Best single day of racing ~ 2013
Comments
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Alan A wrote:It's a toss up between P-R and Tour Echelon, with Echelons just pipping it because of what TWH pointed out above and the joy of reading "ECHELONS.... THIS IS NOT A DRILL" in the spoiler thread.
Yeah, that made me sit in the corner of the room giggling for about an hour. I've always thought that the moment someone starts getting excited at the mere possibility of a cross-wind is the moment that first marks them out as a genuine cycling fan and not someone who just dips in and out of the Tour.
Stage 9 on the Tour also fizzled for a while, although it never quite came to a climax. Sure I've seen some other good bits through the year, but can't place them at the moment.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:Several one day races were better than any of the classics, but if folks don't get to see them, I guess they aren't worth posting.
Not feeling all the Paris-Roubaix love, also getting the nod on another forum.
The race was spoiled for me, by the Stybar crowd mishap.
Definitely tell us about the one dayers you liked.0 -
Despite the moans through the year I think there's been some excellent racing. It's a shame MSR was cut short but it still provided some epic conditions. The Tour, despite that feeling of inevitability from the first mountain stage, produce some excellent stages and we had that second mountain stage where Froome looked vulnerable for a large part of the day. The best finish to PR in years, the wet stage at Tirreno-Adriatico and the similar stage with Wiggins at the Giro but my favourite was Dan winning at LBL.
Honourable mentions to Roma Maxima and Tro Bro Leon.0 -
For me, MSR was the best by a long way!
Followed by the echelon stage at the Tour and Dan Martin's win on the 2nd mountain stage.
Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster0 -
1. LBL - great racing to the end...
2. Echelons - best day on the forum
3. MSR - best pics0 -
Riblon's win was very emotional, I really enjoyed that.
And a certain Mr Quintana making his first breakaway in the Tour was stunning.0 -
Paris-Roubaix. Just watched it back to check I wasn't remembering it with rose tinted specs on. Back in the good old days when Harmon was commentating, we had a summer of cycling ahead of us and I wasn't injured! Great last 40km, would've been even better but for the OPQS crowd mishaps.0
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underlayunderlay wrote:Alan A wrote:It's a toss up between P-R and Tour Echelon, with Echelons just pipping it because of what TWH pointed out above and the joy of reading "ECHELONS.... THIS IS NOT A DRILL" in the spoiler thread.
Yeah, that made me sit in the corner of the room giggling for about an hour. I've always thought that the moment someone starts getting excited at the mere possibility of a cross-wind is the moment that first marks them out as a genuine cycling fan and not someone who just dips in and out of the Tour.
Stage 9 on the Tour also fizzled for a while, although it never quite came to a climax. Sure I've seen some other good bits through the year, but can't place them at the moment.
I was in Avignon for that stage and so didnt join in the BR fun. Now 3 months later I've just looked at the thread properly for the first time. Christ, BR went into meltdown with the excitement0 -
Cav's description of the Echelon stage is a fantastic read. The 'Ticket Collector' policing tail of echelon is a highlight.
"...fanning out diagonally across the road toward the wind direction and rotating through the line quickly and cohesively, they could condemn the riders at the bottom of the line to a place in the gutter, in the wind, and in imminent danger of losing contact.
Once one of those riders lost the wheel — or was deliberately shut out by a “ticket collector” placed at the back of the line to decide who was allowed into the echelon — there was no way back. It was a fine art that demanded strength, timing, nous, and balls; at Omega Pharma-Quick Step, we were considered experts.
In the days that followed what became a famous stage, there would be all sorts of fanciful, verging on folkloric stories about code words devised by Wilfred Peeters and plans concocted the night before..."...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0 -
Cavendish wrote that? :shock:0
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greasedscotsman wrote:Cavendish wrote that? :shock:
He actually wrote: "At the weekend I went on my bike with my friends we went fast and after we had Coke and crisps" - the editor extrapolated...0 -
OCDuPalais wrote:He actually wrote: "At the weekend I went on my bike with my friends we went fast and after we had Coke and crisps" - the editor extrapolated...
Stage was on a Friday...0 -
Peasants...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0
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greasedscotsman wrote:Cavendish wrote that? :shock:
Daniel Friebe ghosted his book, as he did 'Boy Racer'. And then add in the work of the subbie (?) who worked on the extract for publishing on Velonews. But Friebe's said before that Cav's almost photographic memory plus his turns of phrase, makes his job as a ghost writer a lot easier.
EDIT
And Maca's right, you're all peasants. Its a cracking account - especially of the scrap with the Carrot0 -
Cav at Valencia Moto GP.0 -
Inevitably - like the march of the seasons, further sexual assault charges against TV presenters from the 70's and 80's and more cycling champs being revealed as dopers - we'll see Cav's sprint dominance challenged - and eventually superseded (by Kittel?). Let's say his off-season training re-establishes his superiority for most of 2014, but the writing's on the wall for the following years in terms of sprint performance (drop off): will he try to re-align himself as more of a Boonen/classics man - or will that be it, and he just retires at 31?0
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OCDuPalais wrote:Inevitably - like the march of the seasons, further sexual assault charges against TV presenters from the 70's and 80's and more cycling champs being revealed as dopers - we'll see Cav's sprint dominance challenged - and eventually superseded (by Kittel?). Let's say his off-season training re-establishes his superiority for most of 2014, but the writing's on the wall for the following years in terms of sprint performance (drop off): will he try to re-align himself as more of a Boonen/classics man - or will that be it, and he just retires at 31?Twitter: @RichN950
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A few seasons of results that would delight any normal sprinter, but look poor by Cav's standards, won't do any harm to the legend of his golden years....a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.0
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OCDuPalais wrote:Inevitably - like the march of the seasons, further sexual assault charges against TV presenters from the 70's and 80's and more cycling champs being revealed as dopers - we'll see Cav's sprint dominance challenged - and eventually superseded (by Kittel?). Let's say his off-season training re-establishes his superiority for most of 2014, but the writing's on the wall for the following years in terms of sprint performance (drop off): will he try to re-align himself as more of a Boonen/classics man - or will that be it, and he just retires at 31?
Nope - he's going to return and monster the Sprint King-in-Waiting0 -
Richmond Racer wrote:Nope - he's going to return and monster the Sprint King-in-Waiting
Nah, he's finished.0 -
Richmond Racer wrote:OCDuPalais wrote:Inevitably - like the march of the seasons, further sexual assault charges against TV presenters from the 70's and 80's and more cycling champs being revealed as dopers - we'll see Cav's sprint dominance challenged - and eventually superseded (by Kittel?). Let's say his off-season training re-establishes his superiority for most of 2014, but the writing's on the wall for the following years in terms of sprint performance (drop off): will he try to re-align himself as more of a Boonen/classics man - or will that be it, and he just retires at 31?
Nope - he's going to return and monster the Sprint King-in-Waiting
As for this year, the ventoux stage of the tdf, Liege Bastogne Liege are my 2 favourites. also enjoyed Cavs win in the echelon ridden TDF stage, and Sylvain Chavanels one man crusade to be near the front or driving the breaks throughout the tour.0 -
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Richmond Racer wrote:
Another reason Cav should be quaking0 -
The reason that Matt Goss, Tyler Farrar, Roberto Ferrari and others don’t get on that list is pretty obvious, surely…. They just are not as fast!
Agree about Cav. He is the best sprinter I’ve ever seen. Though I preferred Greipels nodding dog routine (for the comedy value).0 -
I do remember shouting at the TV for LBL though so that probably wins
Cavendish used the phrase "ticket collecter" in his book - while I get the analogy, how do you go about doing this? Just drop the wheel slightly and wobble across the road to stop the rider behind you go around to close the gap?0