General News Thread

[RedheadDane]

Some good news.

Bigla-Katusha to become Paule-Ka

 

[PeterB]

So for anyone who was tempted to join the bidding, the special yellow and white bike presented to Pope Francesco by Sagan went for EUR 30,000. The bidding was fierce towards the end, with the price increasing by EUR 10,000 during the final minutes of the auction (period of which is automatically extended if new bid is entered within last several minutes). The last few intense moments:

High Bidder	Amount	Time
TSSRL Winning	€30,000	June 18th 2020, 6:21pm CEST

Bidder	Amount	Time
cita	€28,000	June 18th 2020, 6:19pm CEST
Matkor	€27,000	June 18th 2020, 6:18pm CEST
cita	€26,000	June 18th 2020, 6:15pm CEST
Matkor	€25,000	June 18th 2020, 6:13pm CEST
FASSRL	€24,500	June 18th 2020, 6:12pm CEST
Matkor	€24,000	June 18th 2020, 6:10pm CEST
cita	€23,500	June 18th 2020, 6:09pm CEST
Matkor	€23,000	June 18th 2020, 6:07pm CEST
cita	€22,500	June 18th 2020, 6:07pm CEST
Matkor	€22,000	June 18th 2020, 6:04pm CEST
cita	€21,500	June 18th 2020, 6:04pm CEST
Matkor	€21,000	June 18th 2020, 6:02pm CEST
cita	€20,500	June 18th 2020, 6:01pm CEST
Matkor	€20,000	June 18th 2020, 5:59pm CEST
cita	€19,500	June 18th 2020, 5:58pm CEST
Matkor	€19,000	June 18th 2020, 5:57pm CEST
Fernandop	€18,500	June 18th 2020, 5:54pm CEST

 

[RedheadDane]

That was one helluva fight between cita and Matkor!

 

[Nirvana]

That was one helluva fight between cita and Matkor!

But they fought for nothing since someone else (TSSRL) suddenly popped up in the end and got the bike.

 

[RedheadDane]

But they fought for nothing since someone else (TSSRL) suddenly popped up in the end and got the bike.

Like one of those sprints where two riders are neck-to-neck coming towards the line, only for someone coming from way back to take it.

 

[Mayomaniac]

The Giro di Sardegna is coming back this year, five stages from the 28th of October until the 1st of November. It's organized by the same people who organize the U23 Giro.
Source: https://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/22...a-cinque-tappe-28-ottobre-3702040865597.shtml

 

[RedheadDane]

https://www.tourdepologne.pl/en/2020/06/tour-for-bjorg/

 

[del1962]

So not TDF riders at worlds ITT - surely this devalues worlds

 

[KZD]

So not TDF riders at worlds ITT - surely this devalues worlds

To be fair I think that some of the big names would still have miss it if it was on Wednesday because they would have focused in the road race and others would still feel the Tour in their legs but its probably the first time that the Worlds TT will have less than half of the best TT specialists in the World.

 

[Koronin]

The Spanish National Team has decided since there isn't any racing going on that now would be a good time to try to get some of their riders together so that some of the veterans can teach/coach the younger riders who will eventually become to the lead riders. This week is their first such week of getting their riders together and they are holding their first "camp" in Altea which is on the east coast. They have Valverde leading this teach/coaching camp for the young riders with a handful of other veteran riders. The list of riders for this National Training Camp are: Alejandro Valverde, Sergio Samitier, Hécto Carretero, Lluis Angel Maté, Fernando Barceló, Carlos Barbero, Ángel Madrazo, Diego Rubio, Manuel Peñalver, Juanjo Lobato, Rubén Fernández, Oier Lazkano, Juan Pedro López.
The hope of the National coach is that the young riders can learn from the veterans.

 

[BlueRoads]

The Spanish National Team has decided since there isn't any racing going on that now would be a good time to try to get some of their riders together so that some of the veterans can teach/coach the younger riders who will eventually become to the lead riders. This week is their first such week of getting their riders together and they are holding their first "camp" in Altea which is on the east coast. They have Valverde leading this teach/coaching camp for the young riders with a handful of other veteran riders. The list of riders for this National Training Camp are: Alejandro Valverde, Sergio Samitier, Hécto Carretero, Lluis Angel Maté, Fernando Barceló, Carlos Barbero, Ángel Madrazo, Diego Rubio, Manuel Peñalver, Juanjo Lobato, Rubén Fernández, Oier Lazkano, Juan Pedro López.
The hope of the National coach is that the young riders can learn from the veterans.

Maybe it's helpful. But isn't Valverde getting a bit too big in Spanish cycling? Watching over everything... everyone supposed to learn from him... I would think that in the end it's a "new generation", riders who have to make their own experiences, become independent and strong and maybe find new ways.

 

[Koronin]

Maybe it's helpful. But isn't Valverde getting a bit too big in Spanish cycling? Watching over everything... everyone supposed to learn from him... I would think that in the end it's a "new generation", riders who have to make their own experiences, become independent and strong and maybe find new ways.

My guess is it's more Valverde likes to coach/teach the young riders and the young Spanish riders want to learn from him. I suspect it's more he's the one that's left that these young riders grew up watching so they want the opportunity to learn from him.

 

[tobydawq]

The Spanish National Team has decided since there isn't any racing going on that now would be a good time to try to get some of their riders together so that some of the veterans can teach/coach the younger riders who will eventually become to the lead riders. This week is their first such week of getting their riders together and they are holding their first "camp" in Altea which is on the east coast. They have Valverde leading this teach/coaching camp for the young riders with a handful of other veteran riders.
The hope of the National coach is that the young riders can learn from the veterans.

I'm not sure it's clear why they are having this camp? Is it just to have fun or will there be some teaching/mentoring/coaching/learning going on as well

 

[Koronin]

I'm not sure it's clear why they are having this camp? Is it just to have fun or will there be some teaching/mentoring/coaching/learning going on as well

Well it is there first attempt at doing this.

 

[Nirvana]

So not TDF riders at worlds ITT - surely this devalues worlds

Of the ones finished in the top 10 last year only the 8th, 9th and 10th are scheduled for the Tour.

 

[Sciatic]

Although I haven’t reviewed all the team start lists posted to date, if there are some elite TT-ers who are not GC guys and not essential for the final week in the mountains they could always leave the Tour early, the way some sprinters are known to do?

 

[FilipeFD]

André Cardoso, former Trek rider, completed today along with 11 other cyclists, a solidarity challenge along the "Nacional 2" in a single stage of 738kms in 24h21m, on a average of 29,5 km/h.
They made few rests 60/70kms apart through the challenge (40 during night).
https://www.ojogo.pt/modalidades/ci...tura-que-durou-mais-de-24-horas-12363533.html

 

[Mayomaniac]

RCS didn't present the new Giro route today, but at least we got the names of the wildcard teams for all of their races.
MVP and Apecin - Fenix will be invited to all of them besides the Giro (that includes the now hilly Gran Piemonte, Milano-Torino that is going to be sprinter friendly as a prep race for MSR and the Giro di Lombardia).
Source: https://www.tuttobiciweb.it/article...rade-b.ianche-giro-d-italia-tirreno-adriatico
The new Gran Piemonte route:

 

[tobydawq]

Lol, wasn't Piemonte the race that was completely flat in 2018 and finished on Oropa last year?

 

[SafeBet]

Winning consecutive editions of Gran Piemonte will soon be considered harder than winning all 5 Monuments.

 

[hayneplane]

Winning consecutive editions of Gran Piemonte will soon be considered harder than winning all 5 Monuments.

Haha. Fair point, I don’t think courses should be set in stone but there is a lot to be said for courses to reflect the history of a race so that the types of riders in the winners list tell a coherent story

 

[Nirvana]

Haha. Fair point, I don’t think courses should be set in stone but there is a lot to be said for courses to reflect the history of a race so that the types of riders in the winners list tell a coherent story

The Giro del Piemonte has never had a definite type of percours, even in the more remote past the route has always changed along the start and finish locations. Anyway you should be happy for Milano-Torino, if the rumors are true, because until the 90s when they added Superga (initially as a "pass" before descending in Torino, the MTF came only in 2012, but still was a big difference) has always been a sprinters race with at maximum some little bumps in the finale like the ones in Paris-Tours.

 

[hayneplane]

The Giro del Piemonte has never had a definite type of percours, even in the more remote past the route has always changed along the start and finish locations. Anyway you should be happy for Milano-Torino, if the rumors are true, because until the 90s when they added Superga (initially as a "pass" before descending in Torino, the MTF came only in 2012, but still was a big difference) has always been a sprinters race with at maximum some little bumps in the finale like the ones in Paris-Tours.

I didn't know about that old route, I like that it is a rare one day race finish on a proper climb so somewhat ironically I am glad for that change even if I ought not to be.

 

[Berflamand]

So this sunday the first professional race will take place again in Belgium, the GP Vermarc. It has been organised in just a few weeks time.

Amongst the participating riders: Belgian champion Merlier, Dutch champion Jakobsen and Degenkolb.

The parcours will be 15,4km long with two small hills. In total the race will be 164km long.

 

[Bonimenier]

In a practice race in Wortegem-Petegem where a couple of pro's rode, a 20 yo rider named Niels De Vriendt had cardiac arrest in the first lap. There was a crash but it's not yet clear if the cardiac arrest caused the crash or the other way around. The race got stopped.