UCI WorldTour and other pro cycling nonsense 2011

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!!

He's got a lot of waist line ink which is almost as reprehensible as his Playboy brand skivvies.

RT @dwuori: I'm very disappointed that Geox-TMC didn't retain the fleshy Footon kit. Had been hoping for addition of nipples and back hair. #cycling

Tomorrow's edition of Marca (spanish sports magazine) claims that Contador tested positive 4x during the TdF:
http://estaticos01.marca.com/imagenes/2011/02/08/g0802.jpg

#1: tainted steak
#2: tainted chicken
#3: tained seafood or something, idk
#4: ???

lol @ the entire rest of the front page given over to madrid stanning

cycling news says that the 4 tests count as one incident.

jesus that matthews interview yes possibly rolling

the front cover quote of Ronaldo as the new Di Stefano is a kneejerk reaction to the manager of Atletico Madrid hailing Messi as the new Di Stefano after he scored a hat-trick against his side. Marca being virtually the RM in-house paper.

so i read this...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/02/news/riccardo-ricco-hospitalized-with-fever-apparent-kidney-failure_159118#disqus_thread

and thought "poor guy, but i hope...", then:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/italian-police-investigate-ricco-for-blood-doping

welp

smoke then fire eh?

find out which cycling professional hopes that ricco "becomes somebody's bitch in prison" after a full recovery...next, on sick sad world.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-cavendish-aldag-and-kelly-react-to-ricco-doping-news

In actual racing news, I really hope Mark Renshaw wins the GC at the ToQ, I feel like he deserves it.

Meh... he sat up way too early today and Benatti (sp?) almost pipped him, was kinda hoping for it. Reminded me of that link going around yesterday:
http://www.cyclingfans.com/node/1566

man when will dudes learn to stop doing that

am watching a bit of the ToQ right now, teams are just practicing and running drills aren't they? Sky's turn at the front was pretty pointless otherwise as they'd blown out their sprinters.

Oh Renshawpaws, that moment of panic was priceless.

after that first time they do it?

xpost

Yeah, looked like Wiggo (and Boom) went with 4km to go but then sat up about 1km later going into the roundabout. Boom was all "WTF" at Wiggo.

good thing early celebration never happens in a monument

http://velonews.competitor.com/files/archive/images/5740.7135.jpg

yessss

good analysis of the mucky mess that's been the ToQ finishing mayhem:
http://www.pavepavepave.com/2011/02/09/early-season-sprinting/

i watched some of the video no audio of the cyclocosm thing, will catch in full later.

watching those, its worth mentioning that once contact is made, it's very "sticky," even when unintentional. that is, ime it's actually hard to get off of someone because your body's center of gravity shifts toward the other person, and then your bike subtly steers into the person, and the same on the other side. its like, the safest tihng to do once youre into someone is to just keep going and ride it out. going through a corner with full contact from shoulder to hip is unnerving, but trying to do too much to get apart can be worse (e.g. the "death swoop").

otoh, those guys are generally so good at what they do, maybe its a different game.

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