General News Thread

[The Hitch]

Liquigas double team at Giro would be great.

Would be a shame to see Stelvio cancelled but maybe then theyll just do Mortirolo Aprica as a replacement.

 

[roundabout]

Basso: "Nibali isn't good enough to podium the 2012 Tour".

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I'm actually quite shocked that cyclists still fly economy class on those distances (San Luis is 12 hour flight at least). Add to that the jetlag and you see why globalization in cycling fails....

yeah you see the crowd masses at san luis every year?? and the starts going there every year? this year they even get contador. talk about failing :L

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Yep. In my opinion its living the cyclists.

Edit: I know San Luis is not compulsory and everything, but still, in my opinion races all over the globe for the same select group of cyclists just isn't gonna work, for aforementioned reasons.

you truly don't understand do you?? globalisation means more money for everyone including the teams so higher budgets. do you evenr ealize in the past 5-10 years budgets have pretty much doubled for the top 18 teams in the world?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Well it is about the only international sport I know where competitors can't manage a peak in both May and July.

mma, athletics, swimming, weightlifting

 

[Libertine Seguros]

you truly don't understand do you?? globalisation means more money for everyone including the teams so higher budgets. do you evenr ealize in the past 5-10 years budgets have pretty much doubled for the top 18 teams in the world?

Yes, and the sponsors can't continue to sustain that kind of increase. Only a few throw-the-chequebook-at-every-problem teams like BMC will be able to continue to do so. You've seen what happens when even a well-funded and successful team has to go and find new sponsorship - High Road to the wall. Saying "globalisation means more money for everyone" is all well and good if it's evenly distributed, but it isn't, is it? Teams like FDJ or Euskaltel don't reap the benefits - what benefit is sponsor coverage in Australia or China for a company without much presence outside its home country, in races that aren't even broadcast at home in France/Spain? But they still have to pay ever increasing amounts on travelling to these races to continue to stay at the level that lets them access the races they need to do to keep the team afloat. And several historic races are forced to the wall because they can no longer attract a field because too many of the teams who would normally be at the centre of the race are forced to be off moonlighting in some far off land in a race with no history, no prestige and a dull parcours where they have no chance of winning.

Globalisation is a double edged sword, and while the sport shouldn't be closing its doors to those outside of its traditional home, in an economic situation like today's, a sport so completely dependent on sponsor income should be wary of wilfully alienating the base that has kept it alive, because if the bottom falls out of the globalisation drive, those will be the teams, riders and races that are expected to pick up the pieces.

 

[jens_attacks]

ahahahaha classy ivan what a gentleman..oh wait i'm joking...lol how he puts nibali at the front to take all the pressure away from himself,too late ivan we already know you are going for il giro and we already know vincenzo won't be the favourite anyway.but nice try

 

[issoisso]

Now in the news: Murilo Fischer is portuguese

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/farrar-devolder-to-lead-teams-in-algarve

I know, I'm being naughty but it wouldn't be as bad if his jersey weren't the national flag of a country in an entirely different continent

 

[theyoungest]

Now in the news: Murilo Fischer is portuguese

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/farrar-devolder-to-lead-teams-in-algarve

I know, I'm being naughty but it wouldn't be as bad if his jersey weren't the national flag of a country in an entirely different continent

And Devolder finished 3d in the Algarve last year, apparently...

Funnily enough the guy who actually did finish 3d is listed as his "support".

 

[Cobblestoned]

Agree, but wonder why it took him so long to find this out.

Preperation is not a serious preparation without "throwing up" and peeing yourself at least once a day.
Might also apply to some races.

Nick Nuyens: “I have learned to deal with throwing up"
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/10755/Nick-Nuyens-I-have-learned-to-deal-with-throwing-up.aspx

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

And Devolder finished 3d in the Algarve last year, apparently...

Funnily enough the guy who actually did finish 3d is listed as his "support".

Larsson as a domestique for Devolder makes no sense, either. Funny ****.

 

[craig1985]

Yes, and the sponsors can't continue to sustain that kind of increase. Only a few throw-the-chequebook-at-every-problem teams like BMC will be able to continue to do so. You've seen what happens when even a well-funded and successful team has to go and find new sponsorship - High Road to the wall. Saying "globalisation means more money for everyone" is all well and good if it's evenly distributed, but it isn't, is it? Teams like FDJ or Euskaltel don't reap the benefits - what benefit is sponsor coverage in Australia or China for a company without much presence outside its home country, in races that aren't even broadcast at home in France/Spain? But they still have to pay ever increasing amounts on travelling to these races to continue to stay at the level that lets them access the races they need to do to keep the team afloat. And several historic races are forced to the wall because they can no longer attract a field because too many of the teams who would normally be at the centre of the race are forced to be off moonlighting in some far off land in a race with no history, no prestige and a dull parcours where they have no chance of winning.

Globalisation is a double edged sword, and while the sport shouldn't be closing its doors to those outside of its traditional home, in an economic situation like today's, a sport so completely dependent on sponsor income should be wary of wilfully alienating the base that has kept it alive, because if the bottom falls out of the globalisation drive, those will be the teams, riders and races that are expected to pick up the pieces.

I don't think they were. There has been an article on a blog that they were actually living off the severance pay-out from T-Mobile and Columbia and then HTC weren't contributing a lot. For his flaws the man you want to get sponsorship is Gianetti and I'm sure he would have got a new one if he wasn't forced to find a new one at the last minute.

As for Euskaltel, the sooner they drop down to Pro Continental level, the better, so they won't be forced to waste their time traveling to Australia, China, Canada for WT races, and won't be forced to do the cobbled Classics (I think their best placed rider at Roubaix came in 17 minutes behind van Summeren, and was the only guy to finish or make the time cut for Euskaltel). I like Euskaltel as much as the next man but it would be a lot more sustainable and better for them to do races that suit their riders attributes or their sponsor demographics.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Jon Andersons top 50 sport stars of 2011

One cyclist, Evans who is at n.o 10. No Gilbert in the top 50. What a ****!

I was happy that he put no AFL players in the list.

 

[craig1985]

He had probably never heard of Gilbert until he won his stage at the Tour, and never heard of the other 17 races that he won. He wouldn't know what Amstel Gold was even if it slapped him in the head. What do you expect from your typical Aussie journalist who thinks the TDF is the only race that exists?

 

[auscyclefan94]

He had probably never heard of Gilbert until he won his stage at the Tour, and never heard of the other 17 races that he won. He wouldn't know what Amstel Gold was even if it slapped him in the head. What do you expect from your typical Aussie journalist who thinks the TDF is the only race that exists?

Agreed. He will be opening a chat room in an hour and 15 minutes where I am considering going nuts at him for his lack of knowledge.

 

[The Hitch]

Jon Andersons top 50 sport stars of 2011

One cyclist, Evans who is at n.o 10. No Gilbert in the top 50. What a ****!

I was happy that he put no AFL players in the list.

The implication that Cadel is only as high as 10th because no other person from the southern hemisphere had won the TDF before and that he would therefore be a worse athlete had someone from the Southern Hemisphere won the TDF before, reveals all you need to know about the stupidity behind this list.

Case in point, what is Robin Van persie who has 0 achievments for 2011 doing above someone with very real achievments for the year like Mutai, one of the greatest athletes of the year.

 

[Ferminal]

Jon Andersons top 50 sport stars of 2011

One cyclist, Evans who is at n.o 10. No Gilbert in the top 50. What a ****!

I was happy that he put no AFL players in the list.

Lmao, Loeb and Slater, who did the same thing they've done for 10 years previously. Pacquiao who had two forgettable fights. He also has an obsession with Anna Meares (although this year she probably deserves that spot). At least he didn't forget Northug this time.

Gilbert should definitely be there and maybe Martin and Cav too (for being the best/dominant in a discipline).

 

[auscyclefan94]

The implication that Cadel is only as high as 10th because no other person from the southern hemisphere had won the TDF before and that he would therefore be a worse athlete had someone from the Southern Hemisphere won the TDF before, reveals all you need to know about the stupidity behind this list.

Case in point, what is Robin Van persie who has 0 achievments for 2011 doing above someone with very real achievments for the year like Mutai, one of the greatest athletes of the year.

I personally think Gilbert should be at least top 5. I have little problem where Cadel is because I think he has had a phenomonal year (not just the TDF win) but the time I have watched professional cycling intently (which is since 2007) and the reading I have done I don't think I have seeen sucha dominant year by such an athlete.

I hope some of you join me in the chat room in about 50 minutes!

 

[The Hitch]

Gilbert should definitely be there and maybe Martin and Cav too (for being the best in a discipline).
.

Even though the British, who HATE cycling decided that Cav was several levels above the cricketer and the golfer for 2011, they somehow find themselves on the list yet he doesnt

Lmao, Loeb and Slater, who did the same thing they've done for 10 years previously. Pacquiao who had two forgettable fights. He also has an obsession with Anna Meares (although this year she probably deserves that spot). At least he didn't forget Northug this time.

He clearly has an obsession with commercial sports too. The extremity of the logic behind it lets me even drop my hatred of F1 for a moment and aknowledge that vettel actually did win something, because a lot of the people on that list excelled in absolutely no way.

Xavier Hernandez (stupidly called Xavi which would be like listing Gilbert merely as "Phil") certainatly did not excell in his post. Yet he is placed well well ahead of several world number 1's world champions and people who decimated their entire discipline.

 

[The Hitch]

I personally think Gilbert should be at least top 5. I have little problem where Cadel is because I think he has had a phenomonal year (not just the TDF win) but the time I have watched professional cycling intently (which is since 2007) and the reading I have done I don't think I have seeen sucha dominant year by such an athlete.

I hope some of you join me in the chat room in about 50 minutes!

My sword is yours.

Instructions as to how to find my way into said chat room may be needed though

 

[El Pistolero]

The implication that Cadel is only as high as 10th because no other person from the southern hemisphere had won the TDF before and that he would therefore be a worse athlete had someone from the Southern Hemisphere won the TDF before, reveals all you need to know about the stupidity behind this list.

Case in point, what is Robin Van persie who has 0 achievments for 2011 doing above someone with very real achievments for the year like Mutai, one of the greatest athletes of the year.

Lol at Yohan Blake being so high in that list. The guy won the 100 meters only because Bolt got DQ. And Usain Bolt ain't even in it even though he's WC of 200 meters and run the fastest 100 meters of the year.

And what's up with all that baseball? Isn't that a sport no one does outside the US except some Asian countries(I think South Korea and some others)?

And lol at him trying to diminish an event because it is held yearly. Then why is Djokovic on that list? Surely it isn't prestigious to win Grand Slams that are held every year and so many Europeans won Grand Slams before him

 

[auscyclefan94]

My sword is yours.

Instructions as to how to find my way into said chat room may be needed though

Cool, just hit the arrow or numbers at 12:30pm (melb time) of the "cover it live" box (at top of page I linked earlier) and the chat room comes up straight away.

 

[The Hitch]

Lol at Yohan Blake being so high in that list. The guy won the 100 meters only because Bolt got DQ. And Usain Bolt ain't even in it even though he's WC of 200 meters and run the fastest 100 meters of the year.

Usain Bolt shouldn't be in it (or at least not high). His trick is that he wins 100m and 200m, If he fails at either than he should not be named a top 5 like Laureus did. Kenenisa never got recognized for doing world and olympic double, double, in 2 of the hardest disciplines in world sport, why is Bolt being recognized for a 200m win.

 

[El Pistolero]

Usain Bolt shouldn't be in it (or at least not high). His trick is that he wins 100m and 200m, If he fails at either than he should not be named a top 5 like Laureus did. Kenenisa never got recognized for doing world and olympic double, double, in 2 of the hardest disciplines in world sport, why is Bolt being recognized for a 200m win.

Bolt is a phenomon. If he ever decided to train on the 400 meters he'd become world champion. And I also think he can break the world record for long jump if he ever trained on that as well. He's quite versatile for an athlete actually. He raped the 400 meter runners once on the rarely held 300 meters. In athletics the 100 meters is like the Tour de France of cycling. It's the most important/popular discipline. Though I also think Kenenisa deserves as much recognition of course(but because he doesn't get recognized doesn't mean Bolt shouldn't get recognized).

 

[auscyclefan94]

You have pacquiao and mayweather on the list and all they do is dodge each other so as to protect their own legacy and record. In pacquaio"s case he just won against marquez in a fight which everyone bar the judges said he lost while mayweather had a farce of a spectacle in his fight with ortiz.

Also vettel is ahead of evans. Just coz you win the F1 championship doesnt mean you are the best driver. There are other things that win the championship like reliability, tyres, engine, etc. that are outside of the drivers influence. I remember schumacher losing out on titles to hill, villeneuve, and hakkinen when he was by far and away the best driver only coz his ferrari was inferior to the mclaren and williams at the time.

I am amazed evans wasnt higher as if i am not mistaken didnt the country have a national holiday coz of his tour win. I thought he got the publicity he deserved back in australia through this.

It was proposed by Federal MP Ed Husic but didn't eventuate. Instead the Sate Government organised a parade in the Melbourne CBD where 30,000 to 40,000 people turned up (yes more than the Queen and Oprah).

I have a strong dislike for many motor sports due to the fact that there are too many variables regarding who wins and not necessarily the best tatical and skillful driver.