Cycling thread


As ever I thoroughly enjoyed this year’s race , although in some years I’ve actually enjoyed the Vuelta more. Would have liked to have seen a Frenchman on the podium but not to be . I thought the young French guy Gaudu looked promising for future years, but Bernal is some talent and you know Ineos will work on things like his time trialling. He may play to the crowds but you gotta love Sagan, he’s like the Eric Cantona of cycling, flamboyant, great interviews, talented and as likely to Kung fu kick somebody he doesn’t like.
Many thanks for the contributions on this thread from those far more knowledgeable than me . It’s the first time ever I think I’ve actually stayed with this thread throughout, as in previous years I stopped reading as for me it just turned into an anti-Sky thread , dominating the actual cycling, thanks for keeping it on purpose , much more enjoyable.
 
how did warren barguil ride to a 10th place finish

when I barely saw his team throughout all the major stages

the wonders of sucking on wheels
 

Black Belt Jones said:
Who do you reckon is more likely out of Pinot and Alaphilippe to bring the Tour home for La France, over the next few years? Pinot has that high mountain class but I reckon JA is the more likely contender. Would prob take a committed shift of focus, and I have no idea if QS could accommodate that, but is a pure racer and has a lot of the tools - if he was hanging in like that in the mountains after the year he has had you wonder what he could do on a pure peak for TdF GC.
If Wiggins can win the tour then JA certainly can - obv completely different riders but both non GC types who adapted (and had the stars align for Wiggins with a perfect parcours).

Although while Bernal is around perhaps the question is moot. There's having a lot of the tools, and then there's having all of the tools, and being 22 yo and on the strongest, deepest team.
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Ummm... Neither.

Pinot always suffers when its hot and/or the altitude is above 2000m, Alaphilippe is about to sign a three year deal with a team with no climbing domestiques. However, ASO being what they are, expect a TdF to be designed to include 17 versions of Liege-Bastogne-Liege only for Brailsford to unearth the reincarnation of Frank Vandenbroucke to thwart them.
 
Arteta2391 said:
how did warren barguil ride to a 10th place finish

when I barely saw his team throughout all the major stages

the wonders of sucking on wheels
Click to expand...

Kruiswijk was third on the same deal. Jurgen Van Den Broecke got 4 top ten finishes in the Tour with exactly the same strategy and never won a professional race. I interviewed him last year, he was exactly as boring as his career suggested.
 

spectateur said:
The Tour may be but DQS surely have been the dominant outfit so far this year. Do you only follow the GTs?
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I'm a bit of novice compared to some of the other lads on here about cycling, but I really love the spectacle of it. I liked it as a kid when channel 4 showcased the tdf and chris boardman was big news on merseyside when I was growing up. I started getting interested again a few years ago when i traveled New Zealand and did the first proper rides I've ever done with genuine climbs and brilliant picturesque descents and that kicked off my interest again and I started seeking out the GT's and also the classics. I really like the international stuff also (one reason i'm not a fan of team sky). I wouldn't say I know a great deal but i do enjoy it and also enjoy reading the more knowledgeable lads stuff in here on it
 
It was an interesting Tour, but one that has to be asterixed by the fact that you would probably place Froome, Dumoulin and Roglic above most of those who were competing, so it wasn't the strongest field we've ever seen. It will be interesting to see quite what Braislford does for future GTs though, especially if the rumours are correct and Carapaz is on the way. Throw in the likes of Sivakov too and they've got a crazy amount of talent.
 
Bruce Wayne said:
It was an interesting Tour, but one that has to be asterixed by the fact that you would probably place Froome, Dumoulin and Roglic above most of those who were competing, so it wasn't the strongest field we've ever seen. It will be interesting to see quite what Braislford does for future GTs though, especially if the rumours are correct and Carapaz is on the way. Throw in the likes of Sivakov too and they've got a crazy amount of talent.
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ITV4 interviewed Brailsford with a great question: " Who will be the leader next year? Will it be Carapaz?" He smiled and moved on, but no denial. Certainly some tough conversations to come in that team.
 
lichfieldblue said:
ITV4 interviewed Brailsford with a great question: " Who will be the leader next year? Will it be Carapaz?" He smiled and moved on, but no denial. Certainly some tough conversations to come in that team.
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Obviously Froome and Thomas are near the end of their careers, so you can perhaps see Froome having one more shot at the Tour, with Thomas being consigned to Giro/Vuelta duty. So maybe Thomas and Carapaz ride the Giro and Vuelta, with Froome and Bernal at the Tour.
 

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