Pro-cycling thread

Amazing race. Would have liked to see Contador take it for all that beast mode excitement.

one of those attacks you just want to stick. Can't fault the man's courage...

What a brilliant race

Paris-Nice once again the best stage race of the season. Where else do you see classics riders and GC riders going full gas for days?

Well done to Contador for animating the race, but personally I'm pleased Henao won. He's had a tough couple of years through no fault of his own, and is a loyal and hardworking rider for others.

Perhaps a daft question but what would have happened if it was a dead heat?

game of bike?

Tejay dropping his chain made my day. Was an excellent afternoon of bieks.

Really pleased for Henao, he looked like he was cooked and had n support but really dug in. I think I echo the commentators wish that Contador would never retire. His post-race comments were great too, saying he was ok with not winning just happy it was great spectacle. Chapeau

Just watched T-A again, it really looked like Sagan was gone with 3k to go and the last nasty climb, but he just powered back across. Remember how we used to joke him coming second all the time?

Soon

Just seen TA.

Sagan is amazing. He really is just a level above everyone. One in a generation rider.

Wow.

^^ froome looks a bit plump

Great racing today. I was not able to convey the level of excitment to my wife however.

This. And the GCN guys.

And Bob 'Bobke' Roll.

Sagan and Contador would have been a great double.

It's a pity that no-pull wheelsucker from Arse-tana took the stage and the seconds from Bertie.

Sagan... a 22% penultimate climb and he still beats them all!

I wonder how Peter would have controlled his hair in the days of no helmets? A Laurent Fignon pony tail? or perhaps an Alessio del Bosco Chinese plaited pig-tail thingy?

Ponytail and sweatband. No doubt.

Incredible racing at Tirenno and Paris Nice. Just caught up.

Henao benefited a lot from riders trying to move themselves up the GC but fair play to him for the anount of work he did to keep the loss to a minimum.

Frightening to think Froome will probably have Henao, Poels and Rosa working for him at the Tour.

points score (like the green jersey) I suppose

Do you actually understand racing tactics? The 'no-pull wheelsucker' from QuickStep (not Astana) had been in the break all day, and was there to help out if his team leaders bridged across to him late in the day. He sat on Contador because the latter was threatening his team mates' GC position, so his job is to stay with him and win the stage if they stay away to compensate for the loss of GC position. Which he did. It's notable that Contador, who had done all the work, had no complaints whatsoever as he understands how it works.

Ok dude I know nothing.

I watched bits of it (windowed) so wasn't with it all the time.

Come on down now.

Nah, andyp is right all day long. Also, if you wanna throw crap analysis into the thread where we armchair analyse all day long expect to get called out.

Great racing on both fronts. Great stages too. Feel like I've got my Eurosport value for money already!

Also riders need to pick up stage wins whenever they can, especially domestiques, who will do a shit-ton of work and watch their team leaders pick up all the world tour points at the pointy end. World Tour points = future employment.

Contador knew what he had to do to win and fell just short of that. Henao was lucky that the GC competition was lively and he got plenty of help in chasing him down.

Yep, thought the quickstep rider had naffed it up when he let Contador get that lead about 500m out. He sorted it out though and came through in the end. The bonus seconds for the win would have swung it to Contador so his personal glory had a decisive factor on the race.

The local Eurosport announcer in sweden said that result from ITT would have decided.

All you need to do is suck Andy's wheel when it comes to racing knowledge. We all do. :)

That would have been pretty cool to have a week long stage race come down to a post-stage ITT "first to that lamp post takes the prize!"

Gaviria for MSR again?