Pro-cycling thread

So as a sprint team, we’re very involved from the start to make sure
the right riders in the day’s breakaway goes clear, small enough that
we can chase it down whilst making sure there’s no other sprinter team
members present there & then we block, we physically slow right down
to 20kph so anyone that tries to jump has a huge gap to bridge. And
when I say we block the road I mean there isn’t an inch for a rider to
squeeze past. Then normally the race leader will stop for a pee and
riders ‘should’ see that as a MARK (Cavendish) of respect that the
breakaway has gone.

It’s a fight here for the break, 50km yesterday, 30km today. (I’ve
attached the data) of constant attacking until the right group sticks
and we can block the road. • Today one particular rider was very keen
to be in the break. So keen he took matters into his own hands and did
something I’ve never seen. I won’t name names but this was a Worldtour
rider in a Worldtour team.

Whilst front row slowing things down. This particular rider decided to
shove me as hard as he could from behind with his hand so I would
lurch forwards out of the line so as to make a gap for himself to jump
through and go and join the breakaway. Apparently he’d tried this move
with one of the most well respected riders in the peloton earlier
also. I reacted fast and anchored on the brakes to keep him blocked,
then proceeded to tell him quite impolitely & in a raised voice that I
would make it my personal goal of the day to ensure that he would not
feature in the breakaway. Which I and the other victim to his antics
subsequently did, ruthlessly.

You maybe thinking he was just trying to race his best and it was
unfair to focus on ruining his ambitions for the day, but let me make
2 things clear, 1. What he did was dangerous & I’m sure there’s a uci
rule about physically pushing another rider & 2. It actually made
sense for him to be in the breakaway, had he asked if he could slip
through and join the break we’d have allowed it, 3 would become 4 up
the road, his ambitions were in the intermediate competitions & thus
inconsequential to the result of the day, but he resorted to
aggression & dangerous moves & sealed his own fate.

Alex Dowsett tweets about how sprinting teams literally block the road to impede riders from going in the break and complains that some rider try to go past the physical block imposed by sprinting teams. Tweet and instagram post has been deleted after harsh reception from fans.

I know pretty much every team blocks and makes sure the breakaway is acceptable to them so they can have an easier day but this makes him come across as a dick imo