General Race Thread 2023 spoilers

mewso · 23-01-2023 12:38am

It looked like the Jakobsen bunch slowed thinking they were stuck on the wrong side but if they had kept going they would have easily joined up. I suppose a .Pro race doesn't warrant all that much research.

CramCycle · 23-01-2023 9:04am

Hooray for Sam, looked comfy at the end, van Poppel done a hell of a lead out though.

Paddigol · 23-01-2023 11:14am

Van der Poel with trademarked van der Poel theatrics after the finish line in Benidorm yesterday.

Yes, I am just bitter about the result.

Squidgy Black · 23-01-2023 8:58pm

Nairo decided not to join Miguel Angel Lopez at Medellin anyways, announcing his retirement from pro cycling in the next couple days apparently

retalivity · 23-01-2023 10:23pm

Pictures gone in Argentina, 20km from the finish

at1withmyself · 25-01-2023 12:34am

Sam holds the leaders jersey for another day after coming third.

Amazing steal by Simmons though to take the stage, well timed attack.

CramCycle · 25-01-2023 8:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120153932#Comment_120153932

It was, love those late stage flyers when they work.

dahat · 25-01-2023 9:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120153932#Comment_120153932

Simmons isn't everyone's cup of tea but i do like the lad and delighted to see him take a win. He could be a factor in the early classics this year for me.

Mefistofelino · 25-01-2023 2:25pm

Can't decide if van Poppel letting Richeze go was bad tactics or a master-stroke. With the two away, the best Jakobsen could have got was third and gained a four seconds bonus. Bringing it all together would have risked losing 10 seconds if Jakobsen won and Sam finished off the podium, as happened the day before. All depends on whether Bora having the leaders jersey for another day in Argentina is worth throwing away the chance of a stage win, I suppose.

CramCycle · 25-01-2023 4:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120155691#Comment_120155691

I imagine it was more that they had the jersey so its someone elses to chase and do the hard work when its not a threat to them, they chase and waste energy they had a higher chance of losing. I would have to imagine that a stage win would be worth more sponsors wise. Not sure what the financial reward for holding it another day is.

Dodge · 25-01-2023 4:34pm

Third for Ben Healy in Mallorca. In the break all day. He effectively guaranteed a podium by pushing in the last KM even though he knew he’d sacrifice any chance of a win. His best result as a pro

at1withmyself · 25-01-2023 7:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120154463#Comment_120154463

Agreed, I think he'll have a good year this year and like his attacking style.

Dr. Bre · 25-01-2023 8:59pm

Quintana dismissing retirement rumours and is hoping to ride this year

retalivity · 25-01-2023 11:28pm

San Juan with no pictures again, until the last corner.

Mefistofelino · 25-01-2023 11:31pm

Stage 4, San Juan. Gaviria, from Sagan and Ganna. Big split in the field - I think Sam is along way back. Gaviria is now leading on GC

odyssey06 · 26-01-2023 9:52am

Do any of the remaining stages suit Sam in Argentina?

Mefistofelino · 26-01-2023 9:58am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120159283#Comment_120159283

Not to today - they are finishing at nearly 2700m. Tomorrow has a Cat 3 about a third of the way through but is downhill / flat for the remainder so should suit him, assuming today's climbing hasn't wrecked him. Final stage is pan-flat - 7 x 16 km laps of San Juan.

breezy1985 · 26-01-2023 2:04pm

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/alaphilippe-says-lefevere-comments-wont-affect-him-as-quickstep-boss-doubles-down/

Paddy must be feeling the pinch from the Remco contract. Back to bullying high salary riders and claiming he is faking an injury.

mewso · 26-01-2023 3:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120159302#Comment_120159302

Today is a rest day so all of the above is true just add 1 day. Although based on how much actual footage we have gotten so far today will be just as good.

odyssey06 · 26-01-2023 3:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120160750#Comment_120160750

Coverage like that... makes me realise how much I take for granted in coverage of the major races, time checks, close ups on sprint finishes etc.

CramCycle · 26-01-2023 4:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120160330#Comment_120160330

Jesus, he really is an outrageous boll*cks, hopefully some of his fanboys on the continent are starting to tyre of his BS, the sport doesn't need the likes of him.

Dodge · 26-01-2023 6:33pm

https://lacourseentete.com/whats-behind-lefeveres-cold-truth-goading-of-alaphilippe/

Nothing revelatory in that but kind of sums up where Lefevre is now. Will be interesting to see how it plays out. Alaphilipe won’t be short of offers

breezy1985 · 26-01-2023 7:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120161677#Comment_120161677

Ala is out of contract in 2024 so it's likely this is down to him not wanting to sign whatever peanuts PL is offering.

mewso · 27-01-2023 1:09am

Soudal-Quickstep are all-in for Remco these days anyway. Good time for Ala to get out. French teams will queue up for him. Remco has a few years on his contract so the abuse won't start for him just yet.

breezy1985 · 27-01-2023 8:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120163375#Comment_120163375

Ide love to see him at FdJ but French teams would be a bit of a step down for him.

retalivity · 27-01-2023 9:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120163688#Comment_120163688

Could probably afford him once Pinot is off the payroll.

Sagan announces he is semi-retiring from the road at the end of the year.

breezy1985 · 27-01-2023 9:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120163714#Comment_120163714

Maybe but they are not exactly a prolific team and probably could not match what others will offer. He is probably now one of the biggest personalities in cycling.

retalivity · 27-01-2023 7:34pm

San Juan going up to 2600m today. They could have kept on up the road to th chile border, would have been 4000m+. Some serious paved altitude in the Andes

Mefistofelino · 27-01-2023 11:25pm

Mountain top finish in San Juan. Miguel Angel Lopex took the stage by about 30 seconds from Ganna and Higuita.

mewso · 27-01-2023 11:35pm

Carlton keeps talking about Superman's behaviour carefully avoiding the fact that it wasn't really behaviour that has him riding for a Conti team.

mewso · 29-01-2023 1:45am

San Juan delivered this evening. Great sprint finish. Sam second but importantly beat Jacobsen in the closest to a one on one I've seen between them (if anything Jacobsen had the advantage coming out of Sam's wheel). Great win for Wellsford though. Seems like a nice lad. Fun to see the local kids politely tapping the DSM lads on the shoulder and asking for their bidons. How many young lads would just grab and run?

MangleBadger · 29-01-2023 9:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120171824#Comment_120171824

Yeah it’s great to see Sam fighting for the win. While he only got the 1 victory he has been pretty good in all the sprints so far. Very encouraging signs. Hopefully he has a successful season ahead of him.

mewso · 30-01-2023 2:28pm

Saudi Tour kicks off and as usual I find it all very strange compared to other sports. There is simply no discussion in cycling about the right or wrong about having an event in places like this. I would never blame cyclists as they are doing a job and in many case some of the sponsors are directly connected to the places they race but I would like the media to at least acknowledge this. I genuinely think that cycling has for so long been looking over it's shoulder for the next doping scandal approaching it doesn't even occur to them to consider the implications of the other facets of the sport.

breezy1985 · 30-01-2023 2:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120177446#Comment_120177446

You don't hear it about the races but the team sponsors has been a big topic.

dahat · 30-01-2023 3:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120177446#Comment_120177446

All sports are in the same boat. The reach of these money laden middle east countries is far beyond what we will ever know.

I go so far as to say they effectively run the world....

Dodge · 30-01-2023 3:55pm

When you have teams sponsored by the governments of UAE, Bahrain, Kazakhstan and another with Israel in its title, having a race in Saudi Arabia is merely a footnote

Of course loads of events take place in Saudi Arabia with little fanfare at all. Cycling isn’t unique there at all

Macy0161 · 30-01-2023 5:19pm

As has been pointed out, there's been lots of debate about sponsors - not just in the context of State sponsors, but also petrochemical companies. UCI also got hammered over the Worlds in Doha. tbh minority sports like cycling have less options than football or golf who don't really need the money.

eeeee · 30-01-2023 7:43pm

Cycling still has a moral/ ethical responsibility though. It may not be huge sport but it has a global reach and a global audience. Sportswashing/ reputational laundering by petrostates and large unethical corporations is never ok, no matter how many excuses you make for it.

If the sport has to contract a a result that's no harm.

I think there was a bit of giving out when races started there about rider welfare, but that's died down now

I don't watch any of them when they happen out there, but then Israel, Bahrain, Astana etc etc are all in the peloton laundering away. And there isn't a country in the world that ethically sound, but some are worse than others. I know it doesn't really make sense to skip those races and watch the classics etc but a futile stand is better than no stand!

CantGetNoSleep · 30-01-2023 8:38pm

I skip those races because they are ****, with the possible exception of one hill or two in the UAE tour

breezy1985 · 30-01-2023 10:46pm

So far the middle east mostly occupies a section of former off season so the average fan barely notices they exist which is why there is no big uproar unlike say golf or football.

If Qatar tried to set up a rival TdF suddenly people would take notice.

I've just made peace with the fact that most people don't think as deeply about sport or politics as I do.

retalivity · 30-01-2023 11:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120179763#Comment_120179763

I would honestly not be surprised to see Qatar or some other ME state try and buy ASO outright, or get a big stake in it, and have a grand depart in Doha, Dubai etc.

Dodge · 30-01-2023 11:28pm

If the Giro can start in Israel, the Tour starting in Asia is the obvious enough next step.

I’m stunned it hasn’t already happened tbh

CramCycle · 31-01-2023 9:08am

Sportswashing aside, they are the dullest races. Right everyone, lets get in to a giant amorphous blob and trundle through the desert. One day we will have cross winds and another we will have a hill, maybe the same hill on another day. Enjoy the miles and miles of desert where only for the counter on the screen, you may as well be looking at a large GIF file.

breezy1985 · 31-01-2023 10:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120180761#Comment_120180761

They won't care. It will get them into a room with the right people come TdF time.

If it was too hard the riders wouldn't want to go to what is essentially a warm weather training camp.

mewso · 31-01-2023 1:56pm

I agree with most of the points. For me it's just that regardless of the rights or wrongs it's so strange how there seems to be no awareness or mention of it on any level. I mean Blythe is actually out there doing interviews so Eurosport actually decides for one of their rarer moves, to send someone to the actual location of a race, that this is the time to do it. Then you have Jez Cox commentating and saying something along the lines of how great it is for the region to have racing. Yes for my sins I did watch yesterdays stage. I'm an addict (and Monday is a remote day for me :).

CramCycle · 31-01-2023 2:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120182051#Comment_120182051

They send someone because that because that will be the agreement for the rights. GCN or Eurosport will give them different packages and they will pick the best looking one. Most other races, the organisers won't take the hit to the bank.

It's a bit like some of the drug scandals, you will see people giving out about Carlton being naive, but his hands are tied. One of the commentators used to laugh through his cup of tea when commentating on certian riders, and flat out say, we can't talk about that.

One of the reasons TG4 is great because they will talk about stuff because they know, bar a few here, no one who is going to take them to task is listening or understands.

retalivity · 01-02-2023 2:25pm

Eddie starts the season today in Valencia. Its been confirmed he's going to the Giro for Jayco as a leader

seaviewphotos · 01-02-2023 4:56pm

Delighted for Eddie, hopefully we'll see his full potential this year. It could be a very exciting year for Eddie.

retalivity · 01-02-2023 7:03pm

3 ITTs though, in a stacked field with Remco, Roglic, Vlasov, Thomas, etc. Don't think he'll be anywhere in GC in that company and 70+ ks against the clock, he should have a few chances for stages in the mountains though.

at1withmyself · 01-02-2023 8:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120188507#Comment_120188507

The Giro is always a funny one with injuries etc.. so if he's in good form and stays upright then I could see a top 5

General Race Thread 2023 **spoilers**

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General Race Thread 2023 spoilers