2014 Pro-cycling season thread

So will Sky try and get Cataldo in the top maybe 10, or go for stage wins?

womens tour tomorrow, is there going to be any coverage/highlights at all?

1 hour of highlights on ITV4 every night at 9 pm.

Edit: Andy beat me

That's pretty good to be fair.

I think the media recognise this might be a ground breaking race. There is clearly interest in women's racing, and the calendar is in such a state that a new, well backed race with good media exposure could be at the vanguard of establishing a new, more balanced pro women's scene, with strong sponsors.

If you look at the start list of this inaugural version, then it has all the best riders in the current peloton so it should be an excellent race, even allowing for the, on paper at least, fairly straightforward parcours.

I want to go and watch the first stage tomorrow but I have uni work :(

The first stage is today, they've just rolled out.

I do of course mean the second stage, starting from Hinckley.

Shame I'm not going to be able to make it to watch any of it.

I think the media recognise this might be a ground breaking race. There is clearly interest in women's racing, and the calendar is in such a state that a new, well backed race with good media exposure could be at the vanguard of establishing a new, more balanced pro women's scene, with strong sponsors.

If you look at the start list of this inaugural version, then it has all the best riders in the current peloton so it should be an excellent race, even allowing for the, on paper at least, fairly straightforward parcours.

Googled a bit - is the official 'site'? http://thetour.co.uk/files/documents/TheWomensTour2014.pdf

Thread here:

https://www.lfgss.com/thread126706.html

http://road.cc/content/news/117981-will-geraint-thomas-leave-team-sky

Don't see him as a contender at the grand tours but maybe with right training. Quite interesting about EBH. BMC doesn't seem to make sense when they've got Van Avermaet targeting the classics. He'd be better off at a team which doesn't have a specialist for the cobbled classics like Tinkoff or Movistar.

...or Sky

True dat

You don't see him as a Grand Tour contender? Seriously!!!!!!!!

It's called negotiation, to get a fatter offer from Sky to keep. I can't really see him leaving but stranger things have happened.

He's have to lose weight to become a better climber if he wanted to challenge for GTs, a bit like Wiggins. Certainly not beyind the realms of possibility.

You don't see him as a Grand Tour contender? Seriously!!!!!!!!

Never more serious. He's nearly 28 and his best finish in a Grand Tour is 31st, he's behind Froome, Wiggins, Porte and Henao in the GT leadership hierarchy at Sky so unless he changes teams, he's not going to get a chance to lead the team at a GT for a season or two. He's never demonstrated that he can ride with the best climbers in a GT, nor is his time-trialling at a GT winning level.

He's a bloody talented rider, but in my view he should stick with the classics, as he's good enough to prosper there.

Nailed it.

In addition, the chances of Geraint Thomas getting through a grand tour without at least one major crash resulting in time losses or injury are vanishingly small.

Yes, you're quite right really Andy. I would be sad to see him disappear from the classics, he's getting good there.

I thought he was younger than 28. So yes maybe, I thought he had more time on his side. To develop.

Taking a year out to prepare for the Olympics probably didn't help

Once in a lifetime opportunity though..

Great to see Vos racing on British roads.

Inside info... Sharon Laws comes out on our winter training rides sometimes. This year she was riding a ratty Prorace (with a rack) and nutrition is sorted with..... bananas.

It seems to have worked. :)

On the subject of who is and isn't a GT rider, Dan Martin's chances in the Giro are being talked up, but I can't see him threatening too much over three weeks against the likes of Quintana and Cadel. Someone tell me I am wrong.