UCI Road Cycling - More than just Le Tour

With a challenging and super entertaining Tour done and lots of great chatter in the dedicated thread I thought I'd start something else for those of us who follow road cycling in more than just July.

We are a month out from the Vuelta with the Jumbo Visma duo of Vingegaard and Roglic, defending champ Evenepoel and near winner from last year G. Thomas all expected to race for the maillot rojo.

https://img.aso.fr/core_app/img-cycl...200-0-70/118f5

Race starts with a 14k Team TT before heading to the Pyrenees on day 3.

Can't wait!

subscribed for next year's spring classics. hah

San Sebastián is this weekend

I'm here for the World Championships.
DH Aug 5
XC Short Track Aug 10
XCO Aug 12
Mens Road Aug 12
Women's Road Aug 13

Not really interested in watching the other events, but it's a huge deal that all the events are happening at the same time, in the same city.
BMX Freestyle Flatland
BMX Freestyle Park
BMX Racing
Grand Fondo (road and TT)
Indoor Cycling (Artistic and Cycle Ball)
MTB XC
MTB Marathon
MTB DH
Para-Cycling Road (ITT, Road Race, Team Relay)
Para-Cycling Track
Road (Race, Team Time Trial Mixed Relay, ITT)
Track
Trial (Team, 20", 26")

Grand Fondo is a UCI level World Championship? I don’t really even know what Grand Fondo is? I thought it was just a massive group ride.

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Originally Posted by buttahflake

Grand Fondo is a UCI level World Championship? I don’t really even know what Grand Fondo is? I thought it was just a massive group ride.

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As far as I know this is for non-professional riders.

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Originally Posted by XtrPickels

As far as I know this is for non-professional riders.

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Yes, basically an amateur competition. The Grand Fondo WC replaced the Masters (and Age Category) World Championships. It has 25+ qualifiers around the world and selects the top 25% in each age group.
The GranFondo Vancouver/Whistler that I use to work for, was awarded to host the World Championships in 2020, but was canceled due to COVID.

What a great race today. I caught the tail end and am glad I did.

Of the top four today, I think it’s telling that MVDP is the only one that had a lackluster tour. It certainly appeared like he was using breaks for training rides rather than going all out for stage wins. I think WVA and the team need to seriously consider his cyclocross schedule and Tour contributions if they want to win big one day races.

And equipment for Roubaix, every year it’s something for him.

mvp hits the deck, then grows the gap again.

dude was on a mission, can't help but respect that ride.

Bump - La Vuelta starts Saturday with team time trial.

There’s a fantasy game with same rules as TdF
https://fantasybytissot.lavuelta.es/#/game/play/me

With both Roglic and Vingo in the mix, I expect Jumbo to crush. Fourteen mountain or hilly stages, and “flat” stage 12 has a brutal climb for last 5k. Evanapoel doesn’t have much of a team with him and Ineos is old/tired.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TBS

Bump - La Vuelta starts Saturday with team time trial.

There’s a fantasy game with same rules as TdF
https://fantasybytissot.lavuelta.es/#/game/play/me

With both Roglic and Vingo in the mix, I expect Jumbo to crush. Fourteen mountain or hilly stages, and “flat” stage 12 has a brutal climb for last 5k. Evanapoel doesn’t have much of a team with him and Ineos is old/tired.

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Seems like plenty of teams took notice and there are a lot of stage hunters at this years Vuelta.

I really enjoyed the super worlds. EF is keeping things exciting on the women’s tour.

I am 100% in for a TGR Vuelta fantasy league! Someone smarter than me should set up a league

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TBS

Bump - La Vuelta starts Saturday with team time trial.

There’s a fantasy game with same rules as TdF
https://fantasybytissot.lavuelta.es/#/game/play/me

With both Roglic and Vingo in the mix, I expect Jumbo to crush. Fourteen mountain or hilly stages, and “flat” stage 12 has a brutal climb for last 5k. Evanapoel doesn’t have much of a team with him and Ineos is old/tired.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

I am 100% in for a TGR Vuelta fantasy league! Someone smarter than me should set up a league

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i'm in



how about this?

Join me in the league now no.3353 : TGR_Maggots
Password : RGYDV [couldn't customize this, sorry]
Igual que el tour, pero en español
By clicking on this link : https://fantasybytissot.lavuelta.es/...3353&mdp=RGYDV

Rules in this league revised to be:
140 credits per team [120 @ TdF]
Only 2 riders from same team [3 @TdF]

you cannot exceed 5 all-rounders, 3 climbers, 3 sprinters and 3 leaders in your squad

trying to create more volatility...


if those rules suck, someone can create another...i'm in to play along, not define the rules and i'll go with the group

Thanks ::: :::, joined the group, hope others do as well!

I'm in

Need Mrs Dee Hubbs' breakdown for the guess on TTT time!

bump for evening readers...anyone gonna watch the vuelta?
join the fantasy league

Paging Mr and Mrs Dee Hubbs...

I just joined

Any others?
Riders start tomorrow

It’s funny that I first set up my team on Wednesday when it was 120 points total. When they went to 140 points total they erased my roster.

Gotta say, 140 points makes for way stronger rosters.

Question - how long does it take to recover from a shoulder blade fracture - to point where you can train again?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TBS

It’s funny that I first set up my team on Wednesday when it was 120 points total. When they went to 140 points total they erased my roster.

Gotta say, 140 points makes for way stronger rosters.

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for clarity, i made that adjustment specifically for the TGR group...sorry if that screwed you up!
(if it was available for the TdF, I was unaware of it...just figured on trying something new...)

No worries - makes for massive point opportunities for all.

With no real sprint stages, we may have some good breakaways

And I decided Enric Mas didn’t get enough training time with the shoulder break…

Well, we’re off to a roaring start. Only ::: ::: managed to include a winning time AND pick the stage winner

Utter chaos on the road with the rain between yesterday & today

And it’s supposed to be raining at start of stage tomorrow…

Why didn’t I choose Groves?
Pure chance
[emoji36]

If there was a jersey for bitching about the race organizers, Evenepoel would have that too.

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Originally Posted by TBS

If there was a jersey for bitching about the race organizers, Evenepoel would have that too.

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It's mostly been justified..

Some interesting moves today to set the finale.

Jay Vine squeezing the top of the tube to separate the actual combatants for the stage win

Mas & Ayuso present at the end, as well as Almeida, Vlasov

Vingegaard with legs but Roglic very quiet & still rolling in tight. I was rooting for Kuss to sneakily steal it, when he made his move but he was spent (but maybe it was always a ploy to draw out competitors)

Evenepoel picking his moment just so

this has hotted up a bit

next few stages are not likely for the GC guys, but i'm sure they will want to stay present as the peloton ticks along

^^^I was pleased to see Mas at the finish. He could be a dark horse.
And pretty sure Kuss was setting the table for Roglic and Vingagaard. Primos hit the deck yesterday and may not be feeling it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

It's mostly been justified..

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He had good points about weather and daylight, but his crash today was on him. He spent all that time thumping his chest instead of braking…

ETA - he put in a monster acceleration at the finish. Yep, he got the drop on Vingagaard but I don’t think Jonas could have matched that effort.

This is getting interesting…

The Eagle of Durango takes flight!!

Gotta wonder if Jumbo’s DS told Sepp to back off at the end so they didn’t have to defend, or if he just decided on his own.

ETA - that champagne chug was one for the ages. 134lbs, dehydrated, at 6k feet. Bet he’s gonna feel that on the bus ride to hotel…

GOOOOO SEPPPP!!!!

Great stage today.
Guessing the leaders will let the break go tomorrow

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TBS

Great stage today.
Guessing the leaders will let the break go tomorrow

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TT?
[is my sarcasm meter off?]
Leaders are gonna have to work for their dinners tomorrow

[edit]you are correct — i could have sworn the fantasy site was showing the TT tomorrow, but i see that’s stage 10

I think I might start chugging champagne post ride now

Taking a moment on this rest day to regale y’all about my brushes with La Vuelta glory

In October 2013 I was in line to get fish tacos at Parillas in Bend. I looked behind me and standing there in line was Chris Horner.

I turned a little and quietly said “Well done in La Vuelta. You inspire us old guys”.
He looked startled then grinned big and said “Wow thanks”. Asked him if Parillas was standard training table. Told me he was picking up lunch for his kid’s party.

Fast forward six years and I’m in my surgeon’s office for checkup on Achilles rehab. This is on the wall
Attachment 469053

You may recall that in 2011 Horner crashed hard - broke ribs, nose, fucked up his ankle & shoulder, and concussed big time. He came home to Bend to get fixed up. Asked my surgeon if he was Horner’s doc and he replied “it took a village.”

Last winter he was teaching a spin class in Bend. I’m told that even at 51 he puts the hurt on elite amateurs here.

Carry on.

He was a little fired up about the peacock coverage that somehow “forgot” he existed as an American Vuelta winner