General chat thread

[jaylew]

Random thoughts

Might be a decent idea for a thread.

I know, blasphemy, but I'm just not that excited about the Giro this year. I'm much more excited about the Tour and Vuelta.

When did Androni become so anonymous?

When, as a pro, will Winner live up to his name?

 

[chiocciolis_calves]

After spending years touting the Giro as the GT to watch, the last few have been duds. Much was made about how Acquarone would improve it and how the Giro had become a freak show and too tough. The cycling press ate that up, quite predictably. It turns out that the racing became duller under Acquarone's model. Bring back Zomegnan and ignore the whining about the Giro being too tough. That's what made it so compelling in the first place. The same nitwits who thought Acquarone's model was splendid were the same nitwits calling for the Vuelta to be cut to two weeks.

 

[Jspear]

Might be a decent idea for a thread.

I know, blasphemy, but I'm just not that excited about the Giro this year. I'm much more excited about the Tour and Vuelta.

When did Androni become so anonymous?

When, as a pro, will Winner live up to his name?

I admit I haven't really paid close attention. What kind of riders are youngers Quintana and Henao? Dayer is punchier than his bro, right?

To a certain degree, I agree with you on the Giro. Back when Porte was scheduled to ride, I was more excited. Now with one less rider to challenge him, I'm thinking (could be completely wrong), he's kinda guaranteed to win. Call me crazy, that's just my opinion. I know Rodriguez should do well. Maybe some crazy weather will make it more interesting...

I'd like to see Basso do at least one more good gt. I haven't seen much of him this year....anyone know how his form is? Same with Cadel - I'd like to see him ride well (looked good yesterday.)

 

[karlboss]

To a certain degree, I agree with you on the Giro. Back when Porte was scheduled to ride, I was more excited. Now with one less rider to challenge him, I'm thinking (could be completely wrong), he's kinda guaranteed to win. Call me crazy, that's just my opinion. I know Rodriguez should do well. Maybe some crazy weather will make it more interesting...

I'd like to see Basso do at least one more good gt. I haven't seen much of him this year....anyone know how his form is? Same with Cadel - I'd like to see him ride well (looked good yesterday.)

I ejoyed the idea of matching up climber who goes from a distance, a climber who hangs on and sprints the finish and a climber who climbs at a steady rate and TTs well, especially with a long flat TT, then Porte fell out of form, and withdrew, and they made the TT lumpy, just seems like too much of the same now.

 

[SafeBet]

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=8199

 

[jaylew]

To a certain degree, I agree with you on the Giro. Back when Porte was scheduled to ride, I was more excited. Now with one less rider to challenge him, I'm thinking (could be completely wrong), he's kinda guaranteed to win. Call me crazy, that's just my opinion. I know Rodriguez should do well. Maybe some crazy weather will make it more interesting...

I'd like to see Basso do at least one more good gt. I haven't seen much of him this year....anyone know how his form is? Same with Cadel - I'd like to see him ride well (looked good yesterday.)

I guess I just see it as Nairo v Purito. I actually like both those guys but in general, it just seems like this field is lacking something. Hopefully Uran will be in the mix.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=8199

Thanks, in my slight stupor I had forgotten about Dane's excellent thread. I'll leave this one since it's also for random thoughts and more rhetorical-type questions and the other is helpful in nature. I'll erase my "normal" question. Perhaps a mod can eliminate "and questions" from the thread title.

 

[JRanton]

Let's not beat around the bush. The problem is that far too many of the best riders, and specific to this website, far too many of the best Anglophone riders, aren't going to be racing.

That doesn't mean it can't be a great race though or that Quintana or Purito wouldn't be worthy winners of a Grand Tour.

 

[ingsve]

I thought it might be useful to have a thread where we can post short thoughts or questions etc. that doesn't necessarily warrant a topic of it's own.

 

[ingsve]

Does anyone else find it ironic when looking back at the rivalry between Cavendish and Greipel at HTC, and the discussions back then, that Cavendish is now the one that is stacking up victories in Tour of Turkey?

 

[SoeSach]

May I say Hi here..?

 

[Afrank]

Or course, if your interested there is also a thread to introduce yourself in. http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=9

 

[jaylew]

That was my thought behind this thread I started a few days ago:

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Frankly, I think it is better to have threads with descriptive titles, specific themes, and a short shelf life. That way, others can decide to follow/participate in a thread or not. This will lead to many duplicated discussions.

I'd suggest that the best way to engage others in conversation about Cavendish vs Greipel in 2014 races is to have a thread entitled "Cav vs Greipel 2014". Many might be interested in that, but not have time for the randomness of "general chat", in which that train of thought could be swamped with other ephemera.

 

[ILovecycling]

There already is a random thoughts thread

 

[ingsve]

That was my thought behind this thread I started a few days ago:

Someone should combine them and sticky it.

 

[Afrank]

I've combined the two threads, not sure if it would be popular enough to justify a sticky. If enough people want it sticky, I suppose I could reconsider though. Also, I would agree with Armchair.

Anyways, while looking through riders to pick for my Cobblestone fantasy cycling team I checked out Monforts results so far this season.
Andalucia- 22nd on GC
Paris Nice- 22nd on GC
Pais Vasco- yep you guessed it, 22nd on GC.
Will he be 22nd at Romandie?

 

[The Hitch]

I've combined the two threads, not sure if it would be popular enough to justify a sticky. If enough people want it sticky, I suppose I could reconsider though. Also, I would agree with Armchair.

Anyways, while looking through riders to pick for my Cobblestone fantasy cycling team I checked out Monforts results so far this season.
Andalucia- 22nd on GC
Paris Nice- 22nd on GC
Pais Vasco- yep you guessed it, 22nd on GC.
Will he be 22nd at Romandie?

Good spot Afrank.

I made a post about this on the other side a year ago.

Here were some other rhyming numbers I'd come across.

Adam Hansen finished the 2013 Giro in 72nd place.
2 months later he finished the 2013 Tour in 72nd place.

Samuel Sanchez finished the 2010 season with 1666 cq points.
He finished the 2011 season with 1666 cq points.

Amets Txurruka finished the 2009 Vuelta in 29th place.
He finished the 2010 Vuelta in 30th place.
He finished the 2011 Vuelta in 30th place.
He finished the 2012 Vuelta in 30th place.
He finished the 2013 Vuelta in..

Thats right, you guessed it.

25th place

Andy schleck lost 31 seconds on the chaingate stage of the 2010 Tour. He finished the 2010 Tour 31 seconds behind Contador. Schleck then led Contador in the 2011 Tour after stage 16 by, 31 seconds.

Liquigas finished 11 consecutive grand tours with the same number of riders - 9. After the brief hiccup in the 2012 Tour, they went onto finish with 9 riders for another 3 consecutive Gt's.


No jokes about Contador finishing 1st in 5 straight gts, or Schleck being runner up 3 years running a the Tour.

 

[The Hitch]

After spending years touting the Giro as the GT to watch, the last few have been duds. Much was made about how Acquarone would improve it and how the Giro had become a freak show and too tough. The cycling press ate that up, quite predictably. It turns out that the racing became duller under Acquarone's model. Bring back Zomegnan and ignore the whining about the Giro being too tough. That's what made it so compelling in the first place. The same nitwits who thought Acquarone's model was splendid were the same nitwits calling for the Vuelta to be cut to two weeks.

I agree last year sucked, sucked bad, but that wasn't the organizers fault, it was the weather.

As for 2013, to be fair, I think its been the riders more than the course.

Afterall 2012 didn't have every mountain stage weaker, it was just heavily backloaded but if you did a hardest stages of 2012, Giro would have had numbers 1 (Stelvio) 2 (Pampeago) 3 (the Giau one), in there

But what happened on those stages? Nothing. Alpe di pampeago is oficially the most disapointing stage of all time ahead of even Cancellara neutralizing the Ardennes, last weeks Ardennes or the Tour stage where Movistar had their rivals isolated then decided to train everyone along for 4 mountains till the finish. (for which I will never forgive anyone associated with that team)

Even Mortirolo Stelvio would have been a disgrace if De Gendt didn't attack 50k out.

But all the other riders were content for final 2 k sprints. Basso had a train he put on the front that ended up tiring him out more, Scarponi wasn't on form, it was all a joke. Zomeganan or no Zomegnan.