The cycling thread

[UK Redsox]

I see that two Giro riders have been banned just before the start

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/39813546

[aev]

I watched "Slaying the Badger" last night.

The Badger certainly seems a pretty tricky character, and I didn't realise that Bernard Tapie was involved in it all.

[Jon Crofts]

G second after Stage 4, Nibali looks ominous.

[Jon Crofts]

Fucks sake, when will the UCI do something about the standard of driving and riding by umpires and police at events?  What the fuck was that police rider doing? G's chances pretty much evaporate thanks to PC Twat.

[Ad@m]

Fucks sake, when will the UCI do something about the standard of driving and riding by umpires and police at events?  What the fuck was that police rider doing? G's chances pretty much evaporate thanks to PC Twat.

I was thinking exactly the same.  How many times does it have to happen before the UCI do something about it?

That said, I can imagine the local gendarme's response to a cycling club telling them to train their motorcycle cops better.

[Gareth]

You'd hope Sky will get into breaks now & chase stages.

Was pretty brutal the reaction to the crash yesterday by Movistar & co....can imagine the whooping when they realised Yates, most of Sky & Kelderman as one of Dumoulin's chief allies were down.

Wonder if Thomas, Landa & Yates might get pulled out now to be options for TdF also?

[UK Redsox]

Thomas pulls out

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/39972898

[SteveN]

Hopefully Dumoulin will have enough left in the tank to pull back the defecit on Quintana tomorrow in the Giro TT.  Deserves the win.

[Jon Crofts]

Jakob Fuglsand wins the Dauphine.

Froome says he wants to leave Sky to distance himself from the uncertainty and the cloud hanging over the team and allegedly approaches BMC, then a week later says he'll sign a 2 year extension with Sky.

It's 19 days until the start of Le Tour.

[thick_mike]

Quite excited about Le Tour. This is the first year I'll have the slightest clue what the hell is going on!

[UK Redsox]

Stage 7 of the Tour of Britain will finish here in 'Nam. However, it's on a Saturday so it's unlikely that I'll be in town

http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/stages/stage-seven/

[UK Redsox]

Short BBC article on Philippa York / Robert Millar

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/40529614

[paul_e]

If anyone has missed it the UCI world championships are on in Bergen this week, the mens time trial tomorrow includes a final stretch (about 3.4km) up mount floyen which is pretty much a 9-10% incline all the way.  I've walked that route up and down a few times and it's not an easy way to finish.  Add the wind and rain (which is inevitable) and they're really challenging courses they've put together.

[paul_e]

If anyone has missed it the UCI world championships are on in Bergen this week, the mens time trial tomorrow includes a final stretch (about 3.4km) up mount floyen which is pretty much a 9-10% incline all the way.  I've walked that route up and down a few times and it's not an easy way to finish.  Add the wind and rain (which is inevitable) and they're really challenging courses they've put together.

Quoting myself but the climb is proving to be just as big a deal as I expected, there's been a few that look ready to collapse at the line.  If anyone is watching I promise that it's steeper than it looks once you get into the trees.

[Dave Cooper please]

Weren't a couple of the specialist time-triallers a bit unhappy about it?