2011 Pro-cycling season thread

This article, from the excellent Science of Sport blog, would seem to suggest the peloton is definitely getting cleaner;
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2011/03/biological-passport-effective-fight-or.html

I love these blog posts. /geek

Solid ride by Wiggins yesterday. Looked very convincing on the climbs, shutting down breaks and only allowing none GC threatening attacks go away.

How fucking hard is Nico Roche for getting back on the bike? He looked like death, but kept pedalling. Impressive.

And it's rumoured that Dave Millar is on the move to Green Edge next year. I thought he was some sort of shareholder in the Garmin team? Might be a conflict of interests there...

Matt Goss is moving to Green Edge too, apparently. Cav must be nervous...

Why? He's consistently proved that he's the best sprinter in the world, with only one rival who's come close to working out how to beat him in Alessandro Petacchi. I'm sure he's sprinted against Goss hundreds of times and you can guarantee he's worked out his strengths and weaknesses.

What'll be more interesting is where Cavendish ends up next season as it's certain he'll be leaving HTC-High Horse.

Sky.

snigger

Definitely Sky & part of his train's going with him. What sort of money can you get on HTC not going forward next year?

What sort of money can you get on HTC not going forward next year?

HTC are pulling out of sponsorship for 2012
http://inrng.com/2011/06/cycling-jersey-design/

Havent seen the Dauphin this year but Wiggins sounds strong this year,
Have to check the TdF route too see what his chances are like this year

Looked like Frank and Andy picked up each others paper bags at TDS. Frank droppped him and took a minute off him.

We also saw Andy get dropped in the ToC...

I dunno, what with possible lack of form from the likes of Schleck and Basso (due to missed training from recent injury), the tour could end up being as boring as this year's Giro...

Excellent finish by Rodriguez today!

Voeckler's ride was fucking balls to the wall stuff today-really wanted him to beast on through for the stage win. hard as nails to hang in there with all the attacks coming in the last 4km.

Kern and Pinot had great rides too and was impressed with Martin keeping the pace on the hills till he eventually popped... Bloody enjoyable stage all in. Hope the TdF produces more of the same.

/.

Cracking finish to the end of today's stage at the Tour de Swiss.

Well in Cunego.

Cyclist training program established in Kenya

Anyone else think this could be a good good thing?

Cracking finish to the end of today's stage at the Tour de Swiss.

Well in Cunego.

+1

Cunego back on blistering form!
That final climb on narrow cracked roads followed by a daredevil descent had me perched on the edge of the sofa. It really harked by to the aggressive style of his Giro winning era.

I noticed that he's changed to climbing on the hoods now instead of the drops, a la Pantani.

If he can just hold this form until the tour, or even improve, then he's in with a decent shout for a top five.

I'm starting to enjoy pro cycling again now that the results are more believable. If, and it is still an if, the bulk of the peloton is clean, then it's proof again that one of the effects of doping is to make racing boring.

This article, from the excellent Science of Sport blog, would seem to suggest the peloton is definitely getting cleaner;

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2011/03/biological-passport-effective-fight-or.html

Andy, quite frankly, you're just echoing here what Will said. ;)

Never seen a sprint fizzle out like the one in yesterday's Tour of Switzerland.
Brilliant disruptive tactics by Vaconsoleil - not sure how intentional they were, but I'll bet there are a lot of teams with lesser sprinters in them who are studying that video very closely.

Mountains today! I don't have to be at work tomorrow till 1.30pm, so I'll watch it tonight with cheese and wine. Nom nom.

awesome descending
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7VT-cDytsE&feature=player_embedded#at=855

Agreed.

Terrible news about Mauricio Soler. Here's hoping he makes a full recovery.

Bloody hell, I only just saw him win a stage and now he's in a coma. Had seen nothing of him since his Tour KOM and it looked like he might be coming back. Hope he recovers well.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-airlifted-from-tour-de-suisse-after-crash

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ggv6nLStqV-qaJaFtgh7zXGXCM6w?docId=2878974aec724a178309575a48a67ffd

Bloody hell, I only just saw him win a stage and now he's in a coma. Had seen nothing of him since his Tour KOM and it looked like he might be coming back. Hope he recovers well.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-airlifted-from-tour-de-suisse-after-crash

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ggv6nLStqV-qaJaFtgh7zXGXCM6w?docId=2878974aec724a178309575a48a67ffd

bit of a niche this one but... do you think the race radio ban is scaring the shit out of 'slow outta the blocks' SF start-up PedalBrain?

In English please?

Not sure if I hate Cunego or Leiphiemer more....was left feeling kinda flat at that.

the coverage (not Eurosport's fault but host broadcaster) of the final TT in the TdS today was just shit....it could have been epic with a few graphics and some time comparisons. Instead we had Carlton Kirkby guessing what the time gap was and then somehow thinking that Cunego was going to cover the last 500m in 23 seconds. At any rate Cunego looks better than he has since he won the White Jersey in.....2006? I doubt we'll see him deliberately drop 15 minutes on the first climb and go for stage wins.

Andy looks shit but must be bluffing. All things point to the first Giro/Tour double in 13 years though by my reckoning. I think the race for second place and the hope of AC getting chucked out is going to be more exciting while AC rides away into the sunset.

Why hate Cunego? Or Leipheimer, for that matter?

Cunego rode like a champ, making stage three on of the best days of racing I've ever seen. Leipheimer rode a clinical race, both him and Cunego rode brilliantly to their personal strengths.

What's to hate?

I don't think I've looked forward to a Tour de France so much in years - if Andy Schleck rides without the reserve shown in the Tour of Switzerland, if the favourites ride to defeat Contador rather than ride for second place, if Cunego attacks like that in the mountains of France and if Wiggins is still improving rather than having already peaked, then it should be a cracker.

Contador says he's still tired from the Giro, and the double is a big ask, but he's still head and shoulders above the rest. I don't hate him, but I would like to see him defeated, and however that happens it will be spectacular.