Wigans to miss Amstel Gold....

[BroDeal]

Notice Cunego going by himself on a team car and not in the mini bus with the rest of the team, by considering that in his Verona he got a nearby team mate (Pietropolli).

This confirm the rumors that he's not very loved among his team mates.

Princes ride alone. Besides, with all the gang violence between the Capulets and the Montagues in Verona, sometimes a brother has to slip out of town without telling his homies.

 

[Anonymous]

He is in Spain...

Yea, and it is 1250km from Girona to Maastricht, look it up and maybe take a reading comprehension course while you are at it. I was comparing distances, not saying they were starting from the same place.

 

[Anonymous]

Nothing says fresh legs like a 1200k car ride. There probably won't be that much more traffic on the roads,seeing as all the airports are closed. You know how predictable volcanos are this thing will probably just dry up once the Icelandic gov sees the economic and cycling damage this stunt has pulled.

Again, if there are others making the journey, then Mr. Prissy McHairdo could do it too.

 

[Anonymous]

Princes ride alone. Besides, with all the gang violence between the Capulets and the Montagues in Verona, sometimes a brother has to slip out of town without telling his homies.

Dang man, you are in rare form this week. That there is one classic comment.

 

[ferryman]

No problem for Wigans. He could hop on the team bus, set the mood lighting to refreshing rouge, and get to the race feeling better than when he left.

Tee hee. The magic bus

 

[craig1985]

Um, Leakygas is making the journey from Italy. I am guessing that your expertise in measurement and European traffic patterns would allow you to tell me why their 1250km journey is more difficult than would be Mr Wigans'. Cause, you got no point if others are making the journey...and they are.

Craig Lewis is also going to miss the race. And he lives in Gerona.

 

[auscyclefan94]

ThoughtforFood,

are you ignorant of the volcano stopping air travel in Europe or are you trolling? Sastre can't go either.

he is having a go at a former poster who got annoyed when Brad Wiggins was called brad Wigans! He is singling him out and it is a forum joke.

 

[Willy_Voet]

what is up with french transportation workers

Working more than 25 hours a week with less than 8 weeks paid vacation/year is too much for their fragile composition.

 

[Anonymous]

ThoughtforFood,

are you ignorant of the volcano stopping air travel in Europe or are you trolling? Sastre can't go either.

No, I am aware of the situation. I am also aware that they make these amazing machines that use internal combustion engines to transport people to all sorts of places. Maybe you have heard of them too?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

No, I am aware of the situation. I am also aware that they make these amazing machines that use internal combustion engines to transport people to all sorts of places. Maybe you have heard of them too?

LOL. Good stuff there.

 

[Ferminal]

No, I am aware of the situation. I am also aware that they make these amazing machines that use internal combustion engines to transport people to all sorts of places. Maybe you have heard of them too?

Combine Harvesters?

 

[Anonymous]

Combine Harvesters?

That was not an uncommon mode of transport in the little country town I grew up in, though I am sure someone of Wigans' stature would require something with mirrors in the sun visors.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Funny how the #2 and #3 from last year are considered 'long-shots,' while Chris Horner, whose last (and only, as far as I can gather) participation was a 20th in 2006, is a big favorite.

the fact that wiggins even got mentioned at missing the AGR - cause yeh he really would have featured in the race - sums up the biased articles on the site.

 

[BroDeal]

the fact that wiggins even got mentioned at missing the AGR - cause yeh he really would have featured in the race - sums up the biased articles on the site.

I would like to know whether cyclingnews comes up with articles like these or are they the result of press released by Sky. Does it really matter that Wigans won't make it to Amstel? A Schleck or Cunego, yeah, but Wigans? What success has Wigans ever had in a classic-like race?

 

[msjett]

I would like to know whether cyclingnews comes up with articles like these or are they the result of press released by Sky. Does it really matter that Wigans won't make it to Amstel? A Schleck or Cunego, yeah, but Wigans? What success has Wigans ever had in a classic-like race?

According to Wiki....he's never raced in Amstel....or any others for that matter...but then again it's probably not up to date.

 

[BikeCentric]

I would like to know whether cyclingnews comes up with articles like these or are they the result of press released by Sky. Does it really matter that Wigans won't make it to Amstel? A Schleck or Cunego, yeah, but Wigans? What success has Wigans ever had in a classic-like race?

He had a PR campaign success from showing up really skinny looking at Roubaix last year so he could claim that his magical rabbit-out-of-a-hat climbing ability was the result of weight loss.

Other than that, yeah he really sucks at Classics. It's too bad we won't get to see him get dropped at Amstel!

 

[Ferminal]

He has good form in Amstel previously... Coming in at 44th, 1'58" behind in 2005. Not bad considering the winner was a CHEATER.

 

[Galic Ho]

I'm surprised these guys didn't make the travel. With no guarantee that airports will be open again any time soon, surely it would have been wise to get teams to a base in the north with Fleche and LBL also coming up?

Pesky Volcano, we're due to fly to Brussels on Friday for LBL. Keeping everything crossed!

This is actually really pathetic. Cars or trains can do it? Did it not occur to Europeans to hire a bus and take a mass number of riders during the night. They sleep and wake up in the Netherlands. How hard could it be? Get a train or car to Nice or somewhere in the South of France and then hop on the TGV and go to the North of France. Lazy *******s! My home state is roughly the same size as France, so yeah, I expect it wouldn't be much of a hassle to not have to take a plane. Why not use less robust forms of public transport? Western Europe has arguably the worlds best rail network. It would not take too long to make the race.

So perhaps the riders and teams can make a better excuse next time. This just makes the race easier for Gilbert to win with Wiggins, Sastre, Sanchez and Valverde all sitting it out. Not that I considered them all chances for the win (only the last two). Are all Europeans this full of themselves that they won't take a car or a bus to hope on a train that will get them to the Netherlands in a very short amount of time? Geographically the distance is far, but nothing modern transport, not just air travel, can handle.

 

[BroDeal]

He has good form in Amstel previously... Coming in at 44th, 1'58" behind in 2005. Not bad considering the winner was a CHEATER.

Di Luca did not fail a test during the 2005 Amstel Gold race. He was as clean as Wigans and the others in the race. Actually he was cleaner since we know he tested negative and most of the others were never tested.

 

[Inner Peace]

i think the 'playerz' were not necessarily missing Amstel becoz they are too pretentious to travel with the commoners, but rather they were weighing up the risks of lethargy from long distance sea level travel, or getting there fresh in the morning by plane..

Hypothetically, if the flight restrictions were lifted and these guys got to the start line in time after a plane flight AND WON, then the joke would of been on the d-bags that caught buses trains and automobiles sapping their leg strength and freshness..

20/20 hindsight will decide what WAS the best option..

 

[craig1985]

This is actually really pathetic. Cars or trains can do it? Did it not occur to Europeans to hire a bus and take a mass number of riders during the night. They sleep and wake up in the Netherlands. How hard could it be? Get a train or car to Nice or somewhere in the South of France and then hop on the TGV and go to the North of France. Lazy *******s! My home state is roughly the same size as France, so yeah, I expect it wouldn't be much of a hassle to not have to take a plane. Why not use less robust forms of public transport? Western Europe has arguably the worlds best rail network. It would not take too long to make the race.

So perhaps the riders and teams can make a better excuse next time. This just makes the race easier for Gilbert to win with Wiggins, Sastre, Sanchez and Valverde all sitting it out. Not that I considered them all chances for the win (only the last two). Are all Europeans this full of themselves that they won't take a car or a bus to hope on a train that will get them to the Netherlands in a very short amount of time? Geographically the distance is far, but nothing modern transport, not just air travel, can handle.

Drive from Madrid to Holland then ride/race 260km and see how you pull up? You also fail to note that there is a strike in France wrt to the trains.

 

[Galic Ho]

Drive from Madrid to Holland then ride/race 260km and see how you pull up? You also fail to note that there is a strike in France wrt to the trains.

Not drive yourself. Do you think the teams put their gear on planes and fly them? Imagine the cost. They drive or take trains. It would be like me hopping in the car and driving to your house on the Gold Coast. Sure about 1000km give or take a few hundred kms, but no big deal. Sheesh, get the team all in one bus, drive at night and let them sleep. Driver is tired but not the riders. I'm also not French as you know. But going on strike over nothing sounds like the French. One cannot mess with their 35 hour working week. Strike seems like the socialist thing to do. Something to get the bourgoius jumping about.

My suspicion with Sastre is he'd rather train for the Giro. Maybe Valverde and Sanchez would rather go to the beach, drink, whatever they can to have a week off. Maybe the medical program ain't right and a volcano is a convenient excuse. Who cares what the reason is just don't feed me some BS line that we cannot make it between countries in Western Europe. As I said, get the team bus, have two drivers and drive during the night. If they left today they'd have two whole rest days. There is no logical, money saving reason they can come up with that I'd believe other than the riders have a simple excuse not to race and are running with it. Laziness. Nothing more.

 

[Hawkwood]

According to the RAC Route Planner site Madrid to Maastricht is 1034.39 miles or 1664.69 km, and would take 15 hours 10 minutes in a car with no stops. I believe that coach speeds are restricted on the Continent, plus coach drivers are only allowed to drive for so many hours in 24 hours, so I suppose using team coaches this might have taken around 20 hours.

 

[craig1985]

According to the RAC Route Planner site Madrid to Maastricht is 1034.39 miles or 1664.69 km, and would take 15 hours 10 minutes in a car with no stops. I believe that coach speeds are restricted on the Continent, plus coach drivers are only allowed to drive for so many hours in 24 hours, so I suppose using team coaches this might have taken around 20 hours.

Correct, they can only drive for 12 hours, and have to take set breaks in between. If they go even five minutes over the 12 hours (it is all recorded on a chip when they turn the ignition on) can be a fine that costs hundreds of euros.

 

[Ferdinand Artichoke]

that head wont fit a lot of places....he also thinks he should be knighted by her Majesty before Chris Hoy

He should!