Pro-cycling thread

2nd attack on me today!

That interview is great...

I fear that big chains coming in and over-priced housing could ruin this, and it is paramount that Hampstead does not become a place to live for the rich who don’t spend money back into the village but simply enjoy the location

I lived a bit further north (Golders & Hendon mostly) from about 97 onwards and Hampstead was never anything but expensive and full of people with money who liked the location... pretty much any chain with pretensions of grandeur had an offshoot there; or at least some sort of satellite operation. Jesus, I guess his idea of not-rich is different to mine.

You're correct. He's still a weapon.

I'd never heard of this Alex Richardson guy up to now, but it's pretty interesting learning about the back story. I enjoyed this quote of his about a race in early '19, no more than 3 years after he took up cycling:

As a rider you have an innate feeling, you can gauge whether the break is going to the line or whether it is a complete waste of time. That’s something you feel, and it comes through experience.

He’s done what every weekend warrior dreams of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwgksFCBet8

Supposedly he was a high level tennis player as a teenager...

Just doing some snooping in BC, he did 31 races in 2015, cat 4-cat 2, another 30 in 2016. 66 racing days in 2017.

You come across 17-18 year olds getting into racing and going from Cat 4-1 in a year, so not completely unbelievable that a 24 year old could do it.

He’s been fortunately able to fund a full time cycling habit and train like a pro (which I’m sure a lot of young riders are very jealous of)

No matter how long you spend away from your family in an altitude tent, if his genetics said 250w ftp, then he wouldn’t be riding in a pro team.

Could still be a doping cunt though.

Polish champ squeaky bum moment!
Looks like Cav was hampered by the line deviation by him too.

2018 Arlen and 2019 Andrew Hastings (of the anabolic ban) were the biggest/ripped riders I've ridden against. Both stood out an absolute mile.

Clayton got into a bit of trouble for calling his ex teammate Arlen out for doping too...

I don't think I coukd ever say I rode 'against' Fred Wright but I was at track league or track training one evening when he was there and it was terrifying how fast he was. Old n00bs and hotshit young'uns mixing, dicey times at the track.

Didn't Remco went from starting cycling to winning the Junior euros in 2 years?

Trainee footballer before that though (did he captain Belgium at some point?) so wasn't coming from a zero point when it came to fitness/conditioning

I was going to mention him, but I guess finding your talent at 16 isn’t such a crazy story.

He was doing pretty well in football before cycling...

Remco started serious cycle racing after international youth football. His dad was a Belgian pro roadie too so he probably grew up knowing more about racing than your average british Conti "pro" does now. There's much less subtlety or base needed in Junior racing too, easier to win just by being the strongest over 3 hrs.

I think Evenepoel's mother was a pretty good sportswoman as well. (don't the genes come from the mothers side?) Jon Archibald shouldn't be much of a surprise looking at how fantastic his sister is.

But living in an altitude tent while while his Mrs deals with a new born is a shit move.

In part I agree but it’s no shitter than going and training in Mallorca with a team right, or working crazy long hours in an office?

Depends if she got married to him expecting that lifestyle along with the positives, or he suddenly decides to live like a twat monk for no money once the baby is already there....

Yeah, that's why I didn't name names.

Never mind all that, he ruined my favourite pub in Hampstead, the one I'd be going to since the age of 14. The bastard.

Dick move or genius move?

Fortunately I was a very heavy sleeper.

More seriously though, being in a UK level team with less international travel, you would have more family time during the week, and less during the weekend?

Compare that with a job as a stockbroker, 7 till late, and golf on Saturday and Sunday.

I’d prefer cycling to be honest, maybe not the pay.

Yeah I get what you're saying.

Speaking of the Dowsett thing. I remeber some elite races, uk chopper shit fests, where some teams tried to do that, or would get in the way to slow a chase. I'd give them a shove* too. If you're going to act like a nob, then don't expect respect.

*shoving is dangerous so don't do it.

The whole thing reaks of the kid at school who goes crying to the teacher because they got hit back.

I’m not sure the strength of his marriage or relationship with his wife is really linked with anecdotes of him being a bit of a dick on his bike.

My wife did most of the night feeding because me driving to work exhausted would be dangerous/not good for work. More so for a cyclist I imagine?

No one knows if I’m a dick on the bike though, because currently I’m always being dropped.

Gotta be really frustrating trying to get into a breakaway in the pro peloton.
Sagan isn’t going to be easily let out into a breakaway, not really sure how De Gent manages so often (except that he is a watt monster)