Pro-cycling thread

The granddaughter is on the run.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-police-turn-to-facebook-in-search-for-spectator-that-triggered-crash/

Rapid.

Saw Harry Tanfield raced a Nat B in Lancashire at the weekend. Surely there must be some better racing for them than that standard.

It seemed a shame that there were three decent Nat B road races on one day. I know a few guys would have done at least two of them.

It is a shame when there are so few races that they put them on the same day. Has ever been thus though, BC never seem to coordinate nationally, the calendars are decided at regional level and that's it.

I'm not surprised Alex hasn't been selected to ride even Belgian chippers but that is strange about Harry.

I can normally take Lefevere with a pinch of salt but this is despicable.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lefevere-threatens-to-bench-sam-bennett-from-races-and-dock-his-pay-unless-he-behaves/

Sky up to their usual tricks...

Thomas made it to stage three without crashing

This aged well.

Well, carnage today...

He truly is a nasty character

Seriously, why is G always crashing? Wind/motos/bottles aside, it can't be handling...wasn't it Flecha who said he's a natural on the cobbles? Is it positioning? Inattention?

Ditto Porte. And increasingly Roglic.

It may purely be my perception, but there seem to be far more crashes these days. I've just had this conversation with my neighbour (70s, and still knocks out 100 miles a week) and he swears it's the combination of disc brakes (people have lost the art of braking, especially in the wet) and more competitive fields (gone are the days of Armstrong/Indurain processions), but I personally have no idea.

Tbh with today's course the organizers was asking for it.

It's the latter, especially in the early stages of the Tour. GC teams want to ensure their leaders don't lost time, sprinters teams want to win the stage so you have to groups all trying to be at the front.

The Tour organisers compound this by sending them down roads that are too narrow, so 5 metres wide or less, too close to the finish when they should be on main roads that are 8 metres wide and give teams more space to work with.

Pretty sure most years we have the same discussion about it being super crashy in the first few days/week....

I totally agree with the points about road choice/course layout, but it does always seem to be the same people... or do we just notice when it's them?

Agreed, there's a bit of confirmation bias. Also convinced that Geraint and Porte have more than their share of bad luck. But I wonder if they don't carry enough clout or lack the attention to maintain safe positioning.

G’s crash today does look like he took his eye off the ball. I will never pick him for a fantasy team again. I’m devastated.

If someone asks me why cyclists always break thier collarbone... I will show them Ewan's crash from today. Textbook bike crash that. Top marks

G, Roggy, & Ewan in my 9. Not a good day.

What defines Mathieu van der Poel above all else is suddenness, and it’s a quality that is every bit as much a matter of ethos as physiology.

…From nowhere, Van der Poel materializes behind him, strangling his brake hoods and pedaling furiously, closing the gap to the Colombian’s wheel.

https://derailleur.substack.com/p/merci-mathieu

Enjoying derailleur.

Carlton Kirby needs to just go away and live in a hole doesn't he. Such a shite commentator.

I'm very much enjoying Millar commentating on ITV4

Adfree on amazon ITV4 free month.

Oh nice, I didn't realise they showed itv4, I'll try it out.

Great shout thanks