General News Thread

[Orbit501]

Terrible news.

RIP.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

No age and no way to go. RIP.

 

[Blobs]

Damn, I feel crushed by this.

Didn't know him personally, but I'm going to miss him badly as a commentator. He was the best, and made every race more entertaining to watch with his insight, anecdotes and wit.

Can't even imagine what the people who actually knew him are going through. All the best to them.

 

[PeterB]

Mit hjerte banker for Chris Anker.

I was a big fan of him as a rider. Just so sad news...

 

[glassmoon]

RIP

 

[Frankschleck]

Chris Anker Sørensen- The biggest personality in danish cycling and a funny great guy. A great commentator and had some pretty hilarious interviews when he was a rider. Will always remember the 2012 tour, where the guy just kept going everyday, trying to carry a mediocre saxobank team to success. He was a fighter and that made him very entertaining to watch. Rip in mate. You will be missed.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Chris Anker Sørensen is much more than a stage winner at the Giro. If you rewatch the world championships where Matti Breschel won his medals - notice how crucial a role Sørensen had in those races.

Anyway, it was his job as an expert commentator that meant the most to me. I can't think of a TV personality that I would miss more than I will miss Chris Anker Sørensen. He could recognize riders hidden in big groups from impossible angels, and his analyses of the races were always on point. He had a nice down-to-earth way of talking, and yet he had a fantastic sense of humour and impressive ability to pick the right words, both on TV and in his columns.

Besides the tragedy in all this, it's also really annoying. It's annoying to not have him as a commentator in the future.

 

[RedheadDane]

Besides the tragedy in all this, it's also really annoying. It's annoying to not have him as a commentator in the future.

Dunno if "annoying" is the word I'd use. It'll just feel... wrong. I know he wasn't a commentator that long - only about five years - but now, watching a race on Tv2, there'll just be someone missing.

 

[tobydawq]

Chris Anker Sørensen is much more than a stage winner at the Giro. If you rewatch the world championships where Matti Breschel won his medals - notice how crucial a role Sørensen had in those races.

Anyway, it was his job as an expert commentator that meant the most to me. I can't think of a TV personality that I would miss more than I will miss Chris Anker Sørensen. He could recognize riders hidden in big groups from impossible angels, and his analyses of the races were always on point. He had a nice down-to-earth way of talking, and yet he had a fantastic sense of humour and impressive ability to pick the right words, both on TV and in his columns.

Exactly. I also appreciated how he always knew a lot about the history and culture of the area they were riding in. He was always prepared to his teeth. I don't think former riders often take that role.

And he was just such a nice person which can easily be seen by the reactions on social media.

 

[BlueRoads]

How terrible to hear.
I hardly knew him, but it sounds like he will indeed be sorely missed. Too bad I never got to know him as a commentator.
He's my age.
Hope his family can cope.

 

[titan31]

That's terrible news. RIP

 

[TourOfSardinia]

I feel your grief.

 

[screaming fist]

I remember when Chris was an up and coming rider at CSC. He always seemed enthusiastic, positive and friendly, just a lovely guy. Such a terrible loss.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

Terrible news.

But absolutely avoidable, if he had adhered to the right-of-way rules. There is no doubt that he had to give way, and that he had to look before crossing the intersection. What far too few "fast" cyclists do.
Here a link to the scene of the accident :

Deense ex-prof Chris Anker Sørensen verongelukt in Zeebrugge: “Hij verleende geen voorrang aan bestelwagen”

Dramatisch nieuws in de rand van het WK wielrennen: ex-prof en huidig co-commentator voor de Deense televisie Chris Anker Sørensen (37) is bij een ongeval in Zeebrugge verongelukt. De Deen werd met de fiets aangereden door een bestelwagen. Volgens het parket moest Sørensen voorrang verlenen...

www.hln.be

 

[SHAD0W93]

Andy Schleck: Chris Anker Sørensen was a role model and a friend

Luxembourger pays tribute to his late teammate

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[Ranagazoo]

Urgh just seen this, horrible news. He was one of my favourite riders during the Schleck/Contador years, he'd always give his all and you couldn't help but root for him. And sounds like he was a great guy off the bike too.

My thoughts also with the van driver, who apparently was not at fault.

 

[RedheadDane]

Just to add another layer to the tragedy:
Chris Anker had actually had an older brother - whom he never got to meet - who died at the age of 13 after being struck by a car during a training ride.

 

[SafeBet]

Terrible terrible news.
Another life taken on the roads.

 

[Jagartrott]

It's so strange that he crossed that road without looking or stopping. I cycle about 10.000 km/year, and though I am almost always super-attentive, there are some moments when you are just 'somewhere else' (lost in thought) - maybe he had one of those moments at the exact wrong time. What a tragedy.

 

[Mayomaniac]

We often joke about the Volta a Portugal and have our memes, but it's a big deal in Portugal, just look at the ratings:

Source: https://cyclingandthoughts.blogspot.com/2021/08/rtp-lidera-audiencias-com-82-volta.html

Those ratings are clearly better than what the recent Vuelta got in Spain.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Now the Lombardia route is official:

The climbs:

The final:

Not as good as the 2016 route, but not a bad one for a finish in Bergamo. Now they only need to put up barriers that force the riders to ride on the "cobbles" (is there even an English word for "ciottolato"? That's like cobbles, but with round rocks), that would be awesome.

 

[tobydawq]

Now the Lombardia route is official:

The climbs:

The final:

Not as good as the 2016 route, but not a bad one for a finish in Bergamo. Now they only need to put up barriers that force the riders to ride on the "cobbles" (is there even an English word for "ciottolato"? That's like cobbles, but with round rocks), that would be awesome.

Seems like a good route. I look forward to learn why it isn't.

 

[Nirvana]

Vegni can't change the Como route because is almost set in stone but when the finish is in Bergamo he just go nuts trying to make it an almost mountain stage where only climbers can contest, something that even Zomegnan never dared to do.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Vegni can't change the Como route because is almost set in stone but when the finish is in Bergamo he just go nuts trying to make it an almost mountain stage where only climbers can contest, something that even Zomegnan never dared to do.

Well, in fairness, he owes us BIG TIME after the Dolomiti farce in the Giro.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Well, in fairness, he owes us BIG TIME after the Dolomiti farce in the Giro.

It's clearly better than the 2014 route and less of a waiting game than the Lecco route where Purito got his 2 wins, that's already a big plus.