Pro-cycling thread

Not sure that's quite fair on Cav, even if he's not had quite so many major victories as you'd expect. Coming 4th on the Champs when you've been up all night with the shits isn't a bad effort.

Good tip.

I refer more to losing out to Elia Viviani on the first stage of ToB.

Sounded like that was bad tactics - more concerned with Greipel as the form man, and both of them ended up losing to Viviani. You're not gonna argue Greipel's a busted flush because he got beaten by Viviani too, are you?
There's no denying Cav's not quite the same 5 TDF stages a year rider he once was, but he's got a lot more still to come, I'm sure.

No, but Greipel didn't have the benefit of a 3 man leadout in the last 1.5km ;-)

Not to take anything away from Viviani as he is a clever rider and Cavendish is one of my favourites ever and I want him to keep winning, but he his slower than he was, that's all I'm saying.

Don't be hating on the triathlete. Sure it's a rubbish sport but so proud he made it to the worlds

Ah, if only you knew how easy it is to make it to the worlds in multisport. There are probably a dozen on-heres who've made the worlds.

14 wins this season, including a Tour stage and he's a busted flush? Right.

Greipel only has one more (many more in GTs though)

I have to say, I find it astonishing that Cavendish is likely to end up signing for MTN-Qhubeka. You'd think there would be a WT team prepared to stump up the cash to sign one of the most marketable, and recognisable, riders in the peloton. Even if, and it's not a given, he isn't as prolific as he once was.

He's getting prolifically lazy the motherfucker. I agree.

'lympics, innit.

Even so, he'll get you wins and publicity for the rest of the season. The likes of Trek, IAM, Gannondale-Carmin, Lotto-Jumbo et al need a reliable winner.

I guess building a team around him to get those wins is expensive and takes away from having supported climbers and being able to put people in the break.
It is still a bit weird though. The camera always hovers on Cav, any race he's in.

As they? Go down the list after adam they reach blyth ? What you doing next weekend ?

True true true.

I thought Trek was the most logical - bit more learning for the van Poppels for a couple of years from him would have been good.

Potholes and manholes on the Worlds course seem to have fucked a few teams in the TTT practice sessions today. Luke Rowe has gone down.

Good interview with Cav on cyclingnews, where he says he's as fast as he ever was, just the nature of sprinting has changed some, citing amongst other things less natural sprint stages, long flat parcours and straight, wide finishes. Apparently only one of the TdF sprint stages didn't end on an incline. Plus other talents have emerged, and other dedicated sprint teams. He'll still net you a hatful of wins every year though. I think the term is 'bankable', literally, as he'll earn you exposure and cash.

Do you think MTN-Qhubeka will be a WT team next year anyway?

Danny van Poppel is leaving Trek

TTT course for tomorrow sounds sketchy as fuck.

Sky and optum have had crashed on training rides coz of potholes, both sounded quite serious. Hope there's no repercussions for the week ahead and tomorrow runs smooth

They should have put hippy in the squad.

Hope Luke Rowe didn't get injured.

For those interested in pro power http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dumoulin-releases-vuelta-a-espana-power-data/

Cue the clinic/Twatter trolls saying it's not enough

Mens TTT at 6:30 today?

Not a bad little dig from Alex:
https://www.strava.com/activities/396662970