General News Thread

[Libertine Seguros]

Lol, a criterium for World Tour points. Great. Apart from that, all sounds pretty promising to be honest. I know a lot of people - myself included - can be down on the TDU, but a new dirt road race and promotion of the Women's TDU to WWT status are both pretty good outcomes. Would kinda prefer the dirt road race be a stage of the TDU to make that race more interesting, but I certainly can't complain about it replacing the execrable Cancer Council Classic crit - just make the post-TDU crit like the Cancer Council Classic, a .NE all fun bit of show rather than a WT race plzkthx.

 

[42x16ss]

From what I understand the proposed "Criterium" would be more of a hilly kermesse/circuit than the Cancer Council snooze fest, especially if they take the Blue Lake option.

I do agree with you on the gravel racing, replacing one of the bland flat stages with this the day before Wilunga would be a good idea.

 

[yaco]

They are trying to fill in the gap between the end of the TDU and the Cadel Evan's RR - This seems a much better option than the Cancer Zero race at Albert Lake which is a snorefest - The race before the start of the TDU has to be carefully thought through as I doubt teams/riders will be keen on a dirt/gravel race two days before the TDU - I'd be happier if they keep the pre TDU crit, tweak one or two stages in the TDU, have a gravel/dirt race after the TDU and make the women's race as part of the WT.

 

[Jagartrott]

Don't know where to put it or whether it was already linked to elsewhere on the forum, but the University of Leuven found a performance increase of c. 15% at the end of a 3-week GT when using ketones the right way. That's massive, and the researchers were quite surprised of the size of the effect. Almost all cycling teams use this nowadays. The story is found here in Dutch:
https://sporza.be/nl/2019/03/27/ketonen/

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re:

Don't know where to put it or whether it was already linked to elsewhere on the forum, but the University of Leuven found a performance increase of c. 15% at the end of a 3-week GT when using ketones the right way. That's massive, and the researchers were quite surprised of the size of the effect. Almost all cycling teams use this nowadays. The story is found here in Dutch:
https://sporza.be/nl/2019/03/27/ketonen/

It is not considered doping, and it is not on the doping list either. There have been some mentions of Ketones in the clinic section of the forum, but not about the research. I thought about opening a new topic in the clinic section, but didn't do it yet. Especially since it is not considered doping to begin with.

It doesn't work when taking it during or right before an effort and works best over longer periods. It helps especially for sub-maximal efforts. It would be of tremendous help in build-up due to a much better recovery of training efforts. Effectively diminishing the risk of overtraining. Best to start taking them 4-8 weeks before you want the reap the benefits. Drink them soon after the effort and half an hour before eating or drinking a recovery drink.

Ketones seem to work physically (as a natural/bodily fuel) but also mentally, protecting nervecells, which explains the lack of mental fatigue.

There is another article (well, there are a few actually) with some more info, and a doctor that says all athletes know about it, but only a minority can afford it. If you want to know more, i suggest running these articles through google translate.

https://sporza.be/nl/2019/05/04/ruud-van-thienen-ketonen/
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/05/03/hespel-5-topsport/
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/05/03/peter-hespel-4-gebruiksaanwijzing/
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/05/03/peter-hespel-2-vraag-en-antwoord/

 

[Unchained]

I don't know what to think about pro teams spending time on Zwift events and Red Hook crits..I am guessing that this is what evolution looks like...?
I have seen a huge normalization in people taking spinning classes as part of their exercise regiment.
Nobody in these spinning classes is curious about outdoor bike racing?

 

[RedheadDane]

About the first bit; as long as they're still doing the pro races required of them.
About the second bit; for some people it might not be practical, or safe to ride outdoor.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

81ª Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta (31.7. - 11.08.)

31 julho – Prólogo VISEU
1 agosto – 1ª etapa – Miranda do Corvo – Leiria
2 agosto – Marinha Grande – Stº António dos Cavaleiros
3 de agosto – Santarém – Castelo Branco
4 de agosto – Pampilhosa – Penhas da Saúde
5 agosto – Oliveira Hospital – Guarda

6 agosto – Guarda – descanso

7 de agosto – Moncorvo – Bragança
8 de agosto – Bragança – Montalegre
9 de agosto – Viana – Felgueiras
10 agosto – Fafe – Sª graça
11 agosto – VN Gaia – Porto C/RI

Am I correct, that it is over 20 years since A Volta has been in Porto?

 

[FilipeFD]

more like 30 years

 

[RedheadDane]

Well… 30 years is over 20 years…

 

[davebqvst]

7 weeks ahead of the national championship, the German Cycling Federation is still looking for a host city. Hosting the race has become unattractive due to high costs of increased safety regulations. One possible solution they're floating would be to have the race held with the championship in a neighboring country. (Link, in German)

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

7 weeks ahead of the national championship, the German Cycling Federation is still looking for a host city. Hosting the race has become unattractive due to high costs of increased safety regulations. One possible solution they're floating would be to have the race held with the championship in a neighboring country. (Link, in German)

Cycling has become popular in Germany again they said. The Tour start massively helped that they said

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

7 weeks ahead of the national championship, the German Cycling Federation is still looking for a host city. Hosting the race has become unattractive due to high costs of increased safety regulations. One possible solution they're floating would be to have the race held with the championship in a neighboring country. (Link, in German)

Cycling has become popular in Germany again they said. The Tour start massively helped that they said

That's exactly why it's unpopular now again.

Need start a Giro there, let Libertine design 3 stages there, and they won't have that problem again for decades

 

[Koronin]

What about using the full Nurbergring or Hockenheimring tracks and do laps? There shouldn't be the high costs for security and safety at those tracks, although no idea what it would cost to actually use them and if that would be worth the price or not.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Re:

What about using the full Nurbergring or Hockenheimring tracks and do laps? There shouldn't be the high costs for security and safety at those tracks, although no idea what it would cost to actually use them and if that would be worth the price or not.

Yes, that would be a great solution.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

7 weeks ahead of the national championship, the German Cycling Federation is still looking for a host city. Hosting the race has become unattractive due to high costs of increased safety regulations. One possible solution they're floating would be to have the race held with the championship in a neighboring country. (Link, in German)

Cycling has become popular in Germany again they said. The Tour start massively helped that they said

That's exactly why it's unpopular now again.

I actually assumed it was a classical case of only cares about the Tour.

 

[Sestriere]

Re: Re:

7 weeks ahead of the national championship, the German Cycling Federation is still looking for a host city. Hosting the race has become unattractive due to high costs of increased safety regulations. One possible solution they're floating would be to have the race held with the championship in a neighboring country. (Link, in German)

Cycling has become popular in Germany again they said. The Tour start massively helped that they said

That's exactly why it's unpopular now again.

I actually assumed it was a classical case of only cares about the Tour.

That's exactly right, for 99% of Germans 'Tour de France' and 'cycling' are equivalent terms.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re:

What about using the full Nurbergring or Hockenheimring tracks and do laps? There shouldn't be the high costs for security and safety at those tracks, although no idea what it would cost to actually use them and if that would be worth the price or not.

Hockenheimring is much shorter nowadays, the old sections through the forest have been torn up and nature has claimed it back. They even moved the Jim Clark memorial to the new corner to prevent fans getting lost in the forest trying to find it now the track isn't there.

There is an 11km layout at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, that's now closed as a motor racing circuit as it's been revamped as a vehicle test facility, so wouldn't have the problem of clashing with an established racing weekend for something like DTM, Formula 3 or similar which would still be a possibility at Hockenheim, or being less profitable than allowing civilians onto the track like Nürburg. The downside is that it's completely pan flat.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I remember last year when the commentators on Geman public TV claimed that the stage win at the Tour was putting Degenkolbs career on the next level, how ignorant can you be?

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

What about using the full Nurbergring or Hockenheimring tracks and do laps? There shouldn't be the high costs for security and safety at those tracks, although no idea what it would cost to actually use them and if that would be worth the price or not.

Hockenheimring is much shorter nowadays, the old sections through the forest have been torn up and nature has claimed it back. They even moved the Jim Clark memorial to the new corner to prevent fans getting lost in the forest trying to find it now the track isn't there.

There is an 11km layout at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, that's now closed as a motor racing circuit as it's been revamped as a vehicle test facility, so wouldn't have the problem of clashing with an established racing weekend for something like DTM, Formula 3 or similar which would still be a possibility at Hockenheim, or being less profitable than allowing civilians onto the track like Nürburg. The downside is that it's completely pan flat.

Thanks. I had no idea the old sections of Hockenheimring had been reclaimed by nature.

Not sure a pan flat course would be useful. Thats why I was thinking of the longer tracks for Hockenheim and Nurburg.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Jumbo Visma won the first part of the Hammer Stavanger (climbing). Lotto second, Bora third.

https://www.hammerseries.com

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

And no one cares.

 

[del1962]

Tour of Britain Route out

 

[RedheadDane]

When I first saw that map, I thought it was a map of Westeros...

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Re:

When I first saw that map, I thought it was a map of Westeros...

Westeros, Essos, Ineos