Cycling thread

[Black Belt Jones]

Anybody doing any sportives this year? Any sportives recommended? Looking to sign up for something in the uk to tie in with a few days away. Cheers

Im off the bike right now, at least for anything serious - dealing with some breathing issues that have been bothering me all winter. So nothing planned events wise.
Can't make too many recommendations for sportives as I don't do too much on the road - I have done the Fred Whitton twice and can 100% recommend that one. Deserving of its reputation - nothing in the UK will be as epic. Unfortunately it sells out mega fast and is closed for 22. A good alternative, though I've not done it, is Etape Du Dales - apparently equally as hard but much easier to get a place.

Really depends on where you live - a big part of sportives is getting out to somewhere new. If you live in the lakes something like the FW wouldn't be as appealing as you'll have ridden those climbs 100 times. I've done a few round Cheshire - the Cheshire cat is ok, although wouldn't especially recommend. The Cheshire cobbled classic is a great route, but when I did it the numbers were terrible - I was literally riding round on my own for most of it which sort of defeats the point of a sportive, when you could ride the route any weekend yourself.

Have you done Ride London? I'd do that if I lived down South. It sounds like an absolute circus, mind - you'd be on your toes all day avoiding the triathletes, but such massive numbers would create a huge event experience.

 

[FrenchDarrenBent]

Opening weekend coming up on Sat - fortunately we're pasting City in the evening KO, so there will be time to watch Omloop and see who has the early season legs. KBK on the Sunday.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2022: Route, predictions and contenders

Who will take the first victory of Opening Weekend?

www.rouleur.cc

Wout is probably going to start favourite for every single race just on general principle. Be fascinating to see how he goes - being the strongest man is a tactical minefield as we all know. He is all in for Flanders and Roubaix so it's unlikely that he'll be planning to crush the entire peloton beneath his wheels from the get go - but no doubt he'll take the opportunity if it presents itself.
Pidcock should be sharp after winning the cross WC - he goes in Omloop at the w/e.

Less good news from last week is that CX rider Toon Aerts failed a drugs test for a masking agent and is waiting on a B sample to see if he's banned. Popular 'pure' crosser who doesn't do much on the road - one of the very few riders to take it to prime vdP in savage conditions at Namur a few years back, greatest cross race of recent times imho. Hard crash on the penultimate lap when he had vdP beaten, really great ride.

Van Aert cant come in like last year. Peaking the week before Milan-San Remo was a big mistake.
Pidcock would be wise to go all in, he's probably in great form and with VDP not there and others being in unconfirmed form.... Excellent chance for him to win what is a important Belgian classic. I'd like to see how he does in the Fleche Wallonne in a couple of weeks. Don't know if he'll participate.

Toon Aerts tested positive on something women with breast cancer should use (hormonwise). I hardly doubt he got it from eating a steak...I wonder how many riders are still using and getting away with it.

 

[thirdmantackle]

Im off the bike right now, at least for anything serious - dealing with some breathing issues that have been bothering me all winter. So nothing planned events wise.
Can't make too many recommendations for sportives as I don't do too much on the road - I have done the Fred Whitton twice and can 100% recommend that one. Deserving of its reputation - nothing in the UK will be as epic. Unfortunately it sells out mega fast and is closed for 22. A good alternative, though I've not done it, is Etape Du Dales - apparently equally as hard but much easier to get a place.

Really depends on where you live - a big part of sportives is getting out to somewhere new. If you live in the lakes something like the FW wouldn't be as appealing as you'll have ridden those climbs 100 times. I've done a few round Cheshire - the Cheshire cat is ok, although wouldn't especially recommend. The Cheshire cobbled classic is a great route, but when I did it the numbers were terrible - I was literally riding round on my own for most of it which sort of defeats the point of a sportive, when you could ride the route any weekend yourself.

Have you done Ride London? I'd do that if I lived down South. It sounds like an absolute circus, mind - you'd be on your toes all day avoiding the triathletes, but such massive numbers would create a huge event experience.

plan was to ferry over from Ireland with bike and do sportive then a few days holidays after. Thanks for suggestions

 

[Black Belt Jones]

van Aert not that sure of his form last weekend, need to play it by ear = smash elite group to bits and pieces 10k out. His new team mate Tiesj Benoot going hard at the front at the right time certainly helped.

Strade Bianche on Sat - Pog is starting fav and has said 'he'd like to win this race', consider that a warning to all. Alaphilippe will also be contesting matters. Pidcock looked pretty good in Omloop and has said Strade Bianche is his early target.

 

[Wizard]

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Pogacar is making it a bit obvious isn't he?

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Milan San Remo tomorrow - longest classic with the least amount of action, but its a lot of people's fav. Has its own charm - think folk like to have it on in the background whilst they potter around the house.

There's been widespread illness in the peloton so a lot of names sitting out. Caleb Ewan was a pre-race fav but has been levelled with flu. Alaphilippe, Colbrelli, Stuyven (current champ), Bennett all out. The mighty Matieu van der Poel does make a return, though, after sitting out a few months with back problems.

WvA and Pog will start fav but no race is tougher for the strongest riders to win - perhaps Pog will just drop the entire peloton on the Cipressa. Roglic also goes, and should be looking to repay Wout who basically put him on his back last week in that Paris Nice stage.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Milan San Remo tomorrow - longest classic with the least amount of action, but its a lot of people's fav. Has its own charm - think folk like to have it on in the background whilst they potter around the house.

There's been widespread illness in the peloton so a lot of names sitting out. Caleb Ewan was a pre-race fav but has been levelled with flu. Alaphilippe, Colbrelli, Stuyven (current champ), Bennett all out. The mighty Matieu van der Poel does make a return, though, after sitting out a few months with back problems.

WvA and Pog will start fav but no race is tougher for the strongest riders to win - perhaps Pog will just drop the entire peloton on the Cipressa. Roglic also goes, and should be looking to repay Wout who basically put him on his back last week in that Paris Nice stage.

There is very much that to it, but it also marks the start of the season proper. After this weekend the races come thick and fast all the way up to the Giro.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

I went out for a ride today and got back in time for the last 10K - fair to say I didn't get the tempo of the race, but nicely timed to see the savagery on the Poggio.
Brilliant attack by Mohoric - all in (with a couple of wild corners, absolutely on the edge) and something he was planning for months, dropper seatpost! The components companies will love that.

vdP showing form is temporary, goat-ness is permanent, getting off the couch to take third. Michael Matthews on the premises again in 4th - he has a great track record in this race, and was coming off a heavy crash in Strade.

 

[Deulofeumygod]

Unbelievable last ten k today. So glad pog didn’t win.

I’ve signed up for a 400k audax for may. Slightly terrified haha. Most I’ve done previously is 187!

 

[thirdmantackle]

295km on the bike last week
weather has been great for it

 

[duncs pigeon]

First 100k the year done today, nice weather and not to windy.

 

[FrenchDarrenBent]

21 year old African Girmay wins Gent-Wevelgem (which is probably the most enjoyable and dynamic classic of last 7 years)
He's a real talent, winning a difficult and hard race. Really impressive.
Can't believe he won't contest Flanders after being 13th in San Remo, 4th in the E3 and 1st in Wevelgem.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

I got a stolen bike back at the weekend - a year after it was nicked, can't believe it. Wasn't anything special - pre-cursa track bike with a nice back wheel, but it was the perfect bike for my flat 5mile commute and I really liked riding it.

Randomly bumped into a guy at a local coffee hut with it - I'd had it taken from my back shed at night, and guy was a near neighbour who said someone lashed it into his back garden one night whilst stealing his kid's bikes out the shed. He wasn't a cyclist and had just kept it unridden.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Bad news for Flanders on Sunday - Wout van Aert taken to his sickbed today and is doubtful to start. Horrible luck given he deliberately skipped stuff like the CX worlds to peak for this. Still some uncertainty but even WvA can't win a race like this at 90% so it's likely over for him. Been that way this season for a lot of riders with illness it seems.

Pog looked ominously strong at Dwars in his first ever cobbled race (he's an excellent cross rider so it's not like there were any questions over his bike handling) - missed the key move but was lashing the Watts out left and right. He goes on Sun with MvdP now the clear favourite - but losing Wout might not be such a good thing from his point of view.