Alakagom wrote:
- MSR finish returns to Via Roma
- Ion Izagirre and Benat Intxuasti to lead Movistar at Giro
- GP Plouay will change the format for 2016. No more circuit, plus change of name.
- Niemiec to lead Lampre at Giro
Hope Niemiec manages to stay fit and injury free to take his chance leading the team at the Giro
Alakagom wrote:
- MSR finish returns to Via Roma
- Ion Izagirre and Benat Intxuasti to lead Movistar at Giro
- GP Plouay will change the format for 2016. No more circuit, plus change of name.
- Niemiec to lead Lampre at Giro
Great news 'bout Movistar, Go Go Intxausti!
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
gargatouf wrote:
Problem is, according to Europcar team manager, is that the medium/long term plan is to create a closed league like in US Sports, which all three French teams don't agree with. This is the reason why they didn't join Velon. No idea why Movistar, Katusha and Astana didn't though.
I can hopefully provide at least the answer for Katusha. Makarov, who basically owns the Katusha project, is both president of the Russian cycling federation and also is on the UCI executive committee, making him one of the most powerful men in the sport. So he stands to gain by keeping things as they are. I wouldn't be surprised if Astana are aligned quite closely with him in some way (no evidence for this, just a gut feeling based on former Soviet connections). Movistar is the one that is most confusing to me.
I'm not sure on Velon. Without direct control over races their power is very much limited. A breakaway league witout any ASO, UCI or RCS races (i'd imagine) will have very little widespread draw for a while. I'm also doubtful about their wish for a "season long narrative". To draw a comparision it's like combining all the FIA events into a single ranking and getting Hamilton vs Ogier vs Kristensen to race in all the same races (perhaps this can apply wider to the World Tour ranking as well).
I think getting all the teams together into a single group is positive. It will give them more power which is good for a whole raft of reasons. Get those French teams on board and that's a big shift to worry ASO.
sutty68 wrote:
Astana are certainly turning out to be bad for cycling, how long before Nibali tests positive
Stop it, please. Maxim and Valentin Iglinsky were the only riders which tested positive for the main team. Maxim's performances were too questionable in the last 2-3 years, so it was just a question of time. What do you find dirty in his TDF performance?
sutty68 wrote:
Astana are certainly turning out to be bad for cycling, how long before Nibali tests positive
Stop it, please. Maxim and Valentin Iglinsky were the only riders which tested positive for the main team. Maxim's performances were too questionable in the last 2-3 years, so it was just a question of time. What do you find dirty in his TDF performance?
Spoiler
No, I'm not the next fanboy
His astonishing performance on Hautacam and W/kg numbers that are arguably more impressive than Froome 2013?
I like Nibali a lot as a rider, but I very much believe that if Nibali is cleans, then so is Froome. And we all know how likely the latter is to be true
sutty68 wrote:
Astana are certainly turning out to be bad for cycling, how long before Nibali tests positive
Stop it, please. Maxim and Valentin Iglinsky were the only riders which tested positive for the main team. Maxim's performances were too questionable in the last 2-3 years, so it was just a question of time. What do you find dirty in his TDF performance?
Spoiler
No, I'm not the next fanboy
His astonishing performance on Hautacam and W/kg numbers that are arguably more impressive than Froome 2013?
I like Nibali a lot as a rider, but I very much believe that if Nibali is cleans, then so is Froome. And we all know how likely the latter is to be true
Nibali's time up Hautacam was 37:20: it is the 26th time on that climb. 2:42 slower then record of 34:38 by Bjarne Riis in 1996: https://www.climbing-records.com/2014/...se-to.html
Well, if we look closer to the ranking, Nibali's time is the best time since 2000, but Froome's and Contador's performances look dirtier. You ceratinly have a point, btw
Ollfardh wrote:
Next year's Ronde Van Vlaanderen will have 2 additional climbs. The Tiegemberg returns as historical opening climb, just before the first of 3x Oude Kwaremont. The Berendries returns after road works that blocked it. That gives us a total of 19 climbs, ending with Koppenberg, Steenbeeksdries, Taaienberg, Hotond, Oude Kwaremont and Patersberg.
Sounds good to me, last year route was pretty great. Ronde and Strade Bianche look to be my classic highlights in early 2014 again.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
sutty68 wrote:
Astana are certainly turning out to be bad for cycling, how long before Nibali tests positive
Stop it, please. Maxim and Valentin Iglinsky were the only riders which tested positive for the main team. Maxim's performances were too questionable in the last 2-3 years, so it was just a question of time. What do you find dirty in his TDF performance?
Spoiler
No, I'm not the next fanboy
I never intended to upset anyone with that statement but i think you may have to prepare for the worst the way things are going at that team at the moment
sutty68 wrote:
Astana are certainly turning out to be bad for cycling, how long before Nibali tests positive
Stop it, please. Maxim and Valentin Iglinsky were the only riders which tested positive for the main team. Maxim's performances were too questionable in the last 2-3 years, so it was just a question of time. What do you find dirty in his TDF performance?
Spoiler
No, I'm not the next fanboy
I never intended to upset anyone with that statement but i think you may have to prepare for the worst the way things are going at that team at the moment
Well, they're actually 2 different teams, and the only main team riders which they caught are the Iglinskiys for now, Conti team's situation is a bit different
sutty68 wrote:
Astana are certainly turning out to be bad for cycling, how long before Nibali tests positive
Stop it, please. Maxim and Valentin Iglinsky were the only riders which tested positive for the main team. Maxim's performances were too questionable in the last 2-3 years, so it was just a question of time. What do you find dirty in his TDF performance?
Spoiler
No, I'm not the next fanboy
I never intended to upset anyone with that statement but i think you may have to prepare for the worst the way things are going at that team at the moment
Well, they're actually 2 different teams, and the only main team riders which they caught are the Iglinskiys for now, Conti team's situation is a bit different
And don't forget kruzieger his anomalies in his biological passport goes back to his Astana days
Edited by deek12345 on 28-11-2014 14:21
sutty68 wrote:
Astana are certainly turning out to be bad for cycling, how long before Nibali tests positive
Stop it, please. Maxim and Valentin Iglinsky were the only riders which tested positive for the main team. Maxim's performances were too questionable in the last 2-3 years, so it was just a question of time. What do you find dirty in his TDF performance?
[spoiler]No, I'm not the next fanboy
[/spoiler]
I never intended to upset anyone with that statement but i think you may have to prepare for the worst the way things are going at that team at the moment
Well, they're actually 2 different teams, and the only main team riders which they caught are the Iglinskiys for now, Conti team's situation is a bit different
And don't forget kruzieger his doping goes back to his Astana days
Well, it was not the first case of doping in the cycling scene, nor the last one.
Edited by matt17br on 28-11-2014 14:46
The thing is people outside the sport will say yet another cyclist caught doping but its good in the end as we are actually catching them, many other sports must have cheats who are getting away with it !!
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
