Cycling thread

Black Belt Jones said:
Froome being heavily linked with a move to Israel startup nation now, few articles in the mainstream press. Cant see that outfit carrying much of a GT threat even with Froome in the chair, so must be all about getting a massive name on board to build profile.
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Switching teams 2 months before a grand tour, for big money at a team with nobody to support him is the classic act of an athlete who's spouse represents their commercial interests.
 
Disgruntledgoat said:
Switching teams 2 months before a grand tour, for big money at a team with nobody to support him is the classic act of an athlete who's spouse represents their commercial interests.
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He'd basically just ride as the 9th man at Ineos but with no responsibility to help anyone else in the team, with perhaps a modicum of support from Dan Martin. Also seems possible that he might take one or two across with him, as that seems the case with a lot of regular winners (Contador springs to mind). With Ineos having Sivakov pledging himself to domestique duties, plus Thomas and Bernal, they already have a top heavy roster, with the likes of Kwia, van Baarle, Rowe and Moscon shoe ins I'd have thought. Doesn't leave much space left.
 
Having a bit of a rationalisation of the bikes atm - cleared three out on ebay (2 MTB, one kids) and will punt the anthem along shortly. Good time to be selling as there is a lot of stock shortage, although mine didn't go for crazy prices or anything like that.

Will prob look to replace with a new XC bike when the 2021 lines are out, and just run one MTB from now on - find I'm doing less pure MTBing these days as I ride the cross bikes all winter. Will miss not having a longer travel bike but realistically was never getting out on it.

Be lovely to have a proper road bike, actually never owned one - must be a magic carpet ride these days. Can't justify the money though.
 
Bruce Wayne said:
It's been rumoured for ages, but still something of a surprise.

Chris Froome to leave Team INEOS at end of season | Team INEOS

Team INEOS confirmed today that they will not be renewing Chris Froome’s contract at the end of this season.
www.teamineos.com www.teamineos.com
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No surprise. They were ruthless with Wiggins, they've been ruthless with Froome and when his contract is up, they'll be ruthless with Thomas. A shame they've no more talented British riders coming through but Brailsford has always liked winning more than the mission. Also, if I had half a chance to never deal with Michelle Cound ever again, I'd take it.

I don't think they'll win the tour this year. For one, everybody's form is a complete mystery and I think a lot of races will have surprise winners (especially as I fully expect most of the mountain stages of the Giro to get canned) and, secondly, three leaders at the biggest race of the season is madness and a level of hubris I wouldn't expect from even Sky/Ineos.
 
Disgruntledgoat said:
No surprise. They were ruthless with Wiggins, they've been ruthless with Froome and when his contract is up, they'll be ruthless with Thomas. A shame they've no more talented British riders coming through but Brailsford has always liked winning more than the mission. Also, if I had half a chance to never deal with Michelle Cound ever again, I'd take it.

I don't think they'll win the tour this year. For one, everybody's form is a complete mystery and I think a lot of races will have surprise winners (especially as I fully expect most of the mountain stages of the Giro to get canned) and, secondly, three leaders at the biggest race of the season is madness and a level of hubris I wouldn't expect from even Sky/Ineos.
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I agree with that. Not only are many of the stages likely to be affected by the weather, but the huge compression of the season is likely to result in some interesting lineups. Will Lotto go with their triumvirate, for instance, or spread them around? Will the Giro go to a Moser like rider who can time trial well and limit losses on whatever hills are left (with that obviously being further complicated by the crossover of Giro with races like PR)? The Giro in particular would rule riders out of Liege, Amstel Gold, Flanders, Roubaix and the Vuelta, with the latter also ruling riders out of Roubaix and Lombardia.
 
Bruce Wayne said:
I agree with that. Not only are many of the stages likely to be affected by the weather, but the huge compression of the season is likely to result in some interesting lineups. Will Lotto go with their triumvirate, for instance, or spread them around? Will the Giro go to a Moser like rider who can time trial well and limit losses on whatever hills are left (with that obviously being further complicated by the crossover of Giro with races like PR)? The Giro in particular would rule riders out of Liege, Amstel Gold, Flanders, Roubaix and the Vuelta, with the latter also ruling riders out of Roubaix and Lombardia.
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Everybody here is all but convinced of Remco Evanepoel winning the Giro. But given he's never ridden a grand tour or in the high mountains I remain to be convinced.
 
Bruce Wayne said:
As you say though, will anywhere over 2,000m be open at that time of year?
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It's an absolute gamble, the Giro this year. I remember when I was in Grenoble and the snowline was down at 1600m by the end of September. You might see a lot of rerouting along the way, like when Riis decided to go all shop steward over that descent him and Contador weren't into.
 
Disgruntledgoat said:
It's an absolute gamble, the Giro this year. I remember when I was in Grenoble and the snowline was down at 1600m by the end of September. You might see a lot of rerouting along the way, like when Riis decided to go all shop steward over that descent him and Contador weren't into.
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Maybe we'll see performances more like Riis on that other shortened stage to Sestriere in 1996 :oops:
 
I'm looking forward to this season more than any other I can remember. Even without Coronavirus, it would have been exciting with the changing of the guard at Ineos, Remco, Pinot's big (and last?) [Poor language removed] at the tour, Jumbo posing a real threat.

Throw every race into 4 months with the Tours front end loaded and we could see the best racing we have seen in years.
 

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