Pro-cycling thread

Okay. I’d read another report saying he’d crashed again. That must’ve been wrong. Unless Dumoulin took a bang to the head and has no idea what happened.

Already had Molano. It's usually 2-3 riders in the first week isn't it...

Only a few stages in and already some solid doping controversy. When will it end!!

Soz on holiday in Wales so just following Giro on phone: did Viviani deserve his penalty? Losing the stage is bad enough but a fifty point deduction as well?

Assuming he carries on the pressure will be off him and you would think he'd have the chance for stage wins.
However Nibali came back from 4min down in 2016, Chris Froome 3minutes in 2018. A Lot can happen.

I've got my fingers crossed for him. The more contenders the better. I reckon his comments last night were probably fuelled by that gloomy negativity that hits a lot of people when things go a bit wrong.

A shame that the standings so far have basically been shaped by crashes, but it's the way of it.

Plenty of GC riders who need to make up time. Should hopefully animate the race more.

Ahead of the big mountains across the last two weeks, I'm also enjoying the side show of the Tour of California. quite a fun little stage race, lots of contenders attacking early.

I'm curious to see if Porte has recovered for an attack on mt Baldi

Yes.

They are hard as nails. Never ceases to amaze the pain these guys put themselves through. He couldn't even get on the bus last night.

In cases like this, as with so many over the years, I never understand how they don't consider the long term impacts of riding this far this banged up. Their bodies are their livelihoods and its not like Windmills needs to go above and beyond to get the next contract.

Credit to him, but I'd be off resting up for the Tour. I'll admit it's this kind of thinking that goes someway to explaining why i'm not a pro bike rider (and why I got the train this morning).

I guess Dumoulin will ride a bit just for overall race fitness and if he's feeling good a stage win maybe. Seems a bit much for anything too extraordinary like a podium

Also, given the weather there, I'd take the opportunity to watch it on TV if I was Tom

Well it seems he has followed your advice and abandoned. Hopefully he comes back for the Tour

Fuck Landa.

Is it disc brakes? It's disc brakes isn't it?

Windmill has left the building

According to L'equipe/twitter if there is snow on the Gavia, then stage 13 (226km total) is converted from this

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To a double ascent of the mortirolo (243km total). Looks sadistic.

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Ackerman takes it from gaviria

Ineos contributing to global warming for marginal gains?

Well this is a bit embarrassing for the gulf dictatorship teams;

1 UAE removed from ToC, 1 removed from the Giro by the team
1 Bahrain-Merida removed from the Giro and one of their DS (Bozic) suspended

Oh. And Petacchi is on the list too but he’s retired. Almost like these old Italian teams have a problem.

Italian racing teams plagued by doping allegations, British teams plagued by doping allegations, Belgian cyclocross riders accused of doping, Russian state sponsored doping with a borderline erect-a-Lenin-style statue for Vinokurov and his dodgey reputation (and doping ban), an American being the most notorious doper of all time. It's almost as if the sport itself has an endemic problem and not countries or teams.

Just look at the figures per sport on the wada list . Rugby and weight lifting are way in the lead.

I think cycling is much cleaner than a lot of sports I’d agree. What do the uci rules say about team suspension; are they booted out of current races or only stopped from starting new ones?

Zimbabweans are the only clean cyclists. We should win by default.