Pro-cycling thread

I am defo no TT expert but clocked this straight away. I've enjoyed Sunweb being in the mix do hope they get stuff like this sorted & are in the mix again next year.

Yeah, he initially thought it was non-standard suit but a close-up showed the textured base-layer sticking out a sleeve.

I remember seeing an interview Rohan Dennis did a few years back where he said he wanted to challenge for GC in his career, the Tour de France being the first thing he knew about cycling, and he figured it'd be easier for him to lose a bit of weight and get good at climbing, than for a climber to get good at TT-ing.

On the evidence of the last week I'd say he can climb quite well

Think I read in an interview that he’d given up on gc type stuff as he found he was developing issues with weight loss that was bordering on an eating disorder.

Read a lot of column inches in the press today regarding the Giro. But it was Sir David wonderful and fitting tribute to Nico Portal who tragically died in March this year aged just 40!! his legacy, his contribution, his knowledge and humanity for the most memorable tour ever.

Brailsford also talked about plan changes, chasing stage wins, simple tactics and just going out there and enjoy bike racing.

I’m a bit choked reading this again, sensed that the spirit of Nico still with the team since his passing

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nicolas­-portal-dies-of-heart-attack-at-40/

Oh really? That's a shame, though obviously fair play to him for recognising it and making a tough decision about it.

Sky/Ineos have done pretty well with recruiting riders from a strong endurance track background, who tend to be excellent at TTing, then stripping them down to their lowest powerful weight.

The ideal grand tour winning weight seems to be 65-67kg. World class TTers can just about get down to that weight (Froome, Thomas, Dumoulin, Roglic, Pogacar) while also having a bigger engine for the flatter TTs.

Though with some of the lighter, smaller, super aero riders coming through at 60-62kg, (Hirshi, Evenepoel) will be interesting to see who triumphs. Bernal will really need to up his TT game to keep up.

https://cyclingtips.com/2020/01/dennis-reveals-battle-to-shed-weight-that-bordered-on-eating-disorder/

Yep i think it's a smart decision on his part and brave to be so open about it. It seems to have paid off too given he's now found/built himself an environment where he's happy and can evidently perform to a level he's happy with.

Sad to see Wilco cash in on his fame and success so quickly.

What's next? Tao Soda bread?

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tao smart thermostats

starting a forum group buy:

1. cozey
   

It’s a company involved in some horrible things but I think anger is best directed at (corrupt) government.

I've just watched the Movistar film on Netflix, finally.

I thought it was really good actually and not as much of a propaganda puff piece as it could have been - mainly because they don't actually come across that well in terms of their organisation or tactics.

It's weird that after seven years with the team, Quintana still didn't seem to get on with any of them or be able to communicate with them.

I feel for Landa, leaving Sky to try to strike out on his own and probably losing the two years he could have possibly won a GC to a bit of an organisational shambles. It's striking that he seemed to leave on such good terms though, saying they were the best team he'd been part of - he didn't have to say that, and Quintana and Carapaz certainly didn't say anything similar - is it reading too much into it to see it as a bit of an indictment of Team Sky?

Also Carapaz - he doesn't come out of it too well, which I found surprising.

And Marc Soler is basically a Catalan version of the tall one from Inbetweeners. Loved his take on Enric Mas: "He's a young guy who doesn't yet know how to act as a leader." Will the Vuelta be the site of another leadership battle?

The Vuelta scriptwriters are going to have to have a hell of a third act to get me engaged. Hugh Carthy as GC is just too much of a McGuffin.

https://www.teamjumbovisma.com/shop/casual-kleding/

Valverde is up the road in a three rider break at the Vuelta, and every time the director cuts to them, he’s sat on the back. It’s making me laugh.

Its making me proud #RaceSmart

He’s moved up to second place now. Will he get that nose in the wind?

he's going to carry on for another year too, apparently

2:30 up the road. only 3 minutes down on GC. will he ride? not seen him on the front yet #RaceSmart

Primoz rocking a similar look today.

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looks like an amalgamation of the centurions

looks windy now

No ducks = no interest

Valverde didn’t #RaceSmartEnough

Thought a duck won today.

Rusty sheriff's badge was missing turns even more than Valverde