Amstel Gold Race -18th April -257km

[theyoungest]

Use airplanes to transmit the signal? Okay.... Seems weird to me. Usually they have those big vans with a dozen or so satellite dishes mounted.

The plane transmits the signal from the choppers to the satellite dish on the ground, I guess. Maybe the choppers are flying too low to transmit the signal themselves?

 

[craig1985]

True, he lives right in the south of suisse so that will not help. Would be handy if he was in zurich. Aren't some riders trying to get to Holland from Spain? Would they go through France?

By bus it is at least an 8 hour drive from Paris to Toulouse for example. I think this race might be a write off for many teams and riders.

 

[Moondance]

The plane transmits the signal from the choppers to the satellite dish on the ground, I guess. Maybe the choppers are flying too low to transmit the signal themselves?

I guess.... So they just have a plane fly circles and act as a mirror for the choppers who reflect it to the satellite van who beams it to the orbiting satellite who beams it to Hilversum where they edit the feed who then transmits it by some freaky voodoo science to every household around the world

It's so complicated puctuation can't even control it.

 

[Moondance]

By bus it is at least an 8 hour drive from Paris to Toulouse for example. I think this race might be a write off for many teams and riders.

I'm sure, given the circumstances that the race direction will be waiving the '6 riders minimum per team' requirement...

Or they'd better. Would be sad to see Pozzato and Rodriguez not start (for example) because they could fly in enough domestiques from Russia (or wherever).

 

[craig1985]

Now that I have Eurosport, I can finally watch the race/record it, and now truely appreciate the race. It's hard for me to appreciate the Ardenne Classics.

 

[Moondance]

OK official. KLM (Dutch national airline) is scapping all of their flights to Schiphol today. Expect other airlines will follow suit shortly.

Sucks for every rider who isn't there, you lucked out. Hopefully everyone who already underway by car/train/bus will make it, preferably promptly for their sake.

This could either turn into the awesomest Amstel ever..... Or one of the worst. Bets anyone?

Source: http://nos.nl/artikel/151205-klm-schrapt-alle-vluchten-vandaag.html

 

[thehog]

OK official. KLM (Dutch national airline) is scapping all of their flights to Schiphol today. Expect other airlines will follow suit shortly.

Sucks for every rider who isn't there, you lucked out. Hopefully everyone who already underway by car/train/bus will make it, preferably promptly for their sake.

This could either turn into the awesomest Amstel ever..... Or one of the worst. Bets anyone?

Source: http://nos.nl/artikel/151205-klm-schrapt-alle-vluchten-vandaag.html

Wiggins is out. UK flights all down until 1am Sunday which rules out Sunday.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Take the train, Wiggo! Sky are already there...

 

[thehog]

Take the train, Wiggo! Sky are already there...

Other problem is that the riders will be competing with 60,000 tourists for seats on flights which wouldn't be much fun. Stay home and train.

 

[Moondance]

Take the train, Wiggo! Sky are already there...

Yeah... He ain't the only one who's going to be taking the Eurostar or ferry.

BTW even if the Eurostar is still running the SNCF (French railways) are still striking as far as I know. Then Wiggo will just be stuck at Gare du Nord, pining for a cycling race.

 

[theyoungest]

Yeah... He ain't the only one who's going to be taking the Eurostar or ferry.

BTW even if the Eurostar is still running the SNCF (French railways) are still striking as far as I know. Then Wiggo will just be stuck at Gare du Nord, pining for a cycling race.

The French apparently aren't the only strike-prone people of Europe. Charlie Wegelius on twitter:

Brilliant! Security staff at Helsinki airport are on strike! Not that anyone will notice... It's closed!

 

[Moondance]

The French apparently aren't the only strike-prone people of Europe. Charlie Wegelius on twitter:

Very polite of them to strike when noones flying anyway... Perfect Scandies

BTW, why is he in Finland in first place? Is there some like top secret training camp located up there or something?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Other problem is that the riders will be competing with 60,000 tourists for seats on flights which wouldn't be much fun. Stay home and train.

True, Team Sky don't have the budget or contacts to get him on a 2 hour eurostar train, best to just give up.

 

[Anonymous]

Wiggins is out. UK flights all down until 1am Sunday which rules out Sunday.

He is in Girona...so he couldn't leave yesterday and drive there why? Weak sauce. It is around 1250 km. They do have cars in Spain? Right?

 

[theyoungest]

Very polite of them to strike when noones flying anyway... Perfect Scandies

BTW, why is he in Finland in first place? Is there some like top secret training camp located up there or something?

Never wondered why he has such a non-English sounding name? He was born in Finland. Don't know if he's actually there right now, but he follows the Finnish news, I guess.

 

[tgsgirl]

Never wondered why he has such a non-English sounding name? He was born in Finland. Don't know if he's actually there right now, but he follows the Finnish news, I guess.

I think he lives there, even. Not 100% sure though.

 

[The Sheep]

Sastre also not going to make it according to his twitter.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Can we make a little list of who will not be making it?

I have
Valverde, Wiggins, Sastre, Tondo, Wegelius, Lewis, gustov and didn't someone say that ivanov was out?

my tip now
Gilbert
Gesink
Kroon

 

[Bicicleta]

Can we make a little list of who will not be making it?

I have
Valverde, Wiggins, Sastre, Tondo, Wegelius, Lewis, gustov and didn't someone say that ivanov was out?

my tip now
Gilbert
Gesink
Kroon

Read that Tomas Vaitkus is driving up from the South of Spain. He's not a contender - but that's quite a drive.

 

[Moondance]

Chances are now big that Valverde will miss it too... As well as the entire Euskatel squad.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Chances are now big that Valverde will miss it too... As well as the entire Euskatel squad.

It would of been an even bigger shame if they missed the cobbled classics!

 

[Furbo_]

Valverde is in Maastricht.

 

[luckyboy]

Valverde is in Maastricht.

 

[Bala Verde]

Looks like some teams/individuals left a bit too late. Although it is certainly not ideal to drive from mid-Spain/mid-Italy to Maastricht, it is possible to do it in 1-2 days, especially when you have a designated driver (heck just use the soigneur!) who'll take care of all your needs. On the other hand, it's a better excuse than let's say, "the dog ate my vittoria tubulars..."

Maybe Cancellara will come out of his 'classics' retirement, knowing that half of the contenders are either tired or not present...

Was this eruption UCI induced, to prevent Valverde from racing? Much better and easier than issuing a worldwide ban in any case

I hope L1 will have limburgish commentary tomorrow

PS> youngest (?) thanks for the link to the NOS Gesink training clip

 

[Aguirre]

and LLS too.

Vulcano nor UCI can't stop him