2019 PRO thread

[flying]

The biological passport is not really working if it takes them 8 years to ban someone. The biological passport seems more like a scare tactic than anything.

Exactly what I was just thinking.

Unless a new test for the specific substance was just developed which I doubt

[Dan Gerous]

Yes, the bio passeport mostly serves as a scare tactic, people don't dope as much, more micro-dosing... But I think it's also a tool to find who 'might' be doing something then target them with more surprises tests.

Back to Wout, isn't it a shame he will be at the Tour to lead out Groenewegen and shelter/help Kruijswijk? I'm thinking that, if he had the freedom, he might be one of the few, if not the only rider who could challenge Sagan for the green jersey. He sprints very well, can outclimb most sprinters, could get away to score intermediate sprints in the mountains...

[CrankAddictsRich]

and in some cases, valverde comes back from a broken leg and wins worlds.

"fracture" means any crack in the bone. Valverde had a fracture, but I beleive it was literally a crack in the bone.... something that is entirely different than an open femur fracture. If you don't know what an open femur fracture is, google it... and be sure to hold down your lunch.

While life altering injuries, they won’t prevent him from coming back to racing. Coming back to the level he has been is a nearly an absolute NO in my mind. What separates these guys at the very top of sports is such a minute margin that he will no longer have above the competition. Is just that simple even when you take the mental aspect out of the equation. Then you add younger and up and comer guys that are breaking out this year and next. Possible? Sure. Speculation? Yes. Likely? Not really......

I agree that the top level is so minute that any small thing could reduce potential performance.... but I'm also consistently blown away by the ability of top athletes to overcome injuries that normally change the lives of normal humans. I think that, in part, is something that seperates them and makes them such spectacular athletes.. their ability to recover from sportin efforts can be seen in their ability to recover from injury. They also have access to the best doctors and recovery methods and technologies because of their wealth. I'm sure that Ineos (still want to call them Sky) will make sure he has the best treatment available.

They say he caught the wind on his front wheel...is it usually standard practice to do a recon lap with such deep rims or? I can see it would make sense but also quite risky surely.

I don't how the pros prefer to do it, but if recon's and race's conditions are expected to resemble closely, in my opinion the recon should be used to test the equipment as well as see and feel the route. So it would be beneficial to use race equipment.

By the way, pros usually seem to ride relatively shallow front wheels on their TT bikes. I think many are on 50-60mm fronts, as 80mm is a viable option as well.

I'm not a pro... with no support vehicle following me, without a spare TT bike or loads of extras... I'm just a normal guy that races CAT 1/2/3 TT's and I'd say that I prefer to do course recons as close to race conditions as I could get. if doing a new course, I'd like to ride the route at least 3 times, usually on race equipment. The first lap of recon would be pretty slow, usually inspecting pavement, potholes, sand/gravel in corners, etc. The second lap of recon would be a little faster... paying a little more attention to equipment.. what gear I need to be in for certain corners or what I can push on certain climbs at max effort, so that I can adjust gear ratios if I need to. The third lap would be pretty close to a race effort to really have an idea about race speeds and how things will handle at speed..... that's my prep and I'm nothing special. I'd assume at the world tour level, they will be on race equipment... why not? They have a vehicle following them. They have spares. I know that for the tour, its not uncommon for top GC guys to recon the TT stages several times starting months or weeks out... as well as some of the important mountain stages and climbs.

[Haydn]

I didnt know how bad it was at first, I hope the man will be ok

[mattr]

Froome almost certainly had a couple of physical therapists and a doctor working on his rehabilitation plan before surgery finished.

And they probably started the actual rehab before he woke up post op.

[spud]

Yes, the bio passeport mostly serves as a scare tactic, people don't dope as much, more micro-dosing... But I think it's also a tool to find who 'might' be doing something then target them with more surprises tests.

Back to Wout, isn't it a shame he will be at the Tour to lead out Groenewegen and shelter/help Kruijswijk? I'm thinking that, if he had the freedom, he might be one of the few, if not the only rider who could challenge Sagan for the green jersey. He sprints very well, can outclimb most sprinters, could get away to score intermediate sprints in the mountains...

In pan flat stages, he will undoubtedly be at the service of Groenewegan and Kr. In hillier stages, depending on what is going on with Fruijswik and the rest of the team, he may get freedom in two or three stages.

[gravity]

Back to Wout, isn't it a shame he will be at the Tour to lead out Groenewegen and shelter/help Kruijswijk? I'm thinking that, if he had the freedom, he might be one of the few, if not the only rider who could challenge Sagan for the green jersey. He sprints very well, can outclimb most sprinters, could get away to score intermediate sprints in the mountains...

I was even surprised they call him up for TdF. I really think they risk burning him up so early. He had a long season from the cx season until now.



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[dereksmalls]

Back to Wout, isn't it a shame he will be at the Tour to lead out Groenewegen and shelter/help Kruijswijk? I'm thinking that, if he had the freedom, he might be one of the few, if not the only rider who could challenge Sagan for the green jersey. He sprints very well, can outclimb most sprinters, could get away to score intermediate sprints in the mountains...

I was even surprised they call him up for TdF. I really think they risk burning him up so early. He had a long season from the cx season until now.

Yeah, I wasn't expecting that either TBH

[TonyM]

Back to Wout, isn't it a shame he will be at the Tour to lead out Groenewegen and shelter/help Kruijswijk? I'm thinking that, if he had the freedom, he might be one of the few, if not the only rider who could challenge Sagan for the green jersey. He sprints very well, can outclimb most sprinters, could get away to score intermediate sprints in the mountains...

I was even surprised they call him up for TdF. I really think they risk burning him up so early. He had a long season from the cx season until now.



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My opinion also!

[flying]

[Pierre86]

They say he caught the wind on his front wheel...is it usually standard practice to do a recon lap with such deep rims or? I can see it would make sense but also quite risky surely.

I don't how the pros prefer to do it, but if recon's and race's conditions are expected to resemble closely, in my opinion the recon should be used to test the equipment as well as see and feel the route. So it would be beneficial to use race equipment.

By the way, pros usually seem to ride relatively shallow front wheels on their TT bikes. I think many are on 50-60mm fronts, as 80mm is a viable option as well.

Pretty sure the UCI has stepped in an mandated a 60mm maximum for racing which is why you don't see a deeper wheel for TTs

[TobinHatesYou]

Pretty sure the UCI has stepped in an mandated a 60mm maximum for racing which is why you don't see a deeper wheel for TTs

There is no such rule. The UCI approved wheel list has many wheels much deeper than 60mm...at least one as deep as 95mm.

[TonyM]

De Gendt shows that he has also humour !

[TobinHatesYou]

De Gendt shows that he has also humour !

Don't forget:
https://twitter.com/DeGendtThomas/statu ... 6451036160

[TonyM]

De Gendt shows that he has also humour !

Don't forget:
https://twitter.com/DeGendtThomas/statu ... 6451036160

On his bike?