2014 Tour of California May 11-18

[alspacka]

A bit of useless history they should be using is Mulholland drive is named after the guy that brought water from the Colorado river to the Southern California desert. The only reason you see anything green on the feed is because of Mulholland's aqueduct.

The road itself is rather long, starts/stops/turns to dirt. The movie is a reference to the part of the road that goes through Hollywood, West Hollywood where lots of entertainment industry folks live. Where they are racing is safely described as exurbs. A "country-lite" area as various cities have expanded into it.

Very nice, if useless, info. 375km the aqueduct runs! Always find these pre-mechanised feats of infrastructure engineering kind of amazing. Clearly I need to brush up on my 'lifestyles of the rich and famous' knowledge though

As for the tour, I enjoyed it, the consistent heat is a nice element I think. Hopefully, if it keeps being funded, it will start to attract a bit more depth of field. Nice to see Sagan have some competition this time. Although the obvious highlight was the unfortunate premature celebration.

 

[DirtyWorks]

I thought that was a pretty good TofC but where were the crowds? Was there some sort of local protest about roads being closed?

No protests. In fact, they started early and got off Mulholland Hwy before all the motorcyclists take over for their Sunday runs to the Rock Store. That the local city is getting the bicycle race off Mulholland Hwy to serve the many motorcyclists later in the day should tell you about the general priorities bikes have in Southern California.

Bike racing is very much a niche sport in Southern California. Not a whole lot of interest. I was surprised to see so many on the feed.

 

[Netserk]

Man in 2012 Sagan was faster than Degenkolb in a sprint, and now he's not even close

 

[BigMac]

Man in 2012 Sagan was faster than Degenkolb in a sprint, and now he's not even close

Machado syndrome.

I think it is pretty clear that Sagan peaked at age 23. Downhill from now on.

 

[Netserk]

Machado syndrome.

I think it is pretty clear that Sagan peaked at age 23. Downhill from now on.

No. This year (spring) he has not reached his absolute best form imo, but he is still progressing in classics at the expense of his sprint.

 

[Hugo87]

Machado syndrome.

I think it is pretty clear that Sagan peaked at age 23. Downhill from now on.

Please don't say that, It could really become true.

His endurance and climbing ability seems to be improved this year, but he lost his flat sprint.

 

[Gabriel Gray]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsAakRuTw7w

Jens V. not that happy

 

[JRanton]

Froome will be spitting feathers!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/

 

[Pricey_sky]

Froome will be spitting feathers!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/

Why?
'If I am fortunate to be in the Tour, it will be in support of Chris'

'Chris (Froome) wants to win his second Tour and, as the defending champion, everyone understands that, including myself'

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

And meanwhile, at the Giro, we have wall-to-wall celebrations of Pantani.....

Well Pantani >>>>>>>>> every American cyclist except maybe Lemond

 

[djlovesyou]

Machado syndrome.

I think it is pretty clear that Sagan peaked at age 23. Downhill from now on.

He'll be ok, from what I've seen Sagan is pretty good going downhill.

 

[70kmph]

Americans didnt have a horse in the race that could win... so they dont show up to watch

Gone are the days of Lampheimer

 

[karlboss]

Man in 2012 Sagan was faster than Degenkolb in a sprint, and now he's not even close

I'd rate them really evenly in 2012, both of them were smoked by Greipel and Cav, but racked up loads of wins when they weren't around. Sagan early in the season and Degenkolb later at the Vuelta.

 

[argyllflyer]

No. This year (spring) he has not reached his absolute best form imo, but he is still progressing in classics at the expense of his sprint.

But without the sprint to win these classics, how will he err... win? There are people who can climb better than him in them. There are people who can sprint better than him in them at the end of these races (e.g. Cancellara, Kristoff, and Degenkolb too it seems). He's marked so in the biggest races when the biggest names want to win, he won't just be allowed to roll off the front like he did in Canada, in Gent-Wevelgem and even in E3 this year where he and a select group of rouleurs with no sprint got away.

 

[SKSemtex]

LOL it is funny how people can predict the cyclist future from the performance in race like ToC first race after the vacation.

I could understand it after some epic fail in France but this just make me laught.

 

[Pricey_sky]

LOL it is funny how people can predict the cyclist future from the performance in race like ToC first race after the vacation.

I could understand it after some epic fail in France but this just make me laught.

Just like when some were saying Cav is past it when he got beat by Viviani in Turkey, That despite being Cav's first race in nearly 5 weeks due to illness.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gesink won it in 2012 and was nowhere in the Tour.
Van Garderen won it in 2013 and was nowhere in the Tour
Wiggins wins it this year and will be nowhere in the Tour

 

[Pentacycle]

Gesink won it in 2012 and was nowhere in the Tour.
Van Garderen won it in 2013 and was nowhere in the Tour
Wiggins wins it this year and will be nowhere in the Tour

You can even include the 2010 and 2011 winners, but Wiggins might be the exception the the rule.

 

[Netserk]

But without the sprint to win these classics, how will he err... win? There are people who can climb better than him in them. There are people who can sprint better than him in them at the end of these races (e.g. Cancellara, Kristoff, and Degenkolb too it seems). He's marked so in the biggest races when the biggest names want to win, he won't just be allowed to roll off the front like he did in Canada, in Gent-Wevelgem and even in E3 this year where he and a select group of rouleurs with no sprint got away.

He will easily beat Canc in a two-man sprint, and in Ronde and Sanremo, he should be sprinting for the win in a group ahead of both Degenkolb and Kristoff.

 

[86TDFWinner]

Americans didnt have a horse in the race that could win... so they dont show up to watch

Gone are the days of Lampheimer

I worked stage 7 as a volunteer, I brought his name up a few times, and people were really down on him, and a few said" Glad that PO blank doper isn't here".

Wiggins was super nice, and thanked me walking by. Sagan was very nice too, for the 2 seconds I saw him.

IMO(and this is solely MY opinion), Guys Like: LeMond/Hampsten/Davis Phinney/etc should all be at these events promoting them, and being involved, it would give the event a major boost

 

[Astana1]

I thought this year's ToC was pretty lackluster save a few exciting parts like Taylor Phinney's attack, the peleton splitting in stage 1 and maybe a few other moments.

Gotta give Wiggins credit where credit is due for winning this race. He targeted it and it's part of his long term plan to raise his US profile. According to an article I read in one of the Pro Cycling mags, he hired the same agency that represents David Beckham to do that for him.

That being said, I loathe Brad Wiggins, I hate listening to him talk, his nickname, I hate watching Team Sky drag him along between TTs. He will be a domestique at best for Froome in July, he'll probably win a TT or two, but there is no way his on par with the strongest GC guys out there and to believe otherwise just smacks of absurd fanboy homerism.

Rant over.

 

[argyllflyer]

He will easily beat Canc in a two-man sprint, and in Ronde and Sanremo, he should be sprinting for the win in a group ahead of both Degenkolb and Kristoff.

Yet Cancellara beat him in the Sanremo placings (2013) and dropped him in 2012 and 2014 at Flanders. He then outsprinted him at P-R this year - or was Super Sagan too much of an ego to contest?

As it stands, the guy is overrated as a classics rider, but is the best all-rounder for stage races and will clean up the green jersey competition at the Tour and other such races for as long as he wants to.

 

[Netserk]

Yet Cancellara beat him in the Sanremo placings (2013) and dropped him in 2012 and 2014.

As it stands, the guy is overrated as a classics rider, but is the best all-rounder for stage races and will clean up the green jersey competition at the Tour and other such races for as long as he wants to.

Bolded: No he didn't.

In '12 Sags didn't win because of team tactics. He won the sprint behind.

He also didn't drop him in 2014.

Next time watch the race.

regarding your edit:

Yet Cancellara beat him in the Sanremo placings (2013) and dropped him in 2012 and 2014 at Flanders. He then outsprinted him at P-R this year - or was Super Sagan too much of an ego to contest?

He dropped him in Ronde '12? Really?

Again: Next time watch the race.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

I hate watching Team Sky drag him along between TTs.

Take it you didn't see any of this year's ToC?

 

[Jspear]

He will easily beat Canc in a two-man sprint, and in Ronde and Sanremo, he should be sprinting for the win in a group ahead of both Degenkolb and Kristoff.

In general yes Sagan should beat Canc in a two man sprint (although Fabian did sprint better in this years Sanremo - give any reason why, he did), but Degenkolb? Not necessarily. Dengenkolb (and Fabian for that matter) beat sagan in PR. He also beat him in at GW this year. My point is Degenkolb has proven himself to be extremely tough competition for Sagan.