Pro-cycling thread

In cycling news, what a breakaway.

'Anyone can help anyone else' IS a level playing field.

No, "everyone has to help everyone else" is a level playing field.

Not if you're not in a position to do so.

BWT, what's the rule for helmets? Didn't Contador take off his lid mid-race? Was he fined?

My point being, a level playing field is one in which everyone is treated exactly the same. So you don't help other teams or you do. No middle ground in which non-racing factors play a role (i.e., happen to be a mate which wouldn't be the case for other riders).

Inter-team alliances and co-operation are intrinsic to bike racing. It's always happened and always will. Having rules which blindly ignore this, or having comisars who are selectively blind to the rules is just farcical.

Reports claim that, according to the rules, 2 mins was the lowest punishment they could give. It could have been a lot more.

Other reports state the exact opposite.

This. It's the uneven application of rules from race to race that means the playing field is never level. Just like in football where a referee can exercise discretion in sanctioning a player, the rigid application of rules has shorn the competition of one of the main GC contenders (or at least made his task next to impossible) and so affects the race as a spectacle, which affects it as a commercial product. Intelligence should have been used rather than blind adherence to the law. If the commissares didn't see the incident and the TV pictures didn't show it, and Porte gained no advantage from it surely a lesser punishment would have sufficed.

Slight misinterpretation by me. "The riders could have received a five- or 10-minute penalty, but because it was their first offense, they got away with only two minutes"

But then...

"The UCI jury could do nothing except apply the strictest interpretation of the rule: a 2-minute penalty and a 200CHF fine."

Contador currently trolling Porte and Twitter by temporarily removing his helmet. Again.

According to the rules he should be disqualified from the race.

And away from the Giro, Cavendish is in Richmond, Virginia checking out the Worlds circuit. Interesting.

2 minutes for the first time you do it, 5 minutes for the second offense, 10 minutes for the third and disqualification for the fourth as I understand. Porte got the maximum sanction for the first offense.

Gotcha. Thanks.

I really don't want to see a pile up on the wet roads. Not down with the crash porn.

i was thinking to myself, where is eqs? and rigo goes down. what race course is this?

imola, nvm

imola

Loving that Betancur's beginning to show a lot of heart again. Was really worried about him.

This race is looking more and more settled. Bit like the Tour last year. Very exciting start followed by reality settling in.

I hope I'm wrong.

You're only worried about your fantasy points ;)

(Come on Zakarin! Wild card!)

This race is looking more and more settled. Bit like the Tour last year. Very exciting start followed by reality settling in.

Contador has never lost a GC jersey after taking it in a GT.

I have Zakarin too, BOOYAH!