Pro-cycling thread

And about the black cat, according to old Italian (and probably anywhere else) superstitions:

If a black cat crosses the road, it doesn’t matter if you’re walking, driving, on a train or in a helicopter: STOP AND DO NOT BE THE FIRST TO CROSS ITS PATH. Wait patiently until someone less lucky than you crosses the road.

So apparently, bad luck for the motorcycle rider!

In the UK too. Only Dan Lloyd hasn't heard it.

serious stage in Paris-Nice today, although it could turn out to be pretty boring until the last couple of km's

The last climb will be pretty selective, especially when Sky hit the front and drive the pace.

Doesn't get properly steep so should suit Porte quite well.

I'd love to see Majka or Aru go balls-out though.

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think the climb is selective enough to thin it out. I expect a group of 10 or so to contest the finish.

Too easy.

The team set him up beautifully. He did beer sharply right at one point which nearly took out the Trek rider though, he was lucky it wasn't a Frenchie otherwise he'd have been relegated.

I quite fancy the chances of Simon Yates today, a good climber with a decent kick.

I know the b is pretty close to the v on a keyboard but seeing as you're replying to @hippy ... was this intentional, @andyp ?

Freudian slip....

Nah, there was nothing in that. He was going around his teammate and head down went straight for the inside line, with enough room. Non malicious and even the Frenchies would have a hard time claiming that. They should look at the headbutts earlier on..

Plus its alright for Aussies to deviate from the racing line if they spot some of the old amber nectar

Viviani went down hard in Tirreno-Adriatico sprint today - looked like he crossed with Cavendish and got taken out by Cav's rear wheel (although haven't seen replay). Shame, looked like it was going to be a good scrap.

Cav just swerved without looking it seemed, following Renshaw's wheel, and took out Viviani's front wheel

Commentators were saying possible mechanical though

Replay / gif here: http://inrng.tumblr.com/post/113431031643/elia-viviani-of-team-sky-crashes-after-tangling

Can't tell if Cav is to blame for veering, or if Viviani was trying to squeeze in to too small a gap...

He did beer sharply

probably drinking one of these modern pale ales. Or maybe a saison.

Looks like Cav's foot comes out of the pedal

That's actually in the UCI rules.

Yeah before or after though? Definitely after but can't tell if before.

Just looks as if he was gonna go around to the right, had to drop back quick and Viv was trying to occupy the same space.

Paris nice was good.

Thommy G did well

Gif is too small - looks like he swerves unnaturally, so could be that foot unclipping caused it. Who knows. The more road racing I watch, the more I think they all sprint like fucking choppers anyway. Overlapping wheels = asking for it.

I know, that's why I said his foot was definitely out but whether it was the cause or result I can't tell.

hehe choppers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpc-LoE8PjE&t=75
1:20 ish

Cav's back wheel definitely flicks in a pretty unnatural way there. Still hard to see what happened though.