Pro-cycling thread

Is the Vuelta this year a damp squib compared to the Giro and Tour or is it simply GT fatigue? Giro was amazing and the Tour is the Tour but finding it hard to get excited about the Vuelta this year...

I hope Sidi's upping their gold shoes as Bettini's are not holding their age quite well...

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Really? Lots of open stages with breakaways and first-time stage winners, jerseys changing hands, and the GC contenders taking time off each other when they can. With the exception of Nibali, Bardet and some of the Dutch riders there are a lot of strong GC contenders too, at least thus far. We've only been going just over a week.

The TdF normally starts with 5 or 6 flat stages which almost don't merit watching until the final kilometers.

It's been some time since the Tour started with a week of flat stages. That was the Jean Marie Leblanc formula, but Christian Prudhomme has shaken it up a bit since he took over as the race director.

Nah, Vuelta's been great as always, really enjoying it. Straight into the action unlike the other GTs.

Vuelta has been a massive banger.

Also loving the Vuelta - seems the most open of any of the grand tours this year

As if collisions involving motorbikes wasn't bad enough, now even the choppers are getting in on the act.
https://twitter.com/jon_cannings/status/769970798350200833

Probably with the Vuelta is there's effectively been two races for much of it with the breakaway and the GC. I guess some people like this approach (2 for the price of 1) but I personally like it more when the GC are more in the mix

Like yesterday?

Wut? Not sure I get ya.

Vuelta this year has been intensely good viewing.

What I'm really liking about the Vuelta is the uncertainty.

Froome dominated the tour. But looks understandably fatigued.
Quintana looked a bit fecked in the tour. But we know he has it in him to smash the Vuelta.
Chavez is rested and Young.
Bertie has been up and Down. But noone can totally Write him off.

I put Lopez and Sanchez in my fantasy team. So they were always fucked.

And Chavez is probably the only person in the world who seems cheerier than Flecha.

His interviews alone make me want to wish him well.

Yes! Looking forward to Backstage Pass youtube vids starting again from stage 11, I think?

All about Chavez and Svein Tuft :)

Its felt a bit all-or-nothing (mostly nothing). Pretty anonymous sprint stages (that are hard to get excited about as the sprint field is pretty second tier) followed by 20% brutalathons that look like people are trackstanding up a mountain.

As it's been a period of Froome being a bit immortal, it's been great to see him a bit human (not a comment on his doping program!). And to add the description of 'plucky' to Bertie is a novelty. Oh, and it was pretty textbook Froome vs Contador Hare/Tortoise bit yesterday. Still think it's Froomes to lose, though good to see him looking at week 2/3 needing to attack (unless he's not giving a fuck knowing he's got a 2 min head start on the TT).

Time trials deep into week 3 of the Vuelta can be strange affairs. You'd expect Froome to beat Quintana but it might be a lot closer than a lot of people expect. All the comments from the Movistar camp about Quintana needing 3 minutes on Froome can be disregarded.

I think Froome will do well to win this one. Look slike Quintana will continue to chip away at Froome and like andyp says I dont think the timetrial is a forgone conclusion. He wasnt as strong as everyone expected at the Olympics (sure, still a bronze), and he is very tired too.

Also isnt Quintana meant to get getting in the 3rd week and Froom worse. Not sure I ever believed that but my money is on Quintana to win the race by just over a minute.

http://cyclingtips.com/2016/08/photo-gallery-dust-cobbles-and-dirt-at-the-2016-schaal-sels/

This is a really great photo gallery

Interesting little shit-storm brewing in Germany with both Kittel and Greipel (who both won yesterday, in different races obviously) wanting leadership for the Worlds, Greipel flat out saying he won't ride unless he gets it.

Is the World's course really flat? If not I would put Greipel, otherwise Kittel.

It's in Qatar. It's pan flat.

I think Greipel is laying out the starting point of his negotiations.

It's a tough choice though, I don't envy the job the German selectors have, especially as they can only take six riders.

I know how Qatar is, but didn't they have to "build" few climbs to meet UCI demands?

Nope.

Right then! So the wind will play the biggest part!