2013 Pro-cycling season thread

Froome wins Saitama Criterium. From a breakaway. With Peter Sagan and Rui Costa.

soundslegit.gif

Just watching it now.

Didn't even watch the end myself; first bit looked more like a recovery ride.

"It was rather loftily billed as the 22nd stage of the Tour de France, and while that is a rather grandiose claim for an exhibition race in late October, the inaugural Saitama Criterium by Le Tour de France could scarcely have followed a more fitting script for organisers ASO, as Chris Froome (Sky) emerged victorious ahead of Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and Rui Costa (Movistar)."

great review here, very thinly veiled

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/saitama-criterium-2013/results

It's basically an exhibition ride/jolly for the teams. Nothing wrong with that. The whole 6-day scene is still kicking along nicely doing exactly the same thing (though perhaps a little less obviously).

Oh the glamour

hehe

The hotel looked nice though and I'd hardly pass up a trip to Japan for a couple of hours racing and a bit of publicity work.

They might even confuse me for one of their sumo greats and buy my sake.

Ha I just watched the 'break'. In the tunnel, out of site of the crowds, the 3 ride away and the whole bunch sits up and spreads across the road. Hahaha

Sagan almost took Froome out when he went through on the barrier side. Big wobble then cheeky grin - totally working hard in that 'break' of theirs. :)

"...They might even confuse me for one of their sumo greats and buy my sake."

That's a pic from my last TT ^

Oh the glamour

That is priceless.
Marginal gains be damned.

"The international sport of cycling is not only sick, the sickness goes up to the highest levels." - Rabobank board member Burt Bruggink upon announcing the termination of their Pro Tour team.

We could say the same about the business of international banking:

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/oct/28/rabobank-fine-libor-scandal-resurfaces

But, beyond the obvious ethical hypocrisy, is there a closer connection here?

A timeline:

June 2012 - Libor scandal breaks, Rabobank presumably realises the implications.

October 2012 - Rabobank pulls out of cycling, citing the USADA's report of systematic doping at US Postal as "the final straw."

Summer 2013 - Rabobank announces that it will be fined at that it has already "made a provision of an undisclosed sum in preparation for the regulatory action."

October 2013 - Rabobank fined £600m, or just under half of 2012's net profit.

Now I know €15 is small change to a major international bank. But still, loosing half your annual profit in a puff of smoke ... could have kick-started some Maggie Thatcher milk snatcher style cost-cutting antics?

Now I know €15 is small change to a major international bank.

You must mean €15m. :)

What's going on here?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/blythe-out-of-bmc-and-signs-for-nfto

He's gone from being Gilbert's friend, training partner and valued domestique to being 'let go' and dropping from World Tour to Continental level with one year still left on his contract.

BMC have consistently under achieved and Allan Peiper has been brought in to improve the team. From what I've heard, Blythe is talented but doesn't apply himself like he should so presumably they've decided to get rid of him.

This NFTO team has my British pro team with ambition but no money senses tingling.

NFTO seems to be the vanity project of "military hardware importer" John Wood. He's got money.

A vanity project? What could possibly go wrong?

Got Wood?

in other news: the pro cyclist union in NL and Flanders is considering to start their own Pro Continental team for riders without a contract. It's said 135 are out of a job and 5 teams have quit. There's a chance this might succeed; they have some money but are still looking out for additional funding. The main purpose is to keep racing in 2014 and so improve their chances for finding a team when, hopefully, the market picks back up in 2015.

there's more sad stories like Seeldraayers' here http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/15725/Tour-of-Austria-stage-winner-Seeldraeyers-left-high-and-dry-for-2014-no-offers-as-yet.aspx

BMC have consistently under achieved and Allan Peiper has been brought in to improve the team. From what I've heard, Blythe is talented but doesn't apply himself like he should so presumably they've decided to get rid of him.

This NFTO team has my British pro team with ambition but no money senses tingling.

Still seems odd timing; if he has a year to go on his contract are they still going to have to pay him? Are they making space for a new rider? Given how late it is in the season and how many riders, winning riders, can't find places, it just feels like there is more to it than has been revealed. He's dropped down 2 levels which will make it much harder for him to come back up again than if he had dropped down to Pro Continental.

Apolz if repost...

Some of you may already know the very lovely Laura Fletcher, she's been busy covering the Pro Tour around Europe for Cycling News all summer...

She used her privelidged access to meet up with some of the top Pros and and take some rather cheeky snaps which she's turned into an awesome calendar... A nice dig at all the girlie cycling calendars out there...

Anyhow, great stocking filler... Do it... It'd be great to see Laura make this happen every year...

Available here...

\spam

KOM doesnt look too 'svelte'.

note also 100% of calendar sales go to good causes: Mostly to women's cycling!

just got my copy, brilliant!

my personal fave Jens Voigt

http://www.athlonsport.co.uk/25926/products/pro-tour-pin-ups-2014-calendar.aspx