2024 season

First topic message reminder :

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.

INEOS not impressing whatever their budget. I've been watching Tour of Britain and not got near a stage win there.

mountain man wrote:INEOS not impressing whatever their budget. I've been watching Tour of Britain and not got near a stage win there.

Very true. They do seem to be taking pot shots on emerging talent and hoping one is going to transpire to be the next big thing. Ruling out a bid for Simon Yates was nothing short of criminal, getting an experienced Tour GC contender on the roster is exactly what they need. Looking at their squad there's a lot of potential, some of which has reached the level of Top 10 GC and then good support riders. The lack of an outstanding leader is blindly obvious, yes they were very unlucky with Bernal but that was years ago. He may re-emerge but you can't build a team around that faint hope.

So Roglic wins the Vuelta, and in fairness he deserved it. Ben O'Connor 2nd and again he rode well so I'm pleased he got a podium spot. It would have been so cruel if he'd missed out.
A record equalling fourth Vuelta win for Roglic. Not doubt he still has TdF ambitions but there's just small matter of Tadej and Jonas...

As for Bernal with INEOS, yep that's been a disappointment. Wins tour and Giro but then injury, illness and he's been miles off iterally and figuratively since. I'm not sure Radcliffe be ploughing millions in without results from team for too long.

mountain man wrote:So Roglic wins the Vuelta, and in fairness he deserved it. Ben O'Connor 2nd and again he rode well so I'm pleased he got a podium spot. It would have been so cruel if he'd missed out.
A record equalling fourth Vuelta win for Roglic. Not doubt he still has TdF ambitions but there's just small matter of Tadej and Jonas...

As for Bernal with INEOS, yep that's been a disappointment. Wins tour and Giro but then injury, illness and he's been miles off iterally and figuratively since. I'm not sure Radcliffe be ploughing millions in without results from team for too long.

I just don't think Roglic is good enough to win the Tour de France when it's a case of his best against Pogacar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel at their best - I can see him fighting with Evenepoel and a few others for the third step on the podium, but don't think he can compete with Pogacar's explosiveness. Still, 4 Vueltas and 1 Giro is a pretty outstanding career record - the difference is that he's not typically had to contend with the best riders in best form, so a 10/10 Roglic beats a recent 10/10 Thomas or an 8/10 Evenepoel (not sure he beats Pogacar on many days now).

Also, the routes of the Giro and Vuelta are typically a bit different from the Tour, in traditionally favouring the pure climbers rather than the more all rounder type (although I think this is less true than maybe 20 years ago, as the Tour has got more lumpy and less time trial heavy - Vuelta still tends to have at least one super-steep climb more brutal than anything in the TdF).

mountain man wrote:I'm not sure Radcliffe be ploughing millions in without results from team for too long.

He might want to ask how they are spending his millions. Looks like next season is another season without an obvious grand tour leader. Rodriguez, Pidcock, Bernal et al are the obvious ones again but unless it's a big step up they won't get close. There's a raft of young talent coming in, including the under 23 world champion and the two stage winning Pablo Castillo is also rumoured. Not causing concern for the big boys though is it.

Still can't get over the lack of a move for Simon Yates.

For TdF and Giro it's who can compete with Pogacar and Vinngegaard and really only Evenepoel is anywhere near them especially if they are near best. Pidcock I don't think quite has it for GC at top level, Bernal seems unlikely but who knows if he gets a good run of form. Rodriguez maybe in contention for podium but it's hard to see anyone other than Pogacar or Vingegaard 1 and 2.

Azabache wrote:But budgets-and hence riders signed-may be decisive here; looking up some stats, I see the following estimated amounts:
UAE-€60M; Ineos-€55M; Visma-€55M;......Bora-€30M

Red Bull have been increasing their involvement in the team, think the gap might be smaller than that now.

Was really pleased to see O'Connor on the podium after his endeavours.

The Tour of Britain almost got overlooked with the Vuelta still running! Apart from one change with the highlights prog. scheduling, at least the ITV4 coverage had the dream commentating team of Boulting and Millar. I assume that Evenepoel was treating it as almost a training/warm-up. Good to see a British winner, and Alaphilippe entertaining. Cav. appeared for interviews at the finale and received at least if not more recognition for his TdF achievements than he got in Paris.

I fear that Roglic is now too "old"-35 next season-with the likes of the 3 or 4 mentioned above. It would need him to be super fit and accident free, with some hiccups affecting the others, which no-one would wish on them of course. He may round off his remarkable career Poulidor-like of course if he's so minded....

Another second place for Ben O'Connor at the worlds, ahead of MvdP. Rainbow jersey goes to (who else) Pogacar. Joins Merckx and Roche in winning the Giro, Tour, and Worlds in the same year.

That is an excellent result for O'Connor, realistically Pogacar was always going to win barring incident etc so to get 2nd is best he could hoped for really.

O'Connor finishing the year in great form.

Pogacar is just a cut above. I thought the Belgian team could have been a bit more coherent considering the amount of firepower they had, they didn't really work together to bring any of their talent to the front of the race and apply pressure on Pogacar.

Recorded the BBC Red Button coverage and started watching it earlier this afternoon-finished just before midnight.

Was this a dream? Did I really see Pogacar do a 100KM TT in a 274KM race!

Will pinch myself on waking in the morning.

Azabache wrote:Recorded the BBC Red Button coverage and started watching it earlier this afternoon-finished just before midnight.

Was this a dream? Did I really see Pogacar do a 100KM TT in a 274KM race!

Will pinch myself on waking in the morning.

A slight exaggeration, as he did the first 50 km as a 2 up ride with Sivakov, not that Pavel did that much to help. Impressive, but I think the win at Strade Bianchi was even more outrageous, as he went solo from a similarly long way and just kept extending his lead, whereas on Sunday he got sufficiently ahead and held on.

I don't think team tactics could play much more of a role, as the lumpiness of the course just took everyone's power away.

Agree-he seemed to give up on Sivakov eventually and just went for it.

These "lumpy" parcours are deceptive (Switzerland is mainly inhabited in its valleys and the route may have surprised those who underestimated it, particularly over 274KM).

I recall when the Tour was in the UK in 2014 and a stage ending in Sheffield found out many-that tough nut Nibali won it.

On another cycling trip in Mallorca, such a great place to ride. Staying down in the south this time but right by start to Tramuntera mountains so some great routes and having been this area in April I know quite a few of the climbs so makes route planning easier. Can't recommend it enough. Bike hire Ive got was a bargain, Trek Emonda 12s Di2 was Euro 110 for 5 days which is brilliant value compared to bike shops in north

Azabache wrote:Agree-he seemed to give up on Sivakov eventually and just went for it.

These "lumpy" parcours are deceptive (Switzerland is mainly inhabited in its valleys and the route may have surprised those who underestimated it, particularly over 274KM).

I recall when the Tour was in the UK in 2014 and a stage ending in Sheffield found out many-that tough nut Nibali won it.  

My brother lies in Zurich, up towards the zoo (so not far from the velodrome where the men's ITT started), so I'm well aware of it being quite steep. I'd say that area is a bit like Yorkshire or the Lake District, in that there are only occasional flat areas, mainly along the edge of the lakes, and otherwise decent sized hills when you're away from the high mountains.

Pogacar wins IL Lombardia inevitably. Everyone knew the plan that he'd attack on last climb and go and so it proved. He seems unstoppable and frankly unbeatable.

Chris Hoy has termnal cancer, grim. Aside from being a brilliant track cyclist he comes across as a really decent bloke.

mountain man wrote:Chris Hoy has termnal cancer, grim. Aside from being a brilliant track cyclist he comes across as a really decent bloke.

I saw this . Terribly sad (As it would be for anyone , of course .) He has two young children ; and as you say , comes across so admirably ... really rotten luck and I hope his treatment at least gives him and his family the best prospects for the time he has left. He was certainly a wonderful cyclist !

Hoy has said they've given him two to four years so hopefully he's around for a good few years yet and the illness isn't going to be debilitating for him. A British sporting great and a nice guy with it.

Awfully sad news about Chris Hoy, had the fortune to meet him in 2012 at London, his eagerness to engage with the crowds really stood out. Had a very brief chat and in that time his enthusiasm for the sport shone through.

His victory in the Keirin that year is the finest sporting moment I've witnessed live, he had no right to hold off Levy on that final lap.