Pro-cycling thread

FDJ’s new kit. Ewww

Just like the old kit. When Carlton Furby announced a 'brand new team kit' I was mildly interested, until I saw it was the same as the old kit with a new sponsors name.

Incidentally, I like the new Cannondale Drapac EF energyexpialidocious kit.

H8erz gone h8.

Peculiar item on Cyclingtips:
Peter Kennaugh spoke of new opportunities with Bora-hansgrohe after moving from Team Sky, but after riding the Santos Tour Down Under and taking 22nd in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, he hasn’t competed since.
His team stated on Friday that he won’t race in the foreseeable future. “Due to personal health reasons, Bora – hansgrohe’s Peter Kennaugh had to take some time off the bike after the Tour Down Under this January,” it said.
“Next week he will start training again to prepare himself for the second part of the season. His return to racing is not decided yet, but the team fully supports Peter in his preparations. After a first six to eight week training period, the performance team and coaches will decide together with him which race will be appropriate for Peter to re-start his season.”
The team asked the media to respect Kennaugh’s privacy and said it wouldn’t make any further comments at this point.

What are 'personal health reasons'? He's got the clap?

I always assume it’s a mental health issue when it’s couched in those terms. If it’s anything physical, they’re usually explicit.

That's how I read it too.

Why are teams not more explicit when it is a mental health issue? There's clearly a stigma and misunderstanding around mental health still, but protecting people from that stigma tends to perpetuate it.

Either way, I hope he's alright. Maybe he just really needs his asthma medication and Bora won't let him have it.

Yeh, it does sound like that. The team's attempt to be discreet actually make that interpretation more plausible.

Could be something so embarrassing they don't want to put it out there but also can't lie incase it comes out later.

Y'kno, anal fissure, prolapse, nice big cist on his grundle...

Are Bora in the MPC?

They are, yes.

Makes medical/medication reasons more likely then I suppose.

Could equally be domestic reasons like relationship issues? Being on the road so much must be fucking rubbish for personal lives.

anal fissure

Always make me think of...

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❤️❤️Landa❤️❤️

Why are teams not more explicit when it is a mental health issue? There's clearly a stigma and misunderstanding around mental health still, but protecting people from that stigma tends to perpetuate it.

Given the lack of diversity in pro cycling - which is frequently sexist and several other ists - I'm not surprised by this at all, if that is what it is. But it's also possible that this was how he wanted them to describe it. Whatever it is.

Heinrich Haussler has spoken about his issues with depression...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/heinrich-haussler-one-final-shot-to-save-my-career/

On another note, great ride by Simon (I think) Yates at Paris Nice. Still not sure which is which or which is better.

It was Simon, strong attack after some softening up work by Kreuziger, went away with Ion Izagirre, then rode away from him with a kilometre to go. Adam was 9th on the mountain top finish in Tirreno.

FWIW, I think Simon will win more races than Adam, but the latter will get the best GC results in grand tours.

Eurosport Player options for Paris - Nice right now: no commentary, or Spanish Russian.

There's only 45km to go FFS.

Yet Tirreno is on the other channel with commentary with 75k to go

Yep - I don't care, I'm not going there on holiday the week after next!

Roads look great. Weather not so much. Hopefully it'll be better in a few week's time.

Not much prospect of the same for my fitness unfortunately.

Looks like Soler's got it :/

By four seconds - oof. Yates doesn't have much luck with the final stage of Paris - Nice does he?

Great racing in both Paris-Nice and Tirenno-Adriatico, gutted for Simon, so close, losing by 4 seconds

No win, but another chapter written in the story of how unbelievably talented Sagan is.

And how can an experienced track rider like Gaviria touch wheels and fall every given chance is beyond me.

Yeah. The ones I can remember were much like today’s, front wheel into back wheel - only ever one outcome. I guess the one in San Remo a couple of years ago was down to tiredness, but that’s another two this season already.

Anyhow, fractured hand, no M-SR. Gutted for him. : (

Oh that is a damn shame, hope he isn't out for too long.

Lefevre will be spitting feathers, esp with Kittel winning. Mind you Quickstep will have options, and Gilbert has targeted La Primavera so he can get a clean sweep of monuments, along with P-R. Viviani as well.