The Cycling Thread!

[g under p]

Wow 9 months hiatus for the cycling thread -

I personally had a bad year. Too many personal things going on, like raising my grand children. :o

Final settled down and am riding again, I figured if I don't take care of myself I'll die before I finish raising them. Just made a goal for three centuries next year. Stagecoach in February / Dirty Devil in March and the Mother-lode in April. The Dirty Devil is pretty awesome 127 miles which includes 28 miles of packed dirt roads, i just hope it's not raining. :P

Sadly I have to shed at least 40 pounds, that's what stress and no exercise do to me .

 

Same here....stress over various things mainly my daughter off to college now in her junior year living off campus and not seeing her all year. She misses me I miss her so much i raised her by myself since she was three. I worry about her health as she's battling a serious health issue. I Gained 25 pounds not riding this summer down here in South Florida where it's been hottest, driest summer to date living here. No excuses as hurricane season is cooling things down a bit.....my bike is looking at me (with an angry face) saying come on dude just give me 15 miles but first do you mind pumping up my tires geeez. It's time to get my act together come next February is the ride around big Lake Okeechobee 116 miles with strong winds at some point.

 

Ok a goal is set....15 miles on a day next week and I'll see if I will need an oxygen canister in the house afterwards.

 

 

[alphseeker]

I watched the tour and enjoyed it but just never got around to posting. Personally, I've had some major health issues and have lost over 50 pounds. My muscles are pretty badly atrophied and I'm not sure I could ride 2 miles right now. Once I'm healthy I'll get back out there but I've got a long ways to go.

:( Wow 50 lbs. Sorry to hear that - Looks like cycling has been a bad year for three of us.

[alphseeker]

Wow 9 months hiatus for the cycling thread -

I personally had a bad year. Too many personal things going on, like raising my grand children. :o

Final settled down and am riding again, I figured if I don't take care of myself I'll die before I finish raising them. Just made a goal for three centuries next year. Stagecoach in February / Dirty Devil in March and the Mother-lode in April. The Dirty Devil is pretty awesome 127 miles which includes 28 miles of packed dirt roads, i just hope it's not raining. :P

Sadly I have to shed at least 40 pounds, that's what stress and no exercise do to me .

It's time to get my act together come next February is the ride around big Lake Okeechobee 116 miles with strong winds at some point.

 

Ok a goal is set....15 miles on a day next week and I'll see if I will need an oxygen canister in the house afterwards.

:ebert: Ok i'll be the one to start, I'll post weekly updates on my training and slow but steady progress.

[alphseeker]

This morning I did a 1/5th of a century. :D Hilly 1 cat 4. 21 miles. I was only winded a couple of times, wasn't pushing it at all. Easy gear, high cadence. Only big problem was my body was in so much pain. Feet killing me, neck, muscles etc. nothing major but made ride very uncomfortable. I know that's just being off bike for so long but still it sucked. Third ride this week.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/bauhaus92/IMG_8022_zpsgckzuey7.jpg

Edited September 2, 2016 by alphseeker

[alphseeker]

12 miles yesterday and another 21 today. Finally got a little strength back. Today was my best one so far - 78 miles in 6 days - An awesome 67 degrees this morning. Sadly that won't last it's gonna be 90 by Friday

 

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/bauhaus92/FullSizeRender_zpslvzcqvfv.jpg

[alphseeker]

65 miles this week so far - I'll probably end the week with 90 -

 

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/bauhaus92/oay2_zpstdewchii.jpg

[alphseeker]

30 miles today - best day on my bike in a year -

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/bauhaus92/IMG_8078_zpsslpdhhiw.jpg

[Ancient Ways]

Anyone see the I indent in today's Tdf race? It will be interesting to see if anyone is DQ'd.

[alphseeker]

Anyone see the I indent in today's Tdf race? It will be interesting to see if anyone is DQ'd.

Sagan DQ'd - Total BS!!!!! There is a picture clear as day showing Cavendish, before the crash, head butting Sagan throwing him off balance causing his elbow come out. Like many fans have stated I refuse to watch any sprint stages the rest of the tour. Edited July 4, 2017 by alphseeker

[Ancient Ways]

Anyone see the I indent in today's Tdf race? It will be interesting to see if anyone is DQ'd.

Sagan DQ'd - Total BS!!!!! There is a picture clear as day showing Cavendish, before the crash, head butting Sagan throwing him off balance causing his elbow come out. Like many fans have stated I refuse to watch any sprint stages the rest of the tour.

They keep talking about the elbow but it doesn't come up until cav was already falling. Cav doesn't have the most pristine reputation in the sprints. He clearly tried to wedge himself in there and paid the price taking two other riders down as well.

[alphseeker]

Anyone see the I indent in today's Tdf race? It will be interesting to see if anyone is DQ'd.

Sagan DQ'd - Total BS!!!!! There is a picture clear as day showing Cavendish, before the crash, head butting Sagan throwing him off balance causing his elbow come out. Like many fans have stated I refuse to watch any sprint stages the rest of the tour.

They keep talking about the elbow but it doesn't come up until cav was already falling. Cav doesn't have the most pristine reputation in the sprints. He clearly tried to wedge himself in there and paid the price taking two other riders down as well.

Yep, even some of the other great sprinters apologized to Sagan after having a real good look at the footage. He got screwed. Clearly the Frikin French officials want to clear the way for Demare the frenchy to win the green jersey. Total BS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fordgalaxy]

Is it just French officials making the decision?

[alphseeker]

Is it just French officials making the decision?

Actually the current President of the UCI is a frikin Brit. That's even more political than if he was french considering he was obviously pissed Cavendish's tour was over.

[Ancient Ways]

They did a good job analyzing it last night. It's clear that cavendish initiated contact with a shoulder into Sagan which caused cav to start falling into barricade. Sagans elbow flared up and never made contact with cav. It's a travesty.

[alphseeker]

They did a good job analyzing it last night. It's clear that cavendish initiated contact with a shoulder into Sagan which caused cav to start falling into barricade. Sagans elbow flared up and never made contact with cav. It's a travesty.

Also the UCI jury president Philippe Mariën who announced the decision is French. His damn Frenchy rider Damare blatantly cut off Kristoff in the final sprint today, a move that was fare more dangerous than Sagan's and they did nothing.

[Fordgalaxy]

But let's be honest, no sprinter is going to win the Tour anyway unless something very drastic happens to all the climbers.

[Ancient Ways]

But let's be honest, no sprinter is going to win the Tour anyway unless something very drastic happens to all the climbers.

That's why they have the green jersey competition and riders have bonuses in their contracts they can earn with victories, etc...

[goose]

Gnarly wreck around KM22 on the final, long decent today. A rider cut the corner too close, got into the inside soft shoulder and tumbled into another riderwho was sent into the granite mountain wall at full speed. :(

 

Other than that, a fun finish watching a group of team leaders fly through the tight curves, then sprint to a photo finish!

Edited July 9, 2017 by goose

[blackhawkrush]

Gnarly wreck around KM22 on the final, long decent today. A rider cut the corner too close, got into the inside soft shoulder and tumbled into another riderwho was sent into the granite mountain wall at full speed. :(

 

Other than that, a fun finish watching a group of team leaders fly through the tight curves, then sprint to a photo finish!

Yeah, too bad this will probably be the end of the tour for Majka. :| He was hoping to be right at the top this year.

[goose]

Gnarly wreck around KM22 on the final, long decent today. A rider cut the corner too close, got into the inside soft shoulder and tumbled into another riderwho was sent into the granite mountain wall at full speed. :(

 

Other than that, a fun finish watching a group of team leaders fly through the tight curves, then sprint to a photo finish!

Yeah, too bad this will probably be the end of the tour for Majka. :| He was hoping to be right at the top this year.

It was a tough break, for sure.

[alphseeker]

How about the stage winner Uran, Limited to the hardest rear gear the last 7 km. I can't imagine how he managed to turn that crankset it must have tortured his knees.

[goose]

How about the stage winner Uran, Limited to the hardest rear gear the last 7 km. I can't imagine how he managed to turn that crankset it must have tortured his knees.

[goose]

Are race organizers and fans getting what they wanted?

 

http://deadspin.com/all-hell-breaks-loose-at-the-tour-de-france-1796778442

 

When Tour de France organizers set up a course that featured fewer traditional opportunities for set piece racing and fewer direct chances to take time from one’s rivals on mountaintop finishes and time trials, they did so to intentionally stoke aggressive, exciting racing. They never could have dreamed for something as ugly and enthralling as what happened Sunday on Stage 9. The Tour’s most arduous stage so far was its most dangerous day of racing in a few years, and after across-the-board chaos, the race is shaping up for a bonkers final two weeks.

As the Olympic road race course made plainly obvious over and over again, aggressive racing on slick surfaces is a combination that will inevitably produce crashes. The Tour’s decision to stick the finish line 25 kilometers on the other side of the day’s last climb meant that time gaps between riders were less likely unless anyone felt like pushing their luck descending the Mont du Chat (literally “cat mountain”). Geraint Thomas, a top lieutenant of race leader Chris Froome, crashed out 100 kilometers from the finish, and his sudden exit was a harbinger of the madness to come.

 

Heavy hitters like Alberto Contador, Robert Gesink, and Rafal Majka all went down at various points in the race, with Gesink and Majka leaving the Tour with injuries and Contador losing any chance at winning the yellow jersey. On the final descent of the day, BMC leader Richie Porte lost control of his machine after his wheel locked up. Unable to regain control, Porte tumbled off the tarmac and onto the grass, shattering his pelvis and collarbone before flying back onto the road and into Dan Martin. Porte was going about 45 mph when he fell, and he later said he was lucky to escape the crash without further injuries.

 

 

 

 

[goose]

How about the stage winner Uran, Limited to the hardest rear gear the last 7 km. I can't imagine how he managed to turn that crankset it must have tortured his knees.

Uran’s win was all the more impressive since his bike was all [messed] up. According to race mechanics, Uran’s derailleur got damaged in the Martin-Porte crash and he was unable to shift gears. Cannondale mechanics decided to manually move Uran’s chainring into the 11-tooth sprocket (the big ring) and let him ride forward at 53 x 11. Winning the sprint he did was impressive; winning it on one gear was even better.

 

http://deadspin.com/all-hell-breaks-loose-at-the-tour-de-france-1796778442

 

[alphseeker]

How about the stage winner Uran, Limited to the hardest rear gear the last 7 km. I can't imagine how he managed to turn that crankset it must have tortured his knees.

Uran’s win was all the more impressive since his bike was all [messed] up. According to race mechanics, Uran’s derailleur got damaged in the Martin-Porte crash and he was unable to shift gears. Cannondale mechanics decided to manually move Uran’s chainring into the 11-tooth sprocket (the big ring) and let him ride forward at 53 x 11. Winning the sprint he did was impressive; winning it on one gear was even better.

 

http://deadspin.com/...ance-1796778442

 

http://youtu.be/lwRw8XQWqSI

His Manager Jonathan Vaughters said Uran has always been too technical and would always overthink a finish which is why he hasn't won a big stage like this before. Vaughters said his mechanical forced him to just flat out race with what gear he had, no thinking, no playing with gears, nothing but pure hammering to the end.