General News Thread

[RedheadDane]

Just so we're clear; the Ster ZLM Toer was cancelled last year because host cities pulled out.
Belgium Tour was moved a bit this year, but races get moved about all the time.
Why get your panties in a knot every time someone dares implement something that's new and different? Cykling can't all be 200+ KM marathons… it's like food! Traditional dishes are all good, but so is trying something new every now and then. And if you don't like the new - or don't even want to try it - just let others enjoy it and don't act as if the new dishes will somehow erase the traditional ones.

 

[42x16ss]

Poulidor has passed:

Raymond Poulidor dies aged 83

French cycling icon passes away after long spell in hospital

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[RedheadDane]

Adriano Malori has written a book about his challenges after his San Luis crash.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Adriano Malori has written a book about his challenges after his San Luis crash.

Approx. translation: Up again : a champ fighting against destiny.

 

[RedheadDane]

Might just be me, but it says something about what a *** year 2016 was that I keep forgetting about his accident. Like "Oh, yeah… he almost died too!"

 

[Breh]

Gasparotto is now Swiss. He is no longer Italian. Apparently Switzerland can select him for the Olympics and/or the Worlds, however unfeasible that may be.

 

[jaylew]

Just read that the Poggio is likely out for MSR next year due to landslides

 

[Leinster]

Just read that the Poggio is likely out for MSR next year due to landslides

Cue every sprinter in the peloton going on 7 hour training rides for the next 4 months.

 

[Koronin]

Just read that the Poggio is likely out for MSR next year due to landslides

Wonder if this is why Alaphilippe is planning on skipping MSR next season.

 

[Nirvana]

There are dozens of landslides all along the Aurelia, they could even end up with an harder route if they still have to avoid some next spring (for example when the Altopiano delle Manie was added was to avoid a landslide on the Aurelia).

 

[Thomson]

Sagan will still want to win msr surely? It’s the one thing missing from his pal-mares?

 

[tobydawq]

Sagan will still want to win msr surely? It’s the one thing missing from his pal-mares?

Strade and Amstel are also lacking. And Omloop but he will probably not race that again.

And Giro stages.

 

[tobydawq]

Finally! There will be no team time trial in next year's Tirreno-Adriatico.

 

[Mayomaniac]

The route of the 2020 edition of Tirreno-Adriatico has been unveiled.

The good news: No more TTT, just the final ITT.
The bad news: The big MTF is back, this time it's Sassotetto.

The stages:
Tappa n. 1 Lido di Camaiore – Lido di Camaiore, 134 km

Tappa n. 2 – Camaiore – Follonica, 198 km

Tappa n. 3 – Follonica – Sacrofano, 233 km

Tappa n. 4 – Terni – Sassotetto, 204 km

Tappa n. 5 – Pieve Torina - Loreto, 181 km

Tappa n. 6 – Castelfidardo - Senigallia, 178 km

Tappa n. 7 –San Benedetto del Tronto (cronometro individuale), 10.1 km

 

[sir fly]

Looks like RCS accepted the vox populi in regard to the time trials.
Returned to the proper summit finish, as well.
I don't doubt the race will attract a competitive field, provide excitement and serve others' purposes.
Both, last season's and next year's, concepts carry their own charm, peculiarities and opportunities.
Personally, I'd start altering the starting point along the entire coast (since the finishing, San Benedetto del Tronto, is kind of tradition). That way the race's concept could alter by itself depending on the piece of the peninsula they're crossing. Also, the place of the time trial could be shifted in the same spirit.
There are probably organizational reasons for sticking to Lido di Camaiore lately.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Two stages where they've actively put in a completely flat finishing circuit unnecessarily, when they could have omitted it and had a reasonable stage, and only one proper Tirreno-Adriatico stage out of seven (stage 5). It's like they decided to get people excited by the lack of TTT, then did their utmost to dampen that excitement by making the rest of the course worse than most recent editions.

Still, at least no TTT.

 

[Spenser777]

Good news

 

[youyoumexin]

in fact，Giro has no TTT，so there's no neccessary for set TTT in 2020's Tirreno-Adriatico

 

[Mayomaniac]

in fact，Giro has no TTT，so there's no neccessary for set TTT in 2020's Tirreno-Adriatico

It's not only about the Giro, the Tour also doesn't have a TTT, so you won't attract a better gc field by putting one in your stage race.

 

[Red Rick]

Replacing the TTT is great. I don't mind Sassosseto, it's not a climb that decides the entirety of the race. I think Terminillo is too big for TA for example.

Or it wouldn't, if the other hilly stages weren't so disappointing.

 

[Velolover2]

No TTT is always a bonus but T-A doesn't even need a MTF if the hilly stages are hard enough. This year was almost an epic edition. Stage 4 and 5 gave us some of the best action seen in ages.

But you need Redoute-tier climbs (and a lot of them!) not a few bumps masked as a hilly route.

 

[sprints n stones]

Strade and Amstel are also lacking. And Omloop but he will probably not race that again.

And Giro stages.

Can't wait to see how Sagan does this year with altered programme
Recently quoted as going to Omloop definitely. KBK and Flanders still to be decided, though listed as starting at Flanders.

 

[RedheadDane]

Strade and Amstel are also lacking. And Omloop but he will probably not race that again.

And Giro stages.

Totally late to the party, but yes he will. Why wouldn't he?

 

[tobydawq]

Totally late to the party, but yes he will. Why wouldn't he?

Why he wouldn't?
Because he always tries to keep his periods at peak shorter than I would prefer him to.

But cool that he will ride in the opening weekend again - and I was even later to the party, as I hadn't seen that before you posted.

And to sprints n stones:
You should probably write Dwars instead of Flanders, as your post seems to suggest that he may not ride De Ronde. Which he of course will.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Pogacar and Evenepoel both get the same amount of votes as Espoir de l' Année at Le Gruppetto Season Awards

https://twitter.com/x/status/1206154642511532033

View: https://twitter.com/LeGruppetto/status/1206154642511532033