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All roads lead to Aigle: Pro Cycling 2020

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    Tour de France now set for 29 August to 20 September

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      Buried amidst the TdF announcement was the news that all racing is now suspended up to July 1st, but the proposed new calendar looks quite something if any of it actually takes place.

      29 August - 20 September - Tour de France
      20 - 27 September - World Championships; the men's elite time trial is on the same day as the final Tour stage
      3-25 October - Giro d'Italia
      November - Vuelta a Espana

      Dauphine is expected to be held on some unspecified dates prior to the Tour. Not clear where any of the classics might be fitted in, but there has been talk of holding them in October and November.

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        It's intriguing how the sports admin community refuses to accept that sometimes an event just can't take place, isn't it? I doubt the rearranged Tour will happen, and it probably shouldn't. Have they cancelled the Olympics yet?

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          Olympics were postponed to 2021 a bit more than a week ago

          If that date for the Giro holds, it would prudent to rework the itinerary so as to avoid mountain passes being closed late in October

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            I fully get that the UCI or the race organisers don't want to junk aspects of the season yet but, yeah, it does feel a bit of a stretch to think any of the Grand Tours will happen even with the rearranged schedule. There is though a huge desire to run the Tour and then everything else is just falling in behind it.

            FWIW I've been of the view for a couple of weeks that if there is any more road racing this season then it'll be the Classics held in the autumn - one day races seem to be a bit of a safer bet to run. Plus the thought of having Flanders or Roubaix the day after my birthday is a very pleasant one.

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              Oh great, so the Olympics are going to mess up next year's calendar. Dicks.

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                I rather liked the bonkers idea of a single Grand Tour comprised of a week's racing in each of the three countries, but that was obviously never going to happen for rights reasons.

                Similarly, I think one needs to view all of these announcements through the prism of on-going negotiations with rights holders, sponsors and insurers. "Official" rescheduling tends to neuter arguments that money is not due or should be repaid.

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                  This might be of interest to some people ;


                  The Secret World of Japanese Bicycle Racing: with Sir Chris Hoy

                  Olympic icon Sir Chris Hoy heads to Japan, host of next year's Tokyo Games, to explore the Japanese phenomenon of the keirin, the most extreme and exciting event in track cycling. A test of controlled pacing then a tactical fight to the line, keirin is a sport in its own right in its country of origin, and is steeped in the history and rituals that make Japanese culture so unique. Attending keirin school is a once in a lifetime opportunity for international riders, and back in 2005, multiple Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris was one of the first Britons to be invited to savour the ultimate experience in the career of any track cyclist. He now makes a nostalgic return
                  Last edited by Ray de Galles; 17-04-2020, 11:45.

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                    Japanese Keirin is quite bizarre, and extremely Japanese.

                    I wasn't aware that Hoy had done the school and rather impressed by that fact

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                      I love how everyone has to reveal what their tactics are going to be before the race (presumably for betting reasons?).

                      What if everyone says they want to hit the front with half a lap left?

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                        Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                        Japanese Keirin is quite bizarre, and extremely Japanese.

                        I wasn't aware that Hoy had done the school and rather impressed by that fact
                        Becky James went there in 2013 too.

                        I haven't seen the show yet but that velodrome Hoy's at looks a lot like the Tachikawa one in Tokyo where I saw a meeting a few years ago, though I suspect they all look quite alike.

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                          If I had to guess which OTFer was most likely to have attended a Japanese Keirin meeting, you would have been my man.

                          I trust that you were not locked into the ground for four days (unlike the riders)

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                            Ha, I thought I had written about it on here, maybe not.

                            i've only just noticed that Mumpo already posted about the programme right before the page break.

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                              https://twitter.com/biglakatusha/status/1253682433347645441

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                                https://twitter.com/Cyclingnewsfeed/status/1255532223131942913

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                                  Sporza had a report today that Flanders is pencilled in for October 18th, with Gent - Wevelgem a week earlier.

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                                    The Tour of Britain has bitten the dust today, the organisers tried to spin it as a "postponement" as they're going to roll over and run the same route in 2021, but that's a cancellation in reality. Only the London thingy left on the British programme of races for this year now. Can't see the sportive there happening even if they do go ahead.

                                    In more interesting news there's reports that Froome might be leaving INEOS, possibly as a mid season transfer somewhere else. Bahrain McLaren and Movistar have both been mentioned as possible destinations, although not sure how the former tallies with the line that their riders have taken a 70% pay cut. Should it happen this would leave the fascinating prospect of him racing against INEOS at the Tour, should the race take place. Reading between the lines the team have told him he won't be leader in September.

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                                      I just watched virtual cycling, it is quite odd. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/cycling/52935269

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                                        I find the different platform that the Swiss were using, which superimposes "virtual cyclists" on actual video of the course (including opposing traffic!) to be even weirder.

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                                          Well this was supposed to be coming into Bury St. Edmunds (which is in a flat part of England not near the sea) but the graphics showed them riding a road across a channel - a bit like the one separating North and South Uist - towards some small mountains. Sometimes they had insets of the riders on their stationary bikes at home. I was terrified someone's electricity would go off at a crucial moment. Dani Christmas won, and I reckon she had a small advantage because she was on her patio and the other riders shown were inside, so she probably felt fresher. But obviously they can't form actual trains, and there is no slipstreaming effect etc.

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                                            Sounds like it needs some work

                                            Some of the men who have been a number of these now have bespoke setups with industrial fans and sound systems

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                                              I watched a virtual race a while back, ostensibly it was from Switzerland. Fair to say I've spent an hour feeling more entertained.

                                              There's reports in the Italian press this morning that Froome is going to sign for Israel Start Up Nation, transfer to take place on August 1st with him being sole leader for the Tour, assuming it happens. Does seem increasingly possible we'll get racing in some form this season though, Deceuninck and Bora are both on full team training camps this week and other squads are meeting up in smaller bubbles. If it does all happen it is going to be pretty damn full on, not much has been outright cancelled and there's the best part of seven months from the calendar to squeeze in to around half that time.

                                              CCC are withdrawing their sponsorship at the end of the season, there have been some suggestions they might merge with Rally. Mitchelton announced last week that they are to become "Manuela Foundation" but that seems less certain now as there is some kerfuffle between parties about what was agreed. Possibly related to the fact that no-one has a clue what Manuela Foundation actually are in reality. Bigla Katusha have agreed a deal with Paule Ka (an emblematic independent French fashion house, it says here) to become main sponsor through the end of 2024. Niki Terpstra had a nasty training crash and is out for three months.

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                                                Never much liked Froome, but signing for Apartheid Nation would make his time at Sky look like the positive part of his career.

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                                                  Originally posted by longeared View Post
                                                  Mitchelton announced last week that they are to become "Manuela Foundation" but that seems less certain now as there is some kerfuffle between parties about what was agreed. Possibly related to the fact that no-one has a clue what Manuela Foundation actually are in reality.
                                                  And now it's been scrapped.

                                                  https://www.greenedgecycling.com/new...enedge-cycling

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                                                    https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1274727536723988485

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