Steele Von Hoff's 2014 Pro Thread

I know him more from MotoGP, but figured this was a good place to ask the Brits:

What is Carlton Kirby's accent exactly? I figure it's Northern, but is it Manchester? Sheffield?

Kind of nondescript, really couldn't say where he's from.

Great race.

i like the winner, but i thought it was pretty boring. it would get to the edge of exciting and then fizzle regroup.

I enjoyed that,

Slightly marred by the fact that on my ride home someone in a white ford falcon estate to the trouble to lead out of their window and hit me. No lights on so not even the slightest inkling of their number plate.

Not sure it was boring, I had my money on degenkolb when it all came together. I was truly impressed to see sky ride a decent classics race even if I didn't think they had much of a chance from that final bunch. In the end though Boonen's super domestique work secured the win.

was bummed to see gva go down and have to chase back in, i was hoping he'd get a shot out of that group.

hope youre ok ed, that's super scary.

I'm fine, it could have been a lot worse.

Thomas:

I was on the back just trying to catch my breath. I was hoping that Brad would go but when he didn’t, the [Giant-] Shimano guy started coming and I rode with him. I was hoping that Brad would hit them in the end, but I guess he didn’t felt confident in doing so. Maybe he was waiting for Fabian to try something, I don’t know. I committed myself for him and that was it.

Wiggins:

There’s a tinge of disappointment. I really had legs, even in the final, I felt strong. I was pinching myself a little bit, I don’t mind admitting that. I attacked, and then after that, I don’t know really, I just felt out-numbered. And the run-in was quite fast in the last five kilometres. Terpstra played it perfectly with Stybar and Boonen. It was a real honour to be in the final, going past Boonen on the Carrefour was special. And then to come on the velodrome with a group like Cancellara. To be there was great. It gave me confidence that I can do it now and match those guys.

ppl r riding 4 u stop pinching urself

I did wonder what they were up to - I thought maybe everyone was waiting for the inevitable surge from Cancellara that didn't come. I was hoping Wiggins was waiting for them to get over the final proper section of cobbles and then just try to break clear and time trial his way home.

It seems to be the eternal sky problem, waiting for the DS to shout go in their ears. I thought when Wiggins and Thomas were chatting about 5km from the end they were formulating a plan, something along the lines of Wiggins chases down any break attempts and Thomas saves it for a sprint. Sky is really not the place to develop a racing brain.

So it appears I was victim of 'Hoon' behaviour last night.

Yeah, I thought they were making a plan at that point as well. Kind of amazed Terpstra got away so easily in the end.

http://www.strava.com/activities/130432764

lol

'jill bear' deploying big ring stylez on the cauberg, yet again - never gets old

nice job by bmc all around.

A+ beer mat skirt on the podium girl

my feed cut off before podium alas

Best teamwork I've seen from BMC in a one day race since Jil-Bear joined, I think.

http://www.cyclingfans.net/2012/images/2012_liege_bastogne_liege_cote_de_saint_roch_peloton1a.jpg

i know, there's the ronde for the roleurs, p-r for the hardmen, amstel for... well, for dudes with insane one time vo2max, but is there anything better than lbl? (no).

btw, slagter.

Ugh. Sickener for Dan Martin.

Poor old Dan, that really was a bummer.

at least epo gave us exploits, this race, it sucked.

need some sort of terrible panda-referencing tabloid headline for the martin crash imo, just a shocker

agree hunt3r that LBL is best race and that it suuuuucked. one kilometre of real action!

martin handled it as well as he could. still, i would be shocked had he podiumed, if he'd stayed upright. too many fresher legs bearing down there, imo.

You're probably right, but he wouldn't have known that, and the feeling as he skidded down must have been horrendous

http://24.media.tumblr.com/3551219d46f97dd59e9411174064b335/tumblr_n4p59dKmfV1ropreyo1_1280.jpg

Doing his best podge and rodge impression.

DVR failed again but from the reports I might have given up watching as well.

Seems like an opportunist win when everyone else had marked themselves out of contention. Perfectly legit way to win but seems to have been the dullest of the classics this year.

Whoever made the animated gif of the skid is a right meanie.

welp so long and thanks for playing mr. martin. :(

Seriously, this poor guy has a hex on him.

Watching a bit of the Tour of California - those roads look great

Wind! Chaos! This is already more interesting than the Giro d'Irlanda

Blimey, Rolland. Has he got this?

He can't hang on for 1.4k, shurely.

This is like watching a lion chasing a baby wildebeest.

Nom.

oh god that premature post-up in the TOC was sort of heart-breaking to watch

It was agony :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NDYpOJgyZQ

i can't watch it again

The look on his face just before he looks round is utterly priceless.

i said i can't

i enjoyed the hell out of watching battaglin bridge up and just know exactly what he could do, and needed to do.

Must have been a hideous feeling for Cataldo

Miserable conditions today. In theory this descent off the stelvio has been neutralised but nobody seems to have told the riders.

proper finish, this! so many hairpins!

amazing performance from ryder, I assumed quintana would've shredded him.

That was a proper stage

I went to bed in the valley after the stelvio. The confusion on the descent offers a glimpse of what it might be like with no race radios. This is turning into a proper race.

I went to bed in the valley after the stelvio

Somewhat impractical?

That was a proper stage

― Turtleneck Work Solutions (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Tuesday, May 27, 2014 11:36 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm

Watching the post giro show, Processo alls tappa, right now. The story is that the neutralisation was never announced on radio corsa and that's the only official source of race info. General opinion is it's Uran and everyone else's fail for not responding to Quintana getting away. Riders should thing on the road not rely on their earpieces.