Pro-cycling thread

I don’t. He lost control and did his best to stay upright, only to have his front wheel taken out by Dianese, who deviated off his line.

He veered off to the left, stayed upright and then intentionally rode back into the bunch at the same time as Dainese launched into recently vacated space. You can slow it down and dispute the sequence but at 70kph, which is reality rather than a slo-mo, Dainese is innocent.

All I saw were two crazy kids trying to make their way in this mixed up world. There's no governing body for life.

still nothing from willmelling about the @ reply

Looking very tense today.

Pozzovivo had to have stitches in his knee, hope he can carry on.
Evenepoel sounds a bit banged up too.
But with only 3 stages to go it could go either way.

Phone was a goner as well.

I hope it wasn't the phone that took out Vendrame.

Then they find the phone and its lock screen is just a big picture of some text reading...

ALLEZ OMI OPI

(Which, incidentally, was the name of that jack russell)

At 70kph reality, deviating from your line as you’re starting your sprint is against the rules.

Technically, Cav had stopped sprinting, so if he joined the bunch or aimed to follow a wheel, there is nothing wrong with that.

Dainese’s team have accepted the relegation without further comment or complaint, so maybe they also thought Dainese wasn’t 100% innocent?

If Cav and Dainese were swapped, public opinion definitely wouldn’t be on Cav’s side either.

Cavendish has to maintain speed and a position, otherwise he becomes even more of an obstacle for those coming up behind.

Dainese moved left violently, for that alone he should have been disqualified as it endangers others. The commissaires, rightly, penalised him for that. The fact that it caused Cavendish to lose control again is incidental.

Lead out men always fall back through the bunch. Not a problem. Happens all the time. Cav didn’t have to swing back into Dainese and obstruct. You hold your line once you’re done and let the bunch navigate around you. Cav was done.

If you want Dainese penalised for launching a sprint around those in front of him, then there will be a handful of DQs every bunch finish. Caleb would be bankrupted by the fines he’s racked up and lose a lot of his results.

You’re putting a good argument forward for sprint lanes, as otherwise how is Dainese supposed to get out of the slipstream of those ahead of him? For the record, I’ve never been a proponent of lanes, just lines to aid commissaries.

I can’t see the Dainese DQ in real time. I want to, because I love a good rule infraction, but I just see Cav going rogue, wanting to be involved again like a good doggo, obstructing, then taking green guy into barriers with an unclipped foot on his frame, breaking a poor filmmakers arm, then inspiring great art crossing the line on his arse.

The commentary on GCN+ has been really good so far. Knowledgeable and funny.

Their highlights show is a bit rubbish though - no voiceover to explain what's happened between the time jumps, so here's a breakaway of 5, then suddenly it's a three, then suddenly there's no breakaway any more or a different one.

Perhaps the ITV highlights shows (RIP?) have spoiled us, because they really were/are superb.

You can’t deviate once you’ve launched your sprint, if it obstructs another rider. Of course you can launch a sprint out of the wheels around those in front.

To adjudicate Dainese, first you have to explain Cav’s wheel slip, violent veer off to the left and then decision to coast back into a group where sprints were being launched.

Cav made a dangerous decision causing a lot of mess.

As the @ reply rider who came in 6th I saw the whole thing. I believe it was harsh to relegate DineEasy© ("Great Food Delivered"). Surely much more of a racing incident - the I think any sprinter would instinctually fight for the gap created by Mark's wheel slippage so it's hard to blame Cav for looking to reoccupy the slot or for DineEasy to slot into a new gap. It's half second decision making and hardly a move done with malice. And if a crime, surely a less serious offence than the classic 200m fight of 'I know you are already there but I want to be there' wipeout shenanigans (Hi Caleb!)

Let's not forget both riders were right there, and Cav did some freewheeling, bounced off another rider and came in on his ass and still got 5th so man was in the mix

Their highlights show is a bit rubbish though

Yeah last night's ended very abruptly, they didn't explain what happened to Remco at all and there was no GC leaderboard. I realised that despite coming off a second time he wouldn't lose GC time because it was in the last 3k, but I feel like a lot of casual viewers wouldn't necessarily have got that.

I think they need to be a bit longer as well as better edited, you need a bit of context chat at the end - even if it's just a minute - and full results.

Also ITV would clearly have played out some scenic footage of the race at the end with the tune I posted up thread or another track which wittily fitted in with the day's racing.

RIP?

They're doing the Tour again this year. They never did the Giro, did they?

https://www.itv.com/itvcycling/articles/2023-cycling-on-itv4

Could they not have moved the barrier line over a few feet, eliminate the white line being in the racing line?

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This is art. From here.

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How does Cavendish go rogue? His back wheel slipped and thanks to his bike handling skills he managed to stay upright. Honestly, you’re just picking a fight because it’s Cavendish and for some ridiculous reason some people think he has a reputation for being a dirty sprinter. He isn’t by any measure. You don’t have the longevity he’s had if your rivals think you aren’t correct.

The UCI commissaires were there, they reviewed the incident and relegated Dainese for deviation. He was too far back when the sprint launched so was never going to overhaul those in front, he should’ve held his line until the finish.

Anyway, I imagine Remco is loving the Cavendish polemica as it distracts attention away from his schoolboy error - looking behind and drifting right - that directly led to his second crash yesterday.

I bet Leferve gave him a right bollocking in the hotel last night; “Remco, the race happens in front of you.”

It does this a lot. I only watch the highlights programme and I have to google the GC standings. Another minute showing that and a brief interview clip would be great.

How dare you challenge my love for Cav.

Vindication is not agreeing with a UCI decision.

Since when did Astana move to Hed wheels? Corimas are the classiest wheels in the bunch, always seemed a bit at odds with a nouveau riche team

ITV4 also had Vuelta highlights up to 2021. Very disappointing for that to have been lost.