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Purito with a huge dig at the 1k, Martin somehow bridges  and now Martin goes!
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 15:09 |
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| # ? May 25, 2013 04:14 |
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Huge attack!!! what a great win! also spectators on the wrong side of the barriers need to get taken out
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 15:10 |
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drat pandas Wow nice one Dan.
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 15:10 |
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When I made my fortune I will spend the rest of my days clotheslining stupid spectators running alongside cyclists.
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 15:11 |
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drat fine win. Only the second Irishman to win la Doyenne, after Sean Kelly (of course)
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 15:11 |
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Allyn posted:drat fine win. Only the second Irishman to win la Doyenne, after Sean Kelly (of course) I loved kellys little "yes!" under his breath
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 15:12 |
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Good finish. Anyone catch how skinny Ryder's arms were when he stood next to Martin after the race, talk about race weight.
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 15:14 |
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I am definitely not a Contador fan, but you have to love the way he animates a race even if he knows it's probably for nothing. I AM however a huge Garmin, Ryder, and Dan Martin fan, so this one felt really really good to watch. Good news for Ryder's form coming into the Giro as well - even after that huge turn he still came in 8th, only one spot behind Gilbert.
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 15:31 |
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That was fuckin glorious.
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 15:46 |
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Another fantastic classic.
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 15:53 |
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Glad for Martin, he looked good at the Flèche and had some bad luck at the end. Ready for the Giro.
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 16:00 |
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Awesome race today. So glad to see Dan Martin getting big wins this year. I've got an OP ready for the next thread, I'll post it in a moment and make a new thread later tonight/tomorrow. Feedback is welcome and I'd appreciate help from anyone who wants to write a longer preview for any of the other races, especially California since I know people here care about that. Thread title suggestions also welcome Jamsque fucked around with this message at Apr 21, 2013 around 17:26 |
| # ? Apr 21, 2013 17:19 |
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GO HERE TO WATCH RACES: http://www.cyclingfans.com , http://www.steephill.tvcode: The first Grand Tour of the year is finally upon us! Three spring weeks of Italian passion and insanity. The course is perhaps less brutally punishing than other recent editions but it remains a cruel race and will, as ever, be a war of attrition. Il percorso  The Giro is famed for brutally steep climbs like the Motirolo and Zoncolan deciding the overall victory, this year however we have a more balanced edition with a short-ish Team Time Trial, a long flat individual one and only five really big mountain top finishes. Neither is this a course to make sprinters happy, most of the flat days are peppered with climbs in the finale that will make for tense finishes. Il tappe    Stage 1: 156km Napoli - Mostly flat, finishes with 8 laps of a technical city circuit. Stage 2: 17.4km Ischia to Forio - Team Time Trial on a twisty, rolling island course Stage 3: 212km Sorrento to Marina Di Ascea - Mainly flat with two challenging climbs in the second half and a downhill finish Stage 4: 244km Policastro Bussention to Serra San Bruno - Long flat day with a 2nd category climb 6km from the finish line Stage 5: 199km Cosenza to Matera - Again mostly flat but with a short leg-breaking climb inside the last 20km Stage 6: 154km Mola Di Bari to Margherita Di Savoia - The first true sprinter's stage, dead flat Stage 7: 162km San Salvo to Pescara - Very tricky classics-like day with many short climbs and narrow roads Stage 8: 55.5km Gabicce Mare to Saltara - Individual Time Trial on a tough rolling coastal course. The length should mean big gaps. Stage 9: 181km San Sepolcro to Firenze - A day with two tough climbs in the middle, two easer ones towards the end and a slightly uphill finish First rest day Stage 10: 167km Cordenons to Altopiano Del Montasio - The real Giro begins here. The final climb is 21km long and has ramps of 20% gradient Stage 11: 184km Tarvisio to Vajont - A day for the breakaway with a huge pass in the middle and a medium difficulty climb at the end Stage 12: 129km Longarone to Trevisio - Sprint stage with a surprise climb at 40km to go that might disrupt things Stage 13: 242km Busseto to Cherasco - Long and flat but sporting two steep climbs late on, one for the classics men Stage 14: 156km Cervere to Bardonecchia - Big mountains. Over Sestriere and then finishing on the climb to Jafferau, 7.2km at 9% Stage 15: 150km Cesana Torinese to Col Du Galibier - HUGE mountains. A really decisive day for the GC, fatigue will be setting in Second rest day Stage 16: 237km Valloire to Ivrea - Might be one for the break but could be exciting if raced hard, there are two tough decents early and a fiendish climb late Stage 17: 203km Caravaggio to Vicenza - Another not-quite-sprint day, flat but a 2nd category climb with 17km to go Stage 18: 19.4km Mori to La Polsa - Mountain time trial, long and averaging just 6.5%. Won't be won by a pure climber. Stage 19: 138km Ponte Di Legno to Val Martello - Short and vicious, over the Gavia and the Stelvio with a final climb not quite as tough as either of those two Stage 20: 202km Silandro to Tre Cime Di Lavaredo - The longest mountain stage with five hard climbs including the Passo Giau Stage 21: 199km Riese Pio X to Brescia - Processional final stage and last hurrah for any remaining sprinters I protagonisti  Bradley Wiggins, Wiggo Great Britain Sir Bradley is the reigning Tour de France and Olympic Time Trial champion and the favourite for this Giro, primarily because of the long time trial on stage 8. In 2012 Wiggins won every TT he rode (not including prologues) and he will expect to take minutes out of the field there. Wiggins is a powerful diesel climber but has to ride his own pace instead of following acellerations, he says he spent this winter training his explosiveness on the climbs but expect him to still lose time on the toughest finishes. He has not shown much of the terrific spring form he had last year but looks to be coming good at just the right time. How's his team? Sky will be strong but perhaps not as dominant as they were at the 2012 Tour. Colombian climbers Uran and Henao will be key helpers. How's his season going? 5th in Volta a Catalunya, 5th in Giro del Trentino Is he dirty? Won the Tour de France, former doctor Gert Leinders  Vincenzo Nibali, lo Squalo ("The Shark") Italy The home favourite, Nibali is a consistently strong perforer in Grand Tours. He hasn't finished outside the top 10 in the last six he rode, and in that period has podiumed the Giro and the Tour and won the Vuelta a Espana. He is a very good climber, an exceptional descender and the man in form right now, coming fresh off a dominant win in the mountains at the Giro de Trentino. Nibali won't lose massive amounts in the time trial but he will have to be agressive on the few really tough mountain days this Giro offers. His team will be a huge asset to him. How's his team? Astana look very good right now, Nibali will be well supported in the mountains. How's his season going? 1st in Tirreno - Adriatco, 1st and a stage in Giro del Trentino Is he dirty? Italian, team has a lot of dopers in its past  Ryder Hesjedal, The Hes-Jay Canada Ryder comes in to this Giro showing some good form in the classics but with only a single top 10 finish to his name this year. Last year he looked similarly unimpressive in the spring and proceeded to become the first Canadian ever to win a Grand Tour. The reigning champ has a tough task ahead of him to defend his title, on paper he is not as good in the TT as Wiggins and not as strong in the mountains as Nibali but he may be just good enough in both to come out ahead, especially if the two big favourites mark each other out of the race. How's his team? Garmin-Sharp always ride well in the Team Time Trial but can't match up to Astana and Sky on the climbs. How's his season going? 8th in Liege - Bastogne - Liege Is he dirty? Team managed by a doper, rode for Johan Bruyneel  Cadel Evans, Cuddles Australia Beware the quiet Australian. There was a time that Cadel Evans had a reputation for being too cautious, too tentative, too soft, but he has developed in to one of the fiercest competitors in the peloton. A true all-terrain rider who is perhaps past his prime but still very dangerous. Cadel will have to take every chance that comes his way, bonus seconds for top 3 finishes will be crucial. Expect his team to let him down badly at some point. How's his team? Evans has always seemed to be lacking in strong helpers in the Grand Tours and his current BMC squad follows that trend. How's his season going? 3rd in Tour of Oman, 8th in Giro del Trentino Is he dirty? Won the Tour de France, former coach Aldo Sassi  The outsiders: Robert Gesink, Blanco Pro Cycling : One of the nearly-men in the GTs of recent years, Gesink is very strong on his day but plagued by bad luck and inconsistency. Samuel Sanchez, Euskaltel-Euskadi : Very experienced GT rider who has podiumed at this race. His best years are behind him but he may be capable of something. Ivan Basso, Team Cannondale : Twice a winner here, Vincenzo Nibal's old boss will be looking to show that he is still the master. Il maglie  Famous Italian Paul Smith designed this year's jerseys for some reason. From left to right:
Il squadre Thanks to political wranglings ther are 23 teams in this year's race instead of the usual 22. AG2R LA MONDIALE (FRA) ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – VENEZUELA (ITA) ASTANA PRO TEAM (KAZ) BARDIANI VALVOLE – CSF INOX (ITA) BLANCO PRO CYCLING TEAM (NED) BMC RACING TEAM (USA) CANNONDALE (ITA) COLOMBIA (COL) EUSKALTEL – EUSKADI (ESP) FDJ (FRA) GARMIN – SHARP (USA) KATUSHA (RUS) LAMPRE – MERIDA (ITA) LOTTO BELISOL (BEL) MOVISTAR TEAM (ESP) OMEGA PHARMA – QUICK-STEP CYCLING TEAM (BEL) ORICA - GREENEDGE (AUS) RADIOSHACK LEOPARD (LUX) SKY PROCYCLING (GBR) TEAM ARGOS – SHIMANO (NED) TEAM SAXO - TINKOFF (DEN) VACANSOLEIL – DCM PRO CYCLING TEAM (NED) VINI FANTINI – SELLE ITALIA (ITA) ___________________________________________________________________________ Other races in late April and May:  Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey Length: 8 stages Entertainment: Medium Favours: Puncheur Previous Winners: Last year's unlikely champ Ivailo Grabovski got popped for EPO Did Eddy Merckx Win This Race: Didn't exist One of the hidden gems of the cycling calendar, the Tour of Turkey punches well above its weight. More and more top-level teams are making this race a goal. The course is fairly sprint-heavy but does feature some tough selective stages and always seems to produce crazy action and fun racing.  Tour de Romandie Length: Prologue + 5 stages Entertainment: Medium Favours: All-rounder Previous Winners: Wiggins, Evans, Hamilton, Roche Did Eddy Merckx Win This Race: Yes A storied and ancient Swiss race but not particulalry prestigious. Usually used as a stepping-stone to the Tour de France or a final tune-up before the Giro d'Italia. This year Giro hopefuls Ryder Hesjedal and Robert Gesink will be up against Sky's Chris Froome who will hope to emulate his team-mate Bradley Wiggins who won here on his way to Tour de France victory last year. The race starts with a 7km uphill prologue and ends with an 18km flat ITT with only one true mountain stage in between.  4 Jours de Dunkerque Length: 5 stages Entertainment: Low Favours: Puncheur/classics rider Previous Winners: Voeckler, Chavanel, Museeuw, Maertens Did Eddy Merckx Win This Race: No A scrappy Northern European stage race for scrappy Northern European riders, with more than a little flavour of the cobbled classics. Wind and weather are to be expected, and the selection will be made by lots of small climbs rather than any one big one.  Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt Length: One-day race Entertainment: Low Favours: Sprinter who can get over hills Previous Winners: Degenkolb, Zabel, Rebellin Did Eddy Merckx Win This Race: Yes The only 'classic' in this part of the season, and one of the few German races left on the calendar. Mostly flat circuit race sprinkled with short steep climbs, usually comes down to a sprint from a reduced bunch but it is not impossible for a group or an individual to get away in the hills.  Tour of California Length: 8 stages Entertainment: Medium Favours: All-rounder Previous Winners: Gesink, Horner, Rogers, Leipheimer, Landis Did Eddy Merckx Win This Race: Didn't exist The Fourth Grand Tour  Bayern-Rundfahrt Length: 5 stages Entertainment: Low Favours: Time trialist who can get over hills Previous Winners: Rodgers, Thomas, Voigt Did Eddy Merckx Win This Race: Didn't exist A low-difficulty stage race that will primarily be decided by a 31km time trial on the penultimate day.  Tour of Belgium Length: 5 Stages Entertainment: Medium Favours: A big motor Previous Winners: Tony Martin, Gilbert, Devolder, Boom Did Eddy Merckx Win This Race: Yes Another short stage race with a bit of flavour of the northern classics. Two stages out by the coast in the elements, two technical circuit stages further inland, and one short time trial. ______________________________________________________________________________ Below content shamelessly stolen/adapted from the previous thread's OP: A brief cycling glossary. Puncheur : A rider who can 'sprint' or 'punch' over short steep hills. Mountain Goat / Climber : A rider who is strong in the high mountains. This is distinct from "hills" although a rider who can climb mountains can often climb hills but not the other way round. Sprinter : Someone who can achieve a very high top speed, these riders fight out the win on flat days but usually can't climb. Sprint Train : The act of lining up your riders one after the other to provide a good "lead out" for your sprinter. Palmarès : "Victory roll" or "list of victories". Some "Traditional" commentators will uses this. "Big races they have won" I guess is a translation. Team Leader : The guy who everyone (except the free riders) are trying to help win the race. Free Rider/Protected Rider : A rider who isn't the team leader, but doesn't have to do the dirty work. Can even use team mates to help him, unless it impacts the team leader. They aren't the top dog, but they are nobodies bitch either. Domestique/Team Mate : A rider whose job involves anything including fetching drinks, pacing the leader, riding down breaks, killing himself, giving up his bike for his team leader. The Morning Breakaway : The first (or second) breakaway that is filled with nobodies or people chasing jersey points that won't impact the overall race because they'll probably tire out. In a the longer tours (grand tours especially) they can win stages if they're an hour behind the leaders and nobody cares. The Peloton : The pack of riders that travels together to avoid the wind and such. Technically speaking, a large group of riders can ride faster than a small group of riders. So, that means that any group of riders that is chasing down breakaways, even if it is only 40 or so riders, can be called a peloton late in the race. All Rounder/GC rider : Someone who can time trial and climb, and therefore is a sure bet for overall classification. Lazy short hand for "He won't get dropped in the mountains, and he won't get dropped in the time trials." Distinct from a "Climber" who is expected to make up tonnes of time on the climbs so that he still wins even after a time trial. Prologue: A short (<8km) time trial the purpose of which is to ensure that for the first proper stage there is a leader and not everyone is on the same time. Time Bonuses/Bonifications : Some stage races give riders bonus seconds for finishing in the top 3 on a stage or at an intermediate sprint. These bonus seconds are subtracted from a rider's overall time and can be crucial to victory in a close race. Crack : A rider who has pushed too far beyond their limits and suddenly slows to a crawl is said to have cracked. Classic signs of cracking are dropped head, slumping over the handlebars, "pedalling squares" etc. Not to be confused with what Boonen shoves up his nose. Crit/Criterium : A shorter race around a small city circuit that is usually designed for spectator enjoyment. The ones held after the Tour de France are usually rigged and more like exhibitions and traditionally were a huge source of income for the poor riders after the tour. Pave/Cobbles : Sections of cobbled roads sometimes incorporated in to races in Northern France or Belgium. Treacherous to ride on, they rattle your bones and cause punctures and crashes. DO YOU WANT TO HEAR MY TERRIBLE OPINION ABOUT LANCE ARMSTRONG OR DOPING? No, use the Lance thread.  Random Questions: HOW COME IF THEY FALL WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE THEY DONT LOSE TIME, THIS IS BULLSHIT! Well, first that isn't a question. But the answer is they introduced that so as to reduce the jostling near the end of the race, otherwise everyone would rush to the front and cause crashes. HOW COME IF THEY FINISH IN THE PELOTON THEY GET THE SAME TIME. See above. WHAT DOES "S.T" MEAN? Same Time. See above and above. WHAT ABOUT THE TOUR??? The tour is so big, and so awesome and cycling can change so much in three months that the Tour deserves its own mega thread complete with team line ups, favorites etc. For example if we wrote it at this time last year we'd be talking about Cadel Evans and Andy Schleck and Cancellara all three of whom were either injured or out of form all year. I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CYCLING! There is a series called "Beyond the peleton" which is about the old Cervélo TestTeam. It is a fascinating look behind the scenes of what it is like to be a cyclist and being in a cycling team. WHAT ARE SOME GOOD CYCLING NEWS WEBSITES? Road.cc and cyclingnews.com Jamsque fucked around with this message at Apr 21, 2013 around 17:40 |
| # ? Apr 21, 2013 17:22 |
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Super great post, nice pics, learnes a lot. Thanks!
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 17:38 |
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"Is he dirty" - is that really necessary?
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 18:01 |
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VacaGrande posted:"Is he dirty" - is that really necessary? Yeah i'd take that out but great OP.
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 18:02 |
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I figured people would talk about it anyway but I can take that out.
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 19:39 |
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Great tactics from Garmin and great to see Sky win gently caress all again. Martins attack must have been huge he gapped him so quick. What a bust Gilbert has been too.
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| # ? Apr 21, 2013 20:51 |
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New thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/sh...hreadid=3545448
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| # ? Apr 22, 2013 00:10 |
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Thanks Jamsque
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| # ? Apr 22, 2013 00:19 |
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| # ? May 25, 2013 04:14 |
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It was our first new thread in years, and seems like we never knew ye. But on to the Giro! 
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| # ? Apr 22, 2013 06:17 |
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