UCI WorldTour and other pro cycling nonsense 2011

Vuelta going to the Basque Country for the first time since 1978!

Also, Sammy Sanchez said this in a press conference:

"The finish at Lagos de Somiedo is short but hard. It climbs 1,500 metres in just 8km. That’s very tough.”

Uhhh... quick math says that's ~20% grade for 5 miles... that's more than very tough, that's insanity.

http://news.velonation.com/Misc/Races/Vuelta/Feature/Vuelta%2011%20profiles/original/Vuelta11stage14_profile.jpg

think sammy might have his wires crossed there, looks more like about 700m ascent over the last 8km. they have to do the angliru the next day though!

ooh, nice catch haitch. *+1s haitch*

stage 4 sounds fun too:

The 200 kilometre stage is the second-longest of the race and includes two second category ascents of the Valdepeñas de Jaén; the second of these tops out just 7.8 kilometres from the finish line and could well provoke attacks. There is also a steep ramp up the finish line, including a legbreaking 27% wall with 500 metres to go.

lollll

can you even imagine??

i mean, only if there is a massive descent that leads into it... right? RIGHTTTT?

*whimpers*

am looking forward to this Vuelta - course looks great. Wonder if I can wangle a quick trip over to Bilbao for the stages round there when we'll have a 3 month old in the house........?

http://www.lavuelta.com/11pr/imgrecorrido/20_perfil.gif

I mean, 140k mark here = ouchie

Contador is looking at a 2 year ban:
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/7114/UCI-management-committee-member-Pedersen-says-Contador-will-get-a-two-year-ban.aspx

does this have any implications for his TdF win?

yes, specifically because that was the race where he tested positive. Not sure about whether his other victories will be stripped.

Bros Schleck discuss rivals
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schleck-brothers-rate-likely-tour-de-france-rivals

Kind of odd that they leave Samu out of the discussion, esp since he will soon share the 10 TdF podium with Andy.

If you want to check out the numbers a pro puts out, Ted King (liquigas) has been posting his rides on Strava: http://app.strava.com/rides/266435

Whoa Matt Goss obviously in good early-season form in TDU

sounds like it was carnage today!

ROBBIE in ochre jersey!!

tried to proxy-hax0r into the AUS feed but failed.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-selects-22-teams

No Geox-TMC - PRO no awful footon style kit; CON no Sastre and Menchov.

This will cause a stink

All four Pro Continental teams are French. Can't accuse ASO of being short on national pride.

Wow, and this comes on the heels of Menchov getting bumped from 3rd to 2nd in last year's TdF.

i don't get menchov at all.

So it's in his best interest to jump ship eh? 2nd place in the TdF and 1st in the Giro not getting invited to two major classics/tours the following year is kinda a major FU....

Sastre's a different story, he was ghost of his previous fitness last year.

http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/2010+Tour+Down+Under+Stage+Three+0DPXDpM_wZyl.jpg

why does this man always look like he's about to cry

give him a break, he's just give birth to a wallaby

that can't be from this year with Cadel failing to defend the rainbow jersey (on his hometurf!)

poor form gbx, do 4 hill repeats as punishment.

oh god its -13F degrees right now

saur-sojasun instead of geox, christ

assume geox will have sastre + menchov at the giro then - if they get an invite, that is.

is it reaistic for him to jump ship and nullify the geox contract? i'm sure Rabo would love to have him back, no?

probably not unless there was some specific clause - the team's still a going concern (at the moment anyway), not like how mcewen walked from pegasus because they didn't have the licence granted. at least that's how i assume it's gone down.

Good stuff going on right now down under

indeed. can't believe rabo and HTC butchered that intermediate sprint so badly, way to throw away your chances guys!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5217/5388133952_8ffb37d4bf_z.jpg

GET INVOLVED

Haitch, you guys really lucked out, what an incredible summer of racing. I hope you got to see some of that action up close.

Some people hate on circuit racing but I think it's awesome for spectating.

wow, what a clown show

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/01/news/contador-decision-could-be-tomorrow-could-be-in-the-coming-hours-official-says_157185

I could have sworn somebody had already posted this to ilx, but the search function is letting me down:

http://nyvelocity.com/content/interviews/2011/landiskimmage

A very, very long read, but well worth it.

i posted it in the Floyd Landis thread on ILE.

Rather gripping but long read.

In other news, Chris Boardman's superman 4km IP record was broken yesterday by young Aussie Jacky Bobby Bobridge. London 2012 will be a showdown for the ages.

Hoping I get tickets for velodrome in 2012

woulda loved to see him v phinney, too bad they canned it.

London 2012 will be a showdown for the ages.

Would be if they hadn't got rid of the individual pursuit.

oh shit, that's right! nm then... those bastards!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bassons-wont-judge-landis-and-armstrong

oooh look who's too well-adjusted to dope. jk, guy sounds cool

he won't judge Landis or Armstrong but it sure as hell sounds like he's judging their parents.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pooley-calls-for-more-tv-coverage-in-womens-cycling

from a few days back but I'd like to see more televised women's cycling. Women's road race at the worlds was great.

I agree (about more women's cycling, not about this year's World's road race, which I can't remember anything about). When Nichole Cooke won in 2008 that was one of the most exciting final five minutes or so I can remember: just endless attacks and counter-attacks. I'd have liked to have seen Pooley winning the Fleche Wallone last season.

woah @ j Bobridge's pursuit record btw

Poor Geox TMC, they managed to resolve my major issue with Footon servetto and still can't get a TdF invite

http://cdn0.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2011/02/07/1/bettiniphoto_0068143_1_full_600.jpg

Michael 'bling' Matthews; closet raver?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDAc-AvaB5w&sns=em

http://cyclingnews.posterous.com/michael-matthews-with-a-dash-of-bling

and he's getting rainbow stripes on the back tattoo!!

Tony Martin rode clinchers yesterday(!!!).

Bert Grabsch rode a 58t chainring (why???)

I think Martin and Cancellara are both (probably) clean. I wouldn't stake my life on it, though, and I'd be more inclined to bet on Martin than Cancellara (as I believe HTC and Garmin are genuine in the clean riding campaigns, whereas Cancellara's best results were achieved under Bjarne Riis).

It's interesting to see the decline of Canc this season. It's not just that Martin has replaced him as the untouchable victor, he's not even the second best time trialler any more. Wiggins has beaten him on at least three occasions this season (Worlds, Vuelta, and something or other in the spring - a small stage race somewhere in Europe, I forget what) and seems to have mastered the art this year of finishing second to Martin whenever they meet (Paris-Nice, Dauphine, Worlds).

there is test data to support clinchers as lower rolling resistance than tubulars, probly due to glue squirm. in a tt effort w/out accellerations (that is, rim weight not paramount), you want clinchers with latex.

Cav's got the fear:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/15020262.stm

look for "fat mantis" painted on the road on the worlds course after the hill in holte, we've got friends w/ paint

Marianne Vos finishes second at the WC for the fifth time in a row o_O

unlucky to get boxed in but the dutch team could have done a lot more to control it.

Yes I agree. They had 4 up front in the last 600m.

Yeahhhhh!!!! @hunt3r

Any predictions? Lotsa people rooting for PhilGil, Thor, Sagan but I think it really is gonna be a bunch sprint and not a hardman's race.

My prediction: I don't think it's going to be a sprint. It's way too long a race for that, 276km! Seeing the espoirs doing their race averaging it at what, 48 km/h already, I think it will go so fast that the sprinters won't have any breath left at the end.

If I have to pick some possible winners, I'll pick Gilbert, Hushovd, Hagen, Boom and Freire.

Take a look at Stage 7 of this year's TdF... not quite 276km but very long esp after stage 6 which was even longer. Guess who won?

Touché. Well I'm not ruling it out completely ;)

Congrats, can't wait to see the rainbow stripes being dropped on every cat4 climb next year.

Otm. Awesome finish though.

plopping the worlds on flat course the year before olympics panned out perfectly.

that 10km pull wiggins took near the end, jesus christ.

helmet fairing is pretty pro lol

Team GB was immense, pulled all day, (with spells of help from Germany and Australia) and were still able to be there at the end.

if a PRO does something, does that automatically make it PRO: y/n

Too soon for a 2012 thread? check out these parcours:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/mortirolo-and-stelvio-to-feature-on-penultimate-day-of-giro-ditalia/192420

I was otherwise engaged last weekend, but would like to take this opportunity to say Hurrah for Team GB and World Champion Cavendish you jolly good eggs!

Also: in the latest Cycle Sport magazine there is a Graham Watson photo of Wiggins just after he got dropped on the Angliru. He has no shades on and I don't think I've seen a more desolate expression.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akhgXpHRHGY&feature=youtu.be

HTC Highroad women's team to continue as Specialized lululemon - very good news

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/team-specialized-lululemon-resurrects-high-road-womens-team

Vaughters
Jonathan Vaughters
For those spreading rumors about Garmin and Cav: Go see Moneyball. SKY =Yankees, Garmin=A's...
8 minutes ago

Yessssss, baseball and cycling intersect!

In other news, leaked TDF route says 96km of TTs next year, fewer high mountain stages. Sorry Andy.

http://inrng.com/2011/10/2012-tour-de-france-route/

So...Froome or Wiggins ftw? ;-)

They'll be too tired from leading out the WC to have any legs for the non-flat stages.

Pau > Bagnères-de-Luchon

circle of death!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-out-of-hospital-after-four-months

Frank & Andy 'Japanese' interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE6hyCr_ji0&feature=player_detailpage#t=944s
(jump to 15.44)

:-D

Caught that on Dutch telly, she's been doing that for years. She got too famous in Holland doing her impersonation, so now's he's doing it with foreign guests.

This was really charming, esp. his Mapei story:

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_sportnieuws/MG_wielrennen/1.1151773

^ That was good