Pro-cycling thread

Marlen Reusser too

Mentioned at the start of the docs chat: https://www.lfgss.com/comments/17089429/

I think my point was, the women's pro peloton are frankly just too high-achieving. AVV is an epidemiologist, ffs- she's basically @previouslyknownasDamo but good at bike ;)
The concept of managing to race/ train at the end/ beginning of a shift/run of shifts is out of my realm of understanding.
(and lets not even begin to drift to track- eg Morris, etc).

How many of them are working as doctors though? My presumption is they've graduated then moved to pro ranks and will maybe return to doctoring when they're done.

OI!

they must have managed both concurrently at some stage though.

Well yeah, but then most people don't just get born and turn pro - they're doing school, uni and/or working to pay for their 'hobby' which then turns serious and they find they can make a living from the cycling rather than the qualification.

There's been quite a few examples of people during the Worlds saying things like "I put my career on hold to fully focus on the Worlds and Paris Olympics double"

I guess that combination of home/close events probably makes it seem more tangible of a goal, especially if you've already gone some way to proving your ability.

I guess to even be in a position to consider going pro means you've got to be good, which means lots of training. Fine if you're doing a 9-5 in the local fish factory, bit harder if you're a junior doc I suspect.

I don't know what the doctoring requirements are but yeah the lots of hours thing would hamper stuff a bit. But you just find a way. They're all genetic freaks anyway, so will be quick off far less training than norms - then it's just a case of making a call when an offer comes in - racing or doctoring

https://www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/working-hours/european-working-time-directive-ewtd/juniors-who-opt-out-of-the-european-working-time-directive

I was working more hours than this when I was contracting. But I was drinking for the rest of the time though. :D

Having been nowhere near fast, ever, it's unclear how much training a genetic freak would need per week. Hot take is 300km minimum, so around 9-11 hours. I guess that's manageable especially with Zwift etc, although you would have little social life. Suspect this is why so many pros are dorks.

Oops, will read up next time chef

I heard about a rider who gave up his career as a tubbygram to focus on staying awake for 24 hours at a time. Not sure what became of him.

I heard about a rider who gave up his career as a tubbygram to focus on staying awake for 24 hours at a time. Not sure what became of him.

I agree with the last comment, there is also an over-abundance of (seemingly) anaesthetists in TT / triathlon land.
From experience, the ability to do any training, whilst working a full 10-12hr(or more likely longer) shift on your feet, where you might have a 30 minute break at some point in the day (far from guaranteed), with not hydration or nutritional control, is quite hard.
I used to use my 20+mile each way commute (against flow of traffic, quite nice actually, except after night shifts) to train as a junior, and take advantage of the free room for the weekend on-calls to bring a bike up to sneak an hour of power or so before the shift started, and it was not sustainable/ beneficial.
More recently, the thought of getting yourself onto a Turbo post shift was difficult.
(or getting up an extra hour ahead of planned (-c. 4am to get a workout in, then get to handover at 7)).

Pretty pleased to be on long term sabbatical at the moment...

Jorgenson to JV. Hope that works out for him.

Pro cycling’s favourite troll is still at it

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Is it all over? What about Cav?

What about bicarb?

I cant possibly comment, over to @andyp

That wacky road race course....a puncture was pretty much a DNF. Did they take special puncture prevention measures? Please tell me they were all on gatorskins.

I think that's a great move for Jorgensen, no more spending his own money and with every opportunity to be as good as he can be and learn from the best.

I think it's a bad move. His opportunities to lead the team will be almost non-existent, he's effectively taken the money to be a domestique for Vingegaard, Roglic and Van Aert.

Maybe he knows the limits of his talents and ambitions - he could develop in to a Sepp Kuss type of rider who is happy to be an invaluable, and very well paid, domestique without the pressure to win but who occasionally gets a chance.

For the next few years anyone thinking of winning major stage races is going to have to be exceptionally good so there have to be other ways for talented riders to have fulfilling careers beyond aiming for wins. He's dragged himself out of the mire of Movistar and now has the best chance to develop that he could have.

Meaningful opportunities to lead at movistar are nonexistent and the same move has worked quite well for riders like Laporte. Added benefit of not having to pay for your own training on Jumbo!