General News Thread

[Armchair cyclist]

That paper has the 'UCI Hour record' logo on it. If he did an hour in less than 4 minutes, then he averaged >15 times the speed of time.
I'm not sure what that does to the space-time continuum, but he might be in a warp.

More seriously, it only says '4km record', without mention of the word 'pursuit'.

 

[Netserk]

The UCI calender for next year has been updated with the (W)WT. One of the changes from previous years is that Tirreno - Adriatico will be held two days earlier (Monday to Sunday) and thus completely overlap Paris - Nice.

Road

Road Calendar

www.uci.org

 

[Pinot's goat]

The UCI calender for next year has been updated with the (W)WT. One of the changes from previous years is that Tirreno - Adriatico will be held two days earlier (Monday to Sunday) and thus completely overlap Paris - Nice.

Road

Road Calendar

www.uci.org

Worst part of the calendar made even worse, two such big races should not overlap.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

Great news! That opens things up for the long-awaited P-R / T-A Champions Race.
Each classification winner and respective teams from both races compete in a mid-week one-day race the runs on the same course as Milano-Sanremo but in the opposite direction.

 

[Netserk]

Worst part of the calendar made even worse, two such big races should not overlap.

Why not?

There are more than enough good riders to field two strong pelotons, and in that respect it doesn't matter if they overlap one day or the whole race. Even if T-A started a week later, only very few riders would be present at both races (next to none, I'd think).

While being good races in their own right, they also serve an important function as preparation race for the spring classics, a task that a single race can't do on it's own at that point in the calendar, unless you are suggesting a complete overhaul of the classics too?

...

What's more, I think the very direct competition between the two races is quite healthy and in turn give the riders and teams more options, which means none of the two races can be too lazy or poorly organised.

 

[Pinot's goat]

Why not?

There are more than enough good riders to field two strong pelotons, and in that respect it doesn't matter if they overlap one day or the whole race. Even if T-A started a week later, only very few riders would be present at both races (next to none, I'd think).

While being good races in their own right, they also serve an important function as preparation race for the spring classics, a task that a single race can't do on it's own at that point in the calendar, unless you are suggesting a complete overhaul of the classics too?

...

What's more, I think the very direct competition between the two races is quite healthy and in turn give the riders and teams more options, which means none of the two races can be too lazy or poorly organised.

I am thinking more from a watching point of view, the overlap reduces viewing figures as it makes it tougher to watch both live.

 

[RedheadDane]

I am thinking more from a watching point of view, the overlap reduces viewing figures as it makes it tougher to watch both live.

Tougher, yes. But not impossible!

 

[Nirvana]

The UCI calender for next year has been updated with the (W)WT. One of the changes from previous years is that Tirreno - Adriatico will be held two days earlier (Monday to Sunday) and thus completely overlap Paris - Nice.

Road

Road Calendar

www.uci.org

It was already that way when they first published the WT calendar last may. The only change is the addition of the TDU that was missing at the time, but it's likely to disappear again considering the situation in Australia.

On a side note having only one day of rest before Tirreno doesn't look good for Strade Bianche, i won't be surprised to see a lesser field starting from next year.

 

[RedheadDane]

On a side note having only one day of rest before Tirreno doesn't look good for Strade Bianche, i won't be surprised to see a lesser field starting from next year.

Looks like T-A tends to start in Lido di Camaiore, which is in Tuscany as well. So... might not be too long a trip for riders to go directly from Strade to T-A. Especially considering that - at least before travel restrictions made that somewhat more complicated - there are occassional riders who do both Strade and P-N.

 

[Nirvana]

Looks like T-A tends to start in Lido di Camaiore, which is in Tuscany as well. So... might not be too long a trip for riders to go directly from Strade to T-A. Especially considering that - at least before travel restrictions made that somewhat more complicated - there are occassional riders who do both Strade and P-N.

It's not a matter of travel but fatigue after an hard one day race. IMHO would have been more sensible to move Paris-Nice (i think the problem here was Strade taking more and more big names out of the race and ASO not happy with that).

 

[Netserk]

It's not a matter of travel but fatigue after an hard one day race. IMHO would have been more sensible to move Paris-Nice (i think the problem here was Strade taking more and more big names out of the race and ASO not happy with that).

Is there anything that indicates that the move of T-A was caused by ASO?

 

[Nirvana]

Is there anything that indicates that the move of T-A was caused by ASO?

No, it's only my guess because, as i said, Strade attracting more and more top names has meant a continuous decline in the field starting Paris-Nice and that was mainly because of the three days of recovery you had with Tirreno starting on wednesday.

 

[Red Rick]

When will the route for Il Lombardia be announced?

 

[SafeBet]

When will the route for Il Lombardia be announced?

The day after it is raced?

 

[Netserk]

When will the route for Il Lombardia be announced?

This month.

 

[movingtarget]

Fuglsang to Bike Exchange is an odd signing. Good rider but past his best. They need to attract some younger talent at the moment. Their cupboard is looking a bit bare compared to many other teams.

 

[Nirvana]

I don't know where to write that but yesterday i heard the UEC president speaking with RAI and when praised in typical RAI fashion for the new "entertaining" format he said that the short ITT and road race where a request from TVs that wants more of a "show" for the whole race and are used as a "lab test" by UCI to see if that could be used also for the Worlds.
IMHO that's really worrying, if even the Worlds turns into a junior race endurance has really gone...

 

[tobydawq]

I don't know where to write that but yesterday i heard the UEC president speaking with RAI and when praised in typical RAI fashion for the new "entertaining" format he said that the short ITT and road race where a request from TVs that wants more of a "show" for the whole race and are used as a "lab test" by UCI to see if that could be used also for the Worlds.
IMHO that's really worrying, if even the Worlds turns into a junior race endurance has really gone...

Has it, though? Is it inconceivable that yesterday's race was harder than your typical monument where there is only action unythe last 20-100 kms? Do we know for a fact that riding quite steadily for four-five hours hurts more than three hours of close to all-out?

I usually also have the default mode that the longer the better (when it comes to non-TT one-day races) but I'm beginning to think that it perhaps isn't a certainty (and, honestly, I wouldn't think it would have much influence on the list of protagonists).

 

[BlueRoads]

Has it, though? Is it inconceivable that yesterday's race was harder than your typical monument where there is only action unythe last 20-100 kms? Do we know for a fact that riding quite steadily for four-five hours hurts more than three hours of close to all-out?

I usually also have the default mode that the longer the better (when it comes to non-TT one-day races) but I'm beginning to think that it perhaps isn't a certainty (and, honestly, I wouldn't think it would have much influence on the list of protagonists).

But if the Worlds are not really long, then which race should be? Might just as well get rid of road cycling and only do mountainbike races.
I understand not everyone wants to watch 6-7 hours of a bike race, but that is, in my eyes, mostly a problem of tv coverage. Maybe they should think of better formats in that regard. At the moment there is hardly any ability to react spontaneously to various race situations. There might be a race where the fight for the break-away is exciting and then nothing happens for three hours until shortly before the end, and Eurosport/ GCN and others will still manage to bring the interviews with riders and ads bring during the small time-frames when something happens... also the background coverage and interviews are incredibly dull. If they were more professional there and came up with better ideas that would already be quite helpful in my eyes. Ah, I have to think about the GTs, where the German commentators constantly talk about food and nonsensical stuff while all the action of the break-away-forming is happening, and then when nothing is happening anymore they have run out of topics and repeat over and over again things everybody who has seen two cycling races during the year knows...
There is so much football on tv, and I'm not saying the football coverage is always insightfull and exciting, but it's a lot better than cycling coverage. At least in Germany we don't have any discussions, people with opposing or interesting views...

I don't think a shorter race is necessarily more interesting. There are other factors which come into play. Worlds and Euros are already without radios, that's a good thing. Getting rid of power-meters would also be way more appreciated from my side then a shortening of the race.
And if they want to improve the excitement of the ITTs: Hell, maybe think about some working intermediate-times first??!

 

[Nirvana]

Has it, though? Is it inconceivable that yesterday's race was harder than your typical monument where there is only action unythe last 20-100 kms? Do we know for a fact that riding quite steadily for four-five hours hurts more than three hours of close to all-out?

I usually also have the default mode that the longer the better (when it comes to non-TT one-day races) but I'm beginning to think that it perhaps isn't a certainty (and, honestly, I wouldn't think it would have much influence on the list of protagonists).

This year at the Ronde after 220/230 kms there were riders that totally sinked out of contention, maybe there is less show but when you go over a certain distance and you need a lot of endurance it becomes another sport.

 

[Nirvana]

But not only one day races, just imagine the 2016 Giro with a Tour style Dolomitic stage with 100 kms of flat and only Giau and Valparola and the Pinerolo stage cut 100 kms short and you suddenly have Ulissi as a serious contender, we have already seen in the 2019 Tour with Alaphilippe suddenly being able to keep the yellow jersey almost until the end.

 

[yaco]

Fuglsang to Bike Exchange is an odd signing. Good rider but past his best. They need to attract some younger talent at the moment. Their cupboard is looking a bit bare compared to many other teams.

Fuglsang is part of the Premier Tech package.

 

[Red Rick]

Are there still no detailed profiles out of the World championships?

 

[tobydawq]

But if the Worlds are not really long, then which race should be? Might just as well get rid of road cycling and only do mountainbike races.
I understand not everyone wants to watch 6-7 hours of a bike race, but that is, in my eyes, mostly a problem of tv coverage. Maybe they should think of better formats in that regard. At the moment there is hardly any ability to react spontaneously to various race situations. There might be a race where the fight for the break-away is exciting and then nothing happens for three hours until shortly before the end, and Eurosport/ GCN and others will still manage to bring the interviews with riders and ads bring during the small time-frames when something happens... also the background coverage and interviews are incredibly dull. If they were more professional there and came up with better ideas that would already be quite helpful in my eyes. Ah, I have to think about the GTs, where the German commentators constantly talk about food and nonsensical stuff while all the action of the break-away-forming is happening, and then when nothing is happening anymore they have run out of topics and repeat over and over again things everybody who has seen two cycling races during the year knows...
There is so much football on tv, and I'm not saying the football coverage is always insightfull and exciting, but it's a lot better than cycling coverage. At least in Germany we don't have any discussions, people with opposing or interesting views...

I don't think a shorter race is necessarily more interesting. There are other factors which come into play. Worlds and Euros are already without radios, that's a good thing. Getting rid of power-meters would also be way more appreciated from my side then a shortening of the race.
And if they want to improve the excitement of the ITTs: Hell, maybe think about some working intermediate-times first??!

I'm sorry but what has it to do with MTB-ing? It would still be entertaining to watch...

But yeah, I guess I'm on your (and Nirvana's) side but it's not as clear-cut as it was before to me.

But imagine Flanders beginning ten kilometers before the first helling. Then it would be carnage all day and not only in the last three hours. And I think Strade proves that it's the same protagonists who come to the fore in the end. I really do think people severely overestimate the hardship of riding three hours at a slow tempo tucked inside a bunch.

 

[BlueRoads]

I'm sorry but what has it to do with MTB-ing? It would still be entertaining to watch...

But yeah, I guess I'm on your (and Nirvana's) side but it's not as clear-cut as it was before to me.

But imagine Flanders beginning ten kilometers before the first helling. Then it would be carnage all day and not only in the last three hours. And I think Strade proves that it's the same protagonists who come to the fore in the end. I really do think people severely overestimate the hardship of riding three hours at a slow tempo tucked inside a bunch.

I am not against some short races in general, I don't think longer or shorter races are per se better. It depends on a lot of factors. It's just that some of the big races should remain long in my opinion, because road cycling is about real endurance more than anything else and if you give this up entirely, in the most outstanding events, you take away or at least reduce significantly the basic feature of this sport which is part of the "myth".
I'm not a traditionalist at all costs, but something hits me when I hear full time sport officers and CEOs talking about how the attention span of the young people is not suited to longer events - up to a guy like Florentino Perez thinking about shortening football matches, because 90 minutes are too long. I just think that's a very short sighted view on young people by old guys. Instead of looking at the real problems and finding creative solutions their only solution seems to be "everything needs to be shorter, faster, more spectacular", so that things which have a fascination and taste of their own are in danger of losing it by becoming part of a wild sauce of things. I mean, my son struggles to keep the focus when I explain some grammar for two minutes to him, but he can very well play chess concentratedly for two hours. Drawing the conclusion "the kid can't concentrate on anything that's longer than a tik tok-video" would just be wrong.
Okay... I admit, I went far from the concrete statement here... but that's why this topic upsets me.