Cycling

I always wanted to run a sub 10 second 100m? Problem was I had a medical condition......I wasn't fast enough. Should I be allowed to go on the juice to make up for the fact I'm a lazy bastard

Good to see Richie Porte on the comeback. Leads the Tour de Suisse by 32 seconds.

Porte holds a 17s lead over Quintana going into the final stage TT in the Tour de Suisse. He should out sprint Quintana to win if all goes well.

Porte wins the Tour de Suisse. Looks to be in good form to tackle Froome in the TdF.

Tour de Pharmaceuticals starts soon ... this thread or a new one? Will Froome be unmasked this year? First team to be disqualified?

Good stage win by Simon Clarke in the Vuelta

Rohan Dennis wins the Time Trial by a massive 50 seconds.

Simon Yates will complete a British grand slam later today when he wins the Vuelta. It will also be the first major win for Aussie team Mitchelton-Scott.

Team Sky to become Team Ineos?

Story

A new backer - individual rather than corporate - giving Brailsford an even bigger budget could keep the elite team together.

Whilst the suspicion and questions won't completely disappear, the break with the Murdoch name and empire can't do them any harm.

Growler wrote:Team Sky to become Team Ineos?

Story

A new backer - individual rather than corporate - giving Brailsford an even bigger budget could keep the elite team together.

Whilst the suspicion and questions won't completely disappear, the break with the Murdoch name and empire can't do them any harm.

With any luck, we have reached Peak Murdoch in all spheres.

Growler wrote:Team Sky to become Team Ineos?

Story

A new backer - individual rather than corporate - giving Brailsford an even bigger budget could keep the elite team together.

Whilst the suspicion and questions won't completely disappear, the break with the Murdoch name and empire can't do them any harm.

So they are substituting media dollars for petro-chemical dollars.
How long before salary caps are introduced to give the other teams a chance to compete with Ineos. ?

Reads as though this is Radcliffe's personal money though, rather than his company's (although that's obviously the team identity).

Let's be honest - £40 million from about £20 billion is spare change isn't it?

Salary caps? Not keen on them personally. Long term, I think they will harm youngster's chances. Not so much in cycling - but a sport like rugby where clubs run academies.

Where's the incentive to invest a fortune in 14-16 year olds if a bunch of them reach U-20 standard, then you can't afford to keep them at age 23? May as well sign a 30 year old ex All Black ...

More often than not.

Not much interest in the Giro this year with many big names not competing. Roglic leads after stage four with Nibali, Yates held up after a big stack which also injured Dumoulin.

Froome has a busted Femur after hitting a wall in the Dauphine & will miss the rest of the season.

So who is a good value bet for the Tour?

JGK wrote:So who is a good value bet for the Tour?

Pretty well an open field although Thomas would be firming as favorite.

So who would you back at value?

JGK wrote:So who would you back at value?

Dumoulin is a chance as are the Yates brothers (Adam has just taken over the yellow in the Dauphiné). Porte still has'nt recovered fitness from his injuries so he won't figure. Fuglsang & Bardet can't be ignored either.

Team INEOS suffered another blow with defending Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas crashing out of the Tour de Suisse.
Going to be a tough T d F for Team Ineos.

Phurt.

Hopefully Bernal is on form. Their depth is unbelievable. And they've got Sivakov coming through...

Big Dog wrote:Team INEOS suffered another blow with defending Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas crashing out of the Tour de Suisse.
Going to be a tough T d F for Team Ineos.

They’re fracked

Frurt!!

Dumoulin ruled out along with Froome... with a half-fit Thomas, this looks like a real damp squib of a Tour. Already reminds me of the year when Nibali won it by a distance by being the only person of note to get round the course.