2012 Pro-cycling season thread

I heard him pay tribute and thank the team several times during and after the race in interviews, I also saw him lead out for Cav and EBH, and bury himself in the Olympic RR as returned favours, and I also heard him pay tribute to Froome individually and state he would be riding in support of him in the future. He also had this to say recently|:

I will be there in a supporting role to help the guys in the road race and it is the same with the Tour of Britain. A lot of guys have ridden for me all year and rather than just stop and say I have won what I wanted to win and go on holiday for six months and get fat, I thought it would be nice to go back there and help the team in those races

Regarding the Worlds RR. He also rode an amazing stint for Cav in the Worlds last time. Everything I have heard or read indicates Wiggins is grateful for the help he has got, and wants to repay it. Cound is one mean houndog

froome seems so nice and reasonable. Cound seems like a bitofatwat.

froome seems so nice and reasonable. Cound seems like a bitofatwat.

Read that as 'bit-o-fat-wat' at first. Which I kida like as an insult

Really looking forward to the Canadian races coming up, first of which is being shown live on Eurosport on Thursday 9pm. Sagan will be back in action, and Sky are sending a strong team

Erik Zabel's son has just won the German U23 title:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/zabel-back-to-winning-ways-in-germany

He must be something special to be competing against u23s aged 10.

With a disease that turns their hair green...

Junior Zabel is the spitting image of his old man though.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/09/news/talansky-on-vuelta-wiggins-and-calling-out-andy-jacques-maynes_238114/1

Very interesting interview with Talansky: he's pretty bullish in it, echoing Wiggins' reaction to accusations of doping to a lesser extend, but says very unambiguously that he rides clean, and that the peloton is generally very clean, and that riders that do dope are outcasts these days.

He has annoyed the clinic though, by saying he doesn't feel like he needs to prove he is clean, or that he owes the fans that transparacy. I can see why a new generation of clean riders would feel that way, and its when the whole sackcloth-and-ashes from the pros needs to end.

He must be something special to be competing against u23s aged 10.

What do you expect with a dad like that?

(He's 18, which is still pretty early to be winning a U23 race.)

Spanish national team for worlds:

Jonathan Castroviejo, Pablo Lastras and Alejandro Valverde, Alberto Contador, Juan Antonio Flecha, Oscar Freire, Dani Moreno and Joaquim Rodríguez and Samuel Sánchez

Nice.

What's that, five leaders and four domestiques? Or five leaders if Flecha fancies his chances. Castroviejo, Lastras and Moreno aren't going to ride for anyone but their trade team team leaders. Looks like the Italian squads of old.

fair point - i was just star struck by the names. dont know who they're supposed to be riding for.

Themselves presumably.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha

Jens Voight @thejensie "Just got my accreditations handed over for the worlds.... Would you please check that pic.... What where they thinking?"

Brilliant

Jens Voigt ‏@thejensie
A mullet was the hottest thing back then, somewhat in between the 2. and 3. Iceage.... Haha

Jens Voigt ‏@thejensie
Did actually loved my mullet, met my wife like that and she still likes my old mullet pics. Not the first one tough...

not sure about the Trade TT, but great performance from OPQS

Tony Martin has just slaughtered himself at the worlds TT. Caught and passed Contador and just beat Phinneys time. Taylor is totally distraught.

Taylor was 8 seconds quicker than Tony from second time check to the finish, something went very wrong for him from check 1 to check 2 to lose 18 secs to Tony.

All the split times here http://static.sportresult.com/federations/uci/CR-node/

Don't really know what I'm talking about, but seems like a pretty impressive result from Alex Dowsett - top 10, and finishing about Contador...

I expected more from Hutch.

Martin was on clinchers again.

I expected more from Hutch.

Given Hutches fistful of national TT records and titles, and on the back of the Hutch Vs Wiggins TT banter I was going to ask why he wasn't/never went pro. I guess this goes some way to explaining it - I suppose it would be fair to say that his success is in part due to the fact few pro riders race domestic TTs?

Euskatel rider killed by a car whilst training in Spain. Victor Cabedo rode TOB last week :(