All roads lead to Aigle: Pro Cycling 2020

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We can't have nice things, longeared

We just can't

Because of snow, they are only going to Chalet Reynard

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Nairoman!

[longeared]

Very impressive that. Keep us dreaming Nairo.

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Just beautiful, man

He will look great in the La Vie Claire-inspired leader's jersey, too

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Today's stage, Avignon to Aix with three categorised climbs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOsQG2IgJgo

Kirby, hélas

[longeared]

If they catch the break we might get one of my favourite sights in cycling - a big sprint without any sprinters.

[longeared]

Break sticks and there's a win for Wales as Owain Doull outsprints Matthias Brandle. INEOS's first win of the season. GC goes to Nairo.

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Rob Hatch is doing Algarve with Adam Blythe.

Blythe is good at providing insight on tactics, and already has a good rapport with Hatch. He's a bit matey about British riders, but that is certainly understandable.

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Remco!

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RCS confirms that Tirreno is at risk of cancellation due to the coronavirus outbreak

[longeared]

Strade Bianche, San Remo and even the Giro have been mentioned as being under threat too.

Caleb Ewan has just outpaced Sam Bennett to win the Hatta Dam stage of the UAE Tour. There's a stream on Dubai Sports website again, and pleasingly they've got that magnificent commentator from last year back for another go.

[longeared]

Emphatic win for Adam Yates on Jefel Habeet - he instigated the main move with Lutsenko and Gaudu then attacked the pair of them with 5k left and won solo by over a minute. Pogacar chased on behind and came second. That's the main summit finish of the race, although weirdly they're having another stage end there on Thursday.

This is also Froome's first race back. He lost three and a half minutes yesterday and will concede way more than that today. I'm not entirely sure if he has any objectives and roles beyond getting round, but if he does I'm unsure if "get dropped before some of the sprinters on the final climb" is among them.

[Ray de Galles]

Track Worlds begin tomorrow in Berlin, the BBC are covering the medal sessions.

[longeared]

Scenes in the men's team pursuit just now. Denmark broke the world record in qualifying this afternoon, then they've just had a hell of a tussle against Italy in the semi final. The Danes just hung on and in doing so beat their own world record (3:46.2 - I remember when anything under four minutes was seriously impressive). Italy set the second fastest time in history and have ended up in the bronze final.

Laura Kenny got fourth in the scratch race earlier, she went for the win, couldn't get past Kirsten Wild and two others came round her on the line. Men's team sprint are in their final shortly where they will lose to the Netherlands, who themselves set a world record in the last round.

[Kevin S]

Is Berlin a particularly fast 'drome?

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It hasn't produced fistfuls of records in the past, though I don't know if they have a new track.

[Ray de Galles]

There was a new track for the 2017 European Championships, I doubt they've replaced it again since.

Just caught up as live as I was out for a family birthday this evening. The Dutch Men's Sprint Team matched the Danish Pursuit Team in setting a second a World record today in their final.

Amazing that Wild wins again at 37, I can't work out why she's never transferred her Worlds form of 7 Golds to the Olympics.

[longeared]

Late surge and a good bike throw from Tadej Pogacar takes him past Alexei Lutsenko on the line at Jefel Habeet for the stage. Lutsenko had stopped pedalling and was about to throw his arms up to celebrate. Ho ho ho. Adam Yates came in alongside them and should win overall, all that's left now are a couple of sprint stages.

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Yikes

[URL="https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1233157297368682502?s=21"]https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1233157297368682502[/URL]

[Kevin S]

And they've cancelled the rest of the race immediately.

[Incandenza]

A bit silly to ask while some serious stuff is going on, but is the fantasy cycling league up again?

[Ray de Galles]

Fantastic Points Race win for 19 year old New Zealander Corbin Strong to add to his Silver in the Team Pursuit. Powerful riding and perfect tactics.

Good to see Spain's Mora nick the Silver at the last too. He's a phenomenal workhorse and was denied a probable Gold in the Scratch Race by some shithousery from Belarus's Karoliak who refused to do his turn on the front of their breakaway.

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[URL="https://twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed/status/1233765399684145152?s=21"]https://twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed/status/1233765399684145152[/URL]

[Ray de Galles]

Elinor Barker wins Wales first Gold of the Worlds in the Points Race, on St David's Day too. Get in, looked a gutsy ride from the highlights (the BBC's over-complicated switching arounf off the coverage meant I missed it live, thinking it was still to come).