[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[Pantani]

And once again a NSCer top tens for the stage. This time Pantani & Cranky place joint 7th

Too little too late for me though unfortunately. Whilst this has been an extremely good Vuelta to watch, from a fantasy cycling point of view it has been beyond dull. We have all had virtually the same teams all the way through, hands up who has not had Contador, Valverde and Rodriguez for every mountain top finish for the last two weeks...

That's right we all have.

Of course I might just be sulking because I have taken such a beating.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Too little too late for me though unfortunately. Whilst this has been an extremely good Vuelta to watch, from a fantasy cycling point of view it has been beyond dull. We have all had virtually the same teams all the way through, hands up who has not had Contador, Valverde and Rodriguez for every mountain top finish for the last two weeks...

That's right we all have.

Of course I might just be sulking because I have taken such a beating.

True, some of us got wise to it quicker than others though.

The fact it has often alternated between summit and sprint has meant everyone doing the same 2/3 transfers each stage (valverde/contador for degenkolb/another sprinter etc.).

Having said that, 1066 has completely smashed this one. 2 grand tours in a year takes some doing!!

 

[Pantani]

True, some of us got wise to it quicker than others though.

The fact it has often alternated between summit and sprint has meant everyone doing the same 2/3 transfers each stage (valverde/contador for degenkolb/another sprinter etc.).

Having said that, 1066 has completely smashed this one. 2 grand tours in a year takes some doing!!

Indeed, I spent too long going for Froome in the hope that he would do better and I would catch up a bit. Never pick a different team in the hope of catching up, rule number 1 of this competition. So transfers for tomorrow? Degenkolb and A.N. Other.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Slightly o/t but the other half has asked me for a book recommendation for my father in law.

He's not a cycling fan at all but has been watching some as a result of my interest. She wants to give him something not too in in depth that helps explain some basics of tactics/some historical perspective etc.

Any ideas?

Sorry to bump this but I just said to my wife, "maybe Will's Eddy Mercx book."

"Who's Eddy Mercx? " she said.

Oh dear. And there's me thinking she was picking up this cycling thing!

 

[Stat Brother]

Too little too late for me though unfortunately. Whilst this has been an extremely good Vuelta to watch, from a fantasy cycling point of view it has been beyond dull. We have all had virtually the same teams all the way through, hands up who has not had Contador, Valverde and Rodriguez for every mountain top finish for the last two weeks...

That's right we all have.

Of course I might just be sulking because I have taken such a beating.

Good point, well made.

I kicked Froome out of Team Stat, quite early on, not that made the slightest difference.

 

[Stat Brother]

Sorry to bump this but I just said to my wife, "maybe Will's Eddy Mercx book."

"Who's Eddy Mercx? " she said.

Oh dear. And there's me thinking she was picking up this cycling thing!

I would say for the non fan, Brad's book, esp if the update is out.
The Merckx book is very very good, but I think you do need to know your cycling.

 

[1066familyman]

Too little too late for me though unfortunately. Whilst this has been an extremely good Vuelta to watch, from a fantasy cycling point of view it has been beyond dull. We have all had virtually the same teams all the way through, hands up who has not had Contador, Valverde and Rodriguez for every mountain top finish for the last two weeks...

That's right we all have.

Of course I might just be sulking because I have taken such a beating.

Completely agree.

Oh what a joy to watch this Vuelta has been! I was hyping it along with everyone else and it certainly hasn't failed to deliver. The racing has been superb!, although I'm sad that J Rod didn't finally get his 1st GT win

Fantasy wise you are spot on, and so hopefully that frees me from sounding arrogant by saying I found it quite easy to pick teams for. The same can almost be said of The Giro I think too. By far the hardest was TdF as aside from Brad's nailed on victory, breaks were often away and everything was a bit unpredictable fantasy wise.

Now what would be interesting fantasy wise is doing the ToB, but seeing as I'm not Premium I can now sit back and relax and just watch it on telly instead. Looking forward to this and may have a family day trip to Surrey quite soon

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

I would say for the non fan, Brad's book, esp if the update is out.
The Merckx book is very very good, but I think you do need to know your cycling.

Yeah, thought I might says Brad's book. Especially given the personal relevance of some of the earlier bits.

 

[Stoichkov]

I'm intrigued by your..."and as for Rodriguez"...comment though. I know anyone riding at his age, and Spanish or Italian especially is bound to have question marks over them, but can you explain any specifics you have in mind about him?

Well, if you have a look at his past teams - ONCE, Saunier-Duval, Caisses-D'Espagne - he's been embedded into Spanish cycling for years and everything that goes with it.

A few years ago, watching people like Rasmussen and Contador (and to a lesser extent Ricco because he never made it to the high mountains) track-sprinting on mountain stages raised eyebrows then. There was a period when Grand Tours were made 'easier' because it was supposed that brutally hard tours encouraged doping. So, you get a Tour like that that Wiggins one and everyone says its boring and then we come to the Vuelta and everyone is loving the track-sprinting between Contador, Valverde and Rodriquez on a course that is a touch as we've seen for years.

So, yeah nothing specific but if your climbing in the company of Valverde and Contador....

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Now what would be interesting fantasy wise is doing the ToB, but seeing as I'm not Premium I can now sit back and relax and just watch it on telly instead. Looking forward to this and may have a family day trip to Surrey quite soon

Anyone else slightly glad they can just enjoy a race unencumbered by the fantasy team worries?!

 

[Stat Brother]

Cav's interview should be interesting.

Got to feel sorry for the organisers and what looked to be a massive crowd.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Cav's interview should be interesting.

Got to feel sorry for the organisers and what looked to be a massive crowd.

Course looked a little dodgy but that was a wide road and a regulation corner.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Well done 1066, 16th overall for the vuelta and looks like the season's competition wrapped up.

Anyone else have a suspicion the whole competition might be premium next year?

 

[Stat Brother]

Yeah top stuff 1066.

Cycling's got a long way to go before people think everyone will pay to play fantasy.

I sure as hell ain't coughing up for this kind of humiliation.

 

[1066familyman]

Cav's interview should be interesting.

Got to feel sorry for the organisers and what looked to be a massive crowd.

Just watched it back...Ouch!

Haven't read any reports yet or heard what Cav had to say. Looked like a Garmin rider might have clipped his back wheel. My lad asked why he seems to get in a lot of crashes these days. All I could think of was that everyone wants to be on his wheel so badly as it winds up that some riders end up getting too close and clipping him I certainly don't think it's about his bike handling skills, just that's he's extremely unlucky. What do others think?

 

[1066familyman]

Yeah top stuff 1066.

Cycling's got a long way to go before people think everyone will pay to play fantasy.

I sure as hell ain't coughing up for this kind of humiliation.

And I can't see me coughing up for the pressure of hanging onto any leaders jersey either I cough up and then I'm in for £30 as my two eldest will want in again too. Not happening.

 

[Stat Brother]

I've only watched it live, which is pretty hard to call.

I think confidence has a lot to do with it.
Not that Cav is 'down' but those instinct calls seem to go your way when everything else does.

Your right though it did look very crowded coming out of that bend.

 

[1066familyman]

Well done 1066, 16th overall for the vuelta and looks like the season's competition wrapped up.

Yeah top stuff 1066.

Why thank you. Got lucky right from the off on this Vuelta and as Pantani said, it was pretty predictable team picks for most of it after that.

Btw, typical sneak from AVV today to take 2 jersey's off of J Rod Oh well, that's racing I suppose.

 

[Stat Brother]

And I can't see me coughing up for the pressure of hanging onto any leaders jersey either I cough up and then I'm in for £30 as my two eldest will want in again too. Not happening.

So you're basically saying your form from Jan to Sept, has just been a lucky 9 month fluke.

 

[1066familyman]

Well, if you have a look at his past teams - ONCE, Saunier-Duval, Caisses-D'Espagne - he's been embedded into Spanish cycling for years and everything that goes with it.

A few years ago, watching people like Rasmussen and Contador (and to a lesser extent Ricco because he never made it to the high mountains) track-sprinting on mountain stages raised eyebrows then. There was a period when Grand Tours were made 'easier' because it was supposed that brutally hard tours encouraged doping. So, you get a Tour like that that Wiggins one and everyone says its boring and then we come to the Vuelta and everyone is loving the track-sprinting between Contador, Valverde and Rodriquez on a course that is a touch as we've seen for years.

So, yeah nothing specific but if your climbing in the company of Valverde and Contador....

Ok, thanks. Nothing to disagree with there.