Pro-cycling thread

yes, but rob ellingworth does look like he's just finished giving someone a wedgie behind the bike sheds

Also telling that two other riders, Nicole Cooke and Vicky P, have spoken up for her and said they have experienced similar sexism after they have retired, while those within the set up still, like Rowsell, have contradicted her. Speak out and lose your spot it seems.

Can they send half a team sprint team?

I wouldn't recommend it. Early on she complains about someone who made petty complaints about her. It may be justified, but the rest of the book is full of her making petty complaints about all and sundry, with no appreciation of the irony.

"Err Shane mate, have you seen the statement on Varnish's Facebook? You're double fucked"

Back to the Shadow discussion - it's a good kit. Because it's a bit warmer, it's good for colder spring rides as well as the wet ones - though obviously you can get a bit warm in the top when the sun comes out.
As for hydrophobic - much like the Gabba, it's water resistant for a while and then lets water in, but obviously is still a lot warmer than a normal jersey/bibs combo. I went up and down a mountain in the rain a few weeks ago - think the temp was around 10-11 degrees, and I was fucking cold after the wet descent, but ok as soon as I dosed up on cortados/started climbing again. What I'd have liked is some shadow armwarmers actually - was just wearing merino ones and when they got wet, they got very cold. Yeah I know nanoflex, but meh. Mixing and matching Rapha and Castelli, for shame.

Bad or good, I like to hear about it.

Besides which, I already own it so I have to read it.

A long-ish read about how Shane Sutton and DB were also been screwing over MTB pro riders who weren't part of the BC program

http://singletrackworld.com/columns/2016/04/pro-xc-racer-jenny-copnall-speaks-out-at-british-cycling/

Froome not looking all that hot at Romandie, or just spooked by the rain..

Ooof.
"In 2006, having won every BMBS round, the British National XCO Champs, the British National Marathon Champs, and having never been beaten at home or abroad by a UK rider, I was discretionally not selected for the World Championships. BC decided to discretionally select a New Zealand based British rider instead, who had never then nor since finished ahead of me in a competition."

BC doesn't mean Sutton or Brailsford though does it? I mean, they weren't deciding all the places were they? There'd have been MTB management structure?

EDIT: Okay maybe they were "it"...

"Dave Brailsford, then Head of Performance alongside Shane Sutton, emailed me back to answer this query. Yes, he said, that was indeed the rule and BC would enter me into the World Championship Senior Women’s race. However, they would withdraw me from the race after the relay on the grounds of being unwell or injured. "

If that's the case then BC is properly fucked.

I remember there being some controversy in the Aussie system where two lads had to race each other in track sprint and it was simply fastest rider went. I wonder if there's a pile of riders who they just didn't want to take. I hope not.

Looking forward to watching Tom D. (the new tom d) at the Giro. 2nd in prologue today.

Looks like the podium program is about medals for British Cycling not British cyclists.

Fucked indeed.

Yeah, see the BMX thread. They're basically denying people who are good enough to be racing but self-fund their trip! It's properly backwards.

"Oooh we're the best, but err please don't show us up if you're not on our team"

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

(just wanted an excuse to use that saying to be honest)

Bjarne Riis?

Polska taking Stage 1 of Turkey. Nice.

Carry on.

Besides which, I already own it so I have to read it.

Sounds more as if it owns you. :)

I towns you.

Sutton suspended.

I really thought they were going to wait until the Brits got their arses handed to them in Rio before doing that. Guess the floodgates opened early.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2016/04/26/british-cycling-chiefs-form-independent-review-following-sexism/

Cool, disablism, too. Charming.

It may be my fading eyesight, but isn't Becky James the one on the right?

Sutton has always come across as fairly unpleasant, just based off interviews with and about him. Sounds fairly damning, can't see him keeping his job.

@Colin_the_Bald Ha!