[Condor Andy]

About to go live with this soon. First race is San Sebastian this weekend followed by a long break. Including a few Pro level races, but won’t be including any teams below Pro level. Details like profiles and distances will be updated when races draw nearer and routes are decided.

Topic

[11waterloo]

They need us to sort it out!

They need us to sort it out!

[Dr Winston]

Just to add to the previous

Just to add to the previous post. I Just looked at the seasons ending next year…. oh dear… it looks even thinner than I thought as races return to their previous slots. 

[11waterloo]

Yes – picking a team for M-T

Yes – picking a team for M-T & Lombardia is a nighttime with so many big names!

[Dr Winston]

The Italian races are really

The Italian races are really good… and improved with some fabulous, and deep, line ups this year. 

[Dr Winston]

Maybe beefing up the end of

Maybe beefing up the end of the season has contributed to teams, In general, keeping riders in top form for the latter part of the season. I think this final few races have been really strong line ups with far less riders opting for an early finish to their programmes. Far less of an “after the Lord Mayor’s show” feel to things. 

[11waterloo]

The TV coverage of the

The TV coverage of the Italian autumn races always tends to be a bit patchy as well (Tre Valli Varesine missed out this year in the UK). World Tour status for all the races would rectify this and make for an excellent season end in Europe – especially as the week would culminate in a monument. 

[Sniffer]

I like the idea of making

I like the idea of making more of the Italian races.  Really good field for Milan – Turin yesterday.

Northern Europe 1 days dominate the spring (MSR and Strade Bianche excepted) and Italy dominating October in 1 day WT events makes sense.

[11waterloo]

I agree, it does add a bit of

I agree, it does add a bit of balance to the season. Elevating more of the current series of Italian semi- classics to World Tour level, effectively creating a week of WT races starting with the Giro dell’Emilio and finishing with Lombardia, might also improve the season end without disrupting the calendar (possibly having an overall team prize?) The argument against moving P-R is that the current calendar allows the specialists to train for a specific few weeks before handing the baton over to the lightweight Ardennes riders but I believe the current trend is for riders to be less pigeonholed and I’ve not heard any riders saying lack of preparation was a problem. All good food for thought! 

[Dr Winston]

To quote the current UK PM. 

To quote the current UK PM. 

Does anybody else like where Paris Roubaix was placed in this years calander?… I really like it as it seems to have offered a “levelling up” of the season. The cycling season has been quite heavily front loaded for the past few years… I just think it’s added a lot of balance without being detrimental to the race itself. 

[Aragonite]

Missed another of the Autumn

Missed another of the Autumn Classics, Still lying 25th after missing a couple of the races. Must of been in with a chance of winning this if I’d only made all the deadlines. What a numpty I am. 🙂

[Dr Winston]

Mmmm… that’s a bit strong.

Mmmm… that’s a bit strong. It’s a tough call for Andy to keep on top of it. Just looking at Milan-Torino and  they still haven’t fully completed the roster and the race starts in the morning. 

It’s hard but we have to factor in just how slack some of the teams are in announcing their teams and how slow some of the organisers are. It’s not like FPL where the teams are announced exactly and strictly one hour before kick off.

Best thing to do is look on PCS>Race>Start list…. if it has a tick against a team then that’s confirmed… if not then it’s still a tentative line up. 

[Dr Winston]

It was a great race. Despite

It was a great race. Despite all the views of it becoming a lottery it was telling that the final three included MVDP and the European champion who has been on fantastic form. The cream really does rise to the top quite often. 

[mdavidford]

It already has happened –

It already has happened – stages were shortened, but still went ahead. The EWP seems to be a bit of a moveable feast.

[Aragonite]

Won’t happen with the extreme

Won’t happen with the extreme weather protocols now in place.

[11waterloo]

I remember terrible weather

I remember terrible weather for Kuurne Brussels Kuurne a few years back ( looked it up & it was 2010) Only 26 finishers and my abiding memory is Stijn Devolder being taken down by a large plastic bin blowing across the road! 

[Author]

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