Race Thread

[Davesta]

just something that's not a farmer's field that looks like it was procedurally generated with AI.

I’m not sure cyclocross is the right sport for you 😉

 

[Samu Cuenca]

They could at least replace the planks with baguettes or have made the course look like Thibaut Pinot's face from above.

 

[Lequack]

I’m not sure cyclocross is the right sport for you 😉

We just need some actual scenery. Don't tell me France doesn't have that, we see it every year at TDF for example. Here are some examples (not France).

 

[jono]

Prediction for first race of day 1: junior women

1. Lise Revol
2. Rafaelle Carrier
3. Barbora Bukovska

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

The thing I noticed from Puck's recon is that the mud was sticking to the tires pretty badly. Lots of bike changes. Interesting course in that there is a lot of seated power needed, but the sharp uphills break that up for sure. Should be a fun race to watch. If the person upthread, who said that the rocks are starting to poke through, is correct, luck comes into play more.

 

[Barkintheeye]

Were you expecting replicas of the Eiffel Tower on every bend? Caravans selling foie gras and champagne rather than chips and beer? Hoardings by Monet and Renoir? The Millau Viaduct* in place of planks to hop over?

How would a CycloCross course look French?


*or a 40cm high reproduction of it

Baguette vendors instead of fritjes?

 

[Barkintheeye]

The thing I noticed from Puck's recon is that the mud was sticking to the tires pretty badly. Lots of bike changes. Interesting course in that there is a lot of seated power needed, but the sharp uphills break that up for sure. Should be a fun race to watch. If the person upthread, who said that the rocks are starting to poke through, is correct, luck comes into play more.

Bad if punctures will decide races. I wouldn’t want another Bieles outing between Van Aert and Van der Poel

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Bad if punctures will decide races. I wouldn’t want another Bieles outing between Van Aert and Van der Poel

But if they both lose time with punctures ...
the cameras may see less of a procession

 

[glassmoon]

Pellizotti (Franco's daughter and ITA best hope in the race) crashed in first lap and is way back...

 

[glassmoon]

Bukovska already on a pursuit mission after not ideal start...

 

[Coffeeplanter]

No way this actually happened.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Revol loveR

 

[glassmoon]

lol... Bukovska celebrating after 4 laps... but she's stronger... but French is clearly better in technical parts

 

[Samu Cuenca]

First entry for the celebrating too early thread this year. Question is if Revol has paced her race better if she was aware there was a lap to go.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

It wasn’t as embarrassing as Toupalik all those years ago, but it does make me question the Czech education system and their inability to properly count.

 

[glassmoon]

What a fight!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

the pass

 

[Coffeeplanter]

Monumental choke.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

She did celebrate again, so at least she seems to have a sense of humour.

 

[glassmoon]

wow... she kllled herself sprinting to finish of the 4th lap. never got from red zone after that mistake.

 

[jono]

People are really dumping on a junior for getting the laps wrong? "Monumental choke", etc?

Anyway, I predicted the correct podium, though I got 2 and 3 in the wrong order.

Rafaelle Carrier, I think, will be disappointed to be so far out of the battle for the top two steps, after a terrible worlds last season.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[jono]

This course looks like it will be very fast by the end of the weekend.

 

[glassmoon]

Yeah... they're riding 4 laps each wc race throughout the season so no wonder some brain farts can happen. Even Elite Pros during the world tour have those moments

 

[Lequack]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qc2DXqdOws