General Race Thread 2024 **spoilers**

breezy1985

A few new sponsors about the place for 2024 but most teams going with only slight tweaks on the new kits.

Not all teams though.

breezy1985

Big stories of the off season are the Cian transfer which has finally being resolved and Pog once again refusing to compromise his season to target the Tour.

retalivity

Missed the CX today, just saw that Fem lost!

mewso

If that is the new Jayco jersey then its an improvement imo.

https://twitter.com/lucasaganronald/status/1740849291063902480

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121549950#Comment_121549950

Reminds me of the Aussie sponsored jersey you can pick in Pro Cycling Manager.

I think it's based on a real one but not sure.

CantGetNoSleep

Not turning out to be the most exciting season of men's cyclo-cross it seems

mewso

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121550331#Comment_121550331

All about one man really but he might be in a bit of trouble after his actions today.

retalivity

What the fcuk

https://twitter.com/10NewsFirst/status/1741351550457446861?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

mewso

This thread has slipped onto page 2 so thought I would bump it since we are well into 2024 already. I noticed Luke Plapp has retained his National Championship. Thats 3 in a row now. Eurosport had coverage of the Aussie Nationals last year so not sure why it didn't this time around. Can't find a profile but it seems it was a 100km breakaway with his Jayco teammate Harper.

Anyway as to 2024. I'll throw out some predictions for the main events. I've got to go with heart and head here as I'm rarely cheering for the most likely winner:-

Strade Bianche: heart - Ben Healy, head - Ben Healy

Milan San Remo: heart - Tadej Pogacar, head - Arnaud De Lie

Ronde van Vlaanderen: heart - Fred Wright, head - Wout van Aert

Paris-Roubaix: heart - Florian Vermeersch/Stefan Kung, head - Mathieu Van der Poel

Liege Bastogne Liege: heart - Ben Healy, head - Tom Pidcock

Giro d'Italia: heart - Eddie Dunbar, head - Tadej Pogacar

Tour de France: heart - David Gaudu, head - Jonas Vingegaard

La Vuelta: heart - Joao Almeida, head - Primoz Roglic

Il Lombardia: heart - Lenny Martinez, head - Tadej Pogacar

I think Healy has a great chance at a monument this year but it's tough so I've put him down for the unofficial 6th. I'd like to see Pog get closer to all 5 monuments and my usuals (Wright and Kung) have to be in there. I'd also love to see a French winner of le Tour and while Gaudu is no Pinot he is probably the best chance for France (however faint) at the moment. Hard to predict the Vuelta when you don't know who'll be there trying to get something after missing out earlier in the season. While I enjoy watching the women's events I'm not as knowledgeable. Be nice to see Puck Pieterse win Strade (finished 5th last year) as she is very likeable and I expect Kopecky and Vollering to pretty much dominate everything else between them but hopefully not from an entertainment point of view.

breezy1985

I have no idea what the start list is like but the biggest possible win for Healy this year would be the Olympics at least in terms of a wider appeal.

They say it's made for Loulou so should suit Healy and a few others. Teams never hold the same weight in the Olympics too so being Irish won't be the problem it is in the Worlds.

retalivity

Remco to the Tour confimed

https://twitter.com/EvenepoelRemco/status/1744771782869909511

Mefistofelino

https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/introducing-archie-ryan-and-darren-rafferty-ef-education-easyposts-new-irish-talents/

Junior

Track related, but the women's pursuit squad have just crashed in Qualifying rounds of the European Championships.

breezy1985

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/sport/1391524/limerick-racecourse-to-host-national-cyclocross-championships.html

Surprised I'm only hearing about this now. CX national championships are in Limerick this weekend.

Junior

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121597339#Comment_121597339

They've gotten themselves into the Bronze Medal ride off.

Thud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121597339#Comment_121597339

Lara Gillespie just missed bronze in the omnium by one point (131 vs130) on the last sprint of the points race, she'd taken two laps earlier in the race.

retalivity

Lanterne Rouge have their EF preview up, really bigging up Archie Ryan to have a good year

tawfeeredux

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121619946#Comment_121619946

I really hope he does. He took one of my favourite Strava KOMs on Stephen's day. May there be an opportunity to bask in reflected glory at some point during the season; "yeah, whatever about the move to EF, it was pushing myself to get that KOM up Ballymana Lane that really moved me on to the next level" 😁

dahat

Ouch.

mewso

If Sam is determined then he'll use that comment for motivation.

As for STDU Caleb Ewan not looking great. Great position just behind Welsford and still couldn't even podium.

Paddigol

Why would you say that if you're DvP? Who stands to gain? What are you trying to achieve?? What an asshat.

Sam's built up a fair sized armoury of ammunition from loud mouth detractors over the past few years. It's make or break time for him this season... I'd love if he found the right conditioning and form and unloaded on the sprint peloton. Forget about ability, nationality etc... he's always come across as a decent, genuine fella. Whatever about the likes of Bouhani, he hasn't deserved half the crap thrown his way. You have to root for a guy like that.

Macy0161

Would agree with Sam. Actually some (supportive of him) commentators have suggested he's too nice, not enough of a dick to be really successful!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121624749#Comment_121624749

He's been ill afaik.

Weepsie

I think dvp was pretty benign in his comments to be honest.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121628092#Comment_121628092

It's not what he said about Sam - that was very benign for sure. It's that he said anything about him at all. There was no need? Unless I'm wrong, and he was replying to a direct question about Sam? It's like comparing a new partner to an ex... unless there's history and bitterness there, you just don't make comparisons. Well, of course you can, but it says something about you if you do.

"I was waiting for a fast sprinter" is a clear implication that he doesn't rate Sam. Again, why make a rod for your own back?

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121628162#Comment_121628162

Maybe he was right?

Personally think DVP comes into too hot for last man, needs to ease a little to allow the sprinter jump. Even Welsford was big old grind off his wheel after he looked in a little bother to hold it.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121631542#Comment_121631542

Maybe he was, it's all about opinions. That wasn't my point though. I'm not saying Sam is super, the fastest, top tier, still got it etc etc. I don't think he can argue that himself tbh given his results over the past few seasons, whatever about what he believes his true potential is. My point is that it's pretty classless to be throwing a dig in public like that when there's no need.

Sure maybe Patrick LeF. is right in what he says about his riders when he goes off on one in the press too. Not nice, but maybe he's right in a lot of it. It's completely uncalled for though.

If you're DVP, your teammate has just won, what makes you think having a go at one of the good guys in the peloton is the thing to do?

I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. But it will make me root for Sam that little bit more.

Thud

who knows what happened between Sam and DVP last year. It may have been frustrating being the lead out man for a sprinter who has lost his nerve probably hit him in the pocket too it if there were performances based bonuses.

Weepsie

The quote above is a snippet of what was said, and taking everything out of context to try to stir something.

He didn't really have a dig at all, and he mentioned other sprinters too in the same sentence he was mentioning Bennett

retalivity

Great racing in Benidorm today, where MVDP finally didnt win a race, had too many crashes, and as he said himself, "He didn't have great legs"

Also MVDP today:

https://twitter.com/TimBonvilleGinn/status/1749077446442311938

https://twitter.com/writebikerepeat/status/1749153566458052728

Paddigol

It's going to be very interesting to see how WVA and MvdP fare against each other in the Spring. Presume they'll both be racing most of the big ones? A lot of pressure (relatively speaking) on Wout to make it count this season I think.

retalivity

Darren Rafferty making his WT debut for EF today in Majorca, in support of Van Der Berg/Bettiol. Race currently ongoing

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/trofeo-ses-salines-felanitx/2024/startlist