All roads lead to Aigle: Pro Cycling 2020

[longeared]

Paris - Nice has been pleasantly bonkers so far, two days of huge crosswinds and there's been splits and time losses all over the place. There's only 30 riders within three minutes of the lead already and we haven't been up a meaningful hill yet. Bora have been the team of the race, winning the opening stage with Max Schachmann and then putting four riders in the front group yesterday - then messing up the sprint and Giacomo Nizzolo came past for the win. Whether the race actually reaches the finish on Sunday is another matter though, French government restrictions now mean that there's a sterile area around the starts and finishes, in effect cycling behind closed doors.

[ursus arctos]

Richie Porte currently third in the Paris-Nice time trial, behind De Gendt and Craddock with a number of guys still to come.

[Mumpo]

What was the deal with Bennett and Hofstetter yesterday? First of all looked like a cut and dried shove by Hofstetter sending Bennett into the barriers and down, but footage from earlier in the sprint showed Bennett pushing Quintana, so the Irish rider was fined and given a penalty (though he dropped out anyway with the injury he sustained in the crash).

But how did that absolve Hofstetter?

[ursus arctos]

The ruling appears to have been that Bennett barged Hofstetter first.

Porte is going to finish out of the top ten. Asgreen takes the lead by a second.

[ursus arctos]

Flanders suspends public sporting events, and Nokere Koerse, E3 and Gent-Wevelgem have all been cancelled.

[ursus arctos]

Fernando Gaviria, UAE Team Emirates' Colombian sprinter, has tested positive

[longeared]

Paris - Nice is somehow still going, there was an assumption that yesterday would be the end and Macron's address to the nation last night would provide the conditions to call the race off but that hasn't happened. So they're ploughing on today, though Bahrain-McLaren have chosen to leave to ensure all their personnel can get home and the organisers have announced that the race will finish tomorrow as Sunday's stage has been cancelled.

[ursus arctos]

There was pressure from the authorities in Nice, who were concerned that the relatively restricted limitations on spectators (none within 250 meters of the start and finish) wouldn't be effective in a city of that size. The health authorities appear to be less concerned with open road and smaller settlements.

[longeared]

The Giro's gone now, the Hungarian authorities withdrew from holding the Grande Partenza earlier today and RCS have now decided to pull the plug. Ostensibly it's postponed rather than cancelled, but difficult to think when it might be run (October?) Not impossible they'll roll the whole thing over and run the same intended route in 2021.

Think there will now be a big desire to get the Tour de France held if at all possible. Partly because it's the centrepiece of the whole season and partly because it is such a national event - there's been occasions (1968, 1992, 2016) when it has provided a symbol to the world that France is operating as normal and all is well. There would realistically need to be some prep races in advance so you'd hope things will be in a position to hold the Dauphine from May 31st or the Tour de Suisse a week later.

[ursus arctos]

Yeah, it is hard to see when they could hold it, given the nature of the calendar and the climatological considerations. Several of the passes on this year's route are unlikely to be open in October, and the risk of dangerously inclement weather will be high.

[delicatemoth]

They can cancel literally any other event on the planet to make room for the Giro, as far as I'm concerned. Olympics, Vuelta, Tour...

There's going to be rain on the route of Roubaix on the day Roubaix would have been held, isn't there?

[Hot Orange]

The Women's Tour of Britain has gone. Not due to take place until June, but cancelled/postponed early "to provide certainty to the many parties involved in the planning and organisation of the event, including local authorities, police and health services in the UK."

[ursus arctos]

Yet another brilliant attack from Nairoman gives him the last stage of a truncated Paris-Nice. Schachmann just holds off Benoot for the overall victory.

So far this season, Quintana has looked better than he has in years (this is his fourth win).

[delicatemoth]

<drums fingers>

I can't even simulate the races in Pro Cycling Manager, cos my laptop that runs it is out of action. Tsk.

[longeared]

Well there we go, well done Nairo, told you you should have left Movistar earlier, well done Max. There's been some excellent racing this season. Hope there's some more.

[Billy Casper]

I'm going to try and watch some old one day races on Youtube over the next few weeks. Without giving any spoilers away, can anyone recommend some good ones from the last decade or so?

[Kevin S]

Men's Ronde van Vlaanderen 2017 and 2016
Men's World Championship 2013
Women's La Course 2018
Men's Strade Bianche 2015
Women's Strade Bianche 2016
Men's Paris-Roubaix 2016
Women's World Championship 2014
Men's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2015

[delicatemoth]

Men's Amstel Gold 2019

[Billy Casper]

Excellent! Thank you.

[longeared]

I would caution that a lot of cycling on Youtube contains spoilers in the title or description, and you often have to check these before starting or you'll end up watching somebody who's uploaded their Pro Cycling Manager version.

[delicatemoth]

Tiz Cycling is 'livestreaming' old races and has a decent library of races from the last few years - https://tiz-cycling.io/home/

[Sits]

Excellent, thanks dm.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/petercossins/status/1242930361086218246

As others have observed, she really means in front of closed doors

[Sits]

They’re gonna need some bigger doors.

[Mumpo]

Nice 30 minute keirin documentary on the iPlayer - The Secret World of Japanese Bicycle Racing with Sir Chris Hoy