General News Thread

[trevim]

Please don't use Aliados, football has killed that place for me

 

[Parrulo]

Please don't use Aliados, football has killed that place for me

ya let's use the bairo do aleixo instead

BigMac are you talking about the Parrulo monção special?

 

[Parrulo]

Christian you mean a stage going through the Douro vinhateiro region?

It's the vuelta a españa, you don't want to make spain look ugly do you?

 

[trevim]

ya let's use the bairo do aleixo instead

BigMac are you talking about the Parrulo monção special?

Now this is a great stage in a great area.
[Aleixo is fine, everything other than Aliados is fine. It's a big trauma ]

 

[BigMac]

ya let's use the bairo do aleixo instead

-----

Yes it's this one. That last climb alone is a killer, even better with those lead up slopes.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

What about Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro? Does the Volta ever go there? It's pretty hilly though, right? Would it be possible to do some nice stages there? How is it in general for cyclo-tourism? I looked up a while ago whether there were any companies offering tours (just to have a look at possible routes, read descriptions) but I didn't find any. All you will find is Algarve

Apart from the obvious area between Vila Real and Mondim de Basto, which you'll see every year, precious little in the region in the last decade (there were a couple of nice stages there in 2003). It is a very good area for cycling, full of medium mountains and a few bigger ones, mostly in the west of the region (and these being the ones more commonly seen in A Volta). And if they were to head east from Porto you can bet that a finish at Poiares would be up Javier Guillén's alley. It is the Portuguese Xorret del Catí - 1,7km of mild downhill to follow this:

 

[Parrulo]

Were you there during the 04 Euro final?

Unfortunately I highly doubt the vuelta would do more then 2 stages in Portugal, and i highly doubt any of them would be decisive

So a TTT in porto and a flat stage along the coast to the north with the third stage already in spain is the most likely scenario.

 

[Christian]

Muito obrigado for all the information! I do hope to be able to explore that region soon (also northern Spain)

 

[trevim]

Were you there during the 04 Euro final?

Unfortunately I highly doubt the vuelta would do more then 2 stages in Portugal, and i highly doubt any of them would be decisive

So a TTT in porto and a flat stage along the coast to the north with the third stage already in spain is the most likely scenario.

Nop but I'm a Benfica fan and so I don't like the kind of party they use to do there in May

 

[Parrulo]

Nop but I'm a Benfica fan and so I don't like the kind of party they use to do there in May

I am a Benfica fan and study in Porto, and live 10 minutes on foot from the estadio do dragão so don't be such a cry baby

I was in Porto, on a bar full of Porto supporters when they scored in minute 92 last year, think about that for a second.

Aliados are awesome!!

During s. joão:

 

[trevim]

I was in Porto, on a bar full of Porto supporters when they scored in minute 92 last year, think about that for a second.

Yikeees! That's like....I don't even know.... São João is great though!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Were you there during the 04 Euro final?

Unfortunately I highly doubt the vuelta would do more then 2 stages in Portugal, and i highly doubt any of them would be decisive

So a TTT in porto and a flat stage along the coast to the north with the third stage already in spain is the most likely scenario.

Trying to not be too unrealistic

Porto-Porto (ITT)
Porto-Coimbra (flat stage although a tricky run-in with the famous university to finish)
Coimbra-Guarda (over Torre but a long way out, puncheur finish)
Fuentes de Oñoro-Sierra de Bejár (La Covatilla)

Porto-Porto (ITT)
Porto-Coimbra
Coimbra-Marvão
Badajoz-Guadalupe

Porto-Porto
Porto-Viséu
Guarda-Bragança
Bragança-Ponferrada

Porto-Porto
Porto-Coimbra
Leiria-Sintra (Palácio Pena)
Setúbal-Badajoz
Cáceres-Sierra de Bejár (La Covatilla)

Muito obrigado for all the information! I do hope to be able to explore that region soon (also northern Spain)

Just make sure you do the iconic Senhora da Graça and the other climbs in the Alvão area if you're going out riding. It kind of has to be done.

 

[Parrulo]

I ended up making a profile for the TTT i talked about.

Departing from the Anemona roundabout near the beach and following the sea/river all the way to ribeira.

This would be the departure:

That net structure is a tribute to all the fishermen that have died over the years.

The distance is the absolute minimum and could be easily increased.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Tour of Britain bumped up in category to 2.HC from 2.1

(twitter and ToB website)

Very happy with this, the race continues to grow and it's position on the calendar gives the riders a good Worlds prep.

 

[will10]

Max of 70% World Tour teams (up from 50%).

National and Conti teams only from the host country

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCI_race_classifications

Is the best single table summary I know of, much less hassle to read than the official UCI one

Only conti teams from Britain (host country) now allowed

Thanks folks.

 

[trevim]

I ended up making a profile for the TTT i talked about.

Departing from the Anemona roundabout near the beach and following the sea/river all the way to ribeira.

This would be the departure:

That net structure is a tribute to all the fishermen that have died over the years.

The distance is the absolute minimum and could be easily increased.

I was there some 6-7 years ago (that was the finishing line of Porto Bike Tour) and the sculture seemed weird to me. Finally it makes sense ☺
It would be a great prologue indeed, I rode it in reverse from Afurada, Ponte D. Luis, Foz, Castelo do Queijo...and it was a beautiful course.

 

[Hugo87]

I am a Benfica fan and study in Porto...

I was in Porto, on a bar full of Porto supporters when they scored in minute 92 last year, think about that for a second.

I was on the very same situation and you made me remember that again... WHY

Just to be on topic, Vuelta 2015 starting in Porto would be awesome, a day to remember indeed.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Very happy with this, the race continues to grow and it's position on the calendar gives the riders a good Worlds prep.

It's a bit tough on a team like An Post though. The Tour of Britain was a pretty big deal for them and they made by far the biggest impact of the minor teams (a stage and two second places last year, a stage three years ago, various minor jerseys). The ToB played a not insignificant role in getting pro contracts for Gediminas Bagdonas and Sam Bennett.

They will still have a very strong calendar by Continental team standards, but they will now be excluded from both the Tour of Belgium and the Tour of Britain, both of which were amongst their major season's goals.

 

[Arnout]

Money won't be a problem for Team Alonso

 

[42x16ss]

It's a bit tough on a team like An Post though. The Tour of Britain was a pretty big deal for them and they made by far the biggest impact of the minor teams (a stage and two second places last year, a stage three years ago, various minor jerseys). The ToB played a not insignificant role in getting pro contracts for Gediminas Bagdonas and Sam Bennett.

They will still have a very strong calendar by Continental team standards, but they will now be excluded from both the Tour of Belgium and the Tour of Britain, both of which were amongst their major season's goals.

That's right. I'm not sure that the ToB really needed HC status YET did it? The crowds and racing are quite good anyway and the UK and Irish Conti teams got to have a crack at Sky and co.

Now there will be less Conti teams eligible (only 5) and if WT teams knock back invites then that means European Pro Conti teams will take the place of teams like An Post and are most likely to send second tier squads. If there was a UK Pro Conti squad or two it would be different IMO.

 

[neineinei]

There might be some news about the UCI Road World Championship 2017 host city today. Bergen, Norway is the only known candidate, and UCI has delayed the deciding twice already. There will be a press conference in Bergen today at 12.45.

http://www.nrk.no/hordaland/pressekonferanse-om-sykkel-vm-i-dag-1.11526351

 

[Christian]

There might be some news about the UCI Road World Championship 2017 host city today. Bergen, Norway is the only known candidate, and UCI has delayed the deciding twice already. There will be a press conference in Bergen today at 12.45.

http://www.nrk.no/hordaland/pressekonferanse-om-sykkel-vm-i-dag-1.11526351

I didn't know Bergen was a candidate - wonderful city, I hope they get it

 

[neineinei]

Melbourne, somewhere in Columbia and somewhere in Austria are candidates too.

http://www.bt.no/100Sport/sykkel/Pressekonferanse-om-sykkel-VM-na-417153_1.snd#.UvTJgGJdXDU

 

[neineinei]

The UCI Road World Championship 2017 host city candidates are:

* Bergen, Norway
* Bogotá, Colombia
* Innsbruck, Austria
* Melbourne, Australia

 

[Arnout]

Melbourne, somewhere in Columbia and somewhere in Austria are candidates too.

http://www.bt.no/100Sport/sykkel/Pressekonferanse-om-sykkel-VM-na-417153_1.snd#.UvTJgGJdXDU

Colombia.

jknnnhoin