General Race Thread 2023 spoilers

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.

General Race Thread 2023 **spoilers**

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General Race Thread 2023 spoilers