General News Thread

[roundabout]

Yeah, who wants to watch a most likely much better race?

If I remember correctly, the reasoning for an easier circuit was more riders in contention for the win on the final lap = better race

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

If I remember correctly, the reasoning for an easier circuit was more riders in contention for the win on the final lap = better race

That reason is very misguided for what makes a good race.

 

[search]

A much tougher circuit was suggested for 2014, but I think the UCI said no.

wasn't that for the time trial? As far as I remember, they intially planed to finish it on a climb.

 

[Billie]

wasn't that for the time trial? As far as I remember, they intially planed to finish it on a climb.

they wanted to have the finish of the road race at the top of el Morredero

 

[roundabout]

wasn't that for the time trial? As far as I remember, they intially planed to finish it on a climb.

I think that a circuit that would have Lombillo as the main climb was proposed, but thinking a bit more, I am no longer sure how official that proposal was.

 

[Netserk]

CAMPEONATO DEL MUNDO PONFERRADA 2014 – Recorrido y participación

Entradas relacionadas: Previo Mundial de Ponferrada 2014. Campeonato del Mundo Ponferrada 2014 – Historia. – – – – – Calendario de pruebas Ponferrada 2014 Progra…

plataformarecorridosciclistas.org

We know that the ideologist of the candidature and sports councillor of Ponferrada for 8 years, Emilio Villanueva, proposed the Lombillo circuit to the UCI and they refused because it could result in "a lacklustre World Cup with less than 10 riders competing in the last lap" -> interview part 1 / part 2. That is, according to the UCI, World Championships where many riders arrive together at the final part are better than those where the race is broken from far away, like Duitama or Sallanches ... The other problem they alleged was the danger of the descent, but the truth is that it was already done in the Vuelta a España 2008 and there was no problem, and it was also resurfaced a few years ago.

But even accepting that it was "too hard" (something false, since due to its length there would only be 12 laps, accumulating the same gradient as Mendrisio 2009) or that the descent was dangerous, there was an intermediate option: 11 laps of the Montearenas circuit and 2 final laps of the Lombillo circuit, when the peloton was already more selected. However, the answer was again negative. The UCI's rejection of a more selective route was repeated again this year, when J.L. López Cerrón, president of the RFEC, and Javier Mínguez, national coach and technical advisor for the World Championships, proposed to climb Montereanas by a harder variant (the aforementioned 2010 time trial) or, failing that, to do the circuit the other way round.

 

[Netserk]

Proposed ITT:

So Bergen before Bergen.

 

[Valv.Piti]

People like that is everything that's wrong with cycling. That circuit looks amazing, the actual circuit was mediocre at best.

Im good with dropping the whole mountain ITT though.

 

[Red Rick]

CAMPEONATO DEL MUNDO PONFERRADA 2014 – Recorrido y participación

Entradas relacionadas: Previo Mundial de Ponferrada 2014. Campeonato del Mundo Ponferrada 2014 – Historia. – – – – – Calendario de pruebas Ponferrada 2014 Progra…

plataformarecorridosciclistas.org

We know that the ideologist of the candidature and sports councillor of Ponferrada for 8 years, Emilio Villanueva, proposed the Lombillo circuit to the UCI and they refused because it could result in "a lacklustre World Cup with less than 10 riders competing in the last lap" -> interview part 1 / part 2. That is, according to the UCI, World Championships where many riders arrive together at the final part are better than those where the race is broken from far away, like Duitama or Sallanches ... The other problem they alleged was the danger of the descent, but the truth is that it was already done in the Vuelta a España 2008 and there was no problem, and it was also resurfaced a few years ago.

But even accepting that it was "too hard" (something false, since due to its length there would only be 12 laps, accumulating the same gradient as Mendrisio 2009) or that the descent was dangerous, there was an intermediate option: 11 laps of the Montearenas circuit and 2 final laps of the Lombillo circuit, when the peloton was already more selected. However, the answer was again negative. The UCI's rejection of a more selective route was repeated again this year, when J.L. López Cerrón, president of the RFEC, and Javier Mínguez, national coach and technical advisor for the World Championships, proposed to climb Montereanas by a harder variant (the aforementioned 2010 time trial) or, failing that, to do the circuit the other way round.

Thanks, now I'm angry again

 

[DNP-Old]

Bahamontes is dead.

 

[Rob5091]

Bahamontes is dead.

Sad news - 95 years old. He was the oldest living Tour winner, so who get's that accolade now?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Bahamontes, 'the Eagle of Toledo', was the first Spanish TdF winner (1959), and the oldest surviving winner (I believe that title now passes to Jan Janssens). He won the polka dots jersey 6 times, tied with Van Impe for second behind Virenque, but when there was a vote for the best climber ever in the Tour as part of the 100th event (2013), Bahamontes came out top. Only he and Luis Herrera have won the climbers' jersey at all three GTs.

There is a statue in his honour in Toledo.

And was still looking pretty healthy at 90

 

[Tim Cahill]

Anecdote going round that Bahamontes used to get a Spanish teammate up the road and they would hide somewhere on the roadside or in the sewer, the peloton would gradually get more and more anxious and ride harder as they believed they hadn't caught the breakaway.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1688826691278303232

 

[Red Rick]

Sad news - 95 years old. He was the oldest living Tour winner, so who get's that accolade now?

Jan Janssen I think. He's 83, one year older than Lucien Aimar.

 

[Finn84]

That reason is very misguided for what makes a good race.

I didn't check through the races a lot but by that logic was 2011 the best WCRR ever? 82 riders finished with the same time as the winner.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Sad news - 95 years old.

Taken before his time.

 

[Rob5091]

2 obits on the passing of Bahamontes

https://inrng.com/2023/08/federico-bahamontes-obituary/#more-43440

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...st-spanish-tour-de-france-winner-dies-aged-95

The mayor of Toledo says that there will be 2 days of official mourning.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Jan Janssen I think. He's 83, one year older than Lucien Aimar.

And three months older than Roger Pingeon. Those three have won the Tour in the wrong order.

Bahamontes is synonymous with "legendary climber". It's impossible to understand his true meaning because of the lack of good images from that era, but he's the kind of rider who speaks to the imagination and must have inspired many climbers in later decades.

 

[ice&fire]

AS has a picture gallery from Bahamontes funeral:

El último adiós a Bahamontes

La capilla ardiente para dar el último adiós a Federico Martín Bahamontes, el 'Águila de Toledo', quedó instalada ayer martes en la Sala Capitular.

as.com

 

[fmk_RoI]

AS has a picture gallery from Bahamontes funeral:

Wearing jeans to a funeral. How cool. Mig.

Also, those freds in the church ... didn't their mothers never tell em men take their hats off in church?

 

[Unchained]

For those not using YouTube to catch up on Worlds.. Women's Madison is a nail biter..men's and women's points races are great.. Keirin qualifications and finals are fun..Men's ITT is worth rewatching..and seeing some surprises is nice..

 

[Netserk]

The Avenir routes were announced today. The men's race has the godforsaken TTT (again), MTFs at Col de la Loze (again) and Col du Mont Cenis, a MTT to Les Karellis before the final stage takes on the southern side of Iséran (again) on the way to the easy MTF at Sainte Foy.

The inaugural women's race does actually have a regular ITT, in addition to mountain stages to Mégève and also to Sainte Foy (approaching from the other side, so no Iséran).

Profiles and maps are out as well now. I see I got the final stage down spot on.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Obviously the fields at Avenir are pretty young these days, but that doesn't mean you need to have mountain stages that would all be at or below average length at the junior level...

Also, holy *** that Mont Cenis stage profile is full of errors.

 

[yaco]

I reckon it's a very tough parcours and one that may lead to surprise results.

 

[Unchained]

I recently watched some older video of gran tours and major races and noticed that people bringing colored smoke canisters is not as new of an annoying phenomenon as I thought. I was bummed out at recent events, including world championship that " fans" bring smoke bombs and find amusement in making racers ride through it.. Don't know the solution..