General News Thread

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Boom to replace Terpstra in the Olympic TT, because Terpstra doesn't have time to prepare on the TT bike due to his crash, but apparently he should still be fine for the RR.

 

[Samson]

No Vuelta for Taaramäe this year. He feels he doesn't have enough form to compete in 3 week tour right now which we can see in TdF. He will race in GP Quebec and Montreal (maybe Tour de l’Ain also) and then probably in World Championships. Also he hinted to Estonian media that he will probably sign new contract with Cofidis.

 

[Magnus]

Broken rib for Boonen.

Who will ride the Tour of Denmark with OPQS:
http://feltet.dk/nyheder/tom_boonen_med_i_post_danmark_rundt/

 

[RedheadDane]

Who will ride the Tour of Denmark with OPQS:
http://feltet.dk/nyheder/tom_boonen_med_i_post_danmark_rundt/

That's just awesome!

---

This might be old news to most of you but...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012...e-battles-parasite-media-cars-expelled_230162



That's some pretty freaky stuff right there!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Juan Mauricio Soler announces his retirement

In not entirely unexpected news, former King of the Mountains Juan Mauricio Soler Hernández has announced that, on the recommendation of his neurologist and medical advisors, he will not attempt to return to the sport in an active capacity after his catastrophic injuries in the Tour de Suisse last year. Movistar had said that they would always have a place for him - whether on their World Tour team or their Continental team back in Colombia - should he ever decide to return, but the Colombian has confirmed that he will have to decline said offer.

Soler turned professional with Acqua e Sapone in 2006, winning the Circuit de Lorraine and impressing in the Vuelta a Burgos, before moving to Barloworld in 2007 where he achieved his greatest successes, winning a mountain stage of the Tour de France in Briançon, with further top 5s in the stages to Le-Grand-Bornand, Plateau de Beille and Aubisque, followed by an overall win in the Vuelta a Burgos after triumphing on Lagunas de Neila. Subsequent seasons were marred by injury, although there were glimpses of the talent he had - 2nd in Castilla y León in 2008, 2nd in the Settimana Lombarda and 5th in the Vuelta a Burgos in 2009. He moved over to Eusebio Unzué's Caisse d'Epargne line-up in the aftermath of Barloworld's collapse, but after a spectacular ride to the Alto del Morredero in the Vuelta a Castilla y León (if you haven't seen this, make sure to check it out - Soler puts in an excellent ride to cross to Antón, Mosquera and Contador, then they continually attack each other until Antón eventually gets clear) injury woes continued to derail his season.

In 2011, he struggled in the early season, but results were improving, and it was clear when we got to the Tour de Suisse that he was back to his best, winning the opening road stage to Crans-Montana and being highly competitive to Grindelwald the next day. Sadly, we never got to see how he would have gone in the big mountains of the race, because fate intervened, but I like to think that we would have seen Mauricio, in his inimitable, hunched, awkward style, wrestling the bike up to Malbun and Serfaus with the best, with a big grin on his face as ever.

Let us remember the good times.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mollema and Gesink will both ride the Vuelta a Burgos as final preparation for the Vuelta. Both are training again after recovering from their wounds.

 

[Machu Picchu]

Mollema and Gesink will both ride the Vuelta a Burgos as final preparation for the Vuelta. Both are training again after recovering from their wounds.

Good luck to them, after the GT's we've had this year we need all the fit and able riders we can get for the Vuelta

 

[MartinGT]

I was really hopeful of Gesink this year

 

[theyoungest]

I was really hopeful of Gesink this year

He'll probably go and win Burgos. And then crash in the first stage of the Vuelta.

 

[MartinGT]

He'll probably go and win Burgos. And then crash in the first stage of the Vuelta.

It shouldnt do, but that made me chuckle.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

No he'll suprisingly crush Contador in the 1st mountainstage. And then get mysteriously ill or indeed drop down a cliff

 

[Libertine Seguros]

No he'll suprisingly crush Contador in the 1st mountainstage. And then get mysteriously ill or indeed drop down a cliff

This route may have been designed with Igor Antón in mind, before we knew Contador would be back for it - there are practically zero descents. Gesink will have to work hard to find somewhere to park it.

 

[Bala Verde]

JVDB will ride the Vuelta

http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/18910/jurgen-van-den-broeck-van-start-in-de-vuelta.html

 

[Machu Picchu]

JVDB will ride the Vuelta

http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/18910/jurgen-van-den-broeck-van-start-in-de-vuelta.html

More meet merrier! but you do wonder what he's got left, has he ever done (finished) two GT's in a season?

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Sagan won Criterium Aalst:

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_sportnieuws/MG_wielrennen/1.1377993

1. Peter Sagan (SR),
2. Thomas De Gendt (Belg.),
3. Haimar Zubeldia (Šp.),
4. Kris Boeckmans (Belg.),
5. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Švéd.),
6. Dries Devenyns (Belg.)

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Hadn't realised they're still running all that nonsense this year with the Olympics so soon.

 

[theyoungest]

Hadn't realised they're still running all that nonsense this year with the Olympics so soon.

You'll understand it as soon as you hear what they get for a single crit.

 

[gustienordic]

You'll understand it as soon as you hear what they get for a single crit.

the organizers or the athletes? seems interesting that de gendt came in second!

 

[RedheadDane]

Van Summeren fractured something in his vertebra in the Metz Massacre!

http://www.feltet.dk/nyheder/johan_van_summeren_med_brud_paa_ryggen/

Part of me is sorta shocked that he continued... part of me has pretty much gotten used to these things!

 

[Dutchsmurf]

the organizers or the athletes? seems interesting that de gendt came in second!

The athletes get paid good money to do those crits, mostly stage winners and podium of the Tour.

 

[will10]

the organizers or the athletes? seems interesting that de gendt came in second!

It's interesting until you realise they're fixed.

I thought there'd be a lot of them moved until after the Olympics this year?

 

[greenedge]

RSNTs' methods have spread to Australia. The leading team in NRL- rugby league have also found the benefits of beetroot juice.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...ian+|+Sport)&utm_content=Google+International

 

[escartin]

It's interesting until you realise they're fixed.

I thought there'd be a lot of them moved until after the Olympics this year?

they cancelled the one here in lux because of the schleck positive! think it is normally during the week after the tour but this year it was scheduled to be the w/e after the road race.

 

[Michele]

And its funny to see Sagan there cause in Paris he said he wouldnt do any crit cause he doesnt care of money and wanted to fully concentrate on the Olympic preparation.

Probably he didnt read well the paycheck.

 

[MartinGT]

RSNTs' methods have spread to Australia. The leading team in NRL- rugby league have also found the benefits of beetroot juice.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...ian+|+Sport)&utm_content=Google+International

Fielden, legend, he used to live near me

I have started drinking it as a receovery drink after seeing it on a website, its an aquired taste I must say but its growing on me