2013 Pro-cycling season thread

Chris Horner is having an extended rant at the injustices of the world on twitter. Check it out by following @hornerakg

No-one else read this in the last 24 hours? http://inrng.com/2013/10/ucis-2020-vision/

Pretty interesting. Would entail a fairly massive shakeup of professional cycling.. and probably quite a large number of people losing jobs. It seems like the aim is to reduce the cost of running a team, whilst making the sport more appealing to global sponsors - I have the feeling is that riders wages will just go up and any absorb any savings.

Audits by E&Y? There'll be no savings after that lot have finished.

Well it's almost time to bid goodbye to this thread. It's been a good thread, we've had some good times, we've had some bad times, we've laughed, we've cried. I remember all the early season angst: can Fab hold off the young pretender Sagan, and those sweepstakes on what km Geraint will fall off in. The sparring between Froome and Contador, which Froome won every time, unless Nibali was racing. Then Sir Brad, sweet, silly Sir Brad and the most half-hearted season we've ever seen from a rider of his calibre at the peak of his career. He ventured to the Giro with whispers of the double coming from his lips every time a journalist waved a microphone in his face, all to be washed away like the rest of the road detritus in the Italian rain, while Nibali continued peerlessly on, proving that whatever else his shortcomings as a rider may be, it's not that size of his balls. Huge balls, massive, biggest I ever saw. Wonder if he needs a custom saddle with those? And a reinforced chamois.

And then to the weird and whacky tour, where Froome smoteth all that challenged him with the smallest of smiles from those thin lips as Cound hovered behind operating the complex series of pullies that enable him to move and talk and things. Contador was suddenly, dramatically human, despite the power of his team and the paucity of Sky in comparison. Instead we lauded a new, genuine talent, a humble Colombian mountain goat who I look forward to watching win lots of things in the future.

Best of all was the comedy stylings of the Vuelta. Since in Spain it's rude not to dope, so everyone came to the party with a baggie and got right on it, including a diminutive yank no one right until the second to last stage thought he could win. His baggie was the best, and left the rest wanting to know where he got it from.

Favourite part was probably that Stannard ride in MSR when he was off the leash and threw down with the best and almost monstered it. Vanmarcke in Paris-Roubaix another great ride and Dan Martin in LBL a standout. Spring classics is where it is at.

^rep for the use of the word "smoteth"

See you all in the 2014 thread.

Hold on, we still got the Tour of unbelievable pollution levelsBeijing

We're closer the next year's classics than we are this year's #boner

Actually wtf is Richie Porte doing there

I reckon in a second he steps forward then moonwalks backwards across them

I'd pay good money to see that

In other news just read Santa has tweeted 'addio mondo' goodbye world. Shit

Tour of Beijing is being streamed live on Youtube Tour of Beijing - LIVE - Day 1 - YouTube

If anyone's interested in cycling in China there's also a series of Beijing Cycling stories on the youtube channel that I put together.

Actually wtf is Richie Porte doing there

Triathletes... Never happy in a bunch

Good win for Thor today. Nice to see him getting back into good form.

In other news just read Santa has tweeted 'addio mondo' goodbye world. Shit

What?

^Santambrogio had a bit of a rough night

http://road.cc/content/news/96234-mauro-santambrogio-saved-suicide-bid-outpouring-support-twitter

I'm very glad the worst didn't happen. Clean or otherwise, no-one should suffer like that. Makes me aware that I should have more humanity and less snarkiness and cynicism when it comes to riders.

Agreed. Cycling has become a circus and so it's easy just to laugh at the clowns and Santa was certainly one of those. Now not so much, seems to be walking the same path as Ricco or Pantani. Glad he made his cry for help and then the support he needed. Sobering really, glad he's pulled through, hope he can rebuild his life in some way.

Yes

And that concludes my interest in TOB.

^^ would be a great avatar

^^^ tynan?

^^^ Nice to see Dan Martin getting into the spirit of things. The panda idea is a friend of mine Shannon Bufton who runs and owns the excellent Serk a cycling coffeeshop/bar here in Beijing.

Today we are having a Panda corner (think dutch corner but much smaller and full of pandas) on the mountain stage to try and get more Chinese fans involved in the Tour of Beijing.

Was it a badger which chased him up the finish in LBL?

I don't know what my point is. I need to go back to bed.