General News Thread

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah, thats certainly a very taste route. Me gusta!

Androni to prove RCS wrong and go bananas. Really hoping Movistar will ride the race. Landa FTW!

 

[jens_attacks]

torres-bernal 1-2.

headquarters of rcs to be set on fire the next night.

 

[May0maniac]

I like the route, they use a few really good climbs.
I saw that La Gazzetta is their media partner, that would explain why Giro dissapeared from the name of the race (RCS have done the same with every race that they own that isn't the Giro, Giro del Lazio became Roma Maxima and the Giro di Lombardia Il Lombardia).

 

[Gigs_98]

Btw, I just noticed that the Pustertal hosts a lot of cycling races in the last two years. There was a stage finish in Anras in the Giro del Trentino last year and this year a Tour of the Alps stage which goes through the Pustertal and finishes Innervillgraten and a giro stage this year starts in Innichen.

 

[May0maniac]

Yes, we finally get a few cycling races.

 

[TMP402]

Cholet-Pays de Loire canceled

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/greipel-to-make-volta-a-catalunya-debut-as-classics-prep-news-shorts/

 

[Tonton]

I like the Tour de l'Ain, and I love the Tour of the Alps design. Very cool.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

And here we have a few more news for upcoming races.

Paris - Roubaix

The race will feature 28 sectors of pavé this year. This means 257 kms of racing with 55 kms of cobbles. The new beginning of the pavés sections will look like this:

Troisvilles (nº 28, 2,200 m)
Viesly to Quiévy (nº 27 , 1800 m)
Quiévy to Saint-Python (nº 26, 3 700 m)
NEW Briastre (nº 25, 3 000 m) -> last time used in 1987
NEW Briastre to Solesmes (nº 24, 800 m)

This means sectors 26, 25 and 24 with a combined length of 7,5 kilometers are packed on only 11 kilometers.

And there is another change...

After the refreshment in Solesmes the following three sectors 23, 22 and 21 are packed differently. These sectors have a combined length of 5,7 kilometers. They are now packed on 7,5 kilometers of racing.

It really looks like the organizers are aiming for early action.

http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/node/114272


La Itzulia

3 abril. 1ª etapa: Pamplona-Iruñea – Valle de Egüés
4 abril. 2ª etapa: Pamplona-Iruñea – Elciego
5 abril. 3ª etapa: Vitoria-Gasteiz – San Sebastián-Donostia
6 abril. 4ª etapa: San Sebastián-Donostia – Bilbao-Bilbo
7 abril. 5ª etapa: Bilbao-Bilbo – Eibar
8 abril. 6ª etapa: Eibar – Eibar CRI

Pamplona and San Sebastián haven't been in the race for over 40 years.

The first two stages seem to be flat.

The stages to San Sebastián and Bilbao will feature the climbs of Igeldo and El Vivero in the final parts of the stages.

Then there is the traditional Arrate stage with Elgeta, Ixua, Trabakua, Ixua, San Miguel, Matsaria y el Santuario de Arrate (the used in last years time trial...yeah the real steep one.)

And of course there is a time trial to conclude the race. They will put the Karabieta in it. I am not sure from which side they will tackle it.
-> https://www.cyclingcols.com/col/Karabieta

http://www.zikloland.com/vuelta-al-pais-vasco-2017-pamplona-eibar/

 

[BalearicBeats]

Paris - Roubaix

The race will feature 28 sectors of pavé this year. This means 257 kms of racing with 55 kms of cobbles. The new beginning of the pavés sections will look like this:

Troisvilles (nº 28, 2,200 m)
Viesly to Quiévy (nº 27 , 1800 m)
Quiévy to Saint-Python (nº 26, 3 700 m)
NEW Briastre (nº 25, 3 000 m) -> last time used in 1987
NEW Briastre to Solesmes (nº 24, 800 m)

This means sectors 26, 25 and 24 with a combined length of 7,5 kilometers are packed on only 11 kilometers.

And there is another change...

After the refreshment in Solesmes the following three sectors 23, 22 and 21 are packed differently. These sectors have a combined length of 5,7 kilometers. They are now packed on 7,5 kilometers of racing.

It really looks like the organizers are aiming for early action.

Damn, if Vanmarcke is in good form this year the crazy amount of cobbles should be good for his chances.

 

[Gigs_98]

Paris - Roubaix

The race will feature 28 sectors of pavé this year. This means 257 kms of racing with 55 kms of cobbles. The new beginning of the pavés sections will look like this:

Troisvilles (nº 28, 2,200 m)
Viesly to Quiévy (nº 27 , 1800 m)
Quiévy to Saint-Python (nº 26, 3 700 m)
NEW Briastre (nº 25, 3 000 m) -> last time used in 1987
NEW Briastre to Solesmes (nº 24, 800 m)

This means sectors 26, 25 and 24 with a combined length of 7,5 kilometers are packed on only 11 kilometers.

And there is another change...

After the refreshment in Solesmes the following three sectors 23, 22 and 21 are packed differently. These sectors have a combined length of 5,7 kilometers. They are now packed on 7,5 kilometers of racing.

It really looks like the organizers are aiming for early action.

That sounds good. Now lets start to pray for rain.

La Itzulia

3 abril. 1ª etapa: Pamplona-Iruñea – Valle de Egüés
4 abril. 2ª etapa: Pamplona-Iruñea – Elciego
5 abril. 3ª etapa: Vitoria-Gasteiz – San Sebastián-Donostia
6 abril. 4ª etapa: San Sebastián-Donostia – Bilbao-Bilbo
7 abril. 5ª etapa: Bilbao-Bilbo – Eibar
8 abril. 6ª etapa: Eibar – Eibar CRI

When you write Eibar as the stage finish for the penultimate stage, do you mean a mtf in Arrate or will they really descend back to Eibar? I'd love the 2nd option to happen.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

It is Arrate with a mtf.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Well, using an iconic city like Pamplona is good I think, but I really don't like that pacing of the race if they are indeed just 'flat' stages. Vivero isn't difficult either, so it will just be Arrate MTF (which is pretty.. meh - wasn't last year tho!) and the final ITT. Or how hard is that Igeldo-climb?

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re:

Well, using an iconic city like Pamplona is good I think, but I really don't like that pacing of the race if they are indeed just 'flat' stages. Vivero isn't difficult either, so it will just be Arrate MTF (which is pretty.. meh - wasn't last year tho!) and the final ITT. Or how hard is that Igeldo-climb?

It's the same climb like in Klasikoa.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Well, using an iconic city like Pamplona is good I think, but I really don't like that pacing of the race if they are indeed just 'flat' stages. Vivero isn't difficult either, so it will just be Arrate MTF (which is pretty.. meh - wasn't last year tho!) and the final ITT. Or how hard is that Igeldo-climb?

It's the same climb like in Klasikoa.

Oh ok, not bad!

 

[Ricco']

Re:

Well, using an iconic city like Pamplona is good I think, but I really don't like that pacing of the race if they are indeed just 'flat' stages. Vivero isn't difficult either, so it will just be Arrate MTF (which is pretty.. meh - wasn't last year tho!) and the final ITT. Or how hard is that Igeldo-climb?

Igeldo is the last climb used on the last editions of the Clasica San Sebastian.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Well, using an iconic city like Pamplona is good I think, but I really don't like that pacing of the race if they are indeed just 'flat' stages. Vivero isn't difficult either, so it will just be Arrate MTF (which is pretty.. meh - wasn't last year tho!) and the final ITT. Or how hard is that Igeldo-climb?

Not too long, but steep, especially at the bottom. The road surface is not good in sections either. Nice climb.

 

[GP Blanco]

No Cauberg in the final of Amstel Gold Race. Only Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg after the last Cauberg ascent at 19 kilometres before the finish. This will make the race easier because Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg are not that hard.

 

[Squire]

Re:

No Cauberg in the final of Amstel Gold Race. Only Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg after the last Cauberg ascent at 19 kilometres before the finish. This will make the race easier because Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg are not that hard.

Really? Didn't expect that. What's the reasoning behind it?

I actually think this will make the race better and more entertaining, despite taking away what is an iconic finale in cycling. Now there is way more incentive to start racing further from the finish, and not just wait for the sprint up Cauberg.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re: Re:

No Cauberg in the final of Amstel Gold Race. Only Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg after the last Cauberg ascent at 19 kilometres before the finish. This will make the race easier because Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg are not that hard.

Really? Didn't expect that. What's the reasoning behind it?

I actually think this will make the race better and more entertaining, despite taking away what is an iconic finale in cycling. Now there is way more incentive to start racing further from the finish, and not just wait for the sprint up Cauberg.

That's the reason. They want the race to start earlier and not 2 kilometers from the line.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

I don't think it'll work. Most teams have a sprinter who can handle a few hills, so any dangerous attack will just be marked by a dozen guys who have an excuse not to ride.

 

[Scarponi]

It's just another Milan San Remo now

 

[Netserk]

Matthews vs Sagan vs Coquard.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

And here we have a few more news for upcoming races.

Paris - Roubaix

The race will feature 28 sectors of pavé this year. This means 257 kms of racing with 55 kms of cobbles. The new beginning of the pavés sections will look like this:

Troisvilles (nº 28, 2,200 m)
Viesly to Quiévy (nº 27 , 1800 m)
Quiévy to Saint-Python (nº 26, 3 700 m)
NEW Briastre (nº 25, 3 000 m) -> last time used in 1987
NEW Briastre to Solesmes (nº 24, 800 m)

This means sectors 26, 25 and 24 with a combined length of 7,5 kilometers are packed on only 11 kilometers.

And there is another change...

After the refreshment in Solesmes the following three sectors 23, 22 and 21 are packed differently. These sectors have a combined length of 5,7 kilometers. They are now packed on 7,5 kilometers of racing.

It really looks like the organizers are aiming for early action.

http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/node/114272

And here is more info.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/even-more-cobbles-for-2017-paris-roubaix/

 

[GuyIncognito]

It's just another Milan San Remo now

So, Amstel is back to what it used to be in the 20th century. A race to be won in a sprint from 50-10 riders

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

It's just another Milan San Remo now

So, Amstel is back to what it used to be in the 20th century. A race to be won in a sprint from 50-10 riders

To bad Boonen retires this year :/