Tour de Romandie 24 _29th April *SPOILERS*
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I doubt it was totally random.jam1e wrote:I can understand them canning the rule entirely but picking another number at random seems a bit off.
The last time they had a mountain time-trial in the TdF, the cut-off was 33% whereas it's normally 25% for a (non-mountain) TdF TT.
I suppose the Romandie judges went for a compromise 30% because, on the one hand they perhaps realised they should have followed the TdF's lead and used a higher percentage for a mountain TT, while on the other hand had the teams/riders read the Romandie roadbook, they should have realised the Romandie mountain-TT bar was set quite high, so the DSs should have accordingly chosen the team and the riders realised they all had to ride hard.
(I'm glad the Romandie judges didn't shift to the 33% - having done many m-TTs myself albeit years ago, I always felt 33% too generous for a professional)0 -
mididoctors wrote:phreak wrote:
The 90s were great for that, with perhaps the ultimate being Indurain's ride to La Plagne. Brutal. He dropped a field that included a Marco Pantani who would set the (then) record for d'Huez the following day. He got some stick for being boring, but those three stages he destroyed the field to Liege, destroyed them in the TT, and then rode them off his wheel to La Plagne.
IIRC it was alex zulle who solo'd for the win to la Plagne that day
You do recall correctly. Zuelle was out front most of the day, and held on to win by a few minutes I think. Behind him Indurain just rode everyone else off his wheel and put minutes into them.
Peak EPO period that day.0 -
Now we know it wasn't just random shifting of the goalposts, sorry, decision....................................................................it was because it was warm.
https://twitter.com/inrng/status/989894 ... 09/photo/1
Yer right, cos they always let riders chill out when it gets warm.
Perhaps the real reason can be found among the riders reprieved?
Whatever, the way the UCI play hard or soft with their rules is both discriminatory and a mockery."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
If there was no time limit only the GC contender s plus a handful of others would make any effort at all though. May as well give most of them a rest day.
On related topic (not today's). - why do teams bother bringing a full set of Tt bikes to tours? If they are doms pootling round, you'd think clip ons would suffice.0 -
Perhaps they could have a preset time, rather than something based on the winner's time. No slower than 35 minutes for example.Mad_Malx wrote:If there was no time limit only the GC contender s plus a handful of others would make any effort at all though. May as well give most of them a rest day.
Time trials generally are rest days for most riders.Twitter: @RichN950 -
That's quite a meteoric rise from Bernal. Being bossed in the 2016 Avenir by Gaudu (and Costa - where is he now?) - winning the 2017 Avenir - now he's bossing everyone at 21 on a ramp tt0
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Most importantly, where is Bernal on the aesthetic scale?
I’ve not seen him much so far, but anything’s an improvement on Fenton. (Maybe not Aru).0 -
Mad_Malx wrote:
On related topic (not today's). - why do teams bother bringing a full set of Tt bikes to tours? If they are doms pootling round, you'd think clip ons would suffice.
Presumably to do with sponsors and wanting to show off the kit. What would it say about the TT bikes if 5 or 6 riders showed up saying no thanks I don't want to ride it?0 -
mmShutupJens wrote:Mad_Malx wrote:
On related topic (not today's). - why do teams bother bringing a full set of Tt bikes to tours? If they are doms pootling round, you'd think clip ons would suffice.
Presumably to do with sponsors and wanting to show off the kit. What would it say about the TT bikes if 5 or 6 riders showed up saying no thanks I don't want to ride it?
Maybe s of riders HT yesterday answers that. They would have to work that much harder on a road bike to make the cut0 -
Stage 4: Bernal0
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On a normal flat TT, a TT bike should be significantly faster for the same effort, so if you're just worried about making the time cut you would be able to finish in the same time for less effort than on a normal road bike. I.e., making it more of a rest.ShutupJens wrote:Mad_Malx wrote:
On related topic (not today's). - why do teams bother bringing a full set of Tt bikes to tours? If they are doms pootling round, you'd think clip ons would suffice.
Presumably to do with sponsors and wanting to show off the kit. What would it say about the TT bikes if 5 or 6 riders showed up saying no thanks I don't want to ride it?
You'd have to really hate riding a TT bike to deliberately make it harder for yourself. Especially given most TTs are well under an hour these days.0 -
Thank goodness they are too, that there are two in a race this short is ridiculousbobmcstuff wrote:
On a normal flat TT, a TT bike should be significantly faster for the same effort, so if you're just worried about making the time cut you would be able to finish in the same time for less effort than on a normal road bike. I.e., making it more of a rest.ShutupJens wrote:Mad_Malx wrote:
On related topic (not today's). - why do teams bother bringing a full set of Tt bikes to tours? If they are doms pootling round, you'd think clip ons would suffice.
Presumably to do with sponsors and wanting to show off the kit. What would it say about the TT bikes if 5 or 6 riders showed up saying no thanks I don't want to ride it?
You'd have to really hate riding a TT bike to deliberately make it harder for yourself. Especially given most TTs are well under an hour these days.0 -
After about 1 hr 20 mins and 45 km, a group of five about a minute and a half ahead the yellow-jersey-peloton, which is about 30 strong (the first climb caused some damage, another peloton is farther back, with an odd rider between the two pelotons).
The original break occurred early on the climb (at about 14 km) and consisted of (who else but) de Gendt, Nieve, Kangert and Frank. On the climb Kangert and Frank fell back, while Carty joined the other two, Carty leading over the top (18 km).
Since then these three have been joined by Amador and Pernsteiner, while Frank has fell back through the yellow-jersey-peloton.
Here is TdG yesterday:
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The yello-jersey-peloton grew to about 80+ riders on or after the descent from the first climb, leaving only a dozen farther back.
By km 71, the five in the break had opened the gap to 2'36“ which made Pernsteiner virtual yellow jersey by virtue of one second, however the time gap has since closed by over 20 secs.
Carthy was first over the top of the second climb (73 km), while de Gendt has picked up enough points on the two climbs so far today, that he is now only one point behind Minaard who currently wears the climber's jersey. Carthy is only 6 pts behind, so also in with a chance of taking it.
Betancur and Fraile have both retired, and the rest are now all on the third climb, at around km 83.
Live coverage starts in 4-5 mins.0 -
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PS. The break is over the third climb and de Gendt is now (virtually) in the climber's pink jersey, 3 pts ahead of Carthy.0
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Tomorrow's stage is looking quite open, who's left to target it?inseine wrote:Fraile and Bentancur climb off.0 -
This is dull0
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Ok, I've woken up now0
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How many Astana wins is that this season??0
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SpecialGuestStar wrote:How many Astana wins is that this season??
14 (how about that for a quick answer?)0 -
Rider attacks, everyone else watches AGAIN.
2018 has been pretty turd so far."Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0 -
gsk82 wrote:Rider attacks, everyone else watches AGAIN.
2018 has been pretty turd so far.
It's more understandable in a stage race, it was only really Costa that messed up .0 -
inseine wrote:gsk82 wrote:Rider attacks, everyone else watches AGAIN.
2018 has been pretty turd so far.
It's more understandable in a stage race, it was only really Costa that messed up .
Bernal could've taken the lead with bonus seconds. There was still a stage up for grabs as well."Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0
