Spinnaroonie

That's inspiring to hear actually. They probably have that stance as repairs are difficult to 'warranty' afterwards, so it opens a whole can of worms for them. I used to repair units for a Danish AV brand and it was complicated even if the work was done meticulously. I'm in a similar situation with my Garmin watch. It has a cracked screen and there are replacement parts available but I feel doing it won't guarantee it remains waterproof. So, i essentially have to wait until i have enough money to buy another watch at the 20-30% discount they offer. Which is crap.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/red-bull-bora-hansgrohe-rider-provisionally-suspended-over-unexplained-abnormalities-in-biological-passport

I pulled the trigger on a set a few months ago after turning the internet upside down for a solid month or 2. I don't recall/have my exact sources on hand because I was cross-referencing daily to put my mind at ease. I just did a quick search now and here's a post from WW that shows the VEL wheels being sold via the Meroca store. https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=178397 Here's an Amazon link that shows it straight-up. https://www.amazon.de/-/en/MEROCA-Wheelset-Clincher-Tubeless-Ratchet/dp/B0FBGJMPBB?th=1 I also looked into the Meroca brand on the Chinertown forum and was happy with what I saw. The final nail in the coffin was that the VEL wheels have identical spokes, hubs and inner and outer widths to my set. Anecdotally, I'm very happy with my wheels (1450g), as they replace the Alu PR2 stockers (2kg+-). The DT Swiss patent expired for their rear hub design, so these 36T ratchet Chinese clones are pretty bang on (Hambini verified) plus I'm running modern inner (23mm), outer (31mm) widths and a deeper section rim. My bike is rated for 28mm clearance but my 28c tubeless tyres now stretch to 30+- and there's still plenty of clearance. I've done 1500km on them so far and will report any defects if they crop up.

I understand there’s a general sentiment against trusting TEMU for serious purchases, but I have to admit that my hesitation has decreased significantly. After conducting some research, I feel comfortable trusting certain brands. The Chinertown website is an excellent resource for this. For instance, I’ve discovered that some brands on TEMU offer reliable cassette options. Kocevlo has a strong reputation for its carbon products. In fact, the carbon wheels they sell are credible too; while they are branded as Meroca, if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that Meroca is actually the manufacturer behind the Sigma Sports house brand carbon wheels (VEL Wheels).

You have to wonder what a fully fit Jorge Martin would've been able to achieve this year on the Apilia. Bez looks unbelievably good on this bike though, so it would've been interesting to see a proper head to head. I have a feeling that Bez will remain the number 1 rider in this team moving forward. I just dont see JM returning to old form so easily. He did himself no favours this season (on and off track). The Ducati situation is also shaping up to be an intruging one. My feeling is Pecco's head has fallen off but at the same time, something doesn't feel right about Ducati. If Pecco doesn't do something meaningful this weekend at Sepang, surely then the ship will hit the fan. Your thoughts?

Lekker man! Enjoy and safe travels.

Totally on the same page. I can admire what he's done but I'll never buy the facade he sells. Pecco looked so good on the bike this weekend. You know he's feeling good when he's subtly backing it into the corners.

I also noticed it was missing yesterday. I think the Woodbridge Island bike is also gone. Sickening.

At the corner of FW de Klerk & DF Malan?

I felt bullish about Acosta too but his temperament this year has raised question marks about his resilience. Perhaps just his lack of age, so I hope he does eventually ruffle Marc...hard! Re Brad. You're spot on. Apparently, since Vinales came to KTM, he's found a completely different setup philosophy that seems to work for the RC16. Acosta adapted more easily to this philosophy but BB33 struggled as he has always known/ridden the KTM in a certain manner (aggressively and out of shape). According to his crew chief, they found something in Austria that helps him gain more confidence in the front again. So let's hope. The above info is from 2 very enjoyable podcasts if you're keen on that sorta thing. OxleyBom podcast is hosted by Matt Oxley & Peter Bom and the Paddock Pass Podcast is also hosted by OG MotoGP journalists.

Ya, it's a weird nuance that's common in all sports. Dominance is inversely proportional to entertainment. On the one hand, we mostly watch sports for entertainment but on the other hand, watching someone dominant, while boring, is still special because we're actually witnessing history (we just dont see it that way in the moment). Unfortunately, it's up to the other riders and manufacturers to catch up. So can't really hate MM93. The worst part is that there's not a single person coming up the ranks who looks remotely on the same level, let alone better. Let's hope the 2027 regulations make things more interesting again. But then there's also a chance that it could exaggerate the current situation because he's really the best raw talent.

You may or may not get a response...

Nvm. Duplicated an existing post.

At least he's got Gerraint Thomas to lead him out.

Sadly, you're right. I haven't seen anything the whole week.

Seeing the state of the path along that section was a real eye-opener. The infrastructure is heavily compromised at multiple points, and there are far more shacks that cannot be seen from the N1. When we stopped at the hot spot, two potential perps (one had a bicycle pump in hand??) were high-tailing out there and there were still more grim figures lurking at the on-ramp. They are thriving! We definitely took them by surprise and put them on watch but that entire section doesn't seem safe to ride at this point. The 20th is only a week away.

FYI: Report of an attempted bike theft yesterday morning around 6am. Rockley Rd, Wynberg

I got so excited this morning. From a distance, I saw multiple cars and a cop car standing stationary at the on-ramp. Unfortunately, it was due to a multi-car pile-up. I can't help but wonder if this was a consequence of a mugging.

There was actually a police van parked (with 3 officers) on the embankment in question this afternoon around 5pm. The real question is whether there'll be one tomorrow morning when I drive past again...

It is mind-boggling as I drive past this area each morning, and I always see 2-3 characters standing at the bottom of the embankment. It's an easy win for the cops if an operation is set up but sadly it's glaringly obvious that nothing will be done. FFS!

There's an inkling about the OP which is probably hurting entries.

Daaamn! According to that, Pogi is losing a considerable amount in both departments.

Not to detract from this monumental achievement but the kit design is giving Rapid Sport vibes. Yusso man 😅 Even the Mr Price kit in the Olympics looked more relevant.

Absolutely! It's an interesting scenario that's for sure. I think Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio indirectly said she left the team because of the strange dynamics and micro tussles always at play. That was some years ago but the team continues to be caught up in strange situations. Think Lotte and Vollering at Strade Bianchi and now this... Anyway, I was hoping someone could dethrone Demi but this isn't it.

Maybe.. but it appears as if Lorena was the one who actually bumped into Demi (albeit accidentally). In her post race interview, she also admitted to seeing a 'yellow thing on the floor' but felt Demi would be able to make up any lost time in the coming stages. Considering Demi worked for her in prior stages/races (Olympics included), it must've been extremely awkward on the team bus.