2021 PRO thread

[Dan Gerous]

Are they still using the friday's Short Track result to set the starting positions in the XCO? And after that, current World Cup standing? Short track races I have watched usually had everyone waiting for a last lap sprint or attack, I rarely have seen early moves stick. In any case, Pidcock should be able to move up significantly.

[robbosmans]

Probably, but I don’t know if Pidcock may start in the XCC

[BenSiskri]

Pidcock won't be starting the XCC tomorrow - As far as I understand, the rankings are based from March 2020, plus the 2 World Cup races in Nove Mesto last autumn; he has no Elite points from that period, despite being Top 30 in the UCI rankings. Whereas, MvdP has dropped out of the UCI rankings, but has enough Elite points from 2019 to qualify him for the XCC.

After this weekend, it then goes on the World Cup rankings - so if he can get a top 16 result, he should be fine for the next round's XCC.

[Dan Gerous]

Haaa yes it makes sense, I forgot there is a limited number of starters allowed in short tracks, thanks.

[TheRich]

To be honest, his technical skills aren't going to be as good as somebody like Nino; he's only been doing XC competitively, since about 2019. The more he does, the better he'll get. Being a good CX racer doesn't mean you're automatically going to be as good racing XC; Sven Nys is a good example. XC is far more technical, and testing.
I think he'll be fine - but we won't know until he's under pressure. MvdP had a few crashes in his early races, when he was under pressure - but eventually succeeded.

It's not necessarily a lack of history, it's a relative lack of familiarity in the short term.

Edit: In other words, you have to go mountain biking regularly to maintain whatever level of skill you've acheived. Not road, not CX, mountain biking.

[TheRich]

Same was said about MvDP. Mountainbikers have a severe inferiority complex when it comes to people in other cycling disciplines. I don't know how many times I have heard a mountainbike rider talk shit about road riders not being able to handle a bike when the reality is I have ridden mountainbikes with that person and they are mediocre bike handlers at best. Just becuase they ride a mountainbike doesn't mean they don't suck at bike riding.

That's true for every disclipine, too many people construct a reality around the image they create for themselves.

[TheRich]

Oh good grief, you again, talking shit about a world class athhlete, hilarious. Don't you have 20 other forums you have to be at to tell people how fast you are?

Yep, Pidcock can't ride a bike, show us your prowess. https://www.instagram.com/p/B8MdS0Ige9o ... _copy_link

I’m not talking about myself, you jackass.

Here’s a quote from the husband of a woman with multiple XCO Worlds wins and an Olympic bronze medal. I think he’s seen a couple of bike races. Oh. His brother in law was the Canadian DH team coach, too.

Isn't that the guy that thinks that long reach/short stems are bad and EWS guys are wrong because they don't use the same equipment driven techniques as XCO racers?

[Karvalo]

Ok.. My comment on brakes is of that uci would to their benefit simply the pro peloton.. Less variables in neutral support.. Less cost..less complications. Why wouldn't they if no one objected.

Why would they?

The UCI don't run neutral support. They don't pay neutral support. Neutral support is none of their concern. OTOH they're a bunch of hardcore traditionalists who still want nothing more than for all bikes to look like the ones Eddy Merckx rode, and who had to be lobbied hard by the biggest companies in cycling to allow disc brakes at all only a handful of years ago. The idea that they're now only allowing rim brakes because they're being counter-lobbied by one team seems baseless and odd.

[Dan Gerous]

Ok.. My comment on brakes is of that uci would to their benefit simply the pro peloton.. Less variables in neutral support.. Less cost..less complications. Why wouldn't they if no one objected.

Why would they?

The UCI don't run neutral support. They don't pay neutral support. Neutral support is none of their concern. OTOH they're a bunch of hardcore traditionalists who still want nothing more than for all bikes to look like the ones Eddy Merckx rode, and who had to be lobbied hard by the biggest companies in cycling to allow disc brakes at all only a handful of years ago. The idea that they're now only allowing rim brakes because they're being counter-lobbied by one team seems baseless and odd.

This.

[Pierre86]

(...)
Also its only 'illegal' in the sporting world, you can take whatever you like as long as you don't compete.

Not really - most of drugs and stuff that is given in those clinics is also banned throghout the year - not only durig competition.
If you don't compete - true; but you might be a part of a club / federation and still bound by WADA rules regardless of competing.

The split (banned / banned during competition only), doses and compounds are all listed on WADA site.
And not only PEDs but also masking agents - so there is no way one might not know if something is banned or not

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/s ... -documents

As I said, if you're not racing it doesn't matter.

[OnTheRivet]

It's funny, I'm 55yo and love new bike technology, I am definitley nopt a retrogrouch, but I'm with the UCI on this. It's akin to the ball rule the PGA enforces, dramatic changes in equipment would change to sport so much it wouldn't be recognizeable and I think that's what makes cycling fantastic, we can look back a century in photos and still identify with the guys riding up a mountain or across cobbles from that time.

[TobinHatesYou]

It's funny, I'm 55yo and love new bike technology, I am definitley nopt a retrogrouch, but I'm with the UCI on this. It's akin to the ball rule the PGA enforces, dramatic changes in equipment would change to sport so much it wouldn't be recognizeable and I think that's what makes cycling fantastic, we can look back a century in photos and still identify with the guys riding up a mountain or across cobbles from that time.

I don't think slightly deeper tubes or a missing triangle is as dramatic a change as you think it is. Adding fairings might be. Banning the top-tube tuck was draconian and tone deaf.

But I would definitely pay to see UCI sanctioned "Group B" style velomobile races, perhaps on closed tracks/autodromes.

[bikewithnoname]

Well there is already UCI sanctioned E-MTB racing, so E-Road is probably on the cards...

[TobinHatesYou]

Well there is already UCI sanctioned E-MTB racing, so E-Road is probably on the cards...

Nah, human-powered only...at least that was the idea in my previous reply.

[spud]

Ganna back on form at Giro, interesting how GC people fared. Nibali did better than I expected.