General Race Thread 2024 **spoilers**

Macy0161

That looks a harsh take on my initial look - didn't look like there was any gap he ducked out of taking to me.

Thud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121849564#Comment_121849564

looks like he could have gone left on the overhead, it was a messy sprint but he had to commit to something if he wanted to be in the mix

dahat

To me he wanted to follow a Tudor rider who he thought was the eventual winner but it was in fact his lead out man peeling off.

griffin100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121848128#Comment_121848128

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/1edd05e6-f859-4073-97a7-17b67a2b81ef

Shamelessly stolen from Reddit.

retalivity

Jumbo doing a good job of showing there's zero benefit using their new helmets. Maybe they really dont want to wear them!

Also, interesting to see that Bennett was with the AG2R team to near the end, and wasnt done by the time they hit the hill. This, coupled with the fact he seems to be getting over hills far easier that other pure sprinters, and was climbing well up the mountains in UAE and finishing ahead of the bus, I wonder if he is trying to transition to more of a climby-sprinter guy, like Pedersen. Might suit him better to be the fastest guy in a reduced sprint, than going head to head in a busy, messy sprint with Merlier, Phillipsen etc.

breezy1985

UCI have banned head socks and are commissioning a review of TT helmets which have "become more about performance than their intended function"

Thud

Any other day of the year these guys would have looked ridiculous

https://bikerumor.com/is-dark-helmet-illegal-uci-reevaluates-time-trial-helmet-design-rules/

CramCycle

No matter what I try, all I can think of when I seen TJVs position on the TTT was this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhTq9WeFt_M

mewso

Vingo was asked about the helmets in todays coverage and based on his answer (basically not very enthusiastic but diplomatically not criticising them). I translate it as "please ban them UCI".

De Bhál

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121854262#Comment_121854262

Sam Bennett has always been one of the better sprinters for hills.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121854467#Comment_121854467

Bring back the sausage helmet and make any riders looking to act the b****x by using one of the new Lord Helmet yokes wear them as punishment.

Macy0161

I'm not a fan of the helmets, but it's totally ridiculous for the UCI to pass them, and then look to ban once everyone gives out. Reactionary bollox.

In TT's, helmets have been chasing aero gains over rider safety/ "intended function" for decades - they actually started wearing them in TT's before they had to for the performance benefits (whether real or not).

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121855902#Comment_121855902

It's perfectly normal for sports to constantly review the impact of technology.

Swimming, tennis and running have had very similar high profile cases of clothing tech being retroactively banned.

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121856016#Comment_121856016

Maybe, but from what I've heard (albeit second hand/ on podcasts), the companies were talking to UCI at various stages. UCI introduce dimensions that helmets have to fit, helmets fit in box but look crap, UCI changes the rules.

My main question would be on the safety of the giro helmets - if they face plant in them (as someone totally uneducated in it), it doesn't appear that it'd end well!

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121856016#Comment_121856016

I'd be surprised if there wasn't, as Macy hinted at, a process whereby the manufacturers liaise with the UCI before commencing development of new products. It would make zero sense to go to all the cost of design, R&D, testing, manufacturing/ production only to find out that they weren't legal.

Manufacturers have to have faith in the governing body and the rules in place. There has to be a degree of legitimate expectation that if you're told something will be compliant that it will be allowed unless specific safety issues are discovered. We seem to be dealing with a knee jerk reaction here - as though the UCI suddenly realised that something they'd just glanced at and approved - "yeah, yeah, I'm sure it's fine, work away" - was getting a lot of heat in the media. And then threw the manufacturer under the bus.

That said, ban them all.

Thud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121856044#Comment_121856044

You'd have to think even with MIPS there could be issues with neck rotation in a crash also

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121856096#Comment_121856096

Yes, was more the potential for that I was getting at really. But even some of the new aero road helmets are quite elongated (the bontrager one comes to mind).

Thud

There's definitely a front to back risk too with the shark nose likely to push the head upwards

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121856081#Comment_121856081

We have been here before with TT bikes because the UCI just couldn't fathom the kind of madness that R&D people would come up with and had to write new rules after the fact.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121856494#Comment_121856494

True. I'd be surprised if this was the same kind of case though. There's a lot less detail that goes into a helmet compared to a complete bike. We're really just talking about a shape and size here. And if the UCI had green lit that helmet but the manufacturer subsequently changed the specs/ design I'm sure the UCI would have let us know straight away... "not our fault, this doesn't reflect the design they gave us to approve".

retalivity

Ridiculous last corner in Italy, downhill in the wet 300m from the finish

Junior

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121856545#Comment_121856545

Bahrain/Rudy Project have come out and said the UCI approved their helmet as is, only a month ago.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121859919#Comment_121859919

The important question is, are they sock-height compliant?

retalivity

Ooofff...break nearly made it!

breezy1985

No win but at least Sam finally managed to finish ahead of Van Poppel🤣

Squidgy Black

Finished 4th, wasn’t a great sprint but at least he’s still up there I suppose

Dodge

Interesting schedule for Archie Ryan. He’s down for Coppi e Bartalli (won by Eddie in 2022 and Vingegaard in 2021). Ben Healy was 3rd last year too. He’s set to race the Tour of the Basque Country and Tour of the Alps in April

Darren Rafferty is on the list for Catalunya

Healy is headed for Amstel, Flèche Wallonne, LBL

griffin100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121862156#Comment_121862156

His 2 results this week are probably his best in quite a while. I’ve been critical of him over recent years but I think he’s at last heading in the right direction. A couple of wins in some lesser races early on this season would be great.

Raymzor

Great to see Sam in the mix. Certainly improving.

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121863520#Comment_121863520

And improving again today, he was doing the dirty work for the team pulling Gall and APP back to the leaders after a split on the second last climb. Was one of very few sprinters in the main group at that stage of the race, 150k in.