General News Thread

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So which 90's rider do George Jackson, todays winner in Taihu Lake, remind me of?: https://ibb.co/djjF3Ss

I seriously can't recall, was it a Festina rider, had Christophe Moreau long hair once?
Laurent Brochard.

LB_CHAMPION_MONDE_1997.jpg
 
Flanders Classics will take over the running of Amstel Gold from 2025 although race director Leo van Vliet will stay on until 2026. Womens race director Leontien van Moorsel will stay on regardless.
 
Flanders Classics will take over the running of Amstel Gold from 2025 although race director Leo van Vliet will stay on until 2026. Womens race director Leontien van Moorsel will stay on regardless.

interesting to see what effect it will have on the race
 
With the rumours of a Saudi sponsor for Jumbo, and cries of "sportswashing", this is an interesting confession from MBS himself in Saudi Arabia,
https://www.bbc.com/sport/66874723
(Quote!)
Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman says he does not care about accusations of 'sportswashing'.

The Gulf kingdom has been accused of investing in sport and using high-profile events to improve its international reputation.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) led the takeover of Newcastle United last year and launched LIV Golf.

"If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by 1%, then we'll continue doing sportswashing," Bin Salman said.

He told Fox News: "I don't care [about the term]. I have 1% growth in GDP from sport and I am aiming for another 1.5%.

"Call it what you want - we are going to get that 1.5%."(End quote!)

So it's all about the GDP (for those who wonder what GDP is see https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gdp.asp)
 
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With the rumours of a Saudi sponsor for Jumbo, and cries of "sportswashing", this is an interesting confession from MBS himself in Saudi Arabia,
https://www.bbc.com/sport/66874723
(Quote!)
Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman says he does not care about accusations of 'sportswashing'.

The Gulf kingdom has been accused of investing in sport and using high-profile events to improve its international reputation.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) led the takeover of Newcastle United last year and launched LIV Golf.

"If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by 1%, then we'll continue doing sportswashing," Bin Salman said.

He told Fox News: "I don't care [about the term]. I have 1% growth in GDP from sport and I am aiming for another 1.5%.

"Call it what you want - we are going to get that 1.5%."(End quote!)

So it's all about the GDP (for those who wonder what GDP is see https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gdp.asp)

I think people know what GDP is...
 
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With the rumours of a Saudi sponsor for Jumbo, and cries of "sportswashing", this is an interesting confession from MBS himself in Saudi Arabia,
https://www.bbc.com/sport/66874723
(Quote!)
Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman says he does not care about accusations of 'sportswashing'.

The Gulf kingdom has been accused of investing in sport and using high-profile events to improve its international reputation.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) led the takeover of Newcastle United last year and launched LIV Golf.

"If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by 1%, then we'll continue doing sportswashing," Bin Salman said.

He told Fox News: "I don't care [about the term]. I have 1% growth in GDP from sport and I am aiming for another 1.5%.

"Call it what you want - we are going to get that 1.5%."(End quote!)

So it's all about the GDP (for those who wonder what GDP is see https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gdp.asp)

I'll have to find the link, but the sponsors that will stay after 2024 (when Jumbo stops) have put pressure on Plugge not to accept the Neom (Saudi) sponsorship, they don't want to be associated with the Saudis
 
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I'll have to find the link, but the sponsors that will stay after 2024 (when Jumbo stops) have put pressure on Plugge not to accept the Neom (Saudi) sponsorship, they don't want to be associated with the Saudis

I would love to do a deep dive and find out whether any of these sponsors have some relationship with Saudi Arabia - I'd be surprised if there is no relationship.
 
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I think many sponsors are easy to see underlying motivation, some like Total Energies are more abstract. In the US a few long running races are underwritten by oil companies. Weird in bike racing that alcohol, especially beer has sort of dwindled down to not much. I would have thought w all the diet beer, talking about less than a hundred calories and tiny carb counts that bike racing was a good fit.
As far as the Saudi's go, professional golf and tennis, car racing are swimming in oil cash, and semi state run enterprises like Arab owned airlines are everywhere in sports sponsorship, F1 and Moto GP sometimes look like they are exclusively sponsored by the oil industry.
 
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Yeah, these are the Asian Games and not the Asian Road Cycling Championships.
Asian Games are held once every 4 years, cycling is just one of many events and there is no jersey. Like Netserk stated, similar to the Olympics. The Hangzhou event was originally scheduled for 2022 and postponed until this year.
Asian Road Cycling Championships were held in July. That is the annual Asian Cycling Confederation event and winners have a jersey.
 
Yeah, these are the Asian Games and not the Asian Road Cycling Championships.
Asian Games are held once every 4 years, cycling is just one of many events and there is no jersey. Like Netserk stated, similar to the Olympics. The Hangzhou event was originally scheduled for 2022 and postponed until this year.
Asian Road Cycling Championships were held in July. That is the annual Asian Cycling Confederation event and winners have a jersey.
A few good videos about bike racing in China on YouTube