Étoile de Bessèges 2025 February 5th - 9th

[Devil's Elbow]

The final lap has been cancelled, so this should be another sprint.

 

[Samamba]

The final lap has been cancelled, so this should be another sprint.

With only 40 riders left???? What is going on lmao. Riders/teams not agreeing it seems. Probably the French teams still going, Arkea and Cofidis easy points.

 

[RedheadDane]

The final lap has been cancelled, so this should be another sprint.

Not sure that's the right way to go about it. Surely, having the race on a lap would increase the ability to make sure people know that there's a race going on...

 

[search]

Happens a lot in u23 races/women races/smaller French races. Usually they are stopped in time by moto's in front of group so you don't notice it. Literally happened multiple times in Mallorca last week too btw, cars were on the side of the road with their lights on, even a truc. Riders weren't happy either, but it happens constantly.

many lower level races (and most U23, I guess) work with a rolling road closure. So the roads aren't closed for traffic, but there's a car/moto in front which waves them to the side. Once the race went past, they continue.

I don't know if this was/is the case in Mallorca or Besseges, but if so, it's normal that you see plenty of cars at the road side.

 

[Netserk]

Not sure that's the right way to go about it. Surely, having the race on a lap would increase the ability to make sure people know that there's a race going on...

I guess it's to not be too delayed.

 

[RedheadDane]

I guess it's to not be too delayed.

People wanting to get home from work (but it being too late for them if they were simply allowed to leave now)?

 

[RedheadDane]

Knight and Hue on the attack.

I feel like I should be able to make a pun from that...

 

[Berniece]

SOQ is definitely out, they tweeted about it

 

[Rob5091]

I await OneCycling joining in the discussion with "if we race on a closed circuit and blah blah blah ...."

 

[Tim Cahill]

Cofidis about to sh*thouse a handy 20 UCI points

 

[search]

Looks like the riders stopped the suspect?

 

[Tim Cahill]

Looks like the riders stopped the suspect?

Is that Oscar Freire's car?

 

[RedheadDane]

Not long Oliver got the be a Knight errand.











(Sorry, I have a pun-quota I need to fill.)

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I await OneCycling joining in the discussion with "if we race on a closed circuit and blah blah blah ...."

Yeah, this wouldn't happen in Étoile de Riyadh.

 

[RedheadDane]

Not long Oliver got the be a Knight errand.

Oh, I misunderstood the live update, and thought he'd been caught already.

 

[Netserk]

I think all WT teams are out (EDIT: minus Cofidis, Arkea and FDJ?).

 

[Samamba]

I think all WT teams are out.

All non French WT teams I think + Decathlon and Lotto.

So basically the teams that need points see an opportunity. You're never going to have a peloton with the same opinion when points matter of course.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Vino head in hands wondering why he didn't send a team here to scoop up an impeccably easy 4 guys in top 10 on GC.

Would've been nice to see Clément Champoussin fighting for dear life in a time trial.

 

[search]

can't be many GC contenders left - unless tomorrow's climb gets cancelled due to the weather anyway. Vauquelin, Teuns, maybe Latour...

 

[Netserk]

All non French WT teams I think + Decathlon and Lotto.

So basically the teams that need points see an opportunity. You're never going to have a peloton with the same opinion when points matter of course.

If this had been the outcome in the Giro just once, I don't think teams would threaten unnecessary stops to the same degree again.

 

[RedheadDane]

All non French WT teams I think + Decathlon and Lotto.

Pretty sure Alpecin are still there.

 

[Samamba]

Props to UNO X for stopping. They also need the points and still called it quits.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Richard carapax flown over from Ecuador to do a couple of bunch sprints and now gonna fly back as won't race again for 4 weeks, what a joke

 

[Tim Cahill]

Richard carapax flown over from Ecuador to do a couple of bunch sprints and now gonna fly back as won't race again for 4 weeks, what a joke

He needs to get himself off of Jonathan Vaughters peewee hockey team and get himself to a proper team like Bahrain, could've been at Valenciana completing a podium sweep.

 

[RedheadDane]

Lotto stopped...
Except De Lie...