Pro Cycling Thread 2023

[SoliD]

Now cx is almost over for the season
, it's now only a week away from opening weekend but there has been some cracking racing already this year.

Last week's andalucia race sounded great. Although I didn't catch much of it. Pogacar has been going insane winning the first 3 days of his racing year in Spain.....

And then the last couple of days in the algarve has had some great racing. I won't spoil yesterdays race but if you get the chance watch back the last 30k or so (it was a tailwind so only about 30mins)but a real classic of a stage that if it was the tdf would be talked about for ages!

If the classics are anything like CX worlds then it's going to be a battle between mvdp and wva, as well as some huge crowds (I was lucky enough to get over to hoogerheide for it and the support was insane).

Here's to a good season with hopefully less talk of relegation and more open racing like we had for chunks of last year.

 

[SoliD]

Pidcock looks fairly handy! Good win in good company today on what looked a tough finish!

 

[Bear]

Pidcock looks fairly handy! Good win in good company today on what looked a tough finish!

Ganna to nick GC as he’s 31secs down?

 

[SoliD]

Ganna to nick GC as he’s 31secs down?

Possibly but world tt champ is ahead of him on gc in Foss and pidcock and almeida are both perfectly capable tters.

 

[Bear]

Awesome win for Pidcock

 

[SoliD]

Mega ride, to hold off such a strong group with 3 pairs in it was incredible. Just looked in control the whole last 50k. Hopefully can get a few more under his belt.

Paris Nice today and terreno addriatico later in the week should have some good racing!

 

[SoliD]

Pidcock out of San remo with concussion!

 

[SoliD]

Silent assassin! Came from nowhere and just had one of those days! That gap over the top was never going to be made up against vdp. Amazing to see ganna win the sprint for second in that company! Shame pidcock wasn't there as he could have had a real chance!

 

[Bear]

Pretty awesome wheel spin at speed and a big highside and then to slide over the line to get 5th for Cav!!

 

[Bear]

Ooof, caught with 200m to go, must be gutted. Shouldnt have eased off but they looked pretty cooked

 

[SoliD]

Pretty awesome wheel spin at speed and a big highside and then to slide over the line to get 5th for Cav!!

That was a huge crash, and I thought the Clarke finish was down to them messing about too much. Surely it's better to come second and push to the line for them and the team than to let a sprint win. Dull day in the end yesterday.

Amazing short track racing in the mtb yesterday. Should watch it on catch up if you're that way inclined. Won't put spoilers in.

 

[Bear]

I thought the Clarke finish was down to them messing about too much. Surely it's better to come second and push to the line for them and the team than to let a sprint win.

Yeah I don’t get it myself, easing off because you don’t want to lead out the other rider and then coming nowhere instead as you say having a chance of coming first or second is just daft to me.

 

[SoliD]

Especially with both teams more than likely needing points to come up/stay up.

 

[SoliD]

That was some ride from healy to go clear with so far to go and stretch the lead on the peloton afterwards. Minor cracks from Remco but suspect there was a tempering of effort in advance of tomorrow. Going to be a good next few weeks though.

 

[Murf]

And that's G in the lead now of the Giro after Remco tested positive for Covid. Roglic looking a pretty solid bet now for the win I think. I hope G at least stays on the bike and gives him a race!

 

[SoliD]

I reckon it'll change lead a number of times. Hope roglic has his regular implosion. Ineos as a squad looking very strong, so could play some different moves. Jumbo have been non existent so far, but suspect that's saving legs for that last week. Be interesting to see what quickstep do for the next 2 weeks, with 6 riders primed to come into it later in the race having nothing holding them back.

 

[Bear]

They are dropping like flies now either with Covid or some sort of illness.

 

[SoliD]

Following the positive test of maglia rosa Remco Evenepoel on Sunday, a further round of tests were made on the riders and staff that remained in Italy, with Jan Hirt, Josef Cerny, Louis Vervaeke and Mattia Cattaneo unfortunately unable to continue. Not sure where its from...

 

[SoliD]

Noooo @Bear Tao abandoned in what looked like an innocous crash, guessing he banged his head!

 

[Bear]

Ah nuts, Ineos looked super strong with 5 riders in the top 12. It will be last man standing wins the race at this rate

edit: sounds like Sivakov is injured as well as he’s miles behind the peloton.