Pro-cycling thread

Carapaz didn’t start the Giro d’Emilia today. No explanation so far, so speculation has gone into overdrive.

In other news, Bob Jungels has signed for AG2R.

Clearly he read my post and got nervous.

With @taogeogheganhart on the team we can no longer gossip about Skineos riders.

Tao only looks at the watches and cars threads these days. He's moved on and moved up.

Dredge, but having ridden that road down to Nesso, it is one of the wildest descents I've done on the road bike. Narrow & very twisty. Would be legit terrifying to race down.

Ha, the wildest bus ride of my life was to Nesso. We stayed there for a week, taking the train to Como and then the bus to Nesso. Wouldn't want to ride on those roads with the driving we saw.

I did the Sormano with a mate almost 20 years ago. We’d talked with the proprietor of a Como bike shop about doing it beforehand and he straight out told us not to descend down to Nesso as it was “molto, molto pericoloso”. We heeded his advice and turned around at the top. Sounds like he was absolutely right.

Seems some brilliant inconsistency in fines/penalties for pavement riding in ToW (don’t have to remember how many l’s). As the riders pointed out there were multiple types of road furniture, cycle lane segregation l and potholes which necessitated emergency action but some were on the pavement for 100 metres or more and the pot holes certainly weren’t that big.

They mentioned that on the telly days ago :-/

Nils Politt to Bora.

There's been a tonne of footpath riding. I just assume if no peds are run into they turn a blind eye. Like most UCI rules - they're applied when it suits someone.

I did that descent after the race two years ago .... had a front tyre puncture going round one hairpin ... quite hair raising ..... rode the rest of the race course and stopped at a bike shop to buy another tube ... told the owner “puncture coming off the Sormano “ ... and he did lots of Italian eye rolling ,dramatic “Porca Misera “ gestures ... and gave me a free tube .... rode back to Lecco for beer , crisps and gelato - top day out .... and Pinot won ...

I descended the Sormano on in 1955 when it was still surfaced with semi-dried pig shit. I remember seeing Bahamontes crying - he'd fallen off and landed right on top of Koblet, who, as usual , had his jersey pockets stuffed with rock buns. They'd caught Bahamontes right in the Gibralters. When we got to the valley the local mayor came out to offer the hand of his eldest daughter in marriage.

Rep

Total Direct Energie could do with Geoffrey Soupe's experience. He'll be there on the start line come next Friday, you can bet your house on it.

https://www.velonews.com/training/power-analysis-sepp-kuss-on-stage-5-of-the-criterium-du-dauphine/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=velonews&utm_campaign=bfcb4623-6a77-4c29-a4fc-9b3db3ca1e7f

Some outrageous W/kg... when this guy is your domestique...

The next big American hope?

Ineos tour team;

Andrey Amador
Egan Bernal
Richard Carapaz
Jonathan Castroviejo
Michal Kwiatkowski
Luke Rowe
Pavel Sivakov
Dylan van Baarle

Thomas to lead at the Giro, Froome to lead at the Vuelta.

Surprised Thomas is going to the Tour, haven't seen any reason for his lack of form.

Bit surprised by Thomas being dropped. At least I won’t have to look at those sunglasses.

I must have missed Ineos signing Amador in the great Movistar exodus.

16/1 for Carapaz currently, anyone else tempted....?

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynl-miCruVg

Might worth backing each way but I think he’ll have to bury himself repeatedly to help Bernal deal with the onslaught JV are planning to throw at them.

Carapaz was due to look at defending his Giro win, but I suppose that’s the price of being in Ineos, having a current GT champion as a domestique...