Season Midpoint

esmit208

Since pro cycling has nearly reached it's midpoint what grade is everyone giving the season? I personally think it has been every bit as gripping as it was before the flood of doping allegations. The GIRO was really good watching. Too bad VERSUS doesn't think getting the broadcast rights is worth it. I personally give the season an "A" at this point. And no, I am not cynical about the alleged doping enough to think that everyone is doping. I feel that the majority of the riders are clean, especially those on the pro teams, but not naive enough to believe that if the majority of them could enhance their performance without being exposed they would most definitely get a competitive edge. So give me your grade!

Edward G. Smith

Julspro

I give the season an A-. I think the cycling has been pretty exciting thus far. The Tour of California - great to see the crowd. I think that is promising. I thought the Tour de Georgia put out a great course this year. I love the mainstay that is Robbie Mckewen. He is my favorite sprinter, and so far has not disappointed. I was lucky to see the rise of Andy Schleck. Gusev had a strong Tour of Belgium - another great talent.
Yes, the doping allegations and confessions got me down a few times, but I have hope for this sport. I am still excited for the Dauphine, The Tour de Swiss, The Tour, the Vuelta and the Worlds. And I am excited about the Olympics - wondering which riders will be there.
I give the season thus far only an A- because of 3 things, really: 1) The doping allegations and the leaks from the French National Enquirer 'L'Equipe' and Le Monde'. All it takes is one person to say, 'hey, he dopes'and everybody believes he is guilty. Not a good system (and it doesn't show any sign of change). 2) Doping confessions. Simply because I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt until proof is provided, so to have these guys come out and say, 'yep, it was me' - well that just made me sad. And, 3) the unending bickering between the tour organizers and the UCI - well that is just classless and does no good for the sport.
I know those things don't technically have a baring on the actual level of riding we see, but I do think it impacts the riders and the racing.
My hope is that the cycling world starts focusing on what is important again - the racing.
I am looking forward to the Tour. I can't wait to see ff Zabriskie will have his fastest TT, or if Bettini will finally win a stage, or Andy Schleck make it to the big show, or Team Discovery hold it together like in the old days, or Michael Rasmussen try to take the KOM again - there is so much wonder this season. I think it is because we are racing a little cleaner. Younger talent has a shot.
Yep - good season so far. I can't believe it is half over.

Caribbean Soul

Echappee

The viewing figures for the Giro were 40% up on last year so despite all the doping nonsense, cycling is still good box office.

Spiralpro

A-. An excellent year so far. I shouldn't deduct points for all the doping issues, but I have done, because I was looking forward to Basso's return.
Really good spring classics, good tour Down under and of California.
The Giro was a good, but not a great race. What WAS great about it was Andy Schleck, great ride. Is he the next big thing? or another flash in the pan... like Cunego. I know Cunego is still young and has plenty of time but I though after Basso was dropped Cunego was a dead cert for the pink jersey.!!! Also my rider of the Giro was Petacchi, given his return to form from a bad injury. Di Luca was close for his huge improvements, great ride. He more or less did what he liked with the Maglia Rosa. But the mental and physical mountain Petacchi climbed to return to top level sprinting was amazming.
We still have alot of racing to go, looking forward to it all.

drenkrom

I'd give it an A. All the doping stuff doesn't make its way into my account, as it's classified in 'other news', as far as I'm concerned. Paris-Nice was the best in years. Tirreno was a nice one, too. MSR was boring for the first 200kms, as per usual, but the fireworks were worth it. The cobbled classics were all gripping in their own way. The Ronde was the usual war of attrition with a good surprise at the end. Paris-Roubaix was completely the opposite of what everyone expected (Cancellara vs Boonen) and one hell of a race. Even Gent-Wevelgem was a nailbiter this year. The Ardennes week was a little less exciting this year, and I do find Rebellin is a boring rider, but he deserved it. Di Luca at Liege was pure inspiration. The Giro may not have been super-gripping, but it sure as hell beats last year. Even Romandie was an edge-of-the-seat affair. The young generation that has been coming on in the last few years is definitely feeling at home now, and they are an exciting bunch to see. My surprise of the season thus far is Tinkoff, a team that injects new life into every race they enter and has a roster of great as-of-yet unknown young riders, who made me not regret the exclusion of the team's bigger stars one second. Ignatiev is a treat to watch.

Let's hope this keeps on going.

OffTheBackAdam

I'd give it an A for Effort, especially for Tinkoff, they're worth an A+ for their rides in the Giro, worthy of Jacky Durand's mantle, and poor old Bettini gets the A+ too, he put heart and soul into his racing, a very worthy World Champion!
Da Luca gets the top ranking too, he's not head and shoulders above the rest, so has to take a few seconds here & there from his rivals.
Top prize goes to Mark Cavendish! Well, us Brits have to have something to shout about. Can't wait to see him take the Green Jersey and final stage on the Champs Elysee!
Achievement gets an A too, Pettachi is back on song, his early season sprinting semed to lack that little something, but pulling in 5 stages in the Giro means he's back, so here's to more bar to bar sprints in the TdF!
Bitching is a disappointing C, no cat fights between Simoni & any young lion, perhaps he's admitted that age has finally got the better of him.

Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.

Milram-fan

hi. first post and everything - so be gentle!

2007 most definatley gets an A for entertainment and racing action. Paris - Nice was top drawer and the classics have provided lots of spills and thrills. Good to see the like of Ballan and O'Grady getting the wins they deserve. The Giro was immense and a relief to seee Ale-Jet back to his best.
I think the most exciting thing about 2007 has been the emmergance of Ricco though - did brilliantly at the giro, terrino and milan-san remo, he's shown he can climb with the best of them. Just needs to develop more in TT (but that will come)
Interesting to read everyone's positive views on Tinkoff's first season. I'm all for new investment in cycling (particularly in light of Cofidis and Discovery both set to pull out) but their race tactics are laughable and pointless.

OffTheBackAdam

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, Verdana" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Milram-fan</i>

but their race tactics are laughable and pointless.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
When a team enters a race, the Manager's question is "Can we win it?"
Tinkoff have no stage race winner in their ranks, Hamilton excepted, arguably.
Second question is thus "How else can we get publicity and justify our sponsors' continuing involvement?"
You put your riders up the road, get TV exposure, get the public seeing your jerseys, go for primes, go for "Most Aggressive Rider" go for numbers of km in breaks.
Where do the TV motorbikes hover? One's always at the front, with the leaders, what will the TV Director feed through to the network preferentially, a picture of the bunch rolling along? Not unless they can pick out a favourite, they'll show the breakaways.
With a bit of luck, the bunch will let you go and a stage win is a possibility.
So, I applaud those riders who are making a race of it!

Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.

Milram-fan

I was talking more about actual racing tacticts than their attempts at promoting their sponsors.
Getting into breaks is, of course, the only way Tinkoff are going to get publicity and possibly wins. It's when they are sending Ignatiev and Brut off on their own with the peleton really upping the race pace and there is only 10k or so to go.

OffTheBackAdam

Still worth a try, Viatcheslav Ekimov picked up at least one TdF stage doing that, it only takes a hesitation from the peleton, the gap's there and a win is in prospect.
Such tactics aren't "laughable" but rather laudable!

Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.

Milram-fan

fair point! maybe not laughable but slightly irritating when you're routing for a bunch sprint! [:D]

campagchris

I enjoyed the Giro especially the stage to the top of the Zoncolan,I much rather watch the Giro and Vuelta than the Tour as find them more exciting.

esmit208

Milram-Fan I have to agree with Adam. If you are a member of a continental team you won't get many invitations and even fewer if you are not aggressive in the races your team is allowed to start. And in the back of these racers minds also lurks the thought that other Pro Tour teams are always scouting and watching the competition. That's how rider like Alberto Contador as well as other rider of the now defunct Liberty Seguros squad got signed by other teams. Also if your team manager doesn't think you are absolutely burying yourself when instructed you will be left at home when the team does get invited to race. When you least expect it at least 3 people are watching you!

Edward G. Smith

drenkrom

Tinkoff have gone on suicide moves, that's for sure, but they tend to destabilize the peloton and that's a good thing. Take stage 9 (I think...) of the Giro this year. We were set for the usual scenario: break goes clear, gets reeled back to 1 minute, pack lets them linger there till 10 kms to go, control attacks in 5 last kms, big bunch sprint led out by team trains. Tinkoff sent off two riders with 15kms left, before the break was taken back and they created chaos in the peloton. They disrupted the strategies and what ensued was one of the most physical, pushy, chaotic, tight and exciting sprints of the whole race. They won nothing, but they hit the wasps' nest with a big stick and the show that provoked was great. That's what I like about them, they throw out the unofficial rulebook about when and how to attack. That in turn forces the other teams to break out of the mould and gives us one hell of a show. I'd much rather see a team with no chance of winning do that than pull off "a Bouygues" and just sit back and do nothing.

They did fry out their riders in the first week, though, and that was kinda weak.