2018 Cycling Thread

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Clucking Bell
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by Clucking Bell »

I read somewhere that Sky tried to get Simon a few years ago but, he turned them down because they wouldn't take Adam too.

Obviously, they now couldn't take Simon as he served out a ban last year for not getting a TUE for his asthma nebulizer.

To be honest, I think it's in their best interests to stay with Orica anyway,

I wonder sometimes why Dan Martin declared for Ireland. A stronger team and he's definitely be a contender.

I raced a few times with his dad and there wasn't a lot of love lost between him and Stephen Roche (his brother in law) I suspect it might be a pecking order thing: he's undoubtedly the top Irish cyclist but, he'd probably be behind Froome, Thomas and the Yates boys if he'd chosen to represent Britain.
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by Jasper »

Great weather forecast today for when the riders drop down from the cat 4 climb. Promise of side/tail to side /head all of which means we may get Echelons which means great fun to see the resulting carnage
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by Bend it like Repka »

I hate having negative thoughts about cyclists performance, especially as we have such a close race this year, but considering the number of teams he has been at, including Sky, and never looked like quite being a real GC winner, Uran suddenly seems to have found a new level....
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by White Goodman »

Bend it like Repka wrote:I hate having negative thoughts about cyclists performance, especially as we have such a close race this year, but considering the number of teams he has been at, including Sky, and never looked like quite being a real GC winner, Uran suddenly seems to have found a new level....
Believe this is known colloquially as the Mo Farah Effect
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by Clucking Bell »

Good race this year.

Next year is going to be interesting. Even if Froome wants to join the '5 club', he's going to find it much harder.

I think the organizers will continue to do their best to make the course Bardet and Barguil friendly i.e. as few time trials as possible and erring on the side of short, hilly ones. Froome also won't have Landa and I wouldn't be surprised if Kwiatkowski is on his way too and the latter in particular will be a big miss. His ride might have been the best I've ever seen from a domestique.

Three Brits in the top seven if you count our Kenyan and the Irish Brummie :D
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by hammerddh »

Congratulations Mr Froome, a deserved fourth tour.
Not so dominant this year and clearly its his Time Trailing abilitiues that is the difference.
With Landa off to Moviestar and Nieve to Orica cant see anyone else that Froome leading the Tour next year and potentially 2019 as well.
Domoulin I think will be Froomes biggest test next year and can also see potentially Sky seeing him as the successor to Froome.
Agree with you Clucking I think Thomas just falls short in terms of Grand Tours. I do think Kwaitkowski will stay. Definately will build their classics squad around him.

Roll on Vuelate which i always enjoy. Tend to have a few more end of season loose cannons in that race
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by rare as rockinghorse shat »

It all seems a little odd how Froome is getting such little credit in comparison to when Wiggins won.

I know there was a huge furore over Wiggins' win as he was the first British guy and all the other stuff he's done in the Olympics and time trials etc, but 4 Tour wins is incredible.

Also, Wiggins had the benefit of a Chris Froome in support for his win. I'd say there was an argument that Froome could well have won it the year that Wiggins did if he was allowed to be the main guy.
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by Clucking Bell »

rare as rockinghorse shat wrote:It all seems a little odd how Froome is getting such little credit in comparison to when Wiggins won.
I think there's a couple of reasons other than the argument that being the second man on the moon is less impressive than being the first.

Primarily, I think it's the 'plastic Brit' thing. Even though Wiggins was born in Belgium to an Australian father, he's spent pretty much his entire life in the UK. If you add up every day that Froome has spent in the UK since birth it probably doesn't add up to an entire year and I suspect he won't be moving from Monaco to, say, Romford once he retires.

I'm a Brit with two passports and I've got friends who were born in South Africa, Rhodesia, Australia, Uganda and Hong Kong. These guys all have British passports but they've only ever been to the UK for school or to visit relatives. As such I don't really have a problem with Froome in this respect although I understand why others might.

The other thing is that Froome is a bit like Andy Murray or Steve "Interesting" Davis. They're good at what they do but, they obviously don't give a **** about the entertainment/celebrity side of their sport. On the other hand, you can probably hire Wiggins to entertain at children's parties.
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by hessa »

Agree with CB above, Froome is a bit vanilla. Wiggins was a big personality to follow and I don't think too many could fill his shoes in that respect.
Personally I never liked Froome after the incident when he had to be ordered back by Brailsford to help Wiggins. Wiggins was the nominated team leader and Froome was putting his own ambitions ahead of those of the team. I wouldn't argue that Froome was the better climber, but Wiggins was the chosen team leader that year and certainly the stronger time triallist. I have no doubt that decision was based on hard data and also the knowledge and experience he'd had finishing fourth previously. Froome has had to lean pretty heavily on teamates to achieve his four wins, lucky for him that his teammates seem to have a better team ethos with following team orders than he did.
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by White Goodman »

You have to stick an asterisk by Wiggins win for me.
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by Clucking Bell »

Froome is quietly running away with the Vuelta too.

And meanwhile in the race for the World's Biggest Cock we have ..... http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/lates ... est-348090
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by Jasper »

Oops
Froome under investigation for failed test at Vuelta this year.
To high a concentration of Sulbutamol according to artical in the Guardian and on Team Sky site.
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by White Goodman »

All of these c**** are at it. Want to be thought of as Superman but they are all taking the piss.

I see Wiggins kind of blew out at the British Indoor Rowing champs this weekend just gone.

I say blow out, 6.23 is still a decent time but a lot of his supporters had been talking about 6 or sub 6 even ( :lol: ).

Much harder when you don't have a TUE. He thought he was going to come into our sport and blow everyone away. The bloke had even been talking about making the Olympic team for Tokyo.

I'd never say it was impossible but I'd raise an eyebrow certainly if he managed it, given his past.
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by jacko »

I'm with you WG.

Wiggins got away with murder. I was hospitalised with Asthma years ago but I never heard of anyone having the treatment that he had. They knew what they were doing. What annoyed me is that they took that last rulling as if it was exonerating them. It did nothing of the sort.

I did think Froome was clean though, but you're right. THey are probably all on something or another.
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by jacko »

Actually with Wiggins I think it was allergies he was taking injections for .
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by White Goodman »

jacko wrote:Actually with Wiggins I think it was allergies he was taking injections for .
So he said but largely on the eve of very big races and no other time.

Then of course lied about it in his book. Damn those hackers.
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by Bend it like Repka »

Jasper wrote:Oops
Froome under investigation for failed test at Vuelta this year.
To high a concentration of Sulbutamol according to artical in the Guardian and on Team Sky site.
This really surprised me finding out about this.

As an asthmatic there are times when sometimes I have a reaction to food and the normal two puffs don't totally clear it. Maybe 15 mins later I'll have another squirt.

It must be difficult to limit your doses when you know your airway is not quite right.

I find it ridiculous journalists are pouncing on this saying his reputation is damaged. This is salbutamol for a common condition, not transfusing blood or taking pure steroid for enhancement. Studies even question if it has any benefit for endurance athletes.

This doesn't raise any doubts in him to me.
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by hammerddh »

Simon Yates
Take a bow
Just needs to see this out now in the last few days of the mountains. He thoroughly deserves this vicory. Some great attacking in the mountains last weekend
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by White Goodman »

What an unbelievable ride from Froome today. Utterly peerless .

Yates time will come again I guess but a harsh lesson learnt today, talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory though, he must be crying himself to sleep tonight
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Re: 2017 Cycling Thread

Post by Bend it like Repka »

Yes a fantastic Giro.

You watch these sports and it's Yates's collapse that give you an understanding of how hard they are at the top level.

3 weeks racing on the limit daily is a massive undertaking. Yates had looked brilliant but his body has got to the point where it says enough.

Reading all the books of the drug taking era, they allowed riders to perform day in day out and get through grand tours.

If you wanted proof that Yates and Michelton-Scott are clean this is it. When people post they are all at it, clearly they are not.
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