General race thread 2021 **spoilers**

Mefistofelino

Absolutely cracking race at Tro Bro Leon again today. Deserved win for Conor Swift, though he nearly lost it on the line by celebrating too early.
One of my favourite races - the narrow, twisting lanes make for great racing and give a fantastic impression of the speed of top level racing.

Mefistofelino

Mefistofelino wrote: »

Absolutely cracking race at Tro Bro Leon again today. Deserved win for Conor Swift, though he nearly lost it on the line by celebrating too early.
One of my favourite races - the narrow, twisting lanes make for great racing and give a fantastic impression of the speed of top level racing.

It's a race that many of us can relate to given some of the lanes they use. It's effectively Tour de Bohereen

Paris - Tours is another race with it's route through the vineyards in recent years thats been equally entertaining

It was tight from the photo at the end for sure and he was lucky to get away with it.

CramCycle

Deleted User wrote: »

It was tight from the photo at the end for sure and he was lucky to get away with it.

The pat on his back from his teammate while they are waiting for confirmation, a real, I hope for your sake you won, otherwise that will be a bit embarrassing. He had a cracking race and I was surprised at how close it was.

Dodge

19 year old Archie Ryan is riding the Vuelta Andalucia that starts tomorrow with Jumbo Visma. He’s part of their development team but this is the main team (mix of pros and development riders). Eddie Dunbar is down for Ineos too

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/ruta-del-sol/2021/startlist

Dodge

Dodge wrote: »

19 year old Archie Ryan is riding the Vuelta Andalucia that starts tomorrow with Jumbo Visma. He’s part of their development team but this is the main team (mix of pros and development riders). Eddie Dunbar is down for Ineos too

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/ruta-del-sol/2021/startlist

The teams have been confirmed and Archie isn’t starting now

Eddie Dunbar and Ryan Mullen are though from an Irish POV

retalivity

Anyone know what happened Cavendish today at the Volta Andalucia? He finished on his own, 23mins behind 2nd last.

Not sure I heard him mentioned at all but I was in and out while the race was on. The group he was a full 23 minutes down on had Oliveira in it who crashed so if he was able to get back on and visit the doctors cars I'd suspect illness for Cav.

Nothing mentioned here either that I could see.

https://twitter.com/deceuninck_qst?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

https://www.deceuninck-quickstep.com/en/news/4929/a-stage-for-the-puncheurs-in-spain

I tell you what though seeing the shots from the helicopter today has given me an appetite to visit that part of Spain again big time. I was there in my late teens and have fond memories of the region.

Itziger

retalivity wrote: »

Anyone know what happened Cavendish today at the Volta Andalucia? He finished on his own, 23mins behind 2nd last.

I wouldn't call it that to anyone from Andalucia!

neris

Deleted User wrote: »

I tell you what though seeing the shots from the helicopter today has given me an appetite to visit that part of Spain again big time. I was there in my late teens and have fond memories of the region.

Once you get away from the coast, the apartments and resorts and head inland that part of Spain is lovely. Though not much for cycling if you don't like hills

MangleBadger

Great last climb on Vuelta a Andalucia today. Looked brutal.

Inquitus

Cav DNF at the Ruta del Sol today on the queen stage, Superman Lopez won the stage and took the GC lead off of Ineos's Ethan Hayter who cracked on the penultimate climb, crashing out of GC contention.

velo.2010

Just watched highlights of that Novo Mesto MTB cross country race from last weekend. Quite a spectacle in the mud with Pidcock and MVDP using their 'cross skills to great effect. Pidcock said he felt like was born to do mountain biking and its his first love. Jaysus, the road racing must seem fierce boring to him!

Dodge

Archie Ryan staying with Jumbo development team next year. Good sign for him

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPIm_OZBf7y/?utm_medium=copy_link

dublin49

Dodge wrote: »

Archie Ryan staying with Jumbo development team next year. Good sign for him

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPIm_OZBf7y/?utm_medium=copy_link

apart from Dunbar who would/should we look out for as potentially the next great Irish cyclist,would Archie be one of our top prospects?

breezy1985

dublin49 wrote: »

apart from Dunbar who would/should we look out for as potentially the next great Irish cyclist,would Archie be one of our top prospects?

No offense to any of them but I don't think we are going to be looking at Martin or Bennett level stuff.
Dunbar looked like he would win a lot but through no fault of his own he is up against some insanely good riders his age

Dodge

dublin49 wrote: »

apart from Dunbar who would/should we look out for as potentially the next great Irish cyclist,would Archie be one of our top prospects?

I’ve no idea. Never seen him race

But it’s a good sign that a big team are bringing him along

Ben Healy has a chance at a very good career too based on his early results

For me, if someone makes a living from cycling then they’re a massive success as so many try and very few make it.

breezy1985

Dodge wrote: »

I’ve no idea. Never seen him race

But it’s a good sign that a big team are bringing him along

Ben Healy has a chance at a very good career too based on his early results

For me, if someone makes a living from cycling then they’re a massive success as so many try and very few make it.

Oh god ya on the last part. Plenty of countries would see a solid group of domestics as a success and we should be no different. Ryan Mullen has a career most would die for.

I was more thinking the OP was asking about riders who will get big results.

It's way more niche but we do have the downhill junior world champion in Oisin O'Callaghan and he is so good RTE even got his picture right for the SPOTY awards

Macy0161

breezy1985 wrote: »

Ryan Mullen has a career most would die for.

Mads Pedersen specifically called him out on a podcast I was listening too (might have been Jens and Bobby, and he possibly named him in his dream team - it was near the end of a 200km solo audax, so a bit hazy at that point!)

There was great footage from San Remo when Stuyven spots him from the podium. He really doesn't get the credit he deserves.

breezy1985

Macy0161 wrote: »

Mads Pedersen specifically called him out on a podcast I was listening too (might have been Jens and Bobby, and he possibly named him in his dream team - it was near the end of a 200km solo audax, so a bit hazy at that point!)

There was great footage from San Remo when Stuyven spots him from the podium. He really doesn't get the credit he deserves.

Not setting TTs alight like in underage but has made himself into a really solid train domestique

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig finally got her first World Tour win in Burgos today. As credible a win as she could possibly get too with all of the other big guns there and in contention.

One eye on the Eurovison and one eye on a replay of the French race today and 7 or 8 lads follow a camera bike through the wrong exit on a round about, cut to 5 minutes later the lads can be seen on the wrong road with the race passing on a fly over above and behind them

But more seriously that that could have been seriously dangerous for them.

Another day, another race and another wrong turn. This time in the finale!!!!

Bottom of shot at the start of this one, shows some other angles later on.

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/ronde-van-limburg/2021/tour-of-limburg-brent-van-moer-loses-the-race-after-wrong-turn_vid1479848/video.shtml

dastardly00

Deleted User wrote: »

Another day, another race and another wrong turn. This time in the finale!!!!

Bottom of shot at the start of this one, shows some other angles later on.

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/ronde-van-limburg/2021/tour-of-limburg-brent-van-moer-loses-the-race-after-wrong-turn_vid1479848/video.shtml

I just logged on to post about this.

I feel very sorry for van Moer. it would have been his first pro win.

At the start of that video, it shows another rider in the middle of bunch taking a wrong turn?

No that was the bunch passing him after he took the turn so they weren't far behind.

We were watching it at dinner time this evening as it was a late finish cheering him on, I hadn't spotted it and my partner did asking if that was guy in the lead making a wrong turn.

Raoul Duke

dastardly00 wrote: »

I just logged on to post about this.

I feel very sorry for van Moer. it would have been his first pro win.

At the start of that video, it shows another rider in the middle of bunch taking a wrong turn?

To me it looked like he was being directed up that road. I read that they were there to direct team cars etc up there, but they were making a little motion with the flag in front of him, so I can understand his error. It's looks to me like they were at fault. But maybe he should have known better.
Also, there was another cyclist from the peloton that went up it. It was a team mate of Van Moer's. He turned around though. I presume he was just checking up on his team mate.

Macy0161

Mefistofelino wrote: »

Absolutely cracking race at Tro Bro Leon again today. Deserved win for Conor Swift, though he nearly lost it on the line by celebrating too early.
One of my favourite races - the narrow, twisting lanes make for great racing and give a fantastic impression of the speed of top level racing.

Finished watching this this morning - great race, but wtaf was Swift thinking! A couple of near misses with the moto's with them going down too.

The Cycling Podcast did a friends special on it a few years back, which was very interesting. It's been on the list but the couple of times we've been in France, we headed further south to the Vendee (which also has some great, marked, gravel and back road routes).

I think they mentioned part of that course is in the Tour this year, hopefully it includes that town with the narrow roads and climb through it with the grey stone buildings with slate roofs. Stunning looking place. Didn't catch it's name.

Mefistofelino

Deleted User wrote: »

I think they mentioned part of that course is in the Tour this year, hopefully it includes that town with the narrow roads and climb through it with the grey stone buildings with slate roofs. Stunning looking place. Didn't catch it's name.

As far as I can make it out, the only part of the Tro Bro Leon course that the Tdf will use the centre of Landerneau - I wouldn't expect them to be sending the race along the ribinou (not on day 1 anyway).

I think the village you're thinking of is Locronan. The TdF went through it in 2018. The village was established by an Irish missionary 1500 years ago. Worth a visit if you're in the area, though there's not a huge amount to the historic part. The TdF is going through it on day 1

Spot on thats the one I was thinking of.

Mefistofelino

Macy0161 wrote: »

Finished watching this this morning - great race, but wtaf was Swift thinking! A couple of near misses with the moto's with them going down too.

The Cycling Podcast did a friends special on it a few years back, which was very interesting. It's been on the list but the couple of times we've been in France, we headed further south to the Vendee (which also has some great, marked, gravel and back road routes).

It's a race I'd love to see (and ride the cyclo on the preceding day) but it's a PITA to get to. Hopefully with the additional post Brexit ferries and the move to May ( when the Summer flight schedules to Brest / Rennes/ Lorient kick-in) the logistics might get a little easier.