S*** Small Races Thread - 2022

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Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    edited April 2022
    I have to say I don't get the great affection for Pinot. He's been the unchallenged leader of a World Tour team for over a decade - probably unique in recent times. And yet despite this indulgence, he has constantly underdelivered. For me he's the personification of everything that is wrong with French cycling. And goats are just annoying. They're delinquent sheep.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    He's the antithesis to most other WT team leaders, I think. He still lives where he grew up, trains on the same roads he's always trained on and seems to care little for the analytics that other teams and riders obsess over.

    He's also recorded over 30 wins, including stages in all three GTs and a monument, which for a climber is pretty decent.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    andyp said:

    He's the antithesis to most other WT team leaders, I think. He still lives where he grew up, trains on the same roads he's always trained on and seems to care little for the analytics that other teams and riders obsess over.

    So he had the good fortune to be born in an ideal training area (and I think the French can't tax dodge in Monaco & Andorra). As for the analytics - he's coached by his brother, a sports scientist. And if you are being paid a seven figure salary you damn well should care about analytics.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    Not his fault someone wanted to pay him more than you think he's worth given his personality.
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    RichN95. said:

    I have to say I don't get the great affection for Pinot. He's been the unchallenged leader of a World Tour team for over a decade - probably unique in recent times. And yet despite this indulgence, he has constantly underdelivered. For me he's the personification of everything that is wrong with French cycling. And goats are just annoying. They're delinquent sheep.

    I know were you're coming from. He's a throwback, a rider from the 60/70/80's maybe, that's why he seems popular with many. When the sport was more simple and/or 'pure' and none of this modern jargon had been invented.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Tee bo ho

    Uptown top ranking
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    I think for many of us, we like Pinot precisely because he is flawed. He is a real person fighting against automatons. Yes, the demons usually win, but occasionally, just occasionally, he prevails. I pity those who can't see the romance in that.
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Lenny Martinez though - 18!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    I generally agree with Rich's comments on Pinot. There can't be many sportspeople who get to keep a top job for 10 years whilst seemingly being unprepared to push their limits or work on their most obvious weaknesses. I guess I prefer sportspeople who maximise their talents, even if they aren't as naturally gifted. That said, I was really pleased to see him win today and it felt a big step forward to do it after the disappointment yesterday.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    Pross said:

    There can't be many sportspeople who get to keep a top job for 10 years whilst seemingly being unprepared to push their limits or work on their most obvious weaknesses.

    Citation needed.

  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    edited April 2022
    Pinot should of won bernal's tour .... Baffed his own knee with his handlebars pre race
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Pinot massivily improved his downhill riding ... It's not true he didn't work on his weaknesses... He used to crash ALOT
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,475
    DeadCalm said:

    I think for many of us, we like Pinot precisely because he is flawed. He is a real person fighting against automatons. Yes, the demons usually win, but occasionally, just occasionally, he prevails. I pity those who can't see the romance in that.

    I disagree the others are supposed "automatons".
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    I wonder what would happen if it turned out that Pinot was a big Marine Le Pen supporter


    (He's not. Along with Bardet, he was signatory of a letter from many sports stars supporting Macron)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    I have been a long time critic, but Pinot impressed me today.
    I thought his head would drop after yesterday’s near miss.
    Instead he took it up a notch, especially on the final climb where he had to drop de La Cruz, in order to gain the time necessary for the descent.

    Bardet too. He seems to be the only guy at DSM reaching his potential.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • bm5
    bm5 Posts: 586
    edited April 2022
    Great to see Bardet attacking and winning.

    Lovely tweet from De La Cruz and it was good of him to wait for Pinot when he had the mechanical. The commentary was rather biased for Pinot.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,334
    Pinot's tragedy is that he's good enough uphill that people hope it'll make up for his inability to lay it down on the flat. If he was a bit worse he wouldn't have the ridiculous expectation...

    Glad he grabbed today's stage - was a gutsy performance.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • 50x11
    50x11 Posts: 408
    I like him but he's whats wrong with french cycling. I think he's happy with what he's achieved (and should be many would kill for his palmares) but I think if he truly wanted to do more he'd have left FDJ
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,342
    bm5 said:

    Great to see Bardet attacking and winning.

    Lovely tweet from De La Cruz and it was good of him to wait for Pinot when he had the mechanical. The commentary was rather biased for Pinot.

    It might be a case of highlight editing but from that it looked like De La Cruz was too kind and got mugged for the win. Good tactics by Pinot but he played De La Cruz.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    m.r.m. said:

    DeadCalm said:

    I think for many of us, we like Pinot precisely because he is flawed. He is a real person fighting against automatons. Yes, the demons usually win, but occasionally, just occasionally, he prevails. I pity those who can't see the romance in that.

    I disagree the others are supposed "automatons".
    Yeah, I'm a bit embarrassed by that post. As a big fan of Pinot and Bardet, I don't get a chance to enjoy their successes very often. To have a win for each on the same day (with a young rider's jersey for my man Arensman as the icing on the cake) is mind-blowing and I did get a tad carried away.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    blazing_saddles said:

    Bardet too. He seems to be the only guy at DSM reaching his potential.

    Arensman is starting to show signs of the promise he displayed at U23 level when, as an 18 year old, he finished second to Pogacar at the Tour de l'Avenir ahead of older riders like Vlasov, Sosa and Almeida. I'm expecting big things from him, not Pogacar style 'big', but I do think he'll win some decent races. He has plenty of time. He's still only 22.

    Hopefully, his obvious rapport with Bardet will keep him off the well worn DSM to JV conveyor belt for Dutch riders.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    The 75th Tour de Romandie starts tomorrow. Nothing of interest to report, in regards of the parcour which are, putting it politely, "traditional". Yes, once again it starts with a prologue, ends in a time trial, (although this year it's a mountain climb) has a solitary MTF and a trio of rolling stages.













    Following Sunday's big crash, the startlist has only just been finalised. Vlasov is a recent edition.

    Top competitors

    VLASOV Aleksandr
    CARUSO Damiano
    O'CONNOR Ben
    WOODS Michael
    TEUNS Dylan
    IZAGIRRE Ion
    HIGUITA Sergio
    HAYTER Ethan
    URÁN Rigoberto
    MCNULTY Brandon
    THOMAS Geraint
    HIRSCHI Marc
    CATTANEO Mattia
    KUSS Sepp
    DENNIS Rohan
    FUGLSANG Jakob

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    The forecast looks decent for once, so hopefully won't be a cold and damp edition.
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,475
    Is Romandie on the PTP list?
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    m.r.m. said:

    Is Romandie on the PTP list?

    It is. Gregster04 in charge according to the rota
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,475
    Shouldn't we get a PTP thread up then now if the prologue is atrting tomorrow? Not critisizing @gregster04 at all. But it's probably helpful if everyone chips in when those in charge are too busy to get it up in time.

    I'll start it. Gregster04 can redo it if he likes.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    edited April 2022
    The Romandie prologue today finishes at FC Lausanne's stadium. They are owned by Ineos. They are currently bottom of the league
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    They should get Brailsford in to sort them out.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    This is a quite astonishingly ugly course today.
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,677
    Short and ugly. Seems a bit pointless.
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי

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