Velon Hammer Series

andyp

The other 6 teams penalised 5 minutes for drafting.

Farcical.

Matthewfalle

Call me silly but isn't anything that is new

A) going to have a few glitches to be ironed out first couple of times round

good for any sport/past time as it gets it out there?

I'm planning to watch the whole series on down time over the few weeks at work so really quite looking forward to it, warts and all.

ddraver

Well that was the best TTT Ive ever watched - which is admittedly not a great challenge...

Brilliant effort by TGH

I would add to my previous points

*Sort out how teams overtake - I'd say have a XXXX flag system like in F1 where the team ahead lets the other team pass and go

vimfuego

Matthewfalle wrote:

Call me silly but isn't anything that is new

A) going to have a few glitches to be ironed out first couple of times round

good for any sport/past time as it gets it out there?

I'm planning to watch the whole series on down time over the few weeks at work so really quite looking forward to it, warts and all.

Something new? Bah!
Seriously though - reckon you are spot on.

I really enjoyed the chaos / excitement of the chase today. Clearly none of the teams knew how to approach it (why would they?) & the commissaires couldn't stop the inevitable drafting on such narrow roads. No team could control the race for the three days, all very unpredictable & full of talking points (BMC - FOUR punctures in the chase.....?) Hopefully it's more than just a flash in the pan novelty - you wouldn't want to see every race taking the chase approach to finales, but there's definitely a place for it.

The GCN stream was good too - commentary liberally interspersed with the sound of beer bottles being opened, nice.

ddraver

I think teams should have to keep the same 5 riders for all 3 events too. That's where the unpredictability comes from

jgsi

So ok, whens the next 1?

andyp

Next year sometime. Perhaps.

ddraver

No, its sooner isnt it? Theres a few on in different places

bobmcstuff

I need to watch the points race or whatever it's called. I quite enjoyed that TTT thing just for the tactical element of the the time being off the 4th man and the bit where Sunweb looked like they might come round Tao.

Certainly willing to give it another shot next time it's on.

iainf72

ddraver wrote:

No, its sooner isnt it? Theres a few on in different places

Only Limburg ever announced I think.

Certainly nothing else scheduled.

Edit - Just checked again - Stavanger in Norway announced for 2018.

ddraver

Oh ok, my bad.

I thought Vaughters wanted a "season long narrative"? :P

joey54321

How about a round where there are 5 x 10k races with only 1 rider from each team taking part (i.e. the exciting part at the end of a race).

Points can be based on finishing positions of each 5 riders.

The individual rider for each race choosen in advanced, on the line by the team or randomised?

r0bh

4 lap TTT, 5 riders per team, have to lose a rider at end of each lap. So on last lap left with two riders per team, first rider across the line wins.

dish_dash

So folks... I've missed all this. But tell me, how was the on-bike footage from the racing? That was one of the big things Velon were selling, non?

r0bh

dish_dash wrote:

So folks... I've missed all this. But tell me, how was the on-bike footage from the racing? That was one of the big things Velon were selling, non?

It was pretty rare to be honest, vast majority of coverage was standard moto and heli fare.

ddraver

It was still gimmicky but the whole construct is gimmicky so it kinda worked. Same with the Rider data and the silly graphics and that

bobmcstuff

It was pretty cool in the TTT when they could use on-bike footage from one team of another team catching them.

I think the main thing is using it in a way that is complimentary to the other footage, not like what's been done before where it just comes up at random points.

blazing_saddles

I just caught up watching.
A fantastic, exciting race between the first two teams, a hilarious, clowns at the circus act, between the other six.
I must be honest, I totally expected the latter, but not the former.
Velon have themselves a winning formula: a bike race with laughs.

DeVlaeminck

Just watched the Bike channel coverage of the last stage - doesn't do it for me. I've got one of the earlier stages recorded so I'll give it a go but so far I'm not getting the love for this.

Mccrear

i thought it had potential but there are some very obvious improvements needed;

* the coverage (GCNs was pretty funny but very very much a bodge rather than a hack) wasn't great and definitely didn't add to the experience. Some guys who are prepped and able to explain what the "rules" etc were would have been better.
* the on board camera stuff was ok, but hardly a revelation and didn't add too much. Thought the TTT would have benefited from more of this but it was fairly sparse.
* The data wasnt always available for all of the riders, and the app idea was good, but needs to be a little slicker
* the points were just mental. 8.2 points?! why all the decimals? Just use whole numbers surely to Christ?!

but it was something different, for which they should be applauded, and it is something that could be adapted each time to offer some variety? also means some exposure for some jack of all trade riders who can be the most exciting guys but are reigned in on GTs. i would imagine a degenkolb, matthews and even a maclay could do really well here rather than being not quite fast enough sprinters at GTs and even some of the more rounded domestiques could be given a shot.

would definitely watch the next one.

jimmythecuckoo

I am a traditionalist. Should I watch it?

Mccrear

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

I am a traditionalist. Should I watch it?

Sure. if you hate it then just switch it off, but give it a chance and maybe itll grab you.

jimmythecuckoo

Expanded series for 2018.


http://www.velon.cc/en/news/2018/02/ham ... er-limburg

ridgerider

As someone who can remember the first hand held calculator coming out, being able to move round a 360 degree video view from a rider in a Pro Pace is pretty cool...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOLovI4POSI&feature=youtu.be

No_Ta_Doctor

Ridgerider wrote:

As someone who can remember the first hand held calculator coming out, being able to move round a 360 degree video view from a rider in a Pro Pace is pretty cool...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOLovI4POSI&feature=youtu.be

Not sure why that's in the Velon Hammer Series thread, it's cool enough to warrant a thread of it's own, and while it might be a bit Velon it's not very Hammer series, is it?

Bloody cool though - you can even read his power meter.

RichN95.

No tA Doctor wrote:

Ridgerider wrote:

As someone who can remember the first hand held calculator coming out, being able to move round a 360 degree video view from a rider in a Pro Pace is pretty cool...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOLovI4POSI&feature=youtu.be

Not sure why that's in the Velon Hammer Series thread, it's cool enough to warrant a thread of it's own, and while it might be a bit Velon it's not very Hammer series, is it?

Bloody cool though - you can even read his power meter.

When I've seen on board footage before I can't ever remember thinking "this is good but I wish I could turn the camera around and stare at the rider's balls"

No_Ta_Doctor

RichN95 wrote:

No tA Doctor wrote:

Ridgerider wrote:

As someone who can remember the first hand held calculator coming out, being able to move round a 360 degree video view from a rider in a Pro Pace is pretty cool...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOLovI4POSI&feature=youtu.be

Not sure why that's in the Velon Hammer Series thread, it's cool enough to warrant a thread of it's own, and while it might be a bit Velon it's not very Hammer series, is it?

Bloody cool though - you can even read his power meter.

When I've seen on board footage before I can't ever remember thinking "this is good but I wish I could turn the camera around and stare at the rider's balls"

There's a first time for everything, Rich.
I was more interested in seeing who he was chatting to, but that's just me.

ridgerider

I posted it here as it's another piece of the Velon jigsaw of the new world of cycling.

Caleb would probably end up swallowing the camera.

bobmcstuff

I thought it was cool. Kinda gimmicky, but cool.