The professional cycling thread
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NaePasaran said:
Just found out the UCI Mens Elite Road Race passes through the city about a mile from me.
Will grab a coffee and take a wonder up. I suspect it'll be about a 45 minute round trip walk for approximately 30 seconds of live action but haven't seen anything like it before in the flesh so should be interesting - I hope
Did you go?Will grab a coffee and take a wonder up. I suspect it'll be about a 45 minute round trip walk for approximately 30 seconds of live action but haven't seen anything like it before in the flesh so should be interesting - I hope
I've seen road races close up, and it's astounding how powerful a fast moving peloton is "in the flesh". Watching on TV doesn't give the vaguest notion of what it feels like on the road. I watched the Olympic Road Race at the Denbies Vinyard just before the Box Hill zig zag. Great day, a little "cycling festival" in the grounds, with a bar and a big screen, then most people ambled down to the road outside, got a fleeting glimpse of them flying past pushing air out of their way to the point where you could really feel it, then we all ambled back to the big TV to watch the end.
Similar with a Surrey stage of the Tour of Britain. I watched at a spot where I got three bites of that cherry. First a hill climb, then the peloton charging over the Hog's Back dual carriageway from a road bridge right next to the carriageway, and then turning around to watch the riders pass under the same bridge. A few of us thought we could "short cut" our way into Guildford for the finish but by the time the police reopened the road the pro peloton had already finished a much longer route into town. (i got my PH cycling jersey spotted on on TV on that stage too!)
In 2018 (I think) I cycled a large portion of the RideLondon route after the paying riders had gone through and the roads had reopened. We got held at a junction just outside Dorking for the Classic pro race to pass on part of the route, so climbed off and watched from the verge. It's sobering, as a mediocre amateur rider, to see just how the pros move along a road. Utterly jawdropping at times. That led to my favourite cycling moment ever, I think. A handful of us waiting at the top were escorted into/through Dorking by one of the National Escort Group motos after the broom wagon and ambulances, but before the road opened to motor traffic. Some of the spectators who were still hanging around in Dorking even cheered us through. Lame by pro race standards but it gave me a tiny taste of what it must feel like to be in the pro peloton. The moto rider offered us that opportunity because he knew that strip-out crews would have closed the road to remove barriers, etc, before we got there if we weren't escorted through.
I don't think you ever really get used to the feeling of a real pro peloton going past at full tilt (or close to it). The closest sensation I can recall to compare it with was getting "drawn along" behind an articulated truck on the A505 near Duxford. True "crossroads" junctions there have been offset for road safety reasons, so I was forced to ride along the main road to cross it, and this trucker didn't exactly give me a lot of space when he passed me. True, a peloton isn't quite as powerful a "getting sucked toward it" sensation as with that lorry, but it's the closest comparison I can recall.
LM240 said:
That looked a bloody tough day out on the bike. Fair play to MVDP.
I think it was the 5th placed rider, who passed Bettiol towards the end, who was *not* impressed by the course going in his immediate post-race comments…Yet another rider I’m pleased to see win the jersey, will be great to see MvdP wearing the stripes in the classics next year.
I went out for a watch on sunday morning, but unfortunately the edinburgh city centre section was just a rolling procession. So we didn’t get to see the pelaton blast by.
But it was still really cool to see it pass through, and gives an idea of the logistics involved! i can’t imagine what the crew/ support vehicles are like for a grand tour.
I am pleased by the turn out/ support they got for the race though. Was worried it was something most people wouldn’t have had an interest in, but definitely decent crowds the whole route, and plenty in the city centre for the laps/ climbs!
But it was still really cool to see it pass through, and gives an idea of the logistics involved! i can’t imagine what the crew/ support vehicles are like for a grand tour.
I am pleased by the turn out/ support they got for the race though. Was worried it was something most people wouldn’t have had an interest in, but definitely decent crowds the whole route, and plenty in the city centre for the laps/ climbs!
beambeam1 said:
Just back from watching events at the velodrome tonight, fantastic stuff. Really glad we stayed to watch the Madison. It was the last event and we didn't understand it beforehand so thought we'd leave after a few laps but instead we stuck around and now we are fans of it.
The madison is incredible. I went to the last Skol 6 at Wembley Arena in 1980, what an evening of entertainment.https://www.condorcycles.com/blogs/journal/4713440...
Anyone else wishing there were Vuelta highlights on ITV4?
I much prefer them to the Eurosport ones in general, plus why on earth did they have the commentators moaning about the coverage cutting away from the race to the local architecture. Fine, moan about it in the live coverage, but why the f
k are they including that in the edit for the highlights?!?!
Having said that, it did deliver a particular classic today... "the run to the line is so straight you could draw it with a compass, ruler and pencil!"
I much prefer them to the Eurosport ones in general, plus why on earth did they have the commentators moaning about the coverage cutting away from the race to the local architecture. Fine, moan about it in the live coverage, but why the f
k are they including that in the edit for the highlights?!?!Having said that, it did deliver a particular classic today... "the run to the line is so straight you could draw it with a compass, ruler and pencil!"
Kermit power said:
Anyone else wishing there were Vuelta highlights on ITV4?
I much prefer them to the Eurosport ones in general, plus why on earth did they have the commentators moaning about the coverage cutting away from the race to the local architecture. Fine, moan about it in the live coverage, but why the fk are they including that in the edit for the highlights?!?!
Having said that, it did deliver a particular classic today... "the run to the line is so straight you could draw it with a compass, ruler and pencil!"
yes, the ITV 4 highlights were the best and perfect for a 1hr show. Often had other very useful info too.I much prefer them to the Eurosport ones in general, plus why on earth did they have the commentators moaning about the coverage cutting away from the race to the local architecture. Fine, moan about it in the live coverage, but why the f
k are they including that in the edit for the highlights?!?!Having said that, it did deliver a particular classic today... "the run to the line is so straight you could draw it with a compass, ruler and pencil!"
I've really struggled with the Eurosport highlights this time round!
Dr Imran T said:
Kermit power said:
Anyone else wishing there were Vuelta highlights on ITV4?
I much prefer them to the Eurosport ones in general, plus why on earth did they have the commentators moaning about the coverage cutting away from the race to the local architecture. Fine, moan about it in the live coverage, but why the fk are they including that in the edit for the highlights?!?!
Having said that, it did deliver a particular classic today... "the run to the line is so straight you could draw it with a compass, ruler and pencil!"
yes, the ITV 4 highlights were the best and perfect for a 1hr show. Often had other very useful info too.I much prefer them to the Eurosport ones in general, plus why on earth did they have the commentators moaning about the coverage cutting away from the race to the local architecture. Fine, moan about it in the live coverage, but why the f
k are they including that in the edit for the highlights?!?!Having said that, it did deliver a particular classic today... "the run to the line is so straight you could draw it with a compass, ruler and pencil!"
I've really struggled with the Eurosport highlights this time round!
Grateful of some highlights, but don’t like the Eurosport commentators as much. Plus throw in the odd scheduling errors which cause missed highlights.
Eye opening seeing the logistics. Atleast 30 police outriders, anther 30 or so organisers on bikes plus all the cars.
The relay method for road closures seemed very slick although there's obvious potential for a nasty accident with motorbikes passing stationary bikes on the left at 70+.
Looked fun though.
The relay method for road closures seemed very slick although there's obvious potential for a nasty accident with motorbikes passing stationary bikes on the left at 70+.
Looked fun though.
Jumbo are so strong as a team right now. I'd love to see Sepp Kuss hang on in the Vuelta. He looks strong enough at the moment, but it will be interesting to see how the team plays it with Vingegaard and Roglic hot on his heels. Will they start working for him to defend his position now they have the top 3 in GC?
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