2021 PRO thread

[Alexandrumarian]

350km gravel race at Brisbane 2032. Half of the competitors will DNF after being killed by venomous spiders/frogs/snakes/plants.

Also magpies

[sychen]

350km gravel race at Brisbane 2032. Half of the competitors will DNF after being killed by venomous spiders/frogs/snakes/plants.

Also magpies

Triathlon will finally be worth watching... Let's see who makes it out of the swim leg.

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[bikewithnoname]

MVdP in CX is a beast Pitcock could not keep up with him or WvA.
Wish there was a CX race in the Olympic’s. Don’t understand why since it is such a classic form of bike racing. An many of those riders don’t anything but CX.

CX is far from international though is it? If you don't grow up eating moule-frites or stroopwafel you're unlikley to even know the sport exists.

In the last 40 years there's been maybe 1 or 2 Swiss, Czech and French to mix up the Low Country dominance.

(Just noticed BenSiskri said basically the same thing)

[sychen]

Cx missed their Olympics boat before xc mtb was added. It's got the right spectator friendly format but not as exciting as xc for regular punters.

No way it's getting added to the program now unless Olympic games gets awarded to Belgium.

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[EdWiser]

I enjoy watching CX on GCN+ last winter
It is a tv friendly format as it is laps like MTB racing. An the coarse with mud and sand means closer racing. This years MTB was a who got a head of the crowd. Once you where dropped no chance to win. CX racing a rider can come back and win. The races with MVdP and WvA fighting back and forth where exciting. Many of the Olympic sports that are not “headline” sports are regional in nature. Cycling view ship is a mainly European thing. The average US cyclist may watch some TDF. But they don’t watch the sport every week.
Some good races this weekend. That I am looking forward to. But USA viewers would never know they are going on.

[edu2]

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/pete ... 021-season


Strange quote on the article:

"Bora-Hansgrohe have confirmed the departure of both Sagan and Ackermann, saying they did not achieve the expected results in recent seasons."

[Cycomanic]

In other news, the BDR (German cycling federation) sports direktor shouts racists remarks during the TT and the reaction by both the German Olympic committee and the BDR is "he is sorry about his behaviour in the heat of the moment and apologises" and we will have a talk with him when he gets back.

Seriously, how is it possible that he was not immediately sent home and removed from his position?!

For context he cheered for Niki Arndt during the TT with the words "catch those camel drivers" (directed at the Algerian and Eritrean riders in front of Arndt), with lots of microphones near by .

To Arndts credit he immediately distanced himself from that guy after. Also Rick Zabel called out the disappointing reaction by the BDR.

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Absolutely disgusting racist trash... Even his apology was pathetic and weak.

Unfortunately we have seen this type of person often get reemployed as he's part of the ol boys club.

Let's see if there are lasting consequences for trash like this.

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Yes completely agree, the apology was essentially a "I'm sorry but...". If you put a but at the end of your apology you might as well not apologise. Moreover, you said it in the heat of the moment and because you were stressed?! So essentially he's just admitting to be a closet racist and normally just has himself under enough control to not say it out loud.

The German Olympic Committee's initial response was also quite telling, "we talked to him and he apologises and promises to follow the rules from now on, so we allow him to stay". What does follow the rules even mean here, the rule of being a decent human being and treating people with respect?

Fortunately, some of the other sports seem to have protested and he's been sent home now. And surprisingly even the UCI did something now and suspended him.

[Cycomanic]

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/pete ... 021-season


Strange quote on the article:

"Bora-Hansgrohe have confirmed the departure of both Sagan and Ackermann, saying they did not achieve the expected results in recent seasons."

Reading the news on the German radsportnews.com, it sounded quite different. It seems Bora offered both of them new contracts, but they wanted to go somewhere else. Also the quote on not achieving the expected results, was a statement on the overall team performance and expectations. Essentially he said: we did not achieve all what we wanted to achieve, but this is also due to our high aspirations.

[Cycomanic]

It will be interesting to see if Specialized will continue to sponsor Bora or leave with Sagan.

[de zwarten]

In other news, is Remco one of the most over-rated riders out there...

It depends on what made you rate this rider:

He is completely unproven. Tom Pidcock is a greater talent and has achieved more but does not have these labels applied to him. Pidcock is outperforming expectations, Evenepoel is underperforming, crash considered.

If I measure by the PCS rankings, which I think is a fairly unbiased reference, I tend to disagree with your opinion.

https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/thomas-pidcock
https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/remco-evenepoel

[smartyiak]

MVdP in CX is a beast Pitcock could not keep up with him or WvA.
Wish there was a CX race in the Olympic’s. Don’t understand why since it is such a classic form of bike racing. An many of those riders don’t anything but CX.

Would it be in summer or Winter Olympics?

Winter!
There are some issues; it's a very niche sport - massively popular in one region in Belgium; it has keen followers in Netherlands, Czech Rep, USA, GB, etc but have a look at the top 10 of most recent Elite men's races; approx 7 Belgians, 2 Dutch & a Brit. That's not really 'international', is it? The women's is slightly better, and is dominated by a plethora of Dutch women, with Belgians, Brits, Italians, and maybe a Hungarian/ Swiss/ US rider.

Secondly, sports in the winter Olympics are supposed to take place on snow/ice; cyclocross doesn't need it to go ahead. However, I believe it's possible to convince the IOC if you demonstrate it can take place on snow/ice. So, this season I think there are two World Cups taking place at ski/MTB venues, including Val di Sole in mid December. Hopefully it's a success, and we see more wintersport venues, as one muddy Belgian field after another is pretty monotonous.

They should make it a "test" event (or whatever it's called) in China...since there's no snow at that venue either!

[TobinHatesYou]

It will be interesting to see if Specialized will continue to sponsor Bora or leave with Sagan.

The current rumor is Specialized will stay with Bora and QS...and also sponsor Direct Energie if Sagan goes there. Just a rumor for now though.

[ooo]

Specialized is attached to Sagan

[Dr.Dos]

It will be interesting to see if Specialized will continue to sponsor Bora or leave with Sagan.

BORA will continue with Specialized.

Sagan signed with TDE as reported.

Source: A current BORA TdF rider.

[Stendhal]

It will be interesting to see if Specialized will continue to sponsor Bora or leave with Sagan.

BORA will continue with Specialized.

Sagan signed with TDE as reported.

Source: A current BORA TdF rider.

Back to the good old days when Big S sponsored Quick Step, Astana, and Tinkoff. Wait, were those good days?