2024 season

While MvdP dominates the cyclo-cross season, it's nearly time to get back on the road.

Pogačar will be riding the Giro this year. Does that mean they're throwing in the towel on the TdF? Well, the plan is for him to ride that alongside Almeida, Ayuso and Yates, so probably not.

The 'Yellow B' team (as they've renamed the official licence holder, seemingly as part of a plan to make that the team name/brand going forward) will now be Visma | Lease a Bike, and there's another big money discounter sponsor (following Lidl-Trek) in Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale.

Pogacar had great form in the Spring Classics last year. If he's going to come into the year strong again he might as well have a crack at the Giro before the Tour. Quite a few of the big tour riders double up. Great chance for him to add to his palmares, he's won the Giro de Lombardia in each of the last three years and he's only raced a Grand Tour that wasn't The Tour once in 2019 when he raced the Vuelta and came third winning the young riders classification. If Pogacar can pick up multiple grand tour wins then why not, not many have accomplished it.

Pogacar is riding the Tour, he has confirmed it.

Don't know if anyone watches the Matt Stephens Cafe Rides on Youtube but a recent one with Pogacar has him talking about TdF and that he'll be riding it. Due to Olympics the finish this year is in Nice which is where he lives so they were discussing that etc.

Will be interesting to see if Pogacar races the Giro to win, or just to hold form. Obviously last season he started like a house on fire, until the injury in LBL, and then he was good for the first two weeks of the Tour but faded in the third week. Lack of preparation or fatigue from too much early season racing (as opposed to riding round for conditioning)?

I get the impression that Pogacar is a guy who finds it hard to ride races without trying to win them - it's great to have such an old-school approach from a rider who is a serious contender in Grand Tours, something we haven't really seen since the era of Hinault. The problem is that it will probably cost him some Tour successes against more focussed opponents.

Another thing I'm watching for this year is whether Pidcock can have more success on the road - I didn't realise until a few days ago (when Eurosport were re-showing Strade Bianche 23) that he has only 4 wins in road races so far, although has picked some good ones (Tour stage at l'Alpe d;Huez, Strade Bianche and Brabantse Pijl). OK, a coupl eof other very near misses with 2nd in Amstel Gold and Liege. Obviously he's an exceptional all round rider, probably the best XC mountain biker, top 3 or 4 in cyclo cross and potentially a superstar on the road, but currently seems to not quite be defined as to his niche - probably going to end up being a hilly classics and shorter stage race rider rather than a Tour champion, but currently Ineos seem to be pushing him in the direction of the big stage races.

I admire Pogacar for being an old-fashioned Tryer and not a "focussed" rider (great euphemism for the You Know Who Team!). I agree that he should limit his Spring efforts, pace himself in the Giro (though I would prefer him missing it and doing the Dauphine) and be a bit more wily in the Tour.

Tall order when he is as he is.

Pidcock-I fear for him in his off-road exploits....

Geraint Thomas riding both Giro and Tour.
Realistically can't see him getting on podium let alone a win, certainly in TdF but he'll be a useful domestique!

Azabache wrote:I admire Pogacar for being an old-fashioned Tryer and not a "focussed" rider (great euphemism for the You Know Who Team!). I agree that he should limit his Spring efforts, pace himself in the Giro (though I would prefer him missing it and doing the Dauphine) and be a bit more wily in the Tour.

Tall order when he is as he is.

Pidcock-I fear for him in his off-road exploits....

I didn't actually use 'focussed' to suggest targets enhanced by PED programmes - the first rider who really built his season around challenging for the Tour was Lemond, and he is widely accepted as having been a clean rider in the transition from the steroid era to the EPO era.

I love that Pogacar will take on van der Poel at Flanders and Vingegaurd at the Tour, and pretty much anyone else he is riding against wherever he is racing - right out of the Merckx school of being a racer, but I'm not sure whether in the modern era, here the Tour de France is, to the general public, the behemoth of bike racing, that giving up (because of fatigue) a couple of Tour titles to win Flanders and Liege, plus compete in the Giro is a wise course of action for probably the best rider on the road at the moment.

And may I clarify my earlier post-by "focussed" I merely meant restricting one's appearances to concentrate on the Tour; and the "You Know Who Team" being Jumbo Visma (Team Visma/Lease a Bike), for which at present there is absolutely no proof of PED enhancement.

Pogacar gets my vote and admiration any day vs. them.

Pogacar seems a great guy and obviously one of best riders in world. Don't know why but I've always wanted Vingegaard to win so I back Visma. Having Wout van Aert in team another reason as I think he's probably best overall cyclist in world. And Sepp Kuss seems a really nice guy as well.

If you've not seen, I recommend watching the GCN video of Jonas and Sepp v Dan Lloyd. Pretty funny and just shows the gulf between what is still a good cyclist and the worlds best.

Speaking of the gulf, I recall yonks ago the local paper (remember them?) listed club runs and TT results of a club down in the Dorking, Surrey area. One of their star members was Sean Yates and he would typically come in a minute or so ahead of everyone else...

Azabache wrote:Speaking of the gulf, I recall yonks ago the local paper (remember them?) listed club runs and TT results of a club down in the Dorking, Surrey area. One of their star members was Sean Yates and he would typically come in a minute or so ahead of everyone else...

And this was presumably at the age of 55 or so...

There's some footage from a few years ago (when go pro's or similar were new) of a good club ITT rider being passed by Brad Wiggins - only thing missing was a vapour trail. I't only when you see the top guys in context of mortals that you realise quite how fast they actually are. Back when young and fit, I could just about hold 30 mph on a flat road for about a couple of minutes (given an easy run in to get the speed up) - these guys can average that in a race of 6 hours, or comfortably exceed it for a hour of an ITT. And as for when the road starts to go up hill...

My nephew is a decent football player (had trials at semi-pro level), and still plays Sunday league games. A couple of years ago, his team were playing against a team started by Joe Cole so he could play with his mates. Even 5 years after retiring and not particularly fit, Cole was far too good for anyone else on the pitch. It's easy to underestimate how exceptioanl someone who has made a living close to the top of a sport really is.

"Vapour trail"-I love it! And the cadences these blokes maintain are impossibly high.

A good read is "Lanterne Rouge" by Max Leonard. If you examine the stats there the range of the average speeds of the stage winners and the "losers" is not that wide, but us mere mortals could never even come close to those "losers".

Similarly, if you look at the published times of the winners of the Etape du Tour (amateurs' attempt at a TdF mountain stage) the "winners" will invariably post times slower than the times of the pros who finish at the back when the actual stage is run.

Well, Pogacar started his season with a bang: first race was Strade Bianchi, which he decided to use the last 90 km as a solo training ride in front of the peloton. Won by 3 minutes from a 2 man break and nearer 5 from the remnants of the bunch.

Would love to see him take on van der Poel and van Aert at Roubaix, just for the hell of it.

Also for those interested, Paris-Nice is currently on and highlights shown on ITV4 1900.
Likes of Bernal, Evenpoel, Roglic etc in it.

Team TT was yesterday and blimey check out those new aero helmets Team Visma Lease a Bike wear!

Nice to see Bernal towards the front of the peloton again after his crash a few years back

Yes-a welcome return of the ITV4 dream team of Imlach, Boulting and Millar.

They said tonight (6 March) that the weird helmet/balaclava that Roglic was wearing is definitely banned, and that the UCI are urgently examining their rules in regard to the laughable concoction that Team Visma were sporting (no evidence that it was a game-changer).

I too am following Bernal with interest....

Visma, BOH and helmet manufacturers be really annoyed as UCI had said they were within rules. Now it seems as of April 2nd they're not.
Doesn't bother me either way, TT not my thing and I certainly don't abide by UCI rulings.

And talking of TTs, what are folks' views on this tinkering with the time-honoured TTT,
where they are taking the leader's time as the Team's time! I'll admit that I'm a traditionalist, but-hey-shouldn't they call this thing "Team Semi Peloton" or similar?

If it had a big impact on GC, let's say TdF for example won because of it I think quite a lot be unhappy. If it just has a meaning for actual stage not so much of a big deal for me.

Azabache wrote:And talking of TTs, what are folks' views on this tinkering with the time-honoured TTT,
where they are taking the leader's time as the Team's time!

They tested it out for the first time last year, and I liked it then and still do. Think it makes more sense all round.

Bad news that Wout Van Aert has crashed and broken collarbone etc. He'll miss Paris Roubaix and tour of Flanders among other races.
Hopefully he'll be back to full fitness for summer and TdF.
He's arguably best all round cyclist in world and I love watching him race so here's hoping he recovers soon.

Looks a lot worse, unfortunately. Still, these are super fit, quick-healing elite athletes, so here's hoping...

MvdP wins Flanders for the third time, escaping on a wet Koppenberg that almost everbody else reached the top of on foot. Nice to know it can happen to anyone!

Pogacar looks awesome in his own forays, but.....

can we petition him NOT to attempt the Giro/Tour double (the Kiss of Death)?

Jonas Vingegaard in hospital with collapsed lung, broken ribs etc. Nightmare for him and Visma. What with Wout recovering from his crash this puts a serious dent in ambitions for TdF. I can't see Jonas riding it.

Unfortunately, he's succumbed to the Great Leveller-the Crash that will get you at some point, however nimble, agile, quick and cat-like you are; however lucky you are; whatever team phalanx surrounds you....

From a brief racking of memory of riders, I can only remember Armstrong going through those 7 years without a serious crash that laid him low. Conversely, we will all certainly recall rather accident-prone ones. Of the current crop I would cite Roglic and Thomas!

Let's hope for a speedy recovery for Jonas; even detractors and doubters would not wish him to miss the Tour or be less than match fit.

Van der Poel with another dominant showing in Roubaix, just Much Too Good for the remaining competition.

Lowlandbrit wrote:Van der Poel with another dominant showing in Roubaix, just Much Too Good for the remaining competition.

Rather reduced the cobbled season this year to a dull procession - a shame for the viewer.

If Wout hadn't crashed few weeks back he'd have been in contention for sure but MVP too good for rest of field. He's in stellar form this year.

Just caught the highlights programme-what a performance! I love a relentless "Catch me if you can" solo escape.

Azabache wrote:
Let's hope for a speedy recovery for Jonas; even detractors and doubters would not wish him to miss the Tour or be less than match fit.

The fun of the Tour is that all the big names come together to fight it out. Hoping Jonas has a quick recovery for another round against Pogacar.

Good few days for Brits:
Tom Pidcock taking the win at Amstel Gold on Saturday was a good result but probably not a huge shock given the depletion of the field and his past results there.

Steve Williams winning Fleche Wallonne in apparently appalling weather conditions yesterday definitely a bigger shock, although 'Welsh man rides bike in rain' perhaps played a part.

Giro d'Italia starts this weekend, and the only real question is if someone can challenge Thomas for second behind Pogacar.

Unless something untoward happens, the race is for 2nd as Pogacar will surely cruise(comparatively) to victory.

I wouldn't say Thomas was nailed on for 2nd though, Ben O'Connor looking good this season so he'll be in contention.

Don't put a curse on him (Pogacar)!

This race is notorious for poor administration, with sometimes lethal results.

I'd love him-a real genuine trier-to win this and the Tour, but remain concerned at his ability to recover in time; notwithstanding all the other perils along the way...

For coverage, Giro is on Eurosport and Discovery.

Free to air live is on S4C (although comms be in Welsh).

Free to air highlights on DMAX.

We only have Freeview, so am stuffed! Was hoping for it to be on ITV4 or Quest.

If it's on S4C is there English commentary on the red button?

I've got Discovery+ for the rugby so I'm covered. No ad breaks either which is always nice.

I know can get English comms on rugby on S4C but I don't think so for cycling. I'll check later when it starts.
I don't speak or understand Welsh so usually just watch highlights show.

I'm off for club social ride first then watch Giro later.

Hmm. Just got home from ride and can't see it on S4C, maybe coverage not starting today so not sure what's happening.

Bardet and Arrensman losing time. Mainly been a day for the KOM jersey but could be an interesting finish.

I won't spoil the finish but I will say some GC punches were thrown.

Pogacar something else, a near enough pan flat sprint stage and he's leading with 1km to go with G Thomas hanging on his wheel.
Sprinters caught them but just shows what an attacking rider he is. Anyone else going for GC would have sat in peloton and used it as a virtual rest day.

Pogacar did look a little susceptible in the mountains at the tour. Perhaps wants to get some time on the board early and force the climbers onto the defensive early so come the mountains he's got a buffer and can afford to ride his way.

At the TdF Visma had such a strong team in support of Vingegaard that they forced Pogacar to burn all his matches and it worked. Here in Giro although UAE aren't quite as strong as previously(no Yates etc) they have a good enough team and Pogacar himself nigh on head and shoulders above rivals. In a one on one in mountains I can't see anyone riding away from him.

However, only a few stages in so too early yet to predict for sure.

That first stage (admittedly I've only been able to read about it) again showed his possible fatal flaw-going like a maniac instead of conserving and waiting; this was his undoing last year in the Tour, compounded, as Mountain Man points out, by Visma's pressure.

Jonathan Milan looking awesome in the sprints so far - quite the prospect, shades of Kittel?

Pogacar beats Ganna in the ITT by 17 seconds. Think he might just edge this...

Lowlandbrit wrote:Pogacar beats Ganna in the ITT by 17 seconds. Think he might just edge this...

You'd expect the bookies to have him favourite by a long way but three week tours aren't decided in the first week.

Hmmm think Giro was decided yesterday barring an accident or illness. Pogacar just so much better than anyone else.
Unless Vingegaard can get fit for TdF can see him cruising to win there as well.