General News Thread

[trevim]

Also regarding the portuguese scene, Volta ao Minho (the best part of the country really) will be back next year as a national calendar event.

 

[Parrulo]

Also regarding the portuguese scene, Volta ao Minho (the best part of the country really) will be back next year as a national calendar event.

Awesome, i will surely go and watch a couple stages live. Hopefully they will use my stage design around Monção and Melgaço

 

[Ferminal]

http://biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=67034

Sounds reasonable?

 

[Taxus4a]

http://biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=67034

Sounds reasonable?

It is the same that last years, with its good and bad things

 

[trevim]

Awesome, i will surely go and watch a couple stages live. Hopefully they will use my stage design around Monção and Melgaço

I would ride all the stages myself if I lived there. The best part of Portugal, no doubt.

 

[del1962]

From inrng twitter

Ag2r La Mondiale, Belkin, BMC, Cannondale, FDJ.fr, Garmin-Sharp, OPQS, Katusha and Team Saxo Bank all awarded World Tour licences for 2014

Meanwhile Astana, Lampre-Merida, Movistar , Orica-Greenedge, Sky, Trek Factory Racing + Europcar applications get reviewed, news in December

More Info

 

[Libertine Seguros]

http://biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=67034

Sounds reasonable?

Seems pretty decent. Ordizia has a lot of potential as a stage town, I'm thinking that similar to the 2009 stage around Ataun, the last climb of the day is likely to be Lazkaomendi, at 1,2km at 12,9% - not bad, huh? In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the whole stage is fairly similar to that stage from four years ago. Maybe if they're going to Nafarroa afterward they'll use more of the bigger climbs nearby though.

Presumably it will then be Ordizia to Elizondo. Most of the more sizable climbs near Elizondo are pretty gradual though, so this could wind up being similar to stage 1 this year. They could feasibly do Belate or Artesiaga, but it would more than likely have to be the easier side. Gasteiz will be the token "flat" stage as usual, probably with the Puerto de Vitoria, Azazeta or Zaldiaran as the final climb, very gradual ones.

Arrate is Arrate, but with the final stages around Markina they will presumably not do the usual looping around Ixua and Etxebarría over San Miguel to the finish, so we'll get something like Elosua and Karabieta as lead-in climbs.

Eibar to Markina isn't very far so I can imagine we'll get stuff like Urkiola, but early in the stage. Anticipate a loop with Lekoitz-Gane in it, which will be nice. Goierri is also very close to Markina, as is Santa Eufemia. From Durango to Markina is Trabakua, which is fairly easy going but would enable them to use the first 6,5km of this side of Monte Oiz, which I am practically begging for. There is the potential for a "mountaintop finish" at San Cristobál de Iturreta, but I see this as unlikely. Also of course, Ixua (aka all the good bits from Arrate without the flat & descent) would descend into Markina too, so I can see this appearing in the stage, but not being the decisive climb as that would be the same climb twice in two days as the decisive one. APM also mentions Xemeingane within Markina-Xemein itself, which is 500m at over 20%, but I have no idea if this is actually passable.

I hope they have the TT begin and end at the legendary frontón, for Markina-Xemein is the original home of Jai-Alai.

 

[pastronef]

Tour Down Under ‏@tourdownunder 5 Nov
Congratulations to @DrapacCycling on Pro Continental status. We look forward to having you @tourdownunder in Jan! #tdu #feeltherush

 

[Ferminal]

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=67097

Woah

 

[GP Blanco]

ASO stated that the Grand Depart of the 2015 Tour de France will be held in Utrecht.

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2014/us/pre-race/news/ahc/utrecht-to-host-the-grand-start-in-2015.html

 

[jens_attacks]

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=67097

Woah

holy crrap. two hours a day

lots of cycling in february now on eurosport,qatar,oman,dubai,ruta del sol
bring het volk too and it's paradise

i wonder what MTF we gonna have in andalucia?

 

[pastronef]

Preudhomme and co looking at the works on the Tourmalet after the flood


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...41884.100004280136613&type=1&relevant_count=1

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...41828.100001168093166&type=1&relevant_count=1

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...41828.100005469553910&type=1&relevant_count=1

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Guillen saying he's open for a two-week Vuelta if it's needed for a new cycling calender

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/length-of-the-vuelta-a-espana-up-for-discussion



Everybody involved in professional cycling who talks about two week GT's should be immidiately fired.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It really feels like everybody who is involved in this has lost their minds. Kill it with fire.

 

[jens_attacks]

won't happen. vuelta proved in the last years that it is a great race and not only once, beat both le tour and giro in term of excitement and contenders. and even route
it is not anymore the 2500 kms race of the beginning of 2000's with all the top 20, spanish riders

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Pais Vasco.2014

Etapa 1: Ordizia - Ordizia
Etapa 2: Ordizia - Urdazabi-Urdax
Etapa 3: Igantzi - Vitoria-Gasteiz
Etapa 4: Vitoria-Gasteiz - Eibar (Arrate)
Etapa 5: Eibar - Markina-Xemein
Etapa 6: Markina-Xemein CRI

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Ordizia is a lovely town, and that could be a very nice stage. The Urdazabi stage will presumably either be a descent from Otxondo or approached from the French side, in which case the run-in will be fairly rolling, but they will go through the almost impossibly picturesque town of Ainhoa on the run-in. Intrigued by the CRI. There aren't too many roads that will link together to give a nice circuit route around Markina.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Ordizia is a lovely town, and that could be a very nice stage. The Urdazabi stage will presumably either be a descent from Otxondo or approached from the French side, in which case the run-in will be fairly rolling, but they will go through the almost impossibly picturesque town of Ainhoa on the run-in. Intrigued by the CRI. There aren't too many roads that will link together to give a nice circuit route around Markina.

Will you do your preferred routes and profiles using the confirmed towns/cities?

 

[Christian]

@f_cancellara:

Belgium fans dont forget tonight @reyerslaat at 22:30... Nice awesome news regarding the new team @TrekFactory 2014

I checked, but no livestream it seems

 

[janraaskalt]

The news is that you can register for the fan club of Trek Factory Racing and get free access to the team presentation on January 10th.
http://www.trekfactoryracing.com/

 

[Christian]

The news is that you can register for the fan club of Trek Factory Racing and get free access to the team presentation on January 10th.
http://www.trekfactoryracing.com/

Where is it gonna be, did they say?

 

[janraaskalt]

Where is it gonna be, did they say?

Roubaix, on an undisclosed location, which is revealed to those who register.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Provisional Portuguese calendar for 2014, from jornalciclismo:

16/2 - Prova de Abertura
19/2-23/2 - Volta ao Algarve (2.1)
16/3 - Volta à Bairrada
26/3-30/3 - Volta ao Alentejo/GP Crédito Agricola-Costa Azul (2.2)
05/4-06/4 - GP da Maia
13/4 - Clássica da Primavera
25/4-27/4 GP Liberty Seguros-Volta às Terras de Santa Maria
18/5 (Taça de Portugal) - Clássica de Amarante
23/5 - Challenge de Tavira
24/5 (Taça de Portugal) - Restaurante Alpendre
25/5 - Challenge de Loulé
29/5-01/6 - GP Jornal de Noticias
08/6-10/6 - GP Abimota-Região de Aveiro
14/6 (Taça de Portugal) - Troféu Concelho de Oliveira de Azeméis
15/6 (Taça de Portugal) - Memorial Bruno Neves
22/6 (Taça de Portugal) - Clássica de Albergaria
27/6-29/6 - Campeonatos Nacionais (Pataias)
05/7-06/7 - Volta ao Minho
10/7-13/7 - Troféu Joaquim Agostinho-GP Torres Vedras (2.2)
17/7-20/7 - Volta a Portugal do Futuro (2.2U)
30/7-10/8 - Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta (2.1)
15/8 - GP de Mortágua
Taça Nacional de Circuitos
16/8 - Circuito da Curia
17/8 - Circuito da Malveira
18/8 - Circuito de Nafarros
20/8 - Circuito de São Bernardo
25/8 - Circuito da Moita
30/8 - ?
31/8 - ?
06/9 - Circuito do Cartaxo
07/9 - ?
27/9 - Subida à Glória-Lisboa
04/10 - Pro Cycling Marathon (1.1)

- Pataias AGAIN for the nationals? Damnit.
- the GP Liberty Seguros is around Santamaria da Feira, home of the amateur team. It usually features a stage which is intermediate at least, around somewhere like Vale de Cambra or Arouca.
- the GP Jornal de Noticias is around the Porto area. The last stage last year went from Viana do Castelo to end on Avenida dos Aliados for a dramatic end.
- The Volta ao Minho is likely to have a Criterium International format, and should be at least moderately hilly.
- The Subida a Glória is a very, very short ITT up a very steep hill in Lisboa, that is the home of one of the famous funiculars.
- The Pro Cycling Marathon is a 40km standalone TTT between Cascais and Lisboa which will have UCI categorisation for next year.

 

[BigMac]

Oh dear, Pataias again.

Crap circuit, patethic short hills. Expect every team to put a rider on the break again and sit back like this year.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Good to see the Volta a Portugal do Futuro having a UCI category - should bring a lot more attention and maybe even some foreign teams to the event.