2014 Pro-cycling season thread

"Yesterday I got a phone call from Bjarne with the decision. I am not happy about it, I think the team doesn't care about my health. I am 24 after all, 2 GTs in a row is a big challenge."

I respect his maturity, I imagine a lot of young riders would snatch at the chance to ride the Tour, shows he knows he'll be big

I don't really care about the Tour that much, but it is simply a shame that Wiggins isn't in it.

I respect his maturity, I imagine a lot of young riders would snatch at the chance to ride the Tour, shows he knows he'll be big

Calling out your boss in public?

He's a great rider but that comment isn't going to make his next month any easier.

If he really is as good as he seems to be then he won't be short of offers.

He still lacks polish, though.

^just awful...

Shit news re: Roman K. Contador having a weak team is going to make the tour another Sky procession. Yawn.
Don't think Roche will get popped, I really hope not anyway...

I'm pretty sure Mick Rogers won't be. He'll be much more careful after Beijing.

Laura Trott takes National Championship from Armitstead http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/article/20140629-road-Report--2014-British-Cycling-National-Championships-0

Team Sky going for the always popular "survived near-fatal disease to recover and win the TDF" narrative with CF in the Daily Fail.

At this point they must be just trolling the clinic.

They also let Kimmage interview him for 3 hrs and results are in Irish Independent on Sunday today.

No British champion's jersey in the tour this year, but well done Kennaugh, and a great great ride by Simon Yates today too

I thought kennaugh was ill?

Le Sky sigh...

Simon Yates in third. Matt White very carefully saying their younger riders are not ready to go for GC in the Tour this year. The Yates brothers seem so exceptional maybe they will send them to see how they get on.

Frank Schleck won in Luxembourg, Andy was third.

Netherlands: Sebastian Langeveld

Belgium: Jens Debusschere

Slovakia: guess who...

They also let Kimmage interview him for 3 hrs and results are in Irish Independent on Sunday today.

Such a strange interview. I try to avoid the Cound stuff because I think it's all a bit dramatic and embarrassing. Then I read an interview like that and, although exactly like that, they give her the last word.

I wish he pushed him on the performance enhancing bit of the TUE. He just dropped it (and even backpedalled).

The full 3 hour interview will be available tomorrow.

Watching the British Road Race Champs and seeing 4 British Sky roders in the break, and none of them in the TdF made me do a Dan sigh. Kennaugh in particular deserved to make the squad and would be in the position to take the British Champs jersey to le Tour. He has the form and the experience, and proved he is a canny bike rider today. As bad as leaving out Wiggins. I think Swift would be handy too in that team, do what EBH usually does for them.

I love Simon and Adam Yates. I'm not supporting anyone else for the next 10 years.

Simon Yates in third. Matt White very carefully saying their younger riders are not ready to go for GC in the Tour this year. The Yates brothers seem so exceptional maybe they will send them to see how they get on.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/white-there-will-be-some-surprises-in-our-tour-de-france-team

I'm guessing they will be stage hunting, but perhaps primarily going for Green with Matthews. If they did take either or both of the Yates bros then they have weapons for the high mountains too.

Such a strange interview. I try to avoid the Cound stuff because I think it's all a bit dramatic and embarrassing. Then I read an interview like that and, although exactly like that, they give her the last word.

I wish he pushed him on the performance enhancing bit of the TUE. He just dropped it (and even backpedalled).

I wonder how far he could have pushed within the interview getting stopped. The TUE definitely sticks in the craw but to be fair to Froome it isn't he who should be answering questions about it. It was within the rules, but for me the rules are wrong so the rule-makers need to be answering that. No steroids, end of. You're so sick you need cortisico you don't race. It is rocket fuel, sick or not.

Provided OGE announce AdamY for the tour team I'm definitely putting a few quid for him to win on each of the mountain stages, 200-300/1 odds, 3 quid on each, worth a go.

Greipel won in Germany.