ms6073]

Ewan replacing Griepel:

Lotto-Soudal confirm signing of Caleb Ewan from Mitchelton-Scott

[nathanong87]

I wonder why the UCI isn't enforcing the sock height rule, as the dutch guy in the last pictures is clearly well above it. At that point, they might as well allow compression socks that reach the knee and be done with it.

IIRC it's not calf line, but half the distance between some point near the ankle and the knee bone. Some riders do violate this yes, but just stating what i think it is.

it's a bit of an optical illusion because the measurement if from the front of the leg , not the back. THe back looks shorten because of the back of the knee.

[blaugrana]

The maximum is the mid point between the ankle and the knee, so many of the riders in those pictures are clearly above. I guess the limit would be more or less what Viviani is wearing.

[Rondje]

Depends on the point of the ankle that you measure I suppose. If it's the start of the ankle most are just at the limit I think. Like Nathan says, it's easy to get an optical illusion to make it look too high. Also since most people look from the start of the shoe rather than the ankle (again what point of the ankle?).

[nathanong87]

adrien costa (former pro with axeon) just got into a bad climbing accident =( , one leg had to be amputated.

https://www.gofundme.com/supportadriencosta

[bilwit]

Italian air force roundel; nod to Wiggo maybe?

[Wookski]

meanwhile, on the road, Kwiato wins 2nd stage in a row just a week after burning himself out in the Tour sure, it's only TdP, but this guy really needs a leadership role in bigger races

He’s so f$&ken strong however I do believe Sky is the best place for him. A free role in the classics and lesser 1 week races and front of the train in the GT’s with a potential leadership opportunity at the Vuelta. Plus he’d be on awesome $$$$ and have access to the best facilities/ equipment/ doctors/ nutritionists etc.

[spdntrxi]

adrien costa (former pro with axeon) just got into a bad climbing accident =( , one leg had to be amputated.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DiOmmaaW4AAqVGA.jpg:large

I'm really bummed on this one.. great kid whom I have met.

[KWalker]

adrien costa (former pro with axeon) just got into a bad climbing accident =( , one leg had to be amputated.

https://www.gofundme.com/supportadriencosta

He wasn't climbing. Scrambling up talus is not climbing. Having been up almost exactly where the accident happened he definitely shouldn't have been alone (I think that's what is implied). Talus up there is fairly loose in spots and falls all the time to where someone should be realllllllly familiar with that environment before they're scrambling solo up Conness.

With that said that is a really awful thing to happen to anyone. I hope he finds new activities that provide the same enjoyment that he found in the outdoors.

[micky]

meanwhile, on the road, Kwiato wins 2nd stage in a row just a week after burning himself out in the Tour sure, it's only TdP, but this guy really needs a leadership role in bigger races

While he was at QS he had free role for GC and it didn't work out.
Maybe way too early, but for now I think his actual position fits him pretty well.