BR PR review of the year
Comments
-
Rick Chasey wrote:Richmond Racer 2 wrote:Ventoux was fun
I do worry it set a precedent for more jury intervention.
Don't disagree tbh. fun on the lower slopes roadside, mind0 -
Highlights for me
Sagan's first and thoroughly well deserved monument - he seems to have found that in order to not be marked out in the final KMs he should attack and get away before that, worked in Gent Wev and then again in Flanders like a dream
The final 10kms of Roubaix was enthralling - after the disappointment of Sagan and Fabu being out of the running, the constant attacking and suspense coming into the velodrome had me lost for words. Delighted for Hayman
I loved seeing Froome take time where people said he would lose it in the tour. Not a vintage edition in terms of how the GC played out but the supposedly boring/transitional stages were pretty decent. Quintana's reaction on the descent of the Peyresourde (spelling?) when he realised Froome was going for it was priceless
Lowlights
Ventoux was ridiculous and the fans still managed to get in the way despite already having caused an incident. Incredible scenes but for the wrong reason
La Vuelta
Anything to do with TUE's - Yawn0 -
-
https://tmblr.co/Zck52j2EkyZ2H
I podcasted a bit about the spring but Roubaix was great as were the epic conditions at Liege.
I agree with that post on page one about the Cav comeback at Le Tour. That was both unexpected and exciting in how he broke his Kittel duck.
Lots of low points involving serious rider injury and worse but keeping that aside it was Jurgen Roelandts not winning Binche Chimnay Binche when he had got himself into a winning position. In fact he lost the race by riding into a teams mates wheel and falling over.
The little Flemish lion on his specs is the best bit of cycling fashion of the year... much better than silly aero lids and stupidly long socks.
0 -
He did OK.Rick Chasey wrote:What happened to Benoot this year?
Podium at Het Nieuwsblad, top tens in Strada Bianche & E3. Then he crashed in De Ronde. Later he came 5th in the apocalyptic Tour of Poland.Twitter: @RichN950 -
Richmond Racer 2 wrote:Ventoux was fun
Did he think, now, I have a white van and white flag sticks, what I really need is an excess of bright red gaffer tape.0 -
RichN95 wrote:
He did OK.Rick Chasey wrote:What happened to Benoot this year?
Podium at Het Nieuwsblad, top tens in Strada Bianche & E3. Then he crashed in De Ronde. Later he came 5th in the apocalyptic Tour of Poland.
Yeah. He didn't make the Worlds team cut which surprised me a little.0 -
Joelsim wrote:Nothing happened this year that was anywhere near as good as Nibali's tow last year.
The inflatable banner collapsing - the timing of it was so perfect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH3gs2LfZ0A0 -
FocusZing wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:I'll post mine at some point but I actually have to justify my financial existence today so might not happen.
I'm guessing The ride London-Surrey classic will factor:)
Good race though. The 50k balls out attack from Thomas before the finish.
I think there is another thread for chipper shoot races, no?left the forum March 20230 -
Race of the year - Paris Roubaix, as most have said. So much happened from the off. Even the 'madison' style of commentary between Hatch, Kelly & Quigley added to it (and a no-Kirby bonus). It was a big thing to show it all and it paid off.
Stage race of the year - Suisse maybe? Sagan tearing it up early stages then a close GC battle at the end - or Tour Basque?
GT stages - Sagan vs. 3 OBE on stage 10, the Andorra stage (for the massive change in conditions over the 2-3 hours as much as the racing), Sky getting a hiding up to Formigal in the Vuelta, probably some in the Giro but they start to blur over time.
Riders - usual - Sagan, Cav, Greg van Avermaet (wonder if he'd swap all his wins this year for a Flanders though?), Chaves, and an honourable mention (that'll wind some people up I know) for Valverde's 3rd, 6th & 12 in the GTs, bossing Fleche exactly how everyone knew he would (but couldn't find a plan to beat him) and for racing from Jan to October (just - 29/1 - 1/10)
Quintana will still probably be a bit disappointed that he was 3rd and 1st at the TdF / Vuelta and not the other way round.0 -
Sagan.
That's it really.
You can talk all you like about others, worthy though they be but he is the only game in town.'fool'0 -
^no0
-
So Sporza viewers & site users voted Froome leaving his bike & running up Ventoux as the sporting "fail of the year" with 45% of the vote, ahead of some cyclocross guy forgetting he had a lap to go, the green diving pool in Rio and Cancellara's Roubaix velodrome tumble.
Made me laugh.0 -
Surely 'fail of the year', by a long margin, was Steven Kruijswijk throwing away a near certain Giro victoryRick Chasey wrote:So Sporza viewers & site users voted Froome leaving his bike & running up Ventoux as the sporting "fail of the year" with 45% of the vote, ahead of some cyclocross guy forgetting he had a lap to go, the green diving pool in Rio and Cancellara's Roubaix velodrome tumble.
Made me laugh.Twitter: @RichN950 -
-
Rick Chasey wrote:So Sporza viewers & site users voted Froome leaving his bike & running up Ventoux as the sporting "fail of the year" with 45% of the vote, ahead of some cyclocross guy forgetting he had a lap to go, the green diving pool in Rio and Cancellara's Roubaix velodrome tumble.
Made me laugh.
What got the most votes for the highlight of the year?
BTW isn't it time for the season's highlights video? have I missed it (entirely possible)?
EDIT: oooh hang on...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPryIwuvcyM0 -
RichN95 wrote:
Surely 'fail of the year', by a long margin, was Steven Kruijswijk throwing away a near certain Giro victoryRick Chasey wrote:So Sporza viewers & site users voted Froome leaving his bike & running up Ventoux as the sporting "fail of the year" with 45% of the vote, ahead of some cyclocross guy forgetting he had a lap to go, the green diving pool in Rio and Cancellara's Roubaix velodrome tumble.
Made me laugh.
Apaz not.
I suspect to qualify for a fail you need to do something out of the ordinary.
If you want a crash that throws away a win, there were plenty in the Olympic road races. But that's just bike racing innit. As opposed to running. Without a bike. In a bike race.0 -
I guess all three you mention have some sort of comedic value, unlike Kruijswijk. But I hadn't bet on any of them at 125/1. (And it's been a long time since someone lost the lead in the final week of a GT due to a crash)Rick Chasey wrote:RichN95 wrote:
Surely 'fail of the year', by a long margin, was Steven Kruijswijk throwing away a near certain Giro victoryRick Chasey wrote:So Sporza viewers & site users voted Froome leaving his bike & running up Ventoux as the sporting "fail of the year" with 45% of the vote, ahead of some cyclocross guy forgetting he had a lap to go, the green diving pool in Rio and Cancellara's Roubaix velodrome tumble.
Made me laugh.
Apaz not.
I suspect to qualify for a fail you need to do something out of the ordinary.
If you want a crash that throws away a win, there were plenty in the Olympic road races. But that's just bike racing innit. As opposed to running. Without a bike. In a bike race.Twitter: @RichN950 -
-
-
Rick Chasey wrote:Do we think 2016 was peak GvA?
Or does he have more in him?
More to come, I reckon. Went from perennial runner-up to winner winner. Should go into 2017 with confidence at all-time high0 -
Richmond Racer 2 wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:Do we think 2016 was peak GvA?
Or does he have more in him?
More to come, I reckon. Went from perennial runner-up to winner winner. Should go into 2017 with confidence at all-time high
And an injury!0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:Richmond Racer 2 wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:Do we think 2016 was peak GvA?
Or does he have more in him?
More to come, I reckon. Went from perennial runner-up to winner winner. Should go into 2017 with confidence at all-time high
And an injury!
Yah, forgot about that0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:Do we think 2016 was peak GvA?
Or does he have more in him?
I'm not sure BMC are the right team to be in if you want to win a monument. Which is what he has to do if he's to really step up a level.0 -
Richmond Racer 2 wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:So Sporza viewers & site users voted Froome leaving his bike & running up Ventoux as the sporting "fail of the year" with 45% of the vote, ahead of some cyclocross guy forgetting he had a lap to go, the green diving pool in Rio and Cancellara's Roubaix velodrome tumble.
Made me laugh. What got the most votes for the highlight of the year?
BTW isn't it time for the season's highlights video? have I missed it (entirely possible)?
EDIT: oooh hang on...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPryIwuvcyM
Thanks for that. Not a sporza review, but a decent approximation nonetheless. Suffice to say, I think the compiler is a big GvA fan...!0 -
I watched that cross race yesterday . PMSL. it was pretty special. :shock: . nearly won on the next lap too , but just got beat in a 2 way sprintRick Chasey wrote:So Sporza viewers & site users voted Froome leaving his bike & running up Ventoux as the sporting "fail of the year" with 45% of the vote, ahead of some cyclocross guy forgetting he had a lap to go, the green diving pool in Rio and Cancellara's Roubaix velodrome tumble.
Made me laugh.0 -
0
-
Browsing 52x12, I note Ferrari's estimated VAMs & Watts/kg for the Giro vs the Tour.
The Tour:10 km at 7.2%) the numerous accelerations of the best riders determined a VAM of 1630 m/h (6.3 w/kg), despite a strong hailstorm that cooled body temperatures, but froze leg muscles
The Giro:The power outputs expressed on the climbs rarely exceeded 6.00 w/kg: even Steven Kruijswijk, the unlucky revelation of this Giro, in the uphill time trial in Siusi (10.8 km at 7.3%) expressed a VAM of 1646 m/h = 6.09 w/kg .
Even the best Nibali during the crucial stage to S. Anna di Vinadio never really delivered wattages higher than 6.00 w/Kg in his decisive attack on the Col de la Lombarde.
So if anyone's curious about how Kruiswijk compared to the leaders at the Tour...
(usual caveats around estimations apply, doesn't account for previous stage/s, weather, blah blah blah blah)0 -
Comment on 52x12 which I tend to agree with.ETER SAGAN has grown up: no longer subject to long distances, he dominated Gent and Flanders.
With the aid (not decisive, but significant) of Kwiatkow-SKY, he managed to get a few seconds gap off Fabian CANCELLARA; a gap that the Swiss rider failed to cover over the last 15 km of the windswept plains. The two athletes battled each other for a quarter of an hour in a thrilling duel on the edge of 50km/h separated by 12-14 seconds: the Czech pushing at 105-110RPM, the Swiss on slightly lower cadences; had he had the same form of a few years ago, he would have closed on his opponent in just a couple of kilometers.
I still remember that Boonen comment from 2010 on the chase post Muur.
"I was riding 50 - so he must have been riding 55 to get that gap"0
