General News Thread

[jonan92]

I don't know who will make the Tour of the Basque Country thread but I wanted to point out that from now on the race will be called "Itzulia Basque Country" that's the official name, along the new logo and intro

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Euskal Herriko Itzulia or bust.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Re:

I don't know who will make the Tour of the Basque Country thread but I wanted to point out that from now on the race will be called "Itzulia Basque Country" that's the official name, along the new logo and intro

In that case I think I'll refer to it as the Ugly Linguistic Chimera

 

[fauniera]

The mascot of the world championships in Innsbruck has been revealed. Now, that usually wouldn't really be worth mentioning if it wouldn't be so funny, since the mascot is Helmi.
Helmi is the "protagonist" of a popular Austrian TV show for kids, called Helmi, since 1980 (and when I write kids, I'm not talking about 10 year olds, but rather around 5 years old), which teaches kids about the dangers of life. The word Helmi is a belittlement for the word Helm, which is German for helmet, and since cycling is a very dangerous sport I guess Helmi kinda fits as a mascot. Still I couldn't help but laugh when I heard that a puppet from a crappy TV show for 5 year olds becomes the mascot of a world championship. To me, someone who watched this when I went to Kindergarten, this is like making the teletubbies the mascots for the fifa world cup

Helmi :lol:

I was convinced you made that up but it is actually true. LMAO.

 

[GuyIncognito]

I googled Helmi but all I get are pictures of Niki Lauda with a heart drawn on his chest

 

[Nirvana]

Probably Marseille wants the Giro in 2019 but I'm unable to understand French.
https://www.laprovence.com/actu/en-direct/4901838/info-la-provence-cyclisme-le-giro-ditalie-pourrait-partir-de-marseille-en-2019.html

 

[ciranda]

I liked Bikey. He was just a happy golden retriever. Helmi's dog looks drugged up on painkillers, maybe not the kind of dog you want to take near a cycle race.

 

[Robert5091]

http://www.velonews.com/2018/03/new...-tdf-time-bonuses-van-dijk-takes-dwars_461585

Tour de France organizers are spicing up the first half of the 2018 race with time bonuses. These aren’t your ordinary finish-line time bonuses, however. Instead, organizers will designate a sprint point somewhere between 30km to go and eight kilometers to go on stages 1-9. The winner gets three seconds, second is a two-second bonus, and third-place will earn a one-second bonus. “We decided to update the time bonuses for stages; it will encourage the attackers,” Thierry Gouvenou told AFP. “These sprints will not necessarily be located on the flat, they will be placed in strategic places.” There will still be a 10-second time bonus on offer for the winner of stage 1, which will presumably be a bunch sprint into Fontenay-le-Comte.

 

[Robert5091]

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/290320185

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdish cyclers dominated this year's Iraqi Road Cycling Championship, taking place in the Kurdistan Region capital Erbil.

Nineteen Iraqi cycling teams, of which six are Kurdish, are taking part in the three-day championship that started on Thursday.

Three races were held on Thursday at the team level.

Koya Cycling Team, who won the title last year, proved its dominance again in the field, taking first place in the 50km race.

In the 40-kilometre youth race, Duhok placed first.

"Today we won first place and I really was thrilled for that," said a Duhok team cycler. "God willing, I keep this place even in the future.”

In the 15-kilometre women-only race, Newroz Club crossed the finish line first.

One cyclist from Newroz Club said their goal is to compete in Europe.

"As you know, Iraq has until now not participated in international competitions and has not received any invitation to take part in European cycling competitions, but the Newroz Club has received it and thus I returned to the team, and God willing in June and July, I will participate in European championships taking place in Italy."

Newroz Club, based in Sulaimani, has not been beaten for the past 10 years.

An organizer of the championship told Rudaw that "the Kurdistan Region teams, including those of Kirkuk, made very good preparations prior to the competition."

On Friday, individual races will be held.

Video also at link - ladies race! Good news!

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

http://www.velonews.com/2018/03/new...-tdf-time-bonuses-van-dijk-takes-dwars_461585

Tour de France organizers are spicing up the first half of the 2018 race with time bonuses. These aren’t your ordinary finish-line time bonuses, however. Instead, organizers will designate a sprint point somewhere between 30km to go and eight kilometers to go on stages 1-9. The winner gets three seconds, second is a two-second bonus, and third-place will earn a one-second bonus. “We decided to update the time bonuses for stages; it will encourage the attackers,” Thierry Gouvenou told AFP. “These sprints will not necessarily be located on the flat, they will be placed in strategic places.” There will still be a 10-second time bonus on offer for the winner of stage 1, which will presumably be a bunch sprint into Fontenay-le-Comte.

Me gusta. Three seconds aren't a lot, would have preferred 5, but still this could make the battle for yellow entertaining is what I wanted to write but I just realized there is a f****** TTT on stage three which makes this s*** completely f****** useless. F***

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Weather forecast predicts yet another desert sun race for Paris-Roubaix. Sixteen years since the last mud race. I guess we have to wait until the two last active riders from 2002 retire. So please go away Matthew Hayman and Samuel Dumoulin.

 

[Nirvana]

Considering the likehood of sector cancelled in case of rain to avoid risks it's better if stays dry.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re:

Considering the likehood of sector cancelled in case of rain to avoid risks it's better if stays dry.

There won't be any sectors cancelled because of rain.

 

[Nirvana]

There was risk even in 2016 because of the rain in previuos days that left mud on some sectors, in case of rain riders will complain and they'll go hard with the scissors on the route for sure.

 

[Nirvana]

Also this year they need urgent washing to remove the mud because of rain in previous days otherwise they can't ride on the mud, eventual rain on race day will be a disgrace for sure.
https://mobile.twitter.com/A_ParisRoubaix/status/981916704480645121

 

[Koronin]

If any sectors get flooded, they can't ride in those sections due to flooding.

 

[Netserk]

Lol, earlier today: https://twitter.com/A_ParisRoubaix/status/981863577266147333

@saddleblaze
Wow. Which sector is this? And will it be cleaned before the race?!? #ParisRoubaix2018


@A_ParisRoubaix
No, Haveluy

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

Lol, earlier today: https://twitter.com/A_ParisRoubaix/status/981863577266147333

@saddleblaze
Wow. Which sector is this? And will it be cleaned before the race?!? #ParisRoubaix2018


@A_ParisRoubaix
No, Haveluy

I think they've now decided to clean it, unless I've misunderstood what a sweeper is.

 

[johnymax]

Are the profiles of Tour de Romandie out yet? I can't find them. It's strange...the race starts in less than three weeks.

 

[Nirvana]

No, on the official website they still have the 2017 ones.

 

[dusty red roads]

Hadn't seen any links posted here this year, so here ya go:
Cosmo's 'How The Race Was Run' 2018!
http://cyclocosm.com/

 

[Red Rick]

When do they normally announce the route for Il Lombardia?

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

When do they normally announce the route for Il Lombardia?

Pretty late iirc. Why?
Anyway I expect the route of 2016 again. I think that the plan is to alternate the finishes in Como and Bergamo.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Hadn't seen any links posted here this year, so here ya go:
Cosmo's 'How The Race Was Run' 2018!
http://cyclocosm.com/

So isn't he making the podcast for cyclingnews anymore? Anyway, thanks a lot for sharing

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

When do they normally announce the route for Il Lombardia?

Pretty late iirc. Why?
Anyway I expect the route of 2016 again. I think that the plan is to alternate the finishes in Como and Bergamo.

I know it's pretty late, but I was curious since it changes so often.

Alternating the '15 and '16 routes would be perfect. '14 was a disaster and I didn't really like the routes before that too much either.