General News Thread

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Cinturin mallorca (2.2) has also been cancelled this year.

Spanish cycling..going down hard...but that's what a 25% unemployment rate and bad economy does for you

 

[capstardk]

It also looks like the GP LLodio will be cancelled, however the final decision should be taken tomorrow

On a more positive note, the Vuelta a Castilla y León will be held, but it will be reduced from 5 to 3 days with 4 stages

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It also looks like the GP LLodio will be cancelled, however the final decision should be taken tomorrow

On a more positive note, the Vuelta a Castilla y León will be held, but it will be reduced from 5 to 3 days with 4 stages

Giving us Klasika Amorebieta as the only Basque race.

What a bunch of horses**t this globalisation drive is. This is one of the sport's biggest cradles of support. Can you imagine the equivalent in Belgium? Where the only Flemish race is the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen?

 

[jens_attacks]

that's not about globalisation a lot.it's more that spanish economy is just a huge failure.if they'd have an economy rolling strong,this would never happen.
both races are huge in my preferences,it's just a shame if they won't take place.

 

[Parrulo]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cunego-in-frame-to-lead-italy-at-the-worlds

apparently cunego will be leading italy at this years worlds. . . As much of a cunego fan as i am i don't think that's the best decision from bettini, scarponi and nibali both seem too be better then cunego for the classics for the past couple of years.

 

[jens_attacks]

italian team will be just a joke.they shot themselves in the head when they banned all the real deal riders.
good luck with cunego,viviani,modolo and the others after 250 hard kilometers when you face belgium,british,australian,spanish riders.
they won't even make the top 10.
i hope bettini will leave the place,it was a disgrace to see him accept that huge injustice from the federation.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

italian team will be just a joke.they shot themselves in the head when they banned all the real deal riders.
good luck with cunego,viviani,modolo and the others after 250 hard kilometers when you face belgium,british,australian,spanish riders.
they won't even make the top 10.
i hope bettini will leave the place,it was a disgrace to see him accept that huge injustice from the federation.

lol(banned the real deal riders) this is why you are different..rock on, bro.

 

[canyonball]

@ Jens_attacks: what should bettini do regarding the rule, in your opinion? I'm asking about something meaningful to reverse it.

Italy had it coming. When they applied the rule, it was only obvious that the options would decrease and so the chances of success. But let's not make it the only reason. I think looking at the pool there's a significant gap beetween the aging stars (if not in age, at least in performance) and the youngsters coming through. Moser, Battaglin, Viviani, Felline, Aru, Cattaneo, Agostini. Even if one of this guy's ever achieves world domination, it won't be tomorrow. The rule made that gap a little bit bigger in my opinion.

 

[jens_attacks]

@ Jens_attacks: what should bettini do regarding the rule, in your opinion? I'm asking about something meaningful to reverse it.

Italy had it coming. When they applied the rule, it was only obvious that the options would decrease and so the chances of success. But let's not make it the only reason. I think looking at the pool there's a significant gap beetween the aging stars (if not in age, at least in performance) and the youngsters coming through. Moser, Battaglin, Viviani, Felline, Aru, Cattaneo, Agostini. Even if one of this guy's ever achieves world domination, it won't be tomorrow. The rule made that gap a little bit bigger in my opinion.

i don't think bettini could have reversed the rule somehow.but as a form of respect as a fellow peloton collegue with alejet,michele,di luca or basso he should have quit that moment.retroactivity is sick and illegal.but hey it's pro cycling...

i might have exagerrated a little bit,cunego still has a good kick and engine maybe but i don't like him much.but with such an unexperienced team he has absolutely no chance.

the new generation looks good on paper and they can win in the small races.still until now no one impressed me so hard to say "oh man he's gonna kill them all in the next few years".when you look at the anglo-saxone new terrible strong wave in pro cycling is just getting sadder and obvious.italy won't be a force in the next ten years,not at all.

 

[theyoungest]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cunego-in-frame-to-lead-italy-at-the-worlds

apparently cunego will be leading italy at this years worlds. . . As much of a cunego fan as i am i don't think that's the best decision from bettini, scarponi and nibali both seem too be better then cunego for the classics for the past couple of years.

For the course in Limburg I think Cunego is (still) their best bet.

 

[canyonball]

the new generation looks good on paper and they can win in the small races.still until now no one impressed me so hard to say "oh man he's gonna kill them all in the next few years".when you look at the anglo-saxone new terrible strong wave in pro cycling is just getting sadder and obvious.italy won't be a force in the next ten years,not at all.

Good to see you recognize that the rule is the least of Italy problems. And I hope you're not suggesting JTL for the world championship

I guess we have different views on the "rule" issue. Like you said, Bettini's only option would be to resign. It would be a poetic gesture, but nothing more than that.

Bettini choose to stay and work with what he has. He's been doing an effort (at least) to get those younger guy's experience. Even though I believe he recognizes it's a hard task and he'll probably go down after this year's worlds.

 

[minessa]

Kolobnev cleared by CAS
http://www.tas-cas.org/en/infogenerales.asp/4-3-5751-1092-4-1-1/5-0-1092-15-1-1/

 

[The Hitch]

italian team will be just a joke.they shot themselves in the head when they banned all the real deal riders.
good luck with cunego,viviani,modolo and the others after 250 hard kilometers when you face belgium,british,australian,spanish riders.
they won't even make the top 10.
i hope bettini will leave the place,it was a disgrace to see him accept that huge injustice from the federation.

Scarponi can't ride right?

Even if he could Italians cant really match up to Belemont, Gonzalez, Oliver with Fernandez and Gil as domestiques, and thats assuming Velasco doesnt even ride which he might. Edit: and I forgot Hernandez maybe too.

And there's people like Gilbert Evans maybe Schleck who are better than anything Italy has to offer if it comes down to a climb descent up the cauberg.

Their only hope would be if the decision was overturned and Rebellin could ride

My outside tip from the Italian team is, as it has been every year since 2007, Visconti.

 

[jens_attacks]

absolutely agree,hitch.the only hope for them is cunego but he has to be uber prepared and to have shiitload of luck.another one would be ballan,but only with a strong team to control all the attacks like in 2008.let's face it, visconti hasn't the engine for 250 km,we learned that from the ardennes.

 

[roundabout]

Gilbert will win anyways. Not even dusting off Rebellin (Di Luca/Basso/Scarponi/any other doper) would matter.

 

[El Pistolero]

The Spanish armada will be the strongest team at the WC this year, closely followed by the Belgians. It will either be a Spanish or Belgian WC IMO.

 

[The Hitch]

italian team will be just a joke.they shot themselves in the head when they banned all the real deal riders.
good luck with cunego,viviani,modolo and the others after 250 hard kilometers when you face belgium,british,australian,spanish riders.
they won't even make the top 10.
i hope bettini will leave the place,it was a disgrace to see him accept that huge injustice from the federation.

Scarponi can't ride right?

Even if he could Italians cant really match up to Belemont, Gonzalez, Oliver, Fernandez and Gil as domestiques, and thats assuming Velasco doesnt even ride which he might.

And there's people like Gilbert Evans maybe Schleck who are better than anything Italy has to offer if it comes down to a climb descent up the cauberg.

Their only hope would be if the decision was overturned and Rebellin could ride

My outside tip from the Italian team is, as it has been every year since 2007, Visconti.

 

[jens_attacks]

The Spanish armada will be the strongest team at the WC this year, closely followed by the Belgians. It will either be a Spanish or Belgian WC IMO.

agreed.but also keep an eye open at the british.after the olympics they will be still strong as hell.have no idea though who will deliver in the finish,only if they get a spot for JTL.

 

[Gloin22]

agreed.but also keep an eye open at the british.after the olympics they will be still strong as hell.have no idea though who will deliver in the finish,only if they get a spot for JTL.

Froomey would be a good bet after Vuelta If he has the form of course

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Scarponi can't ride right?

Even if he could Italians cant really match up to Belemont, Gonzalez, Oliver with Fernandez and Gil as domestiques, and thats assuming Velasco doesnt even ride which he might. Edit: and I forgot Hernandez maybe too.

And there's people like Gilbert Evans maybe Schleck who are better than anything Italy has to offer if it comes down to a climb descent up the cauberg.

Their only hope would be if the decision was overturned and Rebellin could ride

My outside tip from the Italian team is, as it has been every year since 2007, Visconti.

I wouldn't rule out Llamazales domestiquing too. Of course, Gómez may or may not ride, although he's a bit long in the tooth now, while the younger Gil could also be a threat (OK, a threat to come 2nd) given that the finish isn't on the Cauberg itself.

 

[LaFlorecita]

The Spanish armada will be the strongest team at the WC this year, closely followed by the Belgians. It will either be a Spanish or Belgian WC IMO.

I hope a Spanish one. Alberto and Alejandro... UCI will like it.

 

[Red Rick]

I hope a Spanish one. Alberto and Alejandro... UCI will like it.

Fleur, you're a Dutchie hoping for Spanish domination in a Dutch WC. You should be happy its not 1567 anymore, cause you'd be quartered

 

[Leonardus]

Still, would be great fun if alberto or alejandro wins and Pat Mcquaid or one of his lackeys has to congratulate one of them.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Still, would be great fun if alberto or alejandro wins and Pat Mcquaid or one of his lackeys has to congratulate one of them.

The UCI are responsible for many sins, but Contador and Valverde getting themselves suspended was not the fault of the UCI. Indeed, there's a certain amount of suspicion that had it not been for certain media leaks, the UCI might have preferred a less than zealous approach to the Contador case.

In any case, whining about how unfair it is that someone got suspended is doping just as much as giving out that someone is allowed to race and does not belong in this forum.

 

[Kvinto]

http://www.amstelgoldrace.nl/index.php?pageId=15&newsItemId=613&languageId=12

AGR exchange: Farnese Vini instead of RusVelo.