Chro Mo

Dunno about that.... The Raleighs produced for the American market are as good as any bikes produced by any supplier at their respective price-points. What we see as Raleigh bikes are just massmart junk. check out the Raleigh USA website. Some really nice product there - and they produce bikes in steel too!

OO La Laa!!!!

Point taken. That may well be true.

Let it be noted that although I am suited to breaking sculls, I rarely, if ever, contemplate doing so. The people at the apex of our sport are no longer "convicts of the road" - they are highly specialised athletes. My point at the end is as JB said - professional cyclists do not do anything that impacts their craft/profession without due consideration.

On a level playing field, genetics is the deciding factor between equally well trained and prepared athletes. This is not Formula 1, this is a bunch of people riding bikes. If I was doped to the gills, riding the lightest, most expensive bike available, and in the most state of the art kit available, my neighbor will beat me riding a Game special in cut-off jeans and a cotton shirt in flat pedals. He just has the required genetic makeup. I am genetically suited to picking up heavy stuff and cracking heads in a fight. I accept that. A professional should not have to take supplements to make him or herself faster. You are or you are not faster. A professional cyclist will not take a banned substance in error - I just don't buy it.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/aso-discussing-possibility-of-womens-tour-de-france The petition now has 70 000 signatures, and ASO is discussing the possibility of running it...

Specialized disc-equipped road bikes are fine looking indeed!

Nope - don't think so. He's quite friendly - read an article by a journalist about how he interviewed Lemond at the height of his fight with Trek. Lemond saw the terrible condition of his bike, was incredulous that he actually rode it, then immediately offered this penniless nobody journo one of his own bikes from his garage. He may not be everyone's favourite, but he will always be a hero of mine because he evokes such a sense of time and place for me - he was champion when I first became interested in cycling.

Ballan could be in big doodie, along with Cunego and others.

cheers

please post the link for this? thanks

+1 on that one..... Flatters to deceive, if you ask me....

BMC need to decide what they want to do.GC? Classics? Both? If both is the answer, then a genuine GC contender needs to be acquired. I would get Rigoberto Uran, Rafael Majka and Kwiatkowski, and cut loose Hushovd and Ballan for a start. Build the Classics team around Gilbert, and commit resources to ensuring he is supported. The peleton must realise that once Froome is finished Sky's domination is by no means over - Joe Dombrowski will step up -you can't buy his talent for any money. The guy will be a superstar. Cadel Evans will not win another GC again, ever. Sean Kelly stated that he was in the autumn of his career and had been there for a while. With the sort of budget they have, they cannot do anything but follow the Sky model, or develop their own, unique model to ensure success. I just hope that the Phonak lesson has been learned.

I agree with this. I believe his talent has been nurtured in a way that has caused it to flower. I was thinking last night that John Lee Augustyn must have had potential approaching that of Froome's. His particular problems have stopped what I believe could have been a similar trajectory.

I had this one on the lost thread - the original Ibis Hakkalugi. Still an object of desire.

Andy Schleck - not so much. He's on the up now - maybe he won't win again, but next year he will be competitive in the mountains Cadel Evans? Not disappointed, just resigned - I'm afraid it is over for him, now. His days as a GC rider are done. I think he can be super competitive in the classics and the harder one day races, but stage wins are about it in grand tours for him. He could be an awesome mentor in the Hincapie mould - kind of grow out of the sport in a dignified manner. That's my hope, anyway.

Awesome thread guys!!!! I promise I will not tout Ryder Hesjedal as an outside chance for a while! Thanks for all the awesome updates and input. Onward to the Vuelta!!!!

By my calculation, that would be cheaper than staying in Cape Town!

Two definitely, three max.

So how long is the trip, then?

Porte will get his grand tour pay-back in a year or two. In the meantime, he will win Romandie, Paris/Nice and the smaller stage races, while Froome goes for the big one(s). The roles will reverse eventually - Porte is capable of being a winner. I think he will tilt at the Giro next year, while Froome will target the tour again. The reverse may come to pass as Froome gets a wee bit older, or if Porte gets snagged by a rival team like BMC.

Quintana will need to up his time-trial performance significantly. If he can, we have a genuine contender for the crown. Well done to the little guy!

Brilliant stage. The TdF is back up there with the Giro and Vuelta when measured in pure excitement! The faith is restored!!!

Could I have any less frikken bandwidth!!!!

Richie Porte to win the Giro next year...