Pro Cycling Thread

[Craig]

Popo is a great signing for Lotto, leadership in the Giro and super helper at the Tour. Doubt they would have the cash to sign Levi as well(i guess depends what happens with Horner.
Also Craig, any help for Hoste next season?

Nobody major at this stage but not getting Stjin Devolder is a big blow for P/L and a good coup for Quick Step.

Interesting news that T-Mobile have signed Swede Thomas Lovkvist (the computer doesn't speak Swedish), he has finished all three Tours he has done and was the youngest rider in the 2005 race. I think he has a lot of talent but needs to improve on his mid-60s overall that he has recorded, but he is only 23 so he has plenty of time. A good signing.

 

[Craig]

Cavendish takes the prolouge in the Tour of Britian, Leonardo Piepoli takes the stage in the Vuelta while Denis Menchov takes the Golden Jersey and has over 2 minutes on Vladimir Efimkin and 2.27 on Cadel Evans while Oscar Pererio called it a day. So last year is looking like a one off? I say so...

Meanwhile in the Tour of Poland Lampre win a 3km TTT, WTF is the point

Mind you the race shouldn't be in the Pro Tour anyway.

 

[Chubb]

I was at the finish of Stage Two of the Tour of Britain today in Taunton.

There was a good atmosphere there and a big turnout. Phil Liggett was commentating over the PA, with reports being telephoned to him from the front of the race. The stage route took the riders over Exmoor, including the infamously steep Porlock Hill, where I would have preferred to watch. The peleton split into two large groups, Cavendish and all of T-Mobile being unable to stay with the lead group, led by the Russian Tursov, and he became leader on the road.

10km from the finish, Kenyan Froome made a lone bid for glory- he stayed out front for about 5 kms, but they caught him. Coming into the finishing straight, there was a big right-hand turn where the High Street crosses the River Tone. There was a big pile up, ruining the sprint, but Tursov escaped harm and took the stage and the yellow jersey. Riders hobbled or were pushed home, applauded by the large crowd, and the other half of the peleton arrived about six minutes later. It was a really good day, and a lot of fun.

 

[Craig]

Steve Cummings to ride for Barloworld next year. Should be useful for the classics and any GT Barloworld are invited to.

 

[Craig]

Landis should be getting a two-year ban now.

Denis Menchov, unless he explodes today should get his first proper Vuelta win, not counting his 2005 one where he got by default.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Tour of Britain went directly past my school btw

 

[Matteh]

Did you watch it? Because if you didn't....*shakes fist*

 

[Kweek]

imagine if rasmussen wasnt kicked out of the tour...Rabobank wouldve won Vuelta and Tour

 

[Craig]

imagine if rasmussen wasnt kicked out of the tour...Rabobank wouldve won Vuelta and Tour

Imagine if Rasumussen wasn't a lying SOB

That said Paolo Bettini wins the words for a second time as a **** you to the Suttgart Mayor and the Council. Look I am all for clean cycling but I am sick of this houlier-then-thou hypocritical attitude that comes from Germany.

On a more positive note we will see the Tour Down Under in the ProTour or whatever it is next year. Well deserved IMO.

While this will be T-Mobile's squad for next year: Michael Barry, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Marcus Burghardt, Mark Cavendish, Gerald Ciolek, Scott Davis, John Devine, Bernhard Eisel, Linus Gerdemann, Bert Grabsch, Andre Greipel, Roger Hammond, Adam Hansen, Greg Henderson, George Hincapie, Kim Kirchen, Andreas Klier, Servais Knaven, Craig Lewis, Thomas Lövkvist, Tony Martin, Marco Pinotti, Morris Possoni, Vicente Reynes, Michael Rogers, Kanstantsin Siutsou and Bradley Wiggins.

Pretty strong IMO and Tony Martin is German not British BTW. While there is still a chance for Erik Zabel to still join if he can get out of his contract for Milram next year. Would be itstl.

 

[Craig]

I thought I would post up some of my Tour de France photos:

The two guys wearing the Leipheimer shirts is father and brother.

Cadel the leading bunch

Popo

Michael Boogerd

Iban Mayo, soon to test positive for EPO

Rest of them on my facebook page.

 

[Matteh]

Beat you to it by a few months.

 

[Craig]

Astana are down for the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. Itstl.

 

[Craig]

Cadel Evans is the new leader of the ProTour and will win it as long as he finishes in 17th spot, and/or Alejandro Valverde and Oscar Freire don't out do him after Danilo Di Luca was removed after being suspended because of his involvement in the "Oil for Drugs" scandal.

 

[Craig]

T-Mobile withdraw their sponsorship. But the team is still continuing, thankfully. Otherwise an angry mob of riders might have been at Patrik Sinkewitz's door.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Now I know nothing about cycling, but know a good bandwagon when I see (or read about) one. So congrats to Britain's Mark Cavendish who has won two stages of this year's Giro d'Italia, doubling the total of British stage wins over the last 99 years, or so says The Guardian's Richard Williams anyway.

Any of our more cycling literate posters aware of his work? Is he any good?

 

[Chubb]

Now I know nothing about cycling, but know a good bandwagon when I see (or read about) one. So congrats to Britain's Mark Cavendish who has won two stages of this year's Giro d'Italia, doubling the total of British stage wins over the last 99 years, or so says The Guardian's Richard Williams anyway.

Any of our more cycling literate posters aware of his work? Is he any good?

Mark Cavendish is a very good young sprinter with his best days ahead of him... a world champion on the track and a potential one on the road. Unfortunately, he is also a bit of a dick.

 

[Matteh]

Yeah i'd agree with that.
David Millar's still my favourite Brit cyclist, got done for drugs, put his hands up and said 'yeah fair enough, you got me', spent the two years off sorting out his life and now he's come back all outspoken about drugs. Unlike Landis, the fact he said yeah you got me, makes him respectable instead of an idiot.

 

[Craig]

Now I know nothing about cycling, but know a good bandwagon when I see (or read about) one. So congrats to Britain's Mark Cavendish who has won two stages of this year's Giro d'Italia, doubling the total of British stage wins over the last 99 years, or so says The Guardian's Richard Williams anyway.

Any of our more cycling literate posters aware of his work? Is he any good?

Very talented with a lot of speed to burn. Probably the best thing to come out of the Isle of Mann since ever (I could be and probably am wrong). Very much a multiple Tour de France stage winner. However as chubb said he can be bit of a dick, got disqualified in a race in California earlier in the year for basically holding onto the team car back up to the bunch after a flat and took the win before the DNQ.

All of Britain's best cyclists are Welsh, Scottish (and born in Malta), half-Australian but born in Belgium and raised in London, or from the Isle of Mann.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Mark Cavendish is a very good young sprinter with his best days ahead of him... a world champion on the track and a potential one on the road. Unfortunately, he is also a bit of a dick.

Awta, except for the world champion on the road bit. Far as I see it, he'll struggle uphill, and they don't want sprinters to win it these days.

He's been doing good work in the Giro sprints, but not the stiffest competition. Also remember him for an interview Norwegian TV did with him before the Tour stage to Canterbury last year - they tried to ask about his familiarity with the Canterbury Tales. Rather priceless face expression on Cavendish then.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Awta, except for the world champion on the road bit. Far as I see it, he'll struggle uphill, and they don't want sprinters to win it these days.

He's been doing good work in the Giro sprints, but not the stiffest competition. Also remember him for an interview Norwegian TV did with him before the Tour stage to Canterbury last year - they tried to ask about his familiarity with the Canterbury Tales. Rather priceless face expression on Cavendish then.

Huh. Typical smart-arse Norse & their ruthless exposing of the natives' ignorance of their own literary heritage.

Anyway, according to The Guardian Cavendish spurned the chance of a "historic" third stage win by letting his team mate take the flag ahead of him yesterday.

Would like to think it's a sign he's not a total dickhead, but his team mate calling him "Cavendish" rather than "Mark" doesn't suggest a close relatiionship.