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Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta 2025 ( February 19 - February 23)

Page 11 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
When I'm doomscrolling X I often ask myself how such a big percentage of the platform are idiots.

After reading these comments on this stage I realise it's not only X who have people who should really go outside and touch some grass...
Perhaps having fun (and overly strong opinions on stuff you don't know (and haven't thought) much about) on the internet was the real touching grass all along...
 
  • Haha
Reactions: noob
Absolute robbery to take the win away from Ganna, it's not like this was of relevance for GC. You're just punishing riders that went correctly for no reason, no one is benefitting from Ganna being denied a nice early season victory.
Yup, in addition they aren’t taking a “win” away from someone else. Are they saving up trophies for next year?

Funnily enough, years from now someone will look at the result, see that the winner is left blank, and think: “oh, that’s right it’s Portugal . . . Must have been disqualified for “those” reasons.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: noob
Saw the replay of it all on the highlights video. That was super messed up, the roundabout clearly funneled the riders into the wrong line. One guy waving a flag isn't enough to fix the obvious impetus to take the wrong line. To get the correct line, they had to make a super janky, very slow right turn past the apex of the roundabout. Ridiculous.

I mean, this will be the most interesting thing about this race, but man, pro cycling didn't need another amateur hour move at this point.
And it’s a good thing it’s not a more popular race/stage because spectators were only about4 deep and fit on the meridian between the two roads. If this was packed like some race finishes, a lot of fans would have been hurt as well as riders.
 
Perhaps having fun (and overly strong opinions on stuff you don't know (and haven't thought) much about) on the internet was the real touching grass all along...
Meh, the internet is a mere substitue for the endorphins mankind no longer unlocks by hunting mammoths or bears.
The real touching grass is in realising you no longer hunt animals, you hunt opinions.
 
I guess I might regret being in a dance studio instead of watching this stage, but reading the thread 2 pages, pausing to watch the stage recap was enough to laugh myself and my partner to tears :joycat::joycat::joycat::joycat::joycat:

I wish they had let Ganna keep the stage and the breakaway riders their bonus points though. It would be more fun and fair. But also obviously I agree with this;
It can indeed seem dumb to you or me, but if their only purpose in 4 hours plus has been to try to win the stage, and there is a slight possibility of it, and you see that others are trying to do the same thing, and you are full of adrenaline (let's assume just that) and short of oxygen, and your career is predicated upon getting to a line as quickly as possible, and you don't know they won't decide the winner that way, and you are young and competitive, and your heart is at about 190 bpm, and ...

Plenty of people do much dumber things in those circumstances.
(My italics.)

And then there was Horner explanation that the first RBBH rider is looking down while everyone else is following him 🤣🎈🎈

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3h4c7tLwZ0


🎵🎵"...Ridin' against all odds, but soon against ourselves...

... get your head out of your ass...

We really *** it up, *** it up this time
It's so close, I can feel the heat big time
And you can act like everything is alright
But this is probably happening in real time
Celebrate or cry or pray, whatever it takes
To get you through the mess that we made...

...Just look up"🎶


(My humour is too obscure, twisted and autistic, but I'm laughing my own ass off so whatever 🤣🤣🤣 (The next cycling movie should be called "Don't look down")

This whole thread btw is the funniest on this forum for a long time too 😂 🤣 🤣🤣🤣
 
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Obviously being wise after the event, but some physical structure to direct both riders and vehicles onto the left approaching and onto the roundabout, then bikes leave the roundabout straight on (the obvious route), cars continue clockwise a little farther.

But I do wonder what was on teams' radios. Further evidence, I am going to claim, for my oft-repeated proposal of one radio channel from commisaire to all involved parties, with riders able to contribute only in extremis.
 
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And it’s a good thing it’s not a more popular race/stage because spectators were only about4 deep and fit on the meridian between the two roads. If this was packed like some race finishes, a lot of fans would have been hurt as well as riders.
One presumes, unless the riders are complete numpties, they'd have used their common sense & braked/stopped just like every other time riders have gone the wrong way.

They only treated this like some rally sprint stage because there was space to do it.
 
Of course, but it looked like the option to go to the right side of the boulevard was wide open (and that wasn't a great point for the cars/motos to peel off, I think). Anyway, egg on the organizers' face for a potentially great race, given the entry list.

Why isn't it a great point ? Seems perfect to me the cars/motor could peel off safely and not impinge on the riders heading left for a change. How often do we see a sprint finish where half the road width is taken to allow course vehicles to peel off, with a clumsy turn and rapid slowing

It's not the organisers fault half the bunch hadn't studied the finish properly, simply followed others instead of making their own choices and need to be prevented from being idiots, instead of assuming they're professional riders.
 
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Reactions: Dazed and Confused
Why isn't it a great point ? Seems perfect to me the cars/motor could peel off safely and not impinge on the riders heading left for a change. How often do we see a sprint finish where half the road width is taken to allow course vehicles to peel off, with a clumsy turn and rapid slowing

It's not the organisers fault half the bunch hadn't studied the finish properly, simply followed others instead of making their own choices and need to be prevented from being idiots, instead of assuming they're professional riders.
How can you not follow wheels in that situation? Even if you realise you're in the wrong you can't suddenly veer onto the other side, you're going 60kmh with a load of other cyclists within inches of you. Front few riders, fine, and then others who were slightly further back and on the left hand side like Ganna. But for most? You're totally boxed in