Pro-cycling thread

It's a bit sad that the KOM competition can be won by people who aren't really going for it, and taken from people who are.

There's been great battling for it this year, so for it to be won by someone for whom it's ultimately secondary is disappointing.

Is it a flawed competition and would something else work better?

E.g.

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Just don't award KOTM points on summit finish climbs maybe? The break then plays for spotty jersey points, the gc riders fight up the last climb.

Would've been even better telly if the kotm jersey had been with them on final climb today though, all 4 together.

Maybe Geschke can solo to victory in Paris in the caretaker measles jumper to spoil Wouts green party.

Alternatively, the climbers Jersey could go to the best climber. Oh, wait.

They should bring the combined jersey back, just for Wout.

They have tried to combat the top GC getting the Mountains jersey by stopping offering double points on HC climbs.

There were three summit finishes with HC climbs, the other four come in the middle of stages, benefiting breakaway riders. But still....

That won't happen, despite it being the coolest jersey (with La Vie Claire branding) as there are no French mathematicians capable of devising a formula ensuring a French winner.

Pog was lucky his hands didn’t get road rash. Johan de Muynck lost the Giro because of that.

Are you sure about that? Didn't he slow for Cadel (not a crash magnet, actually the defending Tour champion) who had punctured along with a bunch of other riders because some cunt had thrown tacks on the road?

It's a bit sad that the KOM competition can be won by people who aren't really going for it, and taken from people who are.

They're not trying hard enough then are they?

Why not give GC to the guy who maybe only crosses the line in the top 10, but has the best hair?

pls no lobbying for personal gains

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No tour de femmes on itv4 despite lizzy on the show and a trailer advert running.

Geshcke would have secured the jersey if he’d crossed the Aubisque first. He tried, with his entire team supporting him and failed. Hard to argue he deserved it.

Porte was riding for Sky when Wiggins won the Tour. One can only assume @Alan_tbt is confusing his Australians and meant Cadel Evans.

And I agree with you @hippy, Evans was a very capable bike handler.

That's fair, I'm not saying he deserved it necessarily, just that it is disappointing that it's a genuine competition and exciting to watch at times, but then ultimately doesn't end up mattering. Those sideshows are something that makes the GTs so great. Not that it hasn't already been great this year.

I was watching the start of yesterday's stage and it was sad to see Geschke trying and repeatedly failing to get into the break.

I hadn't realised until I read the comments to TdG's tweet that they'd already made changes for this year.

This is a good idea to keep it as a competitive jersey - but then probably defeats the point of being for the best climber (which it doesn't really anyway because even if Geschke had won today it would be hard to argue he'd been the best climber on this Tour).

@hippy @andyp that’s my 10 year memory gone then… 🙁

^ I use a combo of YouTube & Wikipedia to feign having a memory.

Agreed. Maybe combative points instead of Kotm to give the jersey more meaning again? It merits having a different "winner". The White Jersey is redundant too these days IMO, and Wout is doing his best to make Green a non-contest for the next decade.

Re: WvA being on for spots and green - anyone else done that? Merckx I’d guess.

He can't win the polka dot. There's only three Cat 4 climbs left in the entire race, offering a grand total of 3 points. Vingegaard has an 8 point lead over Geschke, and 13 point lead over WVA.

In 1969 Merckx won the GC, the KoM and the Points competitions. And six stages.

Dodgy lopez ! Who would of thought that of aztana.?