Pro-cycling thread

Looks at Paris Roubaix, tro bro Leon, Strada bianchi et Al.

Not really a comparison, as rough roads are the main features of those races and pros that don't like it generally arent't forced to ride them. It's different in a Grand Tour, although it seems to get more fashionable to include off- or rough road sections.

Looked like Bennet made a mess of his sprint, went way too early...or was Gilbert just too strong?

I think it was just very good team tactics by Quickstep - if Bennett didn’t lead the chase when he did, Stybar would have won the stage, and when Bennett did go, Gilbert could come past him. DQS win either way.

I think second was a valiant effort. Everyone was judging their effort based on what he did.

Looks like everyone who isn't Gilbert or MVDP are riding Quebec/Montreal this weekend in prep for the Worlds. Should be interesting.

Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quick Step) won stage 17 with an average speed of 50.628km/h over 219.6km.
He is the new holder of the “Ruban Jaune” (Yellow Ribbon), a trophy created in 1936 by Henri Desgrange, the first organiser of the Tour de France, for the rider recording the average speed in a race longer than 200km. The previous holder was Matteo Trentin, who had won Paris-Tours at 49.641km/h (231km) in 2015.

Faster (and longer) than the Cipo-winning Tour stage everyone always goes on about.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_France_records_and_statistics#Stage_speeds

I guess it's the fastest GT road stage ever?

No, it’s not. But it’s the fastest ever stage over 200kms in length.

@taogeogheganhart in the break again. That’s the fourth stage in a row effectively (if we count yesterday’s 40-odd man move a break).

Apparently stage 9 in 2001 is the fastest Vuelta stage on record at 55.176km/h for 179.2 km. Not sure about the Giro.

Full gas chat from James Knox -

We all went full gas to the front at the start, and once we were there, we all committed. It was a long way to the line but everyone was just riding full gas. The first 180km, I rode full gas with everyone, and then I was able to save a little bit.

Those are races with known sectors of poor surface though- I’m talking about ostensibly ok smooth tarmac punctuated randomly by patches of gravel, off camber bits where the road is collapsing off the hill and monster cracks and holes. More importantly none of it is marked in the route book, but I guess where do you start with UK roads!

How long after the finish was this?
I'm guessing less than an hour.

"i'm fucked. just keep throwing out some words"

EF are possibly going to win a fucking stage.

My god.

I know right. Pretty tense with him getting hunted down by Lopez at al

Great stage. 22 years old, balls out for the last 30km

That was good, yeah.

Also important to note that Paris-Tours is rather flat, and tends to have a tailwind. Yesterday was more like rolling hills and a crosswind! Super impressive racing.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2UWBB4hFCl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Looking a the road surface of some of the mountain stages today.
Remembering the Brazilian roads in the Olympics.

Shit roads are present everywhere.

enjoying watching the ToB go up Sunrise Hill right now. a local climb for @clintsmoker and me when riding back home

You stay classy Movistar!

reckon MVDP might have nabbed one of my KOMs there

What's happened?