The cycling thread

[AV82EC]

Did the European Middle Distance 70.3 Triathlon Championships in Belgium today. Now recovering with some hoppy ales.

That bike course looked an absolute bastard from your Strava stats Jon.

Flanders is flat right? Wrong. It was also quite technical in places, a lot of the course in the town with dead turns, cobbled sections and a lot of nasty pointy street furniture. Overall happy with the bike and run leg but I fucked up the swim big time but the worst thing was the wind, it came from all angles all fucking day long.

Where did you come out of interest?

[simon ward 50]

Watching the Tour of Britain go through Yorkshire. Jumbo Visma have the race tied up already, but still an interesting watch?

[Jon Crofts]

Did the European Middle Distance 70.3 Triathlon Championships in Belgium today. Now recovering with some hoppy ales.

That bike course looked an absolute bastard from your Strava stats Jon.

Flanders is flat right? Wrong. It was also quite technical in places, a lot of the course in the town with dead turns, cobbled sections and a lot of nasty pointy street furniture. Overall happy with the bike and run leg but I fucked up the swim big time but the worst thing was the wind, it came from all angles all fucking day long.

Where did you come out of interest?

13th.

Ironman Weymouth this Sunday.

[Jon Crofts]

Could go in the Brexit thread as well.

The Tour of Britain race director blames Brexit and funding crisis amid criticism.

 “It’s purely and simply Brexit.”

“Just to give you an example,” he added, “it took some teams that rode the world champs [in Glasgow] five hours to get their vehicles, technical teams through customs at Dover, and that was only three weeks ago. And they go, ‘Hang on. You know what? It’s not worth it’

Brexit has created a costly and time-wasting mountain of border red tape. While everyone ranted about tariffs, the much larger problem of non-tariff barriers was almost wholly ignored. Brexit was won after the mostly hopelessly ignorant and misinformed debate that one could find outside a dictatorship. It was a total failure of democracy.

[Gareth]

Nathan van Hooydonck of Jumbo-Visma in a ‘life threatening condition’ after car crash when he fell ill behind the wheel - horrible

[Jon Crofts]

Ironman Weymouth reduced to a long duathlon as lightning strikes at sea meant the swim was cancelled.
Weather was biblical in the morning, gusts of 40+ kph and driving rain made for a challenging ride, having managed to stay upright with 90mm front wheel and a disc rear in severe crosswinds I made it to 3km from home with just a few hairy moments.
After a fast technical descent at over 60 kph, wind gusting and standing water on the road I came off the power and went onto the bull horns on the base bar to start braking for a sharp left turn 100 metres ahead. I pulled the front brake. Nothing. I pulled it all the way to the bull horn and still almost nothing, on with the back brake too, risky in the wet and still almost nothing, speed not really dropping and I was about to pile in big time when in a flash I just thought, power oversteer, let go of the front pulled the rear and power slid round the corner with a dab of opposite lock. To my amazement and relief and notably the applause of a few hardy spectators I pulled it off, HR spiked, hands shaking I put the power back on and made it home in the wettest race I’ve ever done.  Added bonus I didn’t shit my Tri suit either.

[AV82EC]

Back in the saddle for the first time in a year this morning and what better way to start my next training block with an FTP test on the indoor bike. Fuck me my legs are still moaning now.

[Jon Crofts]

20 minutes of suffering or did you do the full 60 minutes?

I tested every month through the summer, hated the first few but look forward to them now to see progress.

[AV82EC]

20 minutes Jon, I'm not a maniac. You're right though whilst it hurts, there's a part of you which is itching for scores on the doors to see progress. 

Was quite pleased that not having ridden for a year I actually managed to be within 10 watts of previous FTP which was post my last Duathlon.

 

[Jon Crofts]

Good effort. I gained 60 watts over the summer and dropped 8kgs having taken 6 months off to give my knackered old body a proper rest. Work hard and it soon comes back.

[UK Redsox]

Cav has delayed his retirement to ride next year's TdF

[dcdavecollett]

Great news! Let's hope he makes it.

[simon ward 50]

Cav has delayed his retirement to ride next year's TdF

 

[SteveN]

Great news! Let's hope he makes it.

Astana are building a much stronger team and lead out for him including his old lead out man Morkov. I wouldn’t put it past him to pick up a couple of stages.

[dcdavecollett]

I really hope you're right.