Competitive Cycling

[Nickslikk2112]

So it looks like Paul Seixas is a decent time trialist. Good to have that in his armour if he is to compete at the top level.

A decent field competing and lots of climbing over the next 5 days so it will be a stiff test.

Controle ant-dopage s'il vous plait Monsieur Seixas!

I'll behave like the Frogs do. Funny how on the TdF they used to target Bahrain victorious - until Sticky Martinez joined them.

Funny how the Frogs only pop-up when their blokes do well.

Jhonatan Narvaez to leave UAE for INEOS - from whence he came - to bring in Seixas as Pogi's new super-domestique.


And bloody froggo Clara Copponi won the Ronde de Mouscron today. Could have sworn she was Italian. Olga Wankiwiecz in 7th and plucky Brit Eilidh Shaw in 8th.

[dom]

Yes, the ultimate fair weather cycling fan. It is what it is but I'm definitely guilty.


I must admit I had no idea how much cycling there was going on. Take this week with Flanders and Basque country going on at the same time.

I'll also confess that you have helped with that.  I enjoy your and The Nop's posts on this thread. Informative and entertaining! But apart from the TDF and the odd classic I wouldn't seek it out .Too many other sports and distractions for me to be able to devote serious time to cycling apart from the best sporting event in the World in July.

[Nickslikk2112]

Too many other sports and distractions for me to be able to devote serious time to cycling apart from the best sporting event in the World in July.

The Giro's in May

Lance Sexass won again today. If Pogi's sus, then he's super sus. Two minutes up after two stages? He only won the Tour de l'Avenir against his peer group by 40s and he had lots of help from Maxime Cockwomble there.

Nice to see Ben Tulett up in fifth, if only he'd stuck to cyclocross though, twice Junior World Champion then gave it up.

Not nice to see Mikel Landa crash today. I think it's his last season and I thought it might have been over after today, but he got back on to finish. See if he turns up tomorrow,

[dom]

Too many other sports and distractions for me to be able to devote serious time to cycling apart from the best sporting event in the World in July.

The Giro's in May

Lance Sexass won again today. If Pogi's sus, then he's super sus. Two minutes up after two stages? He only won the Tour de l'Avenir against his peer group by 40s and he had lots of help from Maxime Cockwomble there.

Nice to see Ben Tulett up in fifth, if only he'd stuck to cyclocross though, twice Junior World Champion then gave it up.

Not nice to see Mikel Landa crash today. I think it's his last season and I thought it might have been over after today, but he got back on to finish. See if he turns up tomorrow,

I think you're just trying to wind up the froggos, and you just can't bear to give credit to the Great French Hope. 
If he does badly he'll be mocked, does well he's obviously doped up.

[Nickslikk2112]

I think you're just trying to wind up the froggos, and you just can't bear to give credit to the Great French Hope. 
If he does badly he'll be mocked, does well he's obviously doped up.

He may just burn out quickly. Del Toro was nowhere today and the won the l'Avenir by 1'13".
But the French? A nation which can sink the Rainbow Warrior is one which pay lip service to Paniagua cycling whilst developing an artificial blood.

I support all cyclists - just not French ones, Americans, Russians, Turncoats who become Irish, Vingegaard and Remco 

[dom]

I think you're just trying to wind up the froggos, and you just can't bear to give credit to the Great French Hope. 
If he does badly he'll be mocked, does well he's obviously doped up.

He may just burn out quickly. Del Toro was nowhere today and the won the l'Avenir by 1'13".
But the French? A nation which can sink the Rainbow Warrior is one which pay lip service to Paniagua cycling whilst developing an artificial blood.

I support all cyclists - just not French ones, Americans, Russians, Turncoats who become Irish, Vingegaard and Remco 

I think you're just trying to wind up the froggos, and you just can't bear to give credit to the Great French Hope. 
If he does badly he'll be mocked, does well he's obviously doped up.

He may just burn out quickly. Del Toro was nowhere today and the won the l'Avenir by 1'13".
But the French? A nation which can sink the Rainbow Warrior is one which pay lip service to Paniagua cycling whilst developing an artificial blood.

I support all cyclists - just not French ones, Americans, Russians, Turncoats who become Irish, Vingegaard and Remco 

Enjoy your bitterness 😂

[Nickslikk2112]

Well Ethan Vernon stuck to the Frogs today in the Région Pays de la Loire Tour. Taking first place in the bunch sprint. Noah Hobbs came in third, Erland Blikra splitting the plucky Brits.

Bryan "No Mirrors in My House" Coquard, came in 11th

Unfortunately not shown on TNT Sports.

[Nickslikk2112]

Charlotte Kool won today's Scheldeprijs Vrouwen. All down to a leadout from plucky Brit Millie Couzens...

Mikel Landa didn't start the Itzulia today, Isaac del Toro DNF after a crash.

[Nickslikk2112]

Another Froggo win in the Itzulia today, probably won't be reported in France as Axel Laurence rides for INEOS. Sae him win the Men's U23 road race World Championship in 2023.

Pluckiest Brit James Shaw in 5th, I sometimes see him overtake me on local roads. I let him by.

[Nickslikk2112]

Hat-trick of wins for Tim Merlier in Scheldeprijs. Only his second race day of the year. Many of th top names crashed out on the cobbles of the Broekstraat.

Jed Smithson pluckiest Brit in 21st

[Nickslikk2112]

Breakaway day in the Itxulia again, ending in victory for Alex Aranburu who put one over on Tobias Johannessen, but could easily have been beaten by Ion Izagirre who hadn't been in the breakaway.

Good to see Emiel Verstrynge in 11th today, a victory for Cyclocross!

Meanwhile in Turkey, plucky Brit Calum Johnston took the stage victory in the Tour of Mersin

[Nickslikk2112]

Lance Sexass and the Hype Machine won again today. After Florian Lipowitz had played it so well up until deciding to sprint much too far from the line. He'd riled Seixas by sticking to him like a limpet in the last 10km then spoilt it all.

Be nice if tomorrow Ion Izagirre could make up 11 seconds on Roglic to finish on the podium in his last year. Mind, he is only a year older than Roglic.

[dom]

Wondering when sticking to someone's back wheel is "playing it so well" and when it's an act of treachery bordering on cheating ala Martinez?

[Nickslikk2112]

Wondering when sticking to someone's back wheel is "playing it so well" and when it's an act of treachery bordering on cheating ala Martinez?

Martinez does sticky bottles. Gaudu is the wheelsucker.

Sexass thought he could drop Lipowitz on a descent as descending can be a bit of a lesser skill for him, but he railed it. He did take turns on the flatter bits, but should have held back for the sprint, do a bit of finesseing, they weren't going to be caught. Well, they might have been, but the chasing group were mucking about too much.

[dom]

With Lipowitz being 6 years Seixas' senior you would have thought he would have gotten the better of him tactically