Pro-cycling thread

the Italians love a bit of polemica

I hadn't heard of that stuff before. Where do I get it and what does it do?

Italian cycling is in crisis, whilst French cycling, long in the shadows of their southern ?>neighbour, is in the ascendancy. And everyone knows the Italians love a bit of polemica.

The tales Fignon, Merckx, Hinault tell of taking on the Giro and basically having Italians do everything they can to stop them from winning are ace. I think cycling's moved on a bit since then, but then corruption and Italy do still seem to go together like a bowl of pasta and some lovely parmesan.

You're right, of course, about the ascent of the Cipressa being slow this year... but still, to get the KOM? And win the sprint? I'm still struggling.

It's a grain, a lot like semolina. You need to stir it a lot when you cook it, and season it really well otherwise it can be a bit boring. Goes well with Osso Bucco.

Boo hiss, and I thought it was something that made me fasterer.

Ooh the Madison, knew the result and realise it's old news but what a ride they did, despite being so heavily marked throughout, and with Cav crashing. And the crowd too

bullshit

Boo hiss, and I thought it was something that made me fasterer.

No, it's very advanced. It makes your opponents go unbelievably fasterer. #demaregate

This is why having wishy washy rules/decisions bites them on the arse.

It's either allowed or not allowed to receive assistance from a car. I thought a couple of years ago they were making car-based mechanical repairs illegal for 'safety reasons' - did that not happen?

GPS errors make any data on Strava or any other GPS-based site, totally useless for witch hunts.

You have to email them and ask them for their 'specials'.

I was there man. I was there.

Thanks @Velocio

What's the quality like on eurosport player?
Skygo has become crap. Totally un watchable.

Plus having had dan lloyd and rob hatch, I cannot listen to carlton K. Why do eurosport still employ him!?

i'm at home watching on my laptop. seems fine.

Carlton is awesome!

bouhani is looking strong this season

This is true. Ducking stools are much more effective

Troll.

Also is @andyp inrng.

Lots of the same logic.
http://inrng.com/2016/03/demare-cipressa-conspiracy-theories/

Conclusion
Is Démare innocent or guilty? Who knows, there’s been a claim but nobody has the evidence. It’s not for a mere sports blog to pronounce a verdict. That’s why we have the police and a judiciary, it’s why we have the UCI and commissaires. Short of a formal complaint and follow-up Démare crashed, chased, got back on and won the sprint. Maybe he got a little assist but that’s what happens in cycling, there were stage winners in the Tour de France being filmed getting sticky bottles up mountain passes and prominent spring classics winners getting boosts from the team car to help them get back to the breakaaway they’d crashed. No I’m not going to name and shame, just as the accusers and defenders making the all points above are not named as this piece is more about the how and why events get treated by social media and media rather than the who.

Lots of logic.

Ftfy

Come on, he's the best commentator for a sprint finish. Let Kelly or Dan fill in the gaps with useful into early on but I want someone excited commenting the run in.

Gaviria is something pretty unique in the pro peloton; a fast-twitcher who was born and lived 2200m above sea level. Colombian cycling has always looked to climbers and GT specialists and the domestic races I believe are all designed to emphasise that. Oh and the racing is doped to the fucking eyeballs.

I bet you'd fucking hate being a sprinter on a team in Colombia and would go and do something less masochistic instead.

5 mins on the internet suggests that any physiological benefit from living at altitude in Andean populations is lost as they move from altitude to sea level ish.
They can carry more than oxygen in their blood, but I think this drcreases when they leave altitude.
They do have a developmentally bigger lung capacity though.

I think. Ive had a beer and read wikipedia thing.

I know the Andes are know where near Colombia. But I would guess he's more like an Andean than a Tibetan or Ethiopian.

Your science tekkers may be good, but your geography tekkers is abysmal.