The Pro Cycling Thread

The one in the pool room is for recreational riding.

 

In big news overnight, Sammy Sanchez signs with BMC. Support for Cadel in the Giro or TJ in the TdF?

A tactical masterpiece by OBE got Matthews the win - A break of 14 riders after the descent of the Cat 1 mountain - OBE had 3 riders Matthews,Durbridge and Impey. Sagan smashed the break with an attack with 25kms to go - I suspect Sagan wanted to drop at least one of the OBE riders - Seven riders left inc the 3 OBE riders - It was a high quality group including Van Avarmaat, Sagan and Boassen-Hagen. Durbridge and Impey attacked Sagan incessantly for the last 10kms which inc the Cat 3 Climb. This softened Sagan up enough for Matthews to win the sprint.

On the other hand, Ewan who finished 3rd in Stage 1 of the Tour of Poland was let down by the team. Ewan had no support riders left with 1km to go, while Etixx had 3 riders. Etixx played a different card by getting Martinelli to attack with 600 metres to go - Ewan was forced to chase the whole time, while having Gaviria on his wheel - Even if Ewan caught Martinelli then Gaviria would come over the top - Anyway good to see S.Yates get through the first stage unscathed.

Well played by OBE to get three riders into the break, splinter the group at the opportune time, and then soften up Sagan to set up a victory for Matthews.

Kruuswiijk looks like the winner, unless something ges astray in the last week.

That is a big call barry. Especially with a rest day, riders respond differently to getting back on the bike in earnest. Big stage coming up next. Astana will be ready to turn on the pain for him as soon as he and his team show the slightest vulnerability. It could all bode well for Chavez.

Fuglsang to be sent up the rode repeatedly on the climbing stages anyone?

Kruuswiijk looks like the winner, unless something ges astray in the last week.

That is a big call barry. Especially with a rest day, riders respond differently to getting back on the bike in earnest. Big stage coming up next. Astana will be ready to turn on the pain for him as soon as he and his team show the slightest vulnerability. It could all bode well for Chavez.

Fuglsang to be sent up the rode repeatedly on the climbing stages anyone?

Reckon that Sagan will win two stages this tour and outside chance for the green jersey - He’s in good form.

Kittel omitted for TDF

Kittel was never going to ride the TDF in 2015. Not enough days on the bike and no form.

Sagan to ride aero ugly in TDF … In other news Chris Froome still obsessed with stems

Some more TdF squads

FDJ :
Sébastien Chavanel (FRA), William Bonnet (FRA), Mathieu Ladagnous (FRA), Arnaud Démare (FRA), Thibaut Pinot (FRA), Steve Morabito (SUI), Alexandre Geniez (FRA), Jérémy Roy (FRA), Benoit Vaugrenard (FRA)

IAM Cycling:
BRäNDLE Matthias, CHAVANEL Sylvain, CLEMENT Stef, COPPEL Jérome, ELMIGER Martin, FRANK Mathias, HOLLENSTEIN Reto, PANTANO Jarlinson, WYSS Marcel

Lotto Soudal:
Lars Bak, Thomas De Gendt, Jens Debusschere, Tony Gallopin, André Greipel, Adam Hansen, Greg Henderson, Marcel Sieberg and Tim Wellens.

I hope everyone are catching up on sleep :) all quiet here before the fun starts.

Between the Cricket and Le Tour, there are going to be plenty of long nights flicking between SBS and channel 9

You’d hope that there’s no mud for Spartacus, has he’s really been such a great rider.
But given the background, nothing would surprise.

Lots of stuff coming out of Denmark on doping in 2000s - much of it pointing at Bjarne Riis and his team CSC, which later become Saxo-Tinkoff.

I suspect O’Grady who rode with CSC at the time might get sucked back into this - he hasn’t told full story yet. Spartacus might also have a few concerns.

Really going to get into this year

Love le tour

TDF rosters are starting to be named.

BMC:
Damiano Caruso (ITA), Rohan Dennis (AUS), Daniel Oss (ITA), Manuel Quinziato (ITA), Samuel Sánchez (ESP), Michael Schär (SUI), Greg Van Avermaet (BEL), Tejay van Garderen (USA), Danilo Wyss (SUI).

Trek:
Julian Arredondo, Fabian Cancellara, Stijn Devolder, Laurent Didier, Markel Irizar, Bob Jungels, Bauke Mollema, Gregory Rast and Haimar Zubeldia.

MTN :
Steve Commings, Tyler Farrar, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Merhawi Kudus, Louis Meintjes, Serge Pauwels, Daniel Teklehaimanot.

BORA:
Jan Barta, Sam Bennett, Emanuel Buchmann, Zakkari Dempster, Bartosz Huzarski, Jose Mendes, Dominik Nerz, Andreas Schillinger, Paul Voss

Lotto-Jumbo:
KELDERMAN Wilco, TEN DAM Laurens, GESINK Robert, MARTENS Paul, KRUIJSWIJK Steven, LEEZER Tom, VANMARCKE Sep, TANKINK Bram, VAN EMDEN Jos

No Goss for MTN,no surprises.

I hope everyone are catching up on sleep :slight_smile: all quiet here before the fun starts.

I am interested to see how Chavez and the other Colombian riders perform in the high mountains. They will be climbing at serious altitude - Could they get an advantage.
It will all come down to the MTT I think. There could be serious time to be made. And unlike a real TT, it will purely be about the climbing.

Experience shows that its not necessarily the pure climbers who do best on MTT’s.

Biggest question is who will recruit Sagan if Tin off fail to findo a new sponsor

One of Etixx, BMC and Trek for mine.
Etixx need a Boonen replacement and have the most money. But they already have GVA, Stybar, Terpstra, Dan Martin, Gaviria, Kittel … and I suspect Sagan will clash with Lefevere.
BMC need a Gilbert replacement and probably have the $
Trek is logically the best fit, need a replacement for Spartacus, but might not have the cash.

And Froome snatches GC at Dauphine in the last 2km from teejay.

Yates second in stage and 5th in GC.

Kruuswiijk looks like the winner, unless something ges astray in the last week.

Hope the GC battle gets interesting now at least.


Nibali has to attack now. I’m just not sure he’s got the form. He had back luck in the TT. He was losing time but needed 2 bike changes. The 2nd one he dropped chain and ripped the rear derailleur clean off. ■■■■■■ campag :wink: