2014 Pro-cycling season thread

^ amen

I think it's fun.

You all butcher him for having no personality. And shes got fire, yet you butcher her too.

It's good entertainment. Bring back the crazy. Modern cycling is a bit bland. And that's why we love a good drama.

Girl in the red coat who took out Popo didn't drop her wine glass #panache

Ha! Must spread rep etc

What a ghastly place twitter can be sometimes.

another good stage in the tour of the basque country

Tony Martin in a, this time successful, replay of his breakaway performance in the Vuelta last year

Hitter.

Some decent analysis by Joe Lindsey;

http://blogs.bicycling.com/blogs/boulderreport/2014/04/07/flandrian-physics/

Some excellent writing by Inrng as per usual

"As the crashes kept falling the bunch was nervous in another way too, it refused to let the lead group get much of a lead. Six minutes was all Phinney and Impey would get. Behind OPQS seemed to be on the front all the time, their tall riders resembling pallbearers with their sombre kit and stoic faces. But as much as we saw OPQS we hardly saw Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Zdeněk Štybar who were well hidden behind their workers. Little did the team know they were the ones who’d be buried alive later on."

http://inrng.com/2014/04/the-moment-the-race-was-won-the-tour-of-flanders/

Some excellent writing by Inrng as per usual

"As the crashes kept falling the bunch was nervous in another way too, it refused to let the lead group get much of a lead. Six minutes was all Phinney and Impey would get. Behind OPQS seemed to be on the front all the time, their tall riders resembling pallbearers with their sombre kit and stoic faces. But as much as we saw OPQS we hardly saw Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Zdeněk Štybar who were well hidden behind their workers. Little did the team know they were the ones who’d be buried alive later on."

http://inrng.com/2014/04/the-moment-the-race-was-won-the-tour-of-flanders/

Too many black/dark kits in the Peloton lately, i find it hard to tell 'em all apart these days.

^This^.

I've realised you have to work by spotting OPQS's helmets now.

Just watched Tony Martin's win from yesterday. Strong work.

Just watched Tony Martin's win from yesterday. Strong work.

The Norwegian Eurosport commentater gave it to him at 11km. Somehow you just knew he was going to smash it.

I reckon there's more than meets the eye to Porte being out of the Giro. This is my theory...

I reckon Sky are shitting it about Contador looking so good and that's why they've pulled him out of the Giro. They're keeping everyone fresh to just drill it for three weeks with Froome, Kennaugh, Wiggins, Nieve, Thomas, Kiriyenka and on the front for three weeks.

Plus Boassen Hagen and Eisel as road captain.

Interesting theory. How does leaving Porte out of the Tour line up fit in?

Oh yeah - I didn't include him in my list did I? I think he'll race TdF to strengthen the squad.

Take out Wiggins and replace with Porte and I can't see that being far from the squad.

Cound's tweets are now protected, after the Spanish press took one of them as an accusation of Contador doping sparking a flurry of Spanish accented abuse towards her on Twitter

Does anyone have a text feed of today's Vuelta stage? I'm watching the footage sporadically on a hooky, grainy stream with the sound off and I have no effing clue what's going on.

Scheldeprijs looking like a bunch sprint.

Shame as Luke Rowe was in the break.

Kittel

Woman hit by Garmin-Sharp rider reported to be in critical but stable condition.

http://road.cc/content/news/115988-husband-flanders-crash-victim-tells-johan-vansummeren-win-paris-roubaix-marie

What would I pay to see a video of the Trek meeting on the team bus this morning?

"So today Andy Schleck, winner of the TDF, you will be trying to get in the break. Is OK?"

everyone looks at the floor

Short excerpt from Sean Kelly's autobiography on his 1984 Paris-Roubaix win here;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/sport/eurosport-cycling/10755521/nicolas-roche-milan-san-remo.html?WT.mc_id=605747&source=EditorialChannel

Great book.

Some great highlights from previous editions (1981, 1987 and 2009) here;

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/140410_Retro_Roubaix_Vangramberen

Good to see Wout Poels winning today. He had a rough time the past couple of seasons after his massive crash at the 2012 Tour.