General News Thread

[Sciatic]

Don't know how big the bicycle industry lobby is in the US but currently China and Taiwan are the American bicycle business and prices set to increase by @25% from tariffs being imposed. Likely dramatic price increases to already expensive equipment. Parents already have sticker shock if your child shows an interest in bike racing!!! I hope sudden increase in prices doesn't deter people from exploring bike riding and racing but that's a likely byproduct of everything costing more!!!

I’ve been much more concerned about the impact on other aspects of the U.S. economy but you’re right that could significantly increase cost of bikes and parts from mainland China. No tariff on Taiwanese imports.

 

[Unchained]

Cycling News reports another long term sponsor pulling out of bike racing..goodbye Deceuninck!!

 

[pastronef]

Cycling News reports another long term sponsor pulling out of bike racing..goodbye Deceuninck!!

they'll remain as smaller partner, but not in the team name anymore. Alpecin current contract ends with 2025 too, but with the visibility of the team I probably think they'll renew it

 

[Unchained]

they'll remain as smaller partner, but not in the team name anymore. Alpecin current contract ends with 2025 too, but with the visibility of the team I probably think they'll renew it

MSN

 

[Unchained]

they'll remain as smaller partner, but not in the team name anymore. Alpecin current contract ends with 2025 too, but with the visibility of the team I probably think they'll renew it

Link does not appear!!!

 

[Netserk]

they'll remain as smaller partner, but not in the team name anymore. Alpecin current contract ends with 2025 too, but with the visibility of the team I probably think they'll renew it

Perhaps Canyon will be a team name sponsor then?

 

[pastronef]

Perhaps Canyon will be a team name sponsor then?

well I think they can afford it.

 

[Brullnux]

I think thematically it needs to be longer. I think the other thematic part, the ride along the coast and the finale on the Poggio it does get hard.

I don't really believe some extra zone 1 work makes that much difference.

I think you maybe underestimate it. Other than the past couple of fast editions the race is often nearly seven hours long, which is pretty unique. I feel like only Liege gets to 6 + regularly? It's really unusual for riders to be cycling for that amount of time uninterrupted, and even if much of it is easy the time takes its toll and it builds fatigue/pain, even if purely because riders' legs aren't used to that length of effort.

Similar sort of logic behind someone walking a half-marathon in, say, 5 hours, comfortably zone one, and then running another half-marathon. It's a big difference compared to running 30km straight in three hours or so, even for someone who is well trained.

 

[Berniece]

Perhaps Canyon will be a team name sponsor then?

I was thinking the same, but do they need it? MVDP already shows them off quite often if he wins

 

[pastronef]

Romans Vainsteins arrested at the airport in Bergamo. he has 4 month prison sentence for missed family obligations

Romans Vainsteins, ex campione del mondo di ciclismo, arrestato a Orio

Deve scontare una pena di quattro mesi in Lettonia: ora è nel carcere di via Gleno

bergamo.corriere.it

 

[ciranda]

did not pay child support i guess or divorce payments or something? no one goes to jail for not showing up to birthday parties

 

[pastronef]

Brunel my new idol (tbf I already had him in sympathy, I saw some nervous French twitters comments about him months ago and I sided with him)

Brunel on Gaudu

"I hate him. He spat on me on his shitty live shows (Gaudu had said on Twitch that Brunel is always late and is obsessed with padel - something Brunel admits, by the way). He's a horrible person. He thinks he's a champion, but he's not. He may have won a few races, but that doesn't make him great. Nothing to do with Thibaut (Pinot), who is an idol. When Thibaut was on my wheel I gave 1000%, I could have collapsed on the ground just to hit him as best I could".

 

[Netserk]

No Montjuïc for the women's Catalunya:

 

[Netserk]

No surprises with the release of the profiles for the men's race.

MTF profiles:

Stage 3, until Supermolina at 7 km to go:

Stage 4:

Stage 6:

 

[Devil's Elbow]

That's a much easier Sant Feliu de Guixols stage than in recent years, could well be 3 days for the sprinters which is stupid for a race that has never attracted and will never attract strong sprint fields. Aside from the (admittedly excellent) Queralt stage, this is a terrible route.

 

[YavorD]

That's a much easier Sant Feliu de Guixols stage than in recent years, could well be 3 days for the sprinters which is stupid for a race that has never attracted and will never attract strong sprint fields. Aside from the (admittedly excellent) Queralt stage, this is a terrible route.

Nah, for Catalunya standards that's a good route (thanks to Queralt stage).
It doesn't usually have a wide variety of stages.

 

[Netserk]

That's a much easier Sant Feliu de Guixols stage than in recent years, could well be 3 days for the sprinters which is stupid for a race that has never attracted and will never attract strong sprint fields. Aside from the (admittedly excellent) Queralt stage, this is a terrible route.

La Molina not even in the spot where it shines.

 

[Unchained]

I find it super positive that riders like Ganna and Mads Perderson showed up for some days of climbing, left it all out there.. Both guys are known for pure speed but rode great

 

[RedheadDane]

I find it super positive that riders like Ganna and Mads Perderson showed up for some days of climbing, left it all out there.. Both guys are known for pure speed but rode great

Okay, Ilmaestro...

 

[Samamba]

Flanders is 286 km long now, basically MSR length. Don't ask me why

 

[Netserk]

Flanders is 286 km long now, basically MSR length. Don't ask me why

A now deleted post had the profile without Oude Kruisberg, but I think that was just a mistake.

 

[Berniece]

Flanders is 286 km long now, basically MSR length. Don't ask me why

15km’s extra, mostly flat?

 

[search]

Flanders is 286 km long now, basically MSR length. Don't ask me why

A now deleted post had the profile without Oude Kruisberg, but I think that was just a mistake.

the timetable on the race website (registration needed) has it with Oude Kruisberg and at 268k, same final 90k as last year:

Flanders Classics SSO

www.rondevanvlaanderen.be

only change there is the early addition of Marlboroughstraat between Molenberg and Berendries.

But maybe it's not up to date anymore?

 

[gavia88]

this year the Eikenberg will be back and no Kanarieberg anymore. Furthermore, no significant changes in the final 120 kilometers of the race

 

[gavia88]

Actually, I think they should emphasize more on a slightly different caracter between the start in Antwerp and Brugge.

In both cases skipp the first Kwaremont (especially from Antwerp they have to make some serious unnecassary detour for it), they can use the kilometers from this detour to make the parcours more interessting

With the start from Antwerp they can focus more on cobbled hills, so instead of going the Oudenaarden and the Kwaremont from Antwerpen, they go through the region called "Kouters". There are some interesting RVV type of hills, like the Putberg, Putteberg, Congoberg, Varent (all paved with cobbles) (and a few more) than they can approach the current route with the Bosberg and the one and only 'de Muur van Geraardsbergen' and connect to the current route with Berg ten Houte.

When they start is in Brugge they can focus more on the first half of the race with wind and flat cobbles. The region at the sea is more known for winds than the Antwerp region. And there are quit some interesting cobbles in West Vlaanderen already, they can easily connect with more known cobbles as the Neringenstraat, Herlegemstraat, Huisepontstraat, Doorn, Hollweg, Kergate-Mater, Ruiterstraat, Jagerij, Haaghoek, Paddestraat, Lippenhovestaat and quite a lot of more unknown shorter sections.

They really should change that boring final, were even there is barely audience on the roads. They could exctally use a part of the Nokere Koerse route. After the last Kwaremont and Patersberg, they should make the final esthetically more beautifully, but also a little bit more tactical. So after the last Kwaremont and Patersberg the do first the cobbles of the Varent, then some 'hilly' terrain with Holstraat, Petegemberg and Fabrieksstraat. To go back to Oudenaarden with some cobbles like Nokereberg, Huisepontstraat, Doorn, go through the Oudenaarde city centre and finish on the same spot as now, but only the riders arriving from the other side of the road. So, the best riders can still make a difference, but I think this final makes more variation in how the race will be decided. No its just pure force and explosiveness on Kwaremont and Patersberg which decides the race, but with a more 'rolling' final, some tactics can become important as well. Even the finish picture will be better with the old medievel city on the background.