Pro-cycling thread

Tomorrow:
Louison Bobet
Rik Van Looy
Eddy Merckx
Tom Boonen
Peter Sagan.

Will we see disks at PR? Everyones thoughts?

thankyou x

Predictions for RVV?

I think it's a bit like cycling's equivalent of the Grand National in that you can pick the guys most capable of winning but they could come a cropper in countless different ways - especially if they get the rain that is forecast.

So, I'm picking three names: Fabs, Kristoff and (as a bit of a wildcard/podium chance) Luke Rowe.

It's like most bike races isn't it, i.e. we know who is likely to be a potential winner, we just don't know how the race will unfold and who will be the strongest or canniest.

The final two climbs means that the strongest will go clear, so if you don't have a rider who will be able to hang on to the likes of Cancellara and Sagan on the Paterberg, you need to anticipate and get someone up the road. For me, that means the likes of EQS and Sky need to make it a tactical race, getting their second tier riders in breaks in the last 80 kms.

Personally I think Cancellara will win, it's his last Ronde, he's on form and he's the type of rider who's not going to want any regrets afterwards.

I think RVV is harder for teams to control than most races. You can be well positioned and get stuck behind a crash, rain affects it more than other races etc. Sure you can get stuck behind a crash in other races, but the roads aren't as narrow.

I think it's a good analogy.

I wasn't picking apart the analogy, although the Grand National is shit.

It is both a hard race and an easy race to control, because of the narrowness of the parcours. But I still think if you don't have a 5 star favourite then getting strong riders up the road in advance of the denouement is the best tactic.

If Sagan makes the final selection, I think he will win.

Without a doubt. He is very much the man with the hammer.

It's the first race of the season that I'm going to be able to sit down and watch. Therefore it'll be an absolute stinker, with one of my least favourite riders winning.

Canc, probably.

Sporza all day Ronde show is being cheekily streamed on YT if you don't want to wait for the English Eurosport

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ADr4OQR7p8

^Full HD on Chromecast is great.

OK, they were showing the start of both races and going back live later on.

looks a bit snowy for cycling

Metallica doing the soundtrack at the moment..

Seems to be back(ish). Nice one, Dub!

http://cyclinghub.tv/livestream

new link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_45_tYE62k

^ Thanks

Great HD stream!

Also, did I just see Steve Cummings up near the front? What's his cobbles form like?

Edit: Nope, it's not him.

Dogs walked, lunch in the oven, 130km of cycling to watch. Happy

Nasty crash, errant bidon?

I'm sure I just saw a team car run over a guy carrying spare wheels after that crash.....

Reddit's going on about it as well, I think they'll produce a gif of it in a couple of minutes.

Did Sep get his rear wheel hit by a car at about 140km

Benoot out in that last crash too