A 2021 thread to discuss all things cycling related such as upcoming tours, world championships, debates and news anything to with the world of cycling.

My parents got me a subscription to ProCycling magazine this Christmas and the first one arrived today so reading through that now!

 

Mark Cavendish has re-signed for his old club Deceuninck-Quickstep for one year, apparently more because of the sponsorship money him being on the team will bring rather than his actual ability as a cyclist which is interesting. Meanwhile, his last team NTT do indeed ride on into 2021 as Qhukeba-Assos, although they still seem to be lacking in black African riders (in fact looking at the roster they seem to be lacking in any African riders, there are only two in the whole team :unsure: )

The biggest cycling news from January includes UAE Team Emirates being the first team to be vaccinated, and seven Bora-Hansgrohe riders being hit by a car, including Kelderman and Andres Schillinger.

 

The French Cycling Federation will also start issuing licenses to top-tier female cyclists for the first time in 2021, which is a big step in the right direction for womens' cycling!

Paris-Nice starts tomorrow! Highlights on ITV4 at 7pm with the usual commentating team.

After two days of sprints, Stefan Bisseger takes a shock win in the time trial (shock because I've never heard of him before) to take yellow! Always love a good surprise victory :D

Finally an interesting day in Paris-Nice! Roglic takes the yellow after attacking with 3k to go.

 

Tao Geohegan-Hart is also out after suffering concussion, meaning that Ineos have lost both of their leaders four stages in whoops.

Another dull day in Paris-Nice, the most exciting thing happening being a 11-man Belgian-only attack which went off at 70km to go and was reeled back in by 67km to go! Bennett wins the sprint, Roglic still in yellow.

Former Team Sky chief doctor Richard Freeman has been found guilty of ordering testosterone for another rider.

Not a great look given this raises eyebrows over both Team Sky/Ineos and Cycling GB, this incident occurred in 2011 just before Wiggins' Tour win and the London Olympics which is slightly worrying as well. Here's hoping it's all just something of nothing.

 

Another relatively uneventful day in Paris-Nice, even with an uphill finish. Roglic wins the stage and increases his lead on everyone else in the GC.

Indeed not great for the reputation of Team Sky and UK Cycling.

The final few days of Paris-Nice really had it all!

 

Saturday: Race leader Primoz Roglic attacks in the final kilometre and overtakes Gino Mader, who had been in the break right from the start of the day, with 50km to go.

 

Sunday: Roglic is involved in two crashes, the other teams (potentially after seeing his ruthlessness the day before) all go on the offensive and leave Roglic to lose 3 minutes and tumble out of the Top 10. The rider who climbs up to 10th in his place is... Gino Mader :o

 

All of that means that Max Schachmann defends his title from last year in the bizarrest of circumstances!

Paris-Roubaix is on this Sunday! Including the first ever womens' edition of the race which is exciting. Here's hoping I can find some way to watch it on the train.

^the above appears to have been postponed until early October :( The Amstel Gold Race tomorrow looks like the most exciting thing on the schedule for this month.

Tom Pidcock takes silver in the Gold Race, behind Van Aert and ahead of Schachmann. I'm wondering whether he may become the next b ig thing in terms of British cycling with the results he's getting (and I've recently discovered that he's a Leodensian so all the better :D)

With all the Giro excitement I seem to have missed the fact that Mark Cavendish has ended his win-drought in style with 4 wins in Turkey! Showing he's worth more than just his sponsor income :magic:

Back to this thread for the Dauphiné! Highlights on ITV4 (at 10pm thanks to the French Open :drama: but they're on ItvHub earlier).

 

Brent Van Mur took an incredible win from the breakaway on Stage 1! Didn't see it coming at all, he also picked up lots of other points and held all the jerseys going into Stage 2.

Another win for the break as Lukas Postlberger takes the stage and the jersey. Interesting to see ex-teammate Shane Archbold helping him though, a real insight into the unofficial friendships/alliances of the peloton!

Sonny Colbrelli takes Stage 3 after finishing second on the last two stages. A very hilly sprint I have to say!

 

Good to see Omer Goldstein in the break, the actual Israeli riders in Israel Start-Up Nation seem to fade into obscurity in these races so good to see him get some screen time.

An incredibly unpredictable and exciting Time Trial today! Alexey Lutsenko took the win despite the race cameras not covering his ride, and Ion Izaguirre takes second despite the cameras not covering his either. The ride of the day though has to go to Lukas Postlberger who finished 9th and managed to hold on to yellow by a single second :o Certainly makes tomorrow interesting!

Geraint Thomas wins a sprinters' stage :o by attacking on a hairpin bend on the last kilometre. The 10 second bonus sends him flying up GC but Postlberger holds on to yellow.