Lesser known races thread 2022

[Libertine Seguros]

Utah was actually a good race with really good routes.

Yes, Utah really stood alone against the other big American stage races. It didn't pretend to be anything it wasn't, it just provided a good spectacle at its level, attracting a solid and competitive field for a 2.1 race and producing some good and balanced routes with tough mountain stages that had the climbs in meaningful places and the stages actually delivered. It didn't go the ten extra miles in self-aggrandising hype, meaning it could always at least deliver in line with expectations and frequently exceed them.

Except in 2018, unfortunately. That edition was an unmitigated disaster best wiped from history.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Yes, Utah really stood alone against the other big American stage races. It didn't pretend to be anything it wasn't, it just provided a good spectacle at its level, attracting a solid and competitive field for a 2.1 race and producing some good and balanced routes with tough mountain stages that had the climbs in meaningful places and the stages actually delivered. It didn't go the ten extra miles in self-aggrandising hype, meaning it could always at least deliver in line with expectations and frequently exceed them.

Except in 2018, unfortunately. That edition was an unmitigated disaster best wiped from history.

Personally, 2018 was the best, though I can tell some bias is clouding the vision.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Yes, Utah really stood alone against the other big American stage races. It didn't pretend to be anything it wasn't, it just provided a good spectacle at its level, attracting a solid and competitive field for a 2.1 race and producing some good and balanced routes with tough mountain stages that had the climbs in meaningful places and the stages actually delivered. It didn't go the ten extra miles in self-aggrandising hype, meaning it could always at least deliver in line with expectations and frequently exceed them.

Except in 2018, unfortunately. That edition was an unmitigated disaster best wiped from history.

Nah, he didn't ride a false pace, he actually attacked on all the mountain stages and put on a show, nothing like the defensive job that he often has in the Jumbo train. One can dislike the later, but the 2018 Tour of Utah was a demonstration of panache and stylish climbing.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Nah, he didn't ride a false pace, he actually attacked on all the mountain stages and put on a show, nothing like the defensive job that he often has in the Jumbo train. One can dislike the later, but the 2018 Tour of Utah was a demonstration of panache and stylish climbing.

If you go back to the end of 2018 you will actually find me hailing it as one of the climbing performances of the year.

But in light of subsequent events it should now be viewed with still images, slowed down footage and sepiaed out photos and tense minimal music, like news reports showing the last remaining happy footage before terrible events happen.

 

[Mayomaniac]

If you go back to the end of 2018 you will actually find me hailing it as one of the climbing performances of the year.

But in light of subsequent events it should now be viewed with still images, slowed down footage and sepiaed out photos and tense minimal music, like news reports showing the last remaining happy footage before terrible events happen.

Ah, you mean like those imagies of European Royals meeting for the last time before WWI.

Yeah, I remember you praising him back then, so I was surprised. But we can all agree that the Tour of Utah was a really nice race.

 

[Scarponi]

Yes and Powder Mountain that one time when Tommy D crushed everyone.

The Cadel Evans descent masterclass was fun too

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Turul Romaniei (Tour of Romania), one of the least known .1 races on the calendar is starting today. It is possibly the last chance for Óscar Sevilla to lose to an older rider as Davide Rebellin is riding one of his last races.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Turul Romaniei (Tour of Romania), one of the least known .1 races on the calendar is starting today. It is possibly the last chance for Óscar Sevilla to lose to an older rider as Davide Rebellin is riding one of his last races.

The race has four potential sprints, a prologue and a stage with a mountain in the middle. Caja Rural‘s team looks the strongest to me.

 

[RedheadDane]

And the sexiest man in the pro peloton just won a race!

Turul Romaniei 2022 Stage 1 results (procyclingstats.com)

 

[StryderHells]

And the sexiest man in the pro peloton just won a race!

Turul Romaniei 2022 Stage 1 results (procyclingstats.com)

Black Spoke are having a cracking season, sitting 25th on the UCI rankings above teams who have more funding. Also being a team made up of 15 NZ riders and one adopted New Zealander is a sight to see.

Edit: While Tom (sexy) Sexton has a sexy sexiness name I wouldn’t say he’s the sexiest fella in the pelo, but I guess that’s open to interpretation.

 

[RedheadDane]

Edit: While Tom (sexy) Sexton has a sexy sexiness name I wouldn’t say he’s the sexiest fella in the pelo, but I guess that’s open to interpretation.

Of course he's the sexiest rider. He's got a whole ton of it!

 

[Izzyeviel]

On the subject of tour of Romania, MentoRise are not just my team in procycling manager, but they also have the best kit in procycling.

 

[DNP-Old]

Black Spoke are having a cracking season, sitting 25th on the UCI rankings above teams who have more funding. Also being a team made up of 15 NZ riders and one adopted New Zealander is a sight to see.

And it's not like they're just stat padding themselves to a higher ranking in select, distant races. They are in Europe competing against ProTour and even WorldTour teams, albeit the latter of course didn't use even close to their best line-up, but still. Looking very much forward to their entrance into the actual pro peloton next year, as they are likely going to be PCT. Great development for New Zealand cycling.

 

[yaco]

And it's not like they're just stat padding themselves to a higher ranking in select, distant races. They are in Europe competing against ProTour and even WorldTour teams, albeit the latter of course didn't use even close to their best line-up, but still. Looking very much forward to their entrance into the actual pro peloton next year, as they are likely going to be PCT. Great development for New Zealand cycling.

If only NZ Federation would support their riders by participating in the World's - It's a joke they don't have funds to send their team on a short plane ride.

 

[RedheadDane]

A break apparently has around 4 minutes in Fourmies. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any information of who is in that break.

 

[RedheadDane]

If the break ever actually had four minutes, it's down to 1:50ish.

Break:

1		25	VAN DER HOORN Taco
2		152	BLOUWE Louis
3		176	FRETIN Milan
4		185	JARNET Maxime
5		193	DEBEAUMARCHÉ Nicolas

 

[Izzyeviel]

what happened to the last stage of tour of romania?

 

[RedheadDane]

what happened to the last stage of tour of romania?

Babor won the stage. Mark Stewart won the overall.

 

[RedheadDane]

Big crash in Fourmies.
Less than 3 Ks to go.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

De Lie among those who went down.

 

[RedheadDane]

Ewan won ahead of Groenewegen.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Ewan takes it ahead of Groenewegen. Jakobsen was held up by the crash.

 

[Samamba]

Great win for Ewan, mixed feelings for LTS tho with De Lie crashing.
Big crash was to expected imo. Fourmies is always dangerous with those last 3 downhill kms. And now there were way more teams with a topsprinter than normally.

 

[postmanhat]

Amazing that Ewan avoided a crash for a change! That and having De Buyst as leadout seem to the key to success for him these days?

 

[yaco]

It was worth a shot for Groenewegen to go early when you consider the curved finish and De Buyst being in front for a long time in the final - It was a BEX rider who clipped the wheel of Ewan causing the crash with 3kms to go.