Big up to Jumbo Visma for actually announcing their Tour de France selection at their team presentation today - they're taking the not too shabby line up of Primoz Roglic, Tom Dumoulin, Steven Kruijswijk, Tony Martin, Sepp Kuss, Laurens de Plus, Robert Gesink and Wout van Aert. No Groenewegen, he's doing the Giro and Vuelta instead. Kruijswijk is also doing the Vuelta, Roglic and Dumoulin going straight to the Tour with both bypassing the Giro.
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That actually seems really sensible. Everyone knows their schedules so there shouldn't be any squabbling. Can't wait to see that team in July too.Comment
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INEOS are known to pick their team in the winter and I imagine there's other squads who have a broad idea of their line up, but to actually publicly announce it now is ballsy.Comment
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It does save them from being pestered by the Dutch cycling press for six months, though.
I also think that the broad plan had to have been part of of the negotiations with Dumoulin, likely subject to the routes changing peoples' minds.
It does look like the Tour will have close to an optimal field this year.Comment
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That's a mean team. A few years ago Gesink would have been their team leader.
I notice that Vuelta route mostly avoids the boiling south, wonder if they're concerned that temps down there will be just too high.Comment
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Watched BBC documentary on Geraint Thomas' Tour which was interesting but a bit flat. Portal swears amusingly in English.
I'd forgotten quite how bonkers the 2019 edition was and it just made you wish the cameras had been with Alaphilippe, too.Comment
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It left me with the clear feeling that there's a lot still to come out about his relationship with the team during the 2018 and 2019 Tours. Expect we'll have to wait until he retires until we find out what really went on. The other takeaway was that he doesn't really like Moscon.
This year's Tour de France teams have just been announced. Direct Energie qualified automatically as last year's top Pro Conti team and the wildcards have gone to Arkea Samsic and B&B Hotels - Vital Concept. No Wanty this year then, presumably as the organisers apparently weren't too impressed at them leaving out some of their best riders last year to go and gather ranking points elsewhere.Comment
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He hates Moscon? I didn't think G could go up in my estimation any further but he's clearly a great judge of character.
New gold and green wearers for ITTs:
https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/1214830881929650176?s=19
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Durbridge and Dennis were level pegging at the halfway check before Durbo pulled away in the second half of the course. Good luck to the coaches at INEOS there trying to change Dennis's career long habit of going off too fast, they'll have fun teaching him about riding negative splits.Comment
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Given that 19 year old Luke Plapp now has senior national titles on the track as well as a load of youth titles in ITTs I'm surprised none of the big teams have snapped him up already. Or he'd fit in well at one of the second tier teams like Novo Nordisk. He looks like the next Durbridge in the making, and has a wonderful name to boot.Last edited by Kevin S; 08-01-2020, 13:16.Comment
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Not as good as Gigante!Comment
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Plapp rides for some outfit called InForm TM Insight MAKE which appears to be an Australian domestic team for young riders, although their website includes Steele von Hoff on their roster - he had a couple of years at Garmin and some time on the British scene with NFTO and ONE. He's got some track pedigree so I assume he is looking at going to Tokyo in this capacity.
Been confirmed earlier that Bjarne Riis has taken over at NTT (previously Dimension Data). Sigh.Comment
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Isn't Novo Nordisk still limited to riders with diabetes?Comment
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What? Like Sky/INEOS were limited to asthmatics?Comment
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No, Novo Nordisk make diabetes drugs and are using the team to promote their products
Team Novo Nordisk is the world’s first all diabetes professional cycling team. All our athletes compete with type 1 diabetes. We race to inspire, educate and empower everyone affected by diabetes as we compete against the best cyclists in the world.Comment
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Er, I know. It was a joke...Comment
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Soz
I don't know how widely known the policy is.Comment
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No probs. Any excuse to slag off Sky...Comment
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Team TUEComment
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Oh yeah, I'd forgotten that aspect of Novo Nordisk. I was trying to think of a second-tier team that would appeal more to young riders from around the Pacific side instead of upping sticks to Europe, but there aren't many ways around that at the moment.Comment
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Charles 'Captain' Planet is one of my favourite riders.Comment
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Durbridge beats Dennis by 18 seconds to defend his Aussie Time Trial title.Comment
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A really gutsy ride by Brodie Chapman, whose solo break was caught in the last kilometre. Chloe Hosking then made the sprint look very easy.Comment
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