General News Thread

[RedheadDane]

When it comes to Bennati I guess it comes down to not being able to admit that you've lost it a bit and then you get emotional when someone calls you out on it and it's probably also a bit of a cultural difference (being more direct vs having respect for older riders).

Maybe with a little bit of an "All or Nothing" approach mixed in. Seems like when Bennati knew he couldn't win, he completely stopped sprinting, rather than sprint for a result, any result, even if it had "just" been tenth.

 

[tobydawq]

Should've tried saying "Benna venga venga"

Spanish \neq Italian

 

[ciranda]

For sure I thought it was just a funny story more than it says something profound about Bennati.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

35 mins to go until Dowsett starts his hour record attempt... Is there a thread on this in the forum?...

 

[el_angliru]

35 mins to go until Dowsett starts his hour record attempt... Is there a thread on this in the forum?...

Hour Record Rules Revisted/Revised

I suggested in another thread that if Brian Cookson was elected UCI President it was possible the Absolute Hour Record would return, at least in part because a number of bicycle, wheel and component manufacturers that give financial support to our sport were requesting that it return. It...

forum.cyclingnews.com

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Hour Record Rules Revisted/Revised

I suggested in another thread that if Brian Cookson was elected UCI President it was possible the Absolute Hour Record would return, at least in part because a number of bicycle, wheel and component manufacturers that give financial support to our sport were requesting that it return. It...

forum.cyclingnews.com

Thank you!

 

[Lequack]

Hour record live

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yDtTJhXf4Q

 

[BlueRoads]

Do you think Dowsett had a "disadvantage" through his bike?
(I think Campenaerts is the better rider and therefor it's fair, just wondering.)

Edit: Ah I see the conversation came up in the clinic... not where I expected it...

 

[Devil's Elbow]

The Tour of the Alps route was announced today, it stays much further to the south than usual. Not the hardest edition, but it should still be decently selective, especially given that each stage features at least one technical descent.

Stage 1

Passo Brocon (yes, it's not a cat. 1, this race somehow has worse climb categorization than the Giro every year)

Passo Gobbera

The hill in the final circuit, climbed twice, is about a kilometre at a little over 7%, but with steeper gradients in its first half.

Stage 2

Very similar to the 2018 stage into Merano, won by a young Ben O'Connor.

Passo Rolle

Mendelpass

Gampenpass (only the final 13.2k)

Stage 3

Feldthurns

Terenten

Passo Furcia

Stage 4

Kartitscher Sattel

Gailberg Sattel

Thurn (only up to the village, this is the hill with the intermediate sprint)

The next hill is 2.1k at 5.7%, then the climb to the finish in Kals is the profile below until the village.

Stage 5

Bannberg (1st ascent) + Pustertaler Höhenstrasse (right to left)

Bannberg (2nd ascent)

Stronach (3.1k at 12.2%)

 

[yaco]

Strange that a 'Tour of the Alps' would have one uphill finish.

 

[Netserk]

A bit weird to use the hills in Lienz in stage 4 and not stage 5.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Stage 3 is a bit of a missed opportunity, they could have used the Sallastraße right after the Furcia climb, reducing the flat after the final descent to around 5kms. The road is also in decent condition and the descent isn't worse than some of those on stage 5 (they are actually worse).
Edit: The climb is 2.9kms around 7.2%, nothing special, but you'd only have 5kms of flat at the end, it would really improve the stage.

 

[RedheadDane]

Promising World Cycling Centre rider Desiet Kidane dies in training crash | Cyclingnews

 

[BlueRoads]

Last stage of the Deutschland Tour will start in Schiltach... 3800 people, home of Bora-hansgrohe...

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Last stage of the Deutschland Tour will start in Schiltach... 3800 people, home of Bora-hansgrohe...

*Home of Hansgrohe.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Last stage of the Deutschland Tour will start in Schiltach... 3800 people, home of Bora-hansgrohe...

Maybe some high mountain stages around the black forest, with either a summit finish or descent back down to somewhere like Freiburg. Either that or they'll be boring at head off to somewhere like Stuttgart with loops of a hilly circuit like in the first new edition in 2018.

 

[BlueRoads]

Maybe some high mountain stages around the black forest, with either a summit finish or descent back down to somewhere like Freiburg. Either that or they'll be boring at head off to somewhere like Stuttgart with loops of a hilly circuit like in the first new edition in 2018.

Yeah, well the whole Tour will end in Stuttgart... and this will be the fourth stage... We'll see, they seem to have taken the Giro presentation model to new heights. (?)

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2022

21/3 Sant Feliu de Guíxols › Sant Feliu de Guíxols
22/3 L'Escala › Perpignan
23/3 Perpignan › La Molina
24/3 La Seu d'Urgell › Boí Taüll
25/3 La Pobla de Segur › Vilanova i la Geltrú
26/3 Costa Daurada (Salou › Cambrils)
27/3 Barcelona › Barcelona

First time to Perpignan since 1955.

La Molina and Boí Taüll are the MTF. Boí Taüll was last used 2002.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Yeah, well the whole Tour will end in Stuttgart... and this will be the fourth stage... We'll see, they seem to have taken the Giro presentation model to new heights. (?)

Prologue
1 ??? › ???
2 ??? › Marburg
3 ??? › ???
4 Schiltach › Stuttgart

The race will finish like 2018 on the Theodor-Heuss-Straße. So my guess is, that they will do the same lap.

 

[BlueRoads]

Prologue
1 ??? › ???
2 ??? › Marburg
3 ??? › ???
4 Schiltach › Stuttgart

The race will finish like 2018 on the Theodor-Heuss-Straße. So my guess is, that they will do the same lap.

Driving through Germany you wouldn't think there are such few streets in this country.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Driving through Germany you wouldn't think there are such few streets in this country.

Race Design wise this race is a total disaster. Still this four or now five day variant is a lot better than the wannabe TdF style with stages in the austrian alps. Before that they put in long time trials for Ulle, but didn't balance things well.

It was even worse with Bayern Rundfahrt. In 27 editions they had one mountain stage. In Bavaria. How unfitting is that?!

 

[Unchained]

I read most of what was available on Cycling News..Sagan getting in trouble with cops. Roche retiring saying in the interview that he often back talks to his boss, but on race day he follows the plan, has an opinion if 3-5 days more of altitude training is really necessary and says so to his superiors..read articles about @25 year olds having stressful years and looming talented younger riders pushing them out. Read that better women's race commentary could be a major benefit to the sport..and speaking of interest or not..almost 300 riders apply for a few spots..very cool.. Tom Boonen saying racing and winning in a Volkswagen beetle is better than a pro bike win..and Can and Quickstep..kicking around contract talks..1-2 seconds too long and now Cav has a collapsed lung and broken ribs..let's see what that does for negotiating power.
when I read a 2 year pro rider was surprised at how cut throat professional cycling is..and it surprised him..well everything I read surprised me..

 

[BlueRoads]

I read most of what was available on Cycling News..Sagan getting in trouble with cops. Roche retiring saying in the interview that he often back talks to his boss, but on race day he follows the plan, has an opinion if 3-5 days more of altitude training is really necessary and says so to his superiors..read articles about @25 year olds having stressful years and looming talented younger riders pushing them out. Read that better women's race commentary could be a major benefit to the sport..and speaking of interest or not..almost 300 riders apply for a few spots..very cool.. Tom Boonen saying racing and winning in a Volkswagen beetle is better than a pro bike win..and Can and Quickstep..kicking around contract talks..1-2 seconds too long and now Cav has a collapsed lung and broken ribs..let's see what that does for negotiating power.
when I read a 2 year pro rider was surprised at how cut throat professional cycling is..and it surprised him..well everything I read surprised me..

But what surprised you about the possible improvement of women's races?

 

[Unchained]

I have known a few crushing women pro bike racers, so I know that the talent is there. The depth of the bunch is an issue in my opinion. I think a big lure of men's racing is the spectacle..to use the overused..size matters. I think that women's racing needs to do everything and anything it can to grow the field size..I think that they should go to running clubs and get high level competitors on bicycles, I think that they should do whatever they can for exposure.And I think that economics is going to really,really hurt cycling if not kill it. @$4000usd for an entry level competitive bike and clothing is too much to ask of any young racer and especially a young girl that wants to give bike racing a try..there are a few other mainstream sports that are expensive even to dabble, but women's bike racing is right up there with motorcycle, or something involving a horse..decent equipment and clothing is cost prohibitive for an athletic experiment for most..you can get a few computers,surfboards,snowboard,basketball,tennis racquet, ball gloves,soccer,volleyball,ect and try things out..a young athlete can get into a pick up basketball or soccer game at a park for next to nothing.
All the other stuff, I was just complaining..I hope Cavendish, Sagan and Valverde have great seasons with the recognition that they are winding down.
I think that the more I read about Jullian Alafillipe the more I like him and his racing style and way of thinking.sorry about spelling. I also think that it's absolutely out of this world crazy that the UCI does not have an absolute position on supplements..The sport and it sponsorship structure really can't afford another scandal..and ketones are going to present a problem if it's in the debate stage between riders and teams..absolutely crazy..
also crazy is how random and arbitrary Covid bombs can effect bike racing, w events being cancelled..

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Tour de Pologne 2022