2012 Pro-cycling season thread

The HTC train didn't always deliver Champs Elysee style finishes they just made sure stages always ended with a sprint.

Sky are doing a good enough job with that and Cav was in the same place he was at the worlds; bumped off G's wheel but still 4-5th wheel and just waiting to outsprint Goss again.

ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffuck.

Sticky sheets for while.

Well, he is a new father...

He was just doing his best to try and match his red jersey..

Sky bossed Stage 2and delivered Cav the win. On Stage 3 for me they did too much work with about 50K to go and perhaps weren't as strong at the end, but Cav did lose Geraint's wheel on a corner and found himself about 2 bikes back with 2 Sky riders leading the Peloton. At that point Cav looked happy to sit on Renshaw's wheel (or else he was having a flashback) and try to nick the win. It actually reminded me of the World Championship ride, where the GB team bossed the race but then got swamped in the final 2k, at which point Cav showed street-smarts and sneaked it.

And he might have done, but for Ferrari. That said Goss may have had too much for him, but Cav would have got top 3 minimum, which would have kept him in the Maglia Rosso, which Goss has now. So whether Cav would have won or not is immaterial, he would have finished high and scored plenty of points in the competition Sky look set up for, since they don't really have a GC rider (honourable mentions to Uran and Thomas).

Fuck me you lot can sook when that Manx rider doesn't win.

Yeah, get your own fucking heroes.

Swifty stacked it so they've only got that Belgian Wiggo to cheer for.

Mr Swift would also rather be manx.

pretty good analyses people... I hope to see sprints in a more or less straight line, a lot less riders on the ground in the next stages and preferably Theo Bos up front too, to see if he's got the legs to keep up with (or even beat??) Cavman.

but how about Zdenek Stybar! he won his 1st road stage in the 4 days of Dunkerque the day before yesterday, beating the likes of Niki Terpstra and Titi Voeckler. I think it looks promising, we might well see him up front in next year's classics.

Mr Swift would also rather be manx.

You take that back right now. TAKE IT BACK!!!!

^^good to see him getting results after an erratic cross season. His knee (?) must've healed up properly now.

Roughly on the same subject, where's Lars Boom?

You take that back right now. TAKE IT BACK!!!!

Never.

Mr Swift would also rather be manx.

Is he really? I thought he was Engerlandish?

but how about Zdenek Stybar! he won his 1st road stage in the 4 days of Dunkerque the day before yesterday, beating the likes of Niki Terpstra and Titi Voeckler. I think it looks promising, we might well see him up front in next year's classics.

Watched all FIVE(?) days last night. He was super strong.
Trying to impress before the Olympics they reckon. Good on him.

Is he really? I thought he was Engerlandish?

I think he lives on the Isle of Man.

Which is understandable really, if I lived in Rotherham I'd probably find a windswept tax haven in a cold, wet sea attractive.

Predictions for today's TTT?

Difficult to look past Garmin for me.

Roughly on the same subject, where's Lars Boom?

busy being the new daddy I guess. no Giro but 'Ronde van Zeeland Seaports'. no TdF either. maybe Poland, Tour of Britain later on. I don't imagine him riding the Vuelta this year, too much climbing involved

Predictions for today's TTT?
Difficult to look past Garmin for me.

They're favourites but will have a issue early on allowing GreenEdge to scrape a 3 second win.

I think he lives on the Isle of Man.

Which is understandable really, if I lived in Rotherham I'd probably find a windswept tax haven in a cold, wet sea attractive.

We're moving, currently enroute to barbados.

Roughly on the same subject, where's Lars Boom?

apparently Rabobank have stopped encouraging doping within their team now. Doubt you will see much of him....;)

apparently Rabobank have stopped encouraging doping within their team now. Doubt you will see much of him....;)

Didn't he have a bad spill during one of the classics? He'll be riding the TdF anyway, shirly?

Definitely calls for this highlight of the Spring:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rnCEU9OGR4Q#t=5s

haha. that's the one. think he finished the race so maybe it was just his ego he bruised...

Predictions for today's TTT?

Difficult to look past Garmin for me.

Radioshack-Nissan-Trek

http://gifsforum.com/images/image/troll%20face/grand/trollface_corner.jpg