Pro-cycling thread

Aren't we obliged to be suspicious of him due to his team?

My man JW van Schip has been DSQd from the Baloise Belgium Tour... Getting aero is getting less and less allowed these days. I don't know why they allow manufacturing aero bikes anymore?
https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1403447598296543236?s=19

Edit: on the gram they're still bragging about it
https://www.instagram.com/p/CP_JkOghL9t/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CP-nk-dhB-y/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CP-Ztpyh5VX/?utm_medium=copy_link

Pretty unfair on him, given that they were approved for racing?
I mean, they shouldn’t have been approved in the first place, on looks alone, but still.

Also the glucose monitoring which was previously approved is now banned too.

Bennett doubtful for the Tour, Cavendish could ride but wants a new contract first.

Is it not that the bars are legal but the position not?
Ie you could legal use them but adopting the position with elbows/ arm in contact is not.

Shrewd.

Ineos Grenadiers to bring ‘mountain train’ back to the Tour de France

Brailsford back in February: “We've thought long and hard about it - is it Terminator or Zorro? Is it Germany or Brazil, dare I say? Maybe it's preparing like Germany and playing like Brazil.”

Lol

demare for green!

It's such a misleading article, the headline bears no resemblance to what Rasch actually says where he makes the point that some days you need to ride defensively, and others you need to ride offensively.

I don't think Ineos have a rider who is stronger than Pogacar or Roglic, although Carapaz could be. What they do have is a stronger team than both UAE and Jumbo-Visma, so using that strength will be key to them putting either of those two in difficulty. I don't expect Jumbo-Visma to employ the same tactics this year as they did last year, they need to use their strength wisely too.

Hopefully it makes for a tactically interesting race.

If you’ve got Carapaz, Porte, Dennis, TGH and Kwiato all pulling for your leader, you’ve de facto assembled a mountain train.

I doubt Thomas will win. Egan on his Giro form would have had a better chance.

Have Ineos announced their team yet??

Why says Thomas is the leader? Carapaz has a strong claim, and using TGH as a foil could work. Ineos have to be creative if they want to win the Tour, they can't win it by towing Pogacar around France for three weeks. JV proved that last year.

Depends which Brazil.

1 Attachment

Brailsford said it but that was a few months ago.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/feb/03/geraint-thomas-will-lead-ineos-grenadiers-in-2021-tour-de-france

You’re right but the Sky team is stronger than JV were - three grand tour winners, two former world champions plus last year’s third place TdF rider.

Pro Cycling Stats has narrowed it down to eight. Of course it’s all subject to change but they’re usually not far off.

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-de-france/2021/gc/startlist

the only team we need to discuss:

Every time I see ‘JV’ in this thread I read Vaughters

They've had Laurens de Plus down on the Ineos roster for the Tour for months, glad to see they've realised he won't be on the team.

I'd be surprised if Van Baarle isn't included, he's been their best domestique at the Tour the past few years.

Think I read that De Plus overtrained.

Whichever way you cut it, it’s a hell of a team but possibly lacking a talisman?

lacking a talisman?

You mean like Soler or Valverde?

That's worked well.

I'm trying not to be a Carapaz fanboi*, but the fact that he came within seconds of beating Roglic at the Vuelta last year with a very, very weak team behind him, and seeing how he is riding at the Tour de Suisse, I think it'll be very clear after the Alps that he's Ineos' best chance of winning.

*and failing, I think he's a cold blooded killer of a rider.

Will Brailsford risk making Geraint sad though?

I meant like a Pog or Rog or 2016 vintage Chris Froome.

Carapaz is showing a lot better than GT in general but they clearly are going in as joint leaders. With the flat TT on stage 5 I would expect Carapaz to lose 30 seconds to a minute - which will put him on the back foot very early on.

But in general I just can't see Thomas matching Rog and Pog in the high mountains.