2018 PRO thread

[kgt]

@bilwit
Sorry, you 're right, GC is not GQ

@themidge
Di2 is everywhere, very few pros still prefer mechanical. It's not the same with aero frames and discs.

[seaneT1]

There is also a chance that some changes in the peloton take time for many reasons (logistics, practicallity,fear, etc)... Anyway, I really doubt that, in a couple of years, there will be anyone on rim brakes in the pro peloton. But who knows? only time will tell!

[tymon_tm]

This argumentt about the 'retarded' pro comes up often but... sorry, I cannot accept it.
First of all we are not talking about an x rider but about professional cycling teams with coaches, managers, engineers, mechanics, manufacturers, sponsors. They know more about bikes and their performance than most of us do. On top of that I cannot get how an average rider knows more or is more technology-sensitive than a pro who rides for a living and his performance is the only thing he cares about.
So, thinking that a pro team does not 'understand' modern cycling technology but most cycling forum members do is ridiculous to say the least.

+1

couldn't agree more!

[themidge]

@themidge
Di2 is everywhere, very few pros still prefer mechanical. It's not the same with aero frames and discs.

True, but it's the same kind of thing isn't it? Pros do care about their equipment and don't ride stuff they don't trust. Obviously Di2 has proved itself to be perfectly reliable and easy to deal with, disc brakes and aero-integration not so.

[AJS914]

Don't most pros ride what they are told to ride? I'm sure the top 20 prima donnas in the sport can ride what they want, get custom stuff, or rebadged stuff but the rest?

I knew a guy who had been a neo-pro in France. He rode what they gave him without complaints. And he wasn't like the people on this forum. I mean he wasn't a gear junkie. He actually didn't care that much what frame or groupset he had year to year.

[Orbital]

Don't most pros ride what they are told to ride? I'm sure the top 20 prima donnas in the sport can ride what they want, get custom stuff, or rebadged stuff but the rest?

I knew a guy who had been a neo-pro in France. He rode what they gave him without complaints. And he wasn't like the people on this forum. I mean he wasn't a gear junkie. He actually didn't care that much what frame or groupset he had year to year.

This. I mean, Aqua Blue. Amirite?

[AJS914]

I don't know what team he was on. He rode like 15 years ago and quit rather than take drugs to compete and move up.

[CrankAddictsRich]

Don't most pros ride what they are told to ride? I'm sure the top 20 prima donnas in the sport can ride what they want, get custom stuff, or rebadged stuff but the rest?

I knew a guy who had been a neo-pro in France. He rode what they gave him without complaints. And he wasn't like the people on this forum. I mean he wasn't a gear junkie. He actually didn't care that much what frame or groupset he had year to year.

totally agree.... the people that I know that are truly fast, ride what they are paid to ride and they're fast no matter what. When I was growing up, I played competitive golf.. most pro golfers all seem to care about teir sticks... they have special shafts and the latest testing to get launch and spin angles just right and then you stick a hickory shaft club in their hands and they can still hit the damn thing 10' for the hole.

[tymon_tm]

Don't most pros ride what they are told to ride? I'm sure the top 20 prima donnas in the sport can ride what they want, get custom stuff, or rebadged stuff but the rest?

I knew a guy who had been a neo-pro in France. He rode what they gave him without complaints. And he wasn't like the people on this forum. I mean he wasn't a gear junkie. He actually didn't care that much what frame or groupset he had year to year.

I bet all my future strava koms Sags getting paid some serious dough to ride what they want him to. all this "Sagan collection", discs only bikes, it stinks insincere, heavily paid endorsment deal for a mile - kinda like a movie star in a mobile provider ad.

I also knew a pro (dude's gonna be aboard a WT team next season as a staff member but that;s a different story) and he was so freakin meticulous he had his bibs and jerseys shorten to preserve the tan lines - I kid you not (it was before the elbow-long sleeve and tennis sock thing). he never let any local mechanic touch his bikes, to the extent he would send wheels to his team mechanic for tire change via a courier (no, not clinchers)

I really have no clue where this "pros don't care about equipment" thing came from, but afaik it's stupid and completely untrue. these guys spend a significant portion of their life on their bikes, I guess this fact alone makes them at least aware of what they ride, what works for them, and what they want to use in racing

[themidge]

I'm going to quote myself for illustrative purposes:

Pros do care about their equipment and don't ride stuff they don't trust.

Rather than they ride what they want to. Of course they ride what they're sponsors give them, but only if they think it won't be bad in some meaningful way eg. all the obvious reasons why pros don't tend to run discs even though they can and the sponsors want them to.

[Rondje]

Wout van Aert terminated his contract with Sniper cycling and won't be riding for Roompot next year. Seems like Nuyens might destroy 2 teams instead of 1 if Crelan also pulls out after this news.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/van-aer ... ms-crelan/

[micky]

Probably there was a "tiny" difference between the paycheque at Sniper and LottoNL.

[tymon_tm]

now Van Aert has to withstand the full weight of pressure - if he doesn't start winning races from the get go, he's going to become a hot potato.

and how is Nuyens to blame for it all I wonder?

[Rondje]

If I understand it correctly he blames Nuyens for using him to make deals and never actually informed him about any progress or any parties that he was talking to. I believe he had to read about the merger (and the failed merger with Aqua Blue) from the media twice.

@Micky I'm not sure if money is an issue here as LottoNL actually has 1 of the smaller budgets of the WT (altho it most likely going to increase), while the biggest guys in CX get a very big paycheck. For example, MvdP rumoured to be around 1milion. And LottoNL doesn't care about cross while WvA still wants to do at least 1 full season I think.

[tymon_tm]

so basically he blames Nuyens for not including him in decision-making process regarding managing the team and then - doing everything in his power to ensure the team doesn't fold? I already like the guy!