Pro-cycling thread

Yeah, I thought maybe some kind of oil bath that gets zapped onto the metal. Someone said something about titanium changing colour like that under heat.

Looks like the rainbow colourway SRAM were using on the Eagle AWS stuff, same on the cassette and the chain which are both steel. As far as I know it's purely cosmetic - it's basically just a thin layer of oxide, like anodising.

Same as whatever Rhino has on his bike hanging in Giro

Adam Blythe confirms he’s retiring immediately.

I’ve a lot of respect for him, he made maximum use of his ability and had a real racer’s sense. If Cav had followed him in Qatar in 2016, he’d be a two time world champion.

Was watching the Japanese Tour de France Crit from the weekend. A Japanese rider won, just holding off the TdF winner and the Vuelta winner in their respective jerseys. Also at the weekend we saw Mark Cavendish come from miles back to somehow win the Derney race in the London 6 Days, pipping Viviani on the line.

Apart from professional wrestling, do any other sports have mugs like us who turn up to watch choreographed results like this?

(Not that I didn’t enjoy it).

I was at the 6 day on Friday night and it didn't looked choreographed at all.

Yeah... but it is though

Does seem a bit hypocritical when these races can be fixed prior to the start, whereas Vino and Kolobnev could face jail for fixing during a race

As much as I'd be happy to see Vino having nothing to do with cycling again, of all the shit he did wrong, this is probably the most acceptable of against the rules things he did.

Was there a derny race? Did three riders come round the last corner three abreast and sprint for the win?

It’s entertainment as much as it’s a sport, especially six day races and that Japanese crit. Of course it’s fixed.

But does every derny race have to go exactly to that script? And yes I WAS entertained, but part of me thinks that it’s unnecessary nowadays. It’s a bit like Madam Tussaud’s - created in a world where people didn’t know what famous people looked like. Inexplicable why it exists now. Pretend bike races? Yes fine when people couldn’t watch their heroes on TV in real competition, but still needed today? Is Cav really back on form? I’ve no idea from watching the 6 Days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4GAj2v4BIE

A Japanese rider won, just holding off the TdF winner and the Vuelta winner in their respective jerseys

To be fair, don't they usually let the TdF winner 'win'? Maybe a surprise in that regard...

I’ve a lot of respect for him

Nah.

Did he always deliberately wear his helmet pushed up like a nodder - and if so, why?

"created in a world where people didn’t know what famous people looked like"

If that was actually the case, what was the point of getting real lifelike models? Surely they could make any old shit and stick a Marylin Monroe sign underneath it?

still needed today?

Given the number of people attending these races, it seems so.

The helmet looks fine. The white kit, not so much.

How come in that pic he’s wearing Aqua Blue kit but riding a Ridley? Presumably he’d given up on the 3T by then - or perhaps he hadn’t been subjected to it.

that's aqua blue pre 3t, 2017 I think

Aqua Blue rode Ridley frames in their first season, then switched to the 3T frame for the 2018 season.

In fact, didn't they go back to Ridley frames mid way through 2018?

I don't think so, but they were still on the ridley tt bikes in 2018

Stefan Denfil was pictured riding his Ridley towards the end of the season but at that time the team weren't racing much