General News Thread

[Another_Dutch_Guy]

I've seen the article, and it seems that the overlap with Paris Nice causes the problems. Hopefully, they can shuffle both races a bit to avoid this. The question is: where can they find space?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Noo please..! Let the UCI do something good for once.

 

[Gloin22]

This stage race has to move as it clashes too much with Paris Nice TV rights too. IT's one of the options. Not best though.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

I've seen the article, and it seems that the overlap with Paris Nice causes the problems. Hopefully, they can shuffle both races a bit to avoid this. The question is: where can they find space?

Well, that sucks, TA has been a lot better race than Paris-Nice the last couple of years.

 

[Helivac]

Some humor from Robert Hunter after Stage 1-"what happened?"

http://helivac.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/stage-1-of-the-tour-de-france-hunters-post-what-happened/

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Tirreno is 7 stages and has had a half-week clash with Paris-Nice for the last few years (tends to start on a Wednesday and finish the following Tuesday). The real problem is that there's only one week between Paris-Nice and Milan-San Remo, as Tirreno is ostensibly a warmup for La Primavera. If it moves to pre-Paris-Nice (possible), then there's too much downtime and it limits the route to being either 2010-style puncheur-fests, or the types of route that Óscar Freire won back in the day. If it goes post-Paris-Nice, then it has to shorten to let people do San Remo or it will struggle with a field.

It could always go post-Sanremo, but then it would put the ailing Volta a Catalunya out of business once and for all, most likely, plus also the field would change dramatically given the buildup for De Ronde.

 

[Another_Dutch_Guy]

Don't know about the whether conditions that moment, but what about putting it the week before Omloop? It will only clash with some smaller races, like Oman and Algarve...

 

[theyoungest]

It's not necessarily that Paris-Nice tv rights are more popular, it's that Paris-Nice tv rights are sold in a package with the Tour de France.

 

[Forunculo]

It's not necessarily that Paris-Nice tv rights are more popular, it's that Paris-Nice tv rights are sold in a package with the Tour de France.

Exactly this

 

[greenedge]

I hope T-A does not fold.

Does anyone know why Langveld finished with the Kittel group today?

 

[macnir]

2012 Tour Of Beijing Route Announced:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/2012-tour-of-beijing-route-announced

Stage 1 - Tian An Men Square - Bird’s Nest Olympic Piazza (117km)
Stage 2 - Bird’s Nest Piazza - Men Tou Gou Yong Ding River Cultural Square (134km)
Stage 3 - Green Sea Forest Park - Yan Qing Ba Da Ling Great Wall (162.5km)
Stage 4 - Yan Qing Gui Chuan Square - Chang Ping Stadium (165.5km)
Stage 5 - Chang Ping Stadium - Ping Gu Centenary Square (182.5km)

TT cancelled, stage 1&4 for mass sprint and stage 2&5 for attacker/breakaway/small group sprint, and stage 3 could be very entertaining:

 

[SetonHallPirate]

2012 Tour Of Beijing Route Announced:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/2012-tour-of-beijing-route-announced

Stage 1 - Tian An Men Square - Bird’s Nest Olympic Piazza (117km)
Stage 2 - Bird’s Nest Piazza - Men Tou Gou Yong Ding River Cultural Square (134km)
Stage 3 - Green Sea Forest Park - Yan Qing Ba Da Ling Great Wall (162.5km)
Stage 4 - Yan Qing Gui Chuan Square - Chang Ping Stadium (165.5km)
Stage 5 - Chang Ping Stadium - Ping Gu Centenary Square (182.5km)

TT cancelled, stage 1&4 for mass sprint and stage 2&5 for attacker/breakaway/small group sprint, and stage 3 could be very entertaining:

http://www.tourofbeijing.net/route/2012-route/

Looks like a much better route than last year. Whoever made the decision to not consider the approach to the Badaling Great Wall part of the categorized climb wasn't watching much of the 2008 Olympic Road Race though...there's a reason why it took a rider like Samuel Sanchez to win that race.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Nice, now let's hope that other Chinese stage race has some climbing in it as well.

Also, a lot still needs to happen before this comes anywhere near GdL as the end of the season

 

[theyoungest]

It's good they cancelled the TT. If you don't bother to make the rest of the course hard enough, the TT winner on the first day has a lock on the overall.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Riis near collapse after a spring full of bad news.

Poor Bjarne.

“I spent the whole day lying in my bed with drawn curtains, because it was impossible to grasp,” he said. “I could not see an end to it. If they take our license, the entire life's work I've done ... it falls apart.”

He informed the other members of his management team. “He told us at a meeting: I need you to take a little over,” sports director Philippe Mauduit told the Ritzau news agency. The riders were not told as “they should only focus on the sport".

...

Riis hid it well, Mauduit said. “He can tell you better than I how depressed he was, but I do not think that anyone outside could see it. I am almost certain that he had not told us sports directors that we would not have known it.”

 

[BillytheKid]

I hope T-A does not fold.

Does anyone know why Langveld finished with the Kittel group today?

It's tough fight for sports $$$. The bad press of late is no accident in my mind.

Never let a good crisis go to waste.

 

[Arnout]

I hope T-A does not fold.

Does anyone know why Langveld finished with the Kittel group today?

He said it was hectic etc. that he had to wait for a crash and just took it easy in the end. No injuries to report.

 

[greenedge]

Ah that is good thx.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

BBC News London 2012: David Millar selected for GB road cycling team

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18701660

London 2012: David Millar selected for GB road cycling team

nice for the CAV

 

[Kazistuta]

Alex Rasmussen was just handed an over-the-top sanction from CAS - 18 months suspension for his slacking with the whereabouts reports!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.dr.dk/Sporten/Cykling/2012/07/04/133200.htm

 

[greenedge]

Does anyone know why Renshaw came in with the Cav group/ whether he is ok?

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Three Continental teams got suspended from racing. Among them is Davide Rebellin's Meridiana-Kamen team. Reasons weren't given, but they're likely monetary.

It's time for Rebellin to call it a day. He should stop this farce.

 

[Kwibus]

Does anyone know why Renshaw came in with the Cav group/ whether he is ok?

He lost a lot of skin and has a sore ***. That's it.

 

[argyllflyer]

Just read that Accent's Rob Goris died of a heart attack last night. He was only 30.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Just read that Accent's Rob Goris died of a heart attack last night. He was only 30.

Absolutely shocked.
He was on Belgian Tour program 'Vive le Velo' with his girlfriend just last night.