2024 Tirreno - Adriatico, March 4-10

[proffate]

LMAO. Geiger's Alien lives.

Alien, Coneheads, Admiral Ackbar... I think the unifying theme is late 20th century Sci Fi.

 

[Berniece]

Actually, why is Visma trying to find marginal gains here? Shouldn't some other teams be inclined to do that and Visma to be rather sure in themself, they got it covered? We'll see during the season if they are doing it believing they are now ahead or behind.

You don’t stay ahead if you stop improving

 

[Lequack]

The memes never end

 

[Brullnux]

I hope they ban these helmets ASAP. I don't care if they're 0.78% faster, they are so ridiculously ugly that they're bringing the sport into disrepute.

From now on there should be a design committee at UCI that has a veto for any new aero equipment.

 

[scribers]

Ban based on aesthetics? lol

 

[Froome]

I hope they ban these helmets ASAP. I don't care if they're 0.78% faster, they are so ridiculously ugly that they're bringing the sport into disrepute.

From now on there should be a design committee at UCI that has a veto for any new aero equipment.

Over time, you got used to it.

 

[Brullnux]

Ban based on aesthetics? lol

Yep, many sports do this (football leagues, e.g., mandate what fonts teams can use).

If it was up to me, I'd ban all TT equipment because it looks so silly. I accept that's probably too far, but surely this helmet is fair game?

 

[scribers]

If a poor ITT performance can involve looking terrible at the same time, VismaLAB pulled it off today.

 

[scribers]

Over time, you got used to it.

I am already quite comfortable with their performance today

 

[Froome]

I am already quite comfortable with their performance today

Over time you will be uncomfortable.

 

[proffate]

one does wonder whether this helmet does its job in a crash. I have no idea if it's wildly safer or wildly unsafe. And for the pros it rarely matters, granted, but amateurs will buy this (that's the whole goal of this televised pro cycling thing) and they will run into cars, deer, etc.

If the sprawling length of this monstrosity means it's way better in a crash, I can tolerate it. But if landing on your forehead instantly snaps your neck or showers your face with shards of polycarbonate, that's obviously a problem. It appears to actually have better peripheral vision than many TT helmets, so that's a plus.

I doubt the standardized testing protocols for roundish helmets are able to answer this for us.

 

[Escarabajo]

I am already quite comfortable with their performance today

There is a probability that those helmets were a distraction to them!! "oh dear they are looking at us!!!!"

 

[Escarabajo]

Reason's for Vingo's performance....

1. It's March! (pay no attention to Camino February)
2. Needs a reason to light up a mtf (or whatever that is)
3. GT riders don't do good ITT in one week stage races (pay no attention to Ayuso)
4. Maybe Ayuso is that good (see Ganna)
5. Conserving energy (this week. And for reason's not specified).
6. Caught a case of September ITT fever.
7. The real Vingo is still in Tiede
8. Playing it cool after Pogi went full ret@rd last weekend.
9. It's the damn helmet, man!
10. He was on the phone with Remco

11. Past his prime!

 

[Scarponi]

It’s been ten years already since Contadors epic attack in this race and hill so steep he had to ride crossways to get up it at the end.

 

[Rob5091]

stage 2 - Philipsen v Milan. Monster sprint coming up!

 

[Cookster15]

It’s been ten years already since Contadors epic attack in this race and hill so steep he had to ride crossways to get up it at the end.

Which year and stage? Do you mean this stage in 2014? It looked like Kreuziger zig zagging? Contador won the sprint. Good to see LRP in the thick of it in his Sky days.

tirreno adriatico 2014 stage 4 - Google Suche

 

[pelotonIQ]

These new cockroach looking helmets look clumsy as ***, they dont even look aero I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped using them after a few unsuccesful TTs

 

[RedheadDane]

I hope they ban these helmets ASAP. I don't care if they're 0.78% faster, they are so ridiculously ugly that they're bringing the sport into disrepute.

If by "disrepute" you mean "people having a laugh over how silly they look", sure.

 

[SafeBet]

I couldnt watch the ITT, so I dont know wich conclusion can be made, becouse I see there was some rain, some corners, wind increasing....Ayuso got a very good result and is now clear favourite for GC, but it is not normal he beated Ganna and put so big time on inmportant names...

Why not?
He's a monster talent and still very young so improvement should be expected. Last year he already won two WT ITT.
Perhaps we should start treating him like a top TT rider and not be surprised when these performances happen.

 

[Froome]

Reason's for Vingo's performance....

1. It's March! (pay no attention to Camino February)
2. Needs a reason to light up a mtf (or whatever that is)
3. GT riders don't do good ITT in one week stage races (pay no attention to Ayuso)
4. Maybe Ayuso is that good (see Ganna)
5. Conserving energy (this week. And for reason's not specified).
6. Caught a case of September ITT fever.
7. The real Vingo is still in Tiede
8. Playing it cool after Pogi went full ret@rd last weekend.
9. It's the damn helmet, man!
10. He was on the phone with Remco

He didn't have the legs to do better yesterday, it's not that difficult. No excuses. I hope he does better on friday and saturday.

 

[Netserk]

Which year and stage? Do you mean this stage in 2014? It looked like Kreuziger zig zagging? Contador won the sprint. Good to see LRP in the thick of it in his Sky days.

tirreno adriatico 2014 stage 4 - Google Suche

The day after when he attacked on Lanciano ~35 km from the finish to put over a minute on the rest in the peloton.

 

[tobydawq]

stage 2 - Philipsen v Milan. Monster sprint coming up!

Merlier?

 

[Taxus4a]

Why not?
He's a monster talent and still very young so improvement should be expected. Last year he already won two WT ITT.
Perhaps we should start treating him like a top TT rider and not be surprised when these performances happen.

I consider Ayuso the new Ocaña, becouse both are spanish and have a very similar appearance, And Ocaña was the rider Merckx feared more for GT races.

I knew he is very good at ITT, and he can put some distance to Vigegaard, but not 2 seconds per km and to beat Ganna in a stage for pure especialist. The difference is very small with this one, but of course is an amazing performance. He lost 10 secons Andalucia, and Ganna is in his country and maybe the best especialist now.

 

[Taxus4a]

Merlier?

Looking at the ITT Vernon did yesterday he is one of the favourites as well, but his team shouldnt control the race IMO..He has a very good train as well: Corbin Strong, Neilants, Simon Clark...

I like this race as it has long stages

 

[KZD]

I consider Ayuso the new Ocaña, becouse both are spanish and have a very similar appearance, And Ocaña was the rider Merckx feared more for GT races.

I knew he is very good at ITT, and he can put some distance to Vigegaard, but not 2 seconds per km and to beat Ganna in a stage for pure especialist. The difference is very small with this one, but of course is an amazing performance. He lost 10 secons Andalucia, and Ganna is in his country and maybe the best especialist now.

The thing about Ganna is that he is not in great shape in the beginning of the season as the Algarve TT result showed and even yesterday I expected him to put more time into the likes of Milan and Vernon. So while Ayuso overperformed I think Ganna underperformed a bit, possibly Sheffield would have beaten him if he hadn't crashed.

For today's stage I will go with Merlier.