2013 Pro-cycling season thread

They want to include the UCI but ASO isn't on board? What's the point then?

World Series Cycling are even bigger clowns than the UCI.

I defy you to read this interview and not want to punch Jonathan Price in the head.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/how-world-series-cycling-plans-to-reinvent-the-sport

The whole sport needs to simplify itself. The message is too complicated right now.

No it doesn't. The complexity is what makes it interesting.

exactly. See 20-20 cricket for a wonderfully complex sport being oversimplified - which is just shit.

Viewing figures would suggest 20-20 is perfect for modern tv audiences.

I do think reform of the calendar is needed, and sharing the tv money amongst the teams is long overdue, but this idea that we want to see 13 four day stage races with the same fucking format is too daft for words.

andyp is almost always right.

By coincidence I think, this op-ed on Velonews questions the value of the "live" vs highlights/editted/narrative presentation of the sport to US viewers.

Viewing figures would suggest 20-20 is perfect for modern tv audiences.

I genuinely think that it's an ugly format for the game, which strips away all the subtlety / technique of proper cricket, rewarding defensive bowling and ridiculous batting - might as well watch baseball or rounders.
Lots of people watch Jeremy Kyle - doesn't make it good television, or good for television.

I do recognise the above as just an opinion from someone brought up watching test match cricket though...

If you can't waste 5 days getting into the ebb and flow of test match cricket, you're probably not unemployed or about to sit some sort of exam.

Pretty much. You could add 'Land-owning MCC member' to that list too

And 'Creative'?

Cycling is so boring that we are now talking about cricket?

Cycling is so boring that we are now talking about cricket?

Cycling is so boring that we give ourselves usernames like 'fussballclub'? ;P

Strada Bianchi is tomorrow!

Start list 2013 >>>

British Eurosport are showing something at 18:45. It could be fruity.

^ It's called Strade Bianche (easily confused with a certain bike brand)

and you can watch it live at http://sports-livez.blogspot.nl/

Bianche = white? That makes sense.

Yes.

I really can't see anybody beating Sagan in SB. All he has to do is follow a wheel until it's time to sprint. And he can handle the surface where one or two others might struggle.

If pro cycling was that easy, Cavendish would win everything.

No - what I mean is, this really, really suits Sagan. So in the same way that I will say come July that I can't see past Cav on the Champs Elysee, I can't see past Sagan here.

Feel free to make your own predictions.

Bianche = white? That makes sense.

Strada > plural: Strade
Bianchi > plural: Bianche

Everyone in the race knows that if they get to the finish with Sagan he'll beat them in a sprint, so are his team strong enough to keep him in contention?

Cancellara has won it twice before, if his form is good then he's a solid bet.

anyway it's a pussy course compared to L'Eroica ;-)

I think one of the Schleck boys might do it....