Competitive Cycling

Thenop · February 16, 2026, 02:36:48 PM

Fully immersed in the winter Olympics. Being Dutch means watching speed skating. So far we do OK, 6 times gold already..

dom · February 16, 2026, 02:52:09 PM

Hadn't thought of it before but speed skating is essentially indoor cycling but on skates

or, depending on perspective, indoor cycling is essentially speed skating but on a bike!

I see the Netherlands have 12 medals in total - any not from speed skating?

Nickslikk2112 · February 16, 2026, 03:04:22 PM

Quote from: dom on February 16, 2026, 10:51:41 AMNo talk of the Tour De Provence?

I don't know anything about the competition itself but what a wonderful part of the World to go cycling. Would be even better in a month's time but still a wonderful place to be

CX season was still on

Most of the Tour de Provence was flat and wet. Or uphill and snowy. It was also up against the Figueira Champions classic. Clasica Almeria and the mainly cancelled by wind Vuelta a la region de Murcia.

And today we have the lovely Clásica Jaén Paraiso Interior and the shortened by wind and sand drifts UAE Tour stage 1 won by Isaac del Toro

Thenop · February 16, 2026, 03:50:36 PM

Quote from: dom on February 16, 2026, 02:52:09 PMHadn't thought of it before but speed skating is essentially indoor cycling but on skates

or, depending on perspective, indoor cycling is essentially speed skating but on a bike!

I see the Netherlands have 12 medals in total - any not from speed skating?

Nope, all skating. Both shorttrack and regular 400M track.

And yes, all speed skaters cycle. In fact in the past we had athletes doung both, and competing in the Olympics on both.

dom · February 16, 2026, 04:35:23 PM

Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on February 16, 2026, 03:04:22 PM
Quote from: dom on February 16, 2026, 10:51:41 AMNo talk of the Tour De Provence?

I don't know anything about the competition itself but what a wonderful part of the World to go cycling. Would be even better in a month's time but still a wonderful place to be
CX season was still on

Most of the Tour de Provence was flat and wet. Or uphill and snowy. It was also up against the Figueira Champions classic. Clasica Almeria and the mainly cancelled by wind Vuelta a la region de Murcia.

And today we have the lovely Clásica Jaén Paraiso Interior and the shortened by wind and sand drifts UAE Tour stage 1 won by Isaac del Toro

[/quote
Flat and wet or uphill and snowy? What more could you possibly want from a 3 day cycling event in February!

Nickslikk2112 · February 17, 2026, 03:42:06 PM

Coo, er gosh, Remco won the TT in the UAE tour. Big shock!

Nickslikk2112 · February 18, 2026, 04:00:55 PM

Looked nice for riding in the UAE Tour today, nice wide, smooth and flat roads in warm sunshine. Until the road kicked upwards for the last 14km with the last 7km @ 12%

Remco got pummulled, Isaac del Toro couldn't outclimb Antonio Tiberi.

Thenop · February 28, 2026, 03:15:33 PM

Who else then MvdP wins Omloop het Nieuwsblad. The scare about 48 km before the end when a rider fell just in front of him... And the way he got around that, the man has absurd reflexes and bike skills.

Nickslikk2112 · February 28, 2026, 05:24:19 PM

Quote from: Thenop on February 28, 2026, 03:15:33 PMWho else then MvdP wins Omloop het Nieuwsblad. The scare about 48 km before the end when a rider fell just in front of him... And the way he got around that, the man has absurd reflexes and bike skills.

He'd probably have won anyway - on his debut - but the way he got by the fall cemented the victory.

Demi Vollering won the women's, two plucky Brits Cat Ferguson and Millie Couzens in the top 10.

Nickslikk2112 · March 01, 2026, 04:11:48 PM

The Binman, Matthew Brennan wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. Played that one well.

Nickslikk2112 · March 07, 2026, 01:02:45 PM

Good win for Elise Chabbey in the Strade Bianche Donne. Glad she beat Nieuwiadoma, she's a prima donna.

Was hoping Puck could pull it off, but I don't think she can quite do the steep stuff.

Now for the Men's

Nickslikk2112 · March 07, 2026, 03:43:57 PM

The Pog, The Pog, he's at it again. Who'd a thunk it...

Not even a top 5 for Pidcock, but a decent top 10 for WvA

dom · March 07, 2026, 09:01:31 PM

19 year old Seixas in second deserves a mention

Nickslikk2112 · March 07, 2026, 09:24:48 PM

Quote from: dom on March 07, 2026, 09:01:31 PM19 year old Seixas in second deserves a mention

No he doesn't. Feck the French and their inward looking parochial point of view. King Kelly was of the view that the best thing for him was to finish off the podium. Well, yes, he's a wise man King Kelly.

Hopefully he'll be another of these crash and burn French Wunderkinds.

dom · March 08, 2026, 10:36:42 AM

Wow! A bit ott there Nick. In his first full season as a professional at 18 he won the Tour De L'Avenir, a race open to the U 23s. He also finished 8th in the Criterium De Dauphine and became the youngest rider ever to finish in the top 10 at that event

Now19 he's already won the Faun Ardeche and now finishes 2nd in a World Class field in the Strade Bianche.

Like it or not this lad is a serious cyclist.

What was Kelly's reasoning that he would have been better off not doing his best in that race?

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