Bike Racing

[SCOOT]

I enjoy watching the racing but i'm not fully conversant with all the tactics...

However i can't for the life of me understand the furore about Kuss, Roglic and the other guy.

Three team-mates, all at the top of the standings.... just let them battle it out and see who wins.... would have made for a fantastic last few days to the Vuelta.

I just don't see why having some genuine racing between team-mates generates "bad publicity" for their team.

Racing seemingly pushed out for the benefit of sponsors.

If Kuss hadn't worked for them they wouldn't be in a position to win so It is very much a team sport. Football strikers wouldn't score as many goals if the others didn't pass the ball to them.

[Travs]

If Kuss hadn't worked for them they wouldn't be in a position to win so It is very much a team sport. Football strikers wouldn't score as many goals if the others didn't pass the ball to them.

That's a perfectly fair point.... but from a sporting point of view, let the three team-mates battle it out... the team is still guaranteed the GC victory, and most likely all three podium places anyway.

[Graham Breeze]

I'm perhaps missing the point, but your final two paragraphs appear to back my point up....

Team decision taken with the sponsors in mind... its understandable, but a real shame.

So when Froome (born in Kenya) was proving himself the stronger rider on the TdF climbs but was called back by SKY to prop up a faltering Wiggins so he could secure the first TdF win for an Englishman did you complain that they should have been left to "battle it out"?

[Graham Breeze]

That's a perfectly fair point.... but from a sporting point of view, let the three team-mates battle it out... the team is still guaranteed the GC victory, and most likely all three podium places anyway.

To illustrate: so Kuss rides 2000 miles carrying bottles and food backwards and forwards to, say, Roglic and protects Roglic from the wind and wipes his nose so all Roglic has to do is push the pedals and not fall off - and then after Roglic has been feather-beded for 17 days it turns out that Kuss is actually the stronger rider... you think it sporting to let a fresh Roglic and an exhausted Kuss "battle it out"?

[Travs]

So when Froome (born in Kenya) was proving himself the stronger rider on the TdF climbs but was called back by SKY to prop up a faltering Wiggins so he could secure the first TdF win for an Englishman did you complain that they should have been left to "battle it out"?

To be absolutely honest, i've never really paid enough detailed attention to cycling to know that even happened.

Like i say, i'm not an avid follower like some on here... but i do keep an eye on it.

[Travs]

To illustrate: so Kuss rides 2000 miles carrying bottles and food backwards and forwards to, say, Roglic and protects Roglic from the wind and wipes his nose so all Roglic has to do is push the pedals and not fall off - and then after Roglic has been feather-beded for 17 days it turns out that Kuss is actually the stronger rider... you think it sporting to let a fresh Roglic and an exhausted Kuss "battle it out"?

Personally, i think its no more or less sporting than effectively fixing the final classification with several stages left to ride.

[anthonykay]

A serious question that has occured to me, in Wales we have the 20mph speed limits coming in this weekend (our village has the restrictions signs up, despite the fact it was never a 30 so we have gone from 60 - 20 in one go).
So what happens to big bike races when they go through towns, they will all be going over 20, including the team cars, camera motor bikes, police bikes and cyclists?
Do they have a legal dispensation so the limit is not enforced or is it simply ignored?

I now consider myself a "boy racer" on my bike as I attemtp to break all the limits into villages 😎

For myself, I can't wait for 20mph speed limits in the villages around here. With 30mph limits, it's hopeless trying to get the vehicle-activated signs to tell me to slow down as I cycle into a village, but with a 20mph limit and a tailwind, I've got a chance.

[Witton Park]

I'm perhaps missing the point, but your final two paragraphs appear to back my point up....

Team decision taken with the sponsors in mind... its understandable, but a real shame.

On the stage Graham enjoyed I think Kamna came 2nd. A few kms out he broke away on a descent and come off on a corner.
It cost him around 15-20 secs and he got back to the group and lost in the sprint.

The point being that if the 3 riders from LJ decided to hell with it, let's rip it up on Stage 20, which is like a typical classic stage, they might lose a couple of them and end up with just one on the podium.

It's very much a team sport as has previously been set out and the need for team strength in a Grand Tour is clear to see, whether it's for overall, or sprint trains.

I'm chuffed for Kuss. I think he's a worthy winner. He's carried Roglic and Vingegaard to multiple grand tour wins because that was his job.
He could never push on from the front on a major climb unless it was a team tactical decision, because he had to stay with the team leader to protect them, or he had to soften up the opposition for his leader.
This is his payback - hopefully.

[Llani Boy]

A serious question that has occured to me, in Wales we have the 20mph speed limits coming
Do they have a legal dispensation so the limit is not enforced or is it simply ignored?

I don’t think it will make any difference at all Moley. When the Tour of Britain visited Llani a few years ago they came flying into town down Y Fan road at over 40 mph (30mph limit).

They did stick to the 30 mph limit up Bryn Du hill, on the way to Tylwch, though 😂

[Llani Boy]

I’ve just looked at the 20 mph restrictions in Llani that come into force on Sunday. There are 8 of them in total, they look very random and make no sense.

One of them is on the A470 bypass but there is not one outside the school!

I think it would have been far better, less confusing, and made more sense to make the whole town 20mph.