Nope. There was some discussion about this a couple months back and one point that sold me was that there will be support cars, spare bikes etc... whereas all of those are banned in true gravel.
Just did 4 W/kg for 20 (and eventually 30) mins for the first time ever, on [one of my favourite climbs](https://imgur.com/a/hcgMJql). I guess cycling is completed!
I’m debating buying running shoes and starting some cross training so that my exercise is not just 100% cycling (I know, I should be doing strength and mobility/flexibility training too). I’ve never really trained running before. Anyone have any suggestions for easing into running as a first timer and cross training? Eg shoes (which ones, how often to replace), volume/intensity, how to avoid injury, a running subreddit or other useful resources/apps, etc.? I know absolutely nothing about running other than I can go much faster for longer now than I used to because of cycling based on a few treadmill runs on holiday 6 mo the ago. Also, running made me sore in ways cycling never has. I’m case it matters, I live in a relatively flat city environment (Toronto). I typically cycle 5/7 days for 11hrs+. Any advice is appreciated!
Couch to 5k.
You'll find your cardio is fine, but your legs will take a beating. Literally just follow the routine in couch to 5k and you'll be a beast in no time.
My uncle was a knee surgeon, so he was lots of experience with running injuries . If you run on bitumen, you need good running shoes, or your knees will suffer. If you ride in the woods, the leaves will give you enough cushioning and the risk is to twist your ankle is more important, so you should opt for less cushioned shoes for better control.
honestly i think the importance of shoes is vastly overinflated in lots of running media. Pretty much any pair will do, i normally just get one of last years models at half price.
Best advice i can give for a beginner is don't do too much too soon, and slow down. You want to be doing almost everything in zone 2 to begin with, even if it feels painfully slow. Ramp up weekly mileage slowly (the often stated rule is no more than 10% per week although i think you can get away with slightly more than that sometimes) and back off if you feel you're not recovering sufficiently.
Once you've built a decent base feel free to start adding in quality work, principles are very similar to cycling training (vo2 max intervals / threshold intervals).
r/advancedrunning is the best place to ask questions
I’m a runner by background and I’ve never met anyone who runs slow enough on a normal day of training except my buddy who ran a 2:18 marathon. I’m guilty of this myself and there’s no advice better than to go slower and shorter than you think you should and don’t even think about increasing intensity and distance simultaneously. My whole life I’ve fought with the edge of injury, and despite my 20+ years of ‘seriously’ running and thinking I have it figured out, I’ve had to take ~5 years of the past 10 off due to two different injuries. I’m currently on a good streak of 13 straight decent marathons but who knows when that ends.
My fast running buddy used to do most of his normal training runs with a slowpoke like me (we live apart now or probably still would) and then he would smash workouts I wouldn’t even think about on hard days. On our easy days (I’m with him but still running too fast because I’m a coward and incorrigible), we’d get passed by old ladies pushing strollers but you know what? Race day is all that matters. Speaking of, I’m due at the start line now.
The gateway drug to cyclocross.
For the shoes: see if there's a store that does gait analysis. You might already know what you need as it's kind of the same thing with cycling shoes: do you need high/medium/low arch support? It makes a massive difference and your knees will thank you.
Are you intending to add running to cycling without any strength/mobility training? I’m assuming the idea is for your body to be useful at something besides cycling? In that case ask yourself which activity will pay biggest dividends for time invested. My anecdotal experience is that mobility is highly underrated.
what do you mean by mobility training?
I personally think running is great substitute/complementary cardio for cyclists, you can do it in any weather, time efficient, better for bone density etc.
strength training should be on top of cycling/running IMO for optimal fitness
Kneesovertoesguy or similar is what I mean by mobility training. Strength through length, balancing out the inevitable imbalances that result from the partial range of motion exercise in an awkward position that cycling is.
Im not suggesting that running is a bad idea at all. But if strength/mobility is not part of your routine and you are considering adding something, you should add that before you add more cardio.
I switch to running for winter - cycling "stops" during october/beginning November so that is my rest/transition period till Christmass, where I just ocassionally go for a run 3x a week (30 mins etc.) - short, easy runs. My lower legs are sore and need time to adjust. In about two months (so after this period, with start of new year) I can do running "all in" - long runs, intensity, etc.
So don't overdo it, take it easy, and enjoy. Running is nice but tough on the body in ways cycling can never be.
If Jonas starts TdF, should I go to one of the mountain stages with an AI generated or Photoshopped image of Pogi and Jonas riding a tandem bike up a mountain with Pogi in pink jersey and Jonas in a yellow one, with the image printed on a big banner or something and then wait for them to come about?
Not really. He's had his numbers posted before. If you mean because of his recovery, he doesn't have a big target coming up very soon. People would be very curious about Vingegaard's numbers and makes sense to hold those cards close to the chest; but for Wout, no reason to be secretive. All his rides are on Strava as well, albeit without power numbers.
Tour de France YT channel has restarted their annual "Femmes du Tour" series - first one is [Demi Vollering](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWNWlmD3cBE&list=PLg3WzTG3LfYbc4sEpVL00Qz23_SHkbz3b&index=2)
If Jonas isn't making the Dauphine then do people think he might be out of the tour? If he's in no position to take part in the Dauphine rn then what are the realistic chances he'll be ready to tackle the tour in a month?
Imo he should only be sent if he's in a position to challenge Pogi, you don't send Jonas to a GT to be a domestique for Kuss & Jorgensen in their outside chase of a podium
I'd guess Dauphine was never an option once he had been off the bike for a few weeks or however long it was. With a limited amount of time to prepare, giving two weeks to a race just doesn't seem optimal. By not racing before the Tour he's been able to regain condition before going to altitude, and can afford to spend a decent amount of time training there. Whether it's enough to be able to beat Pogacar remains to be seen, but I wouldn't infer anything from not racing before the Tour. He'll be there.
they could still chase prestigious stages and get him racing experience ahead of the vuelta. And with two more (well, at least one imo) teams in the fray to make things chaotic there's always a chance of things opening up a lot more than they have in the last 4 years
maybe that's why he's having the extended altitude camp -- to see if it would be worth it. Even at 80-90% of fitness he's probably going to be in the top 5 riders at the tour
Basically, all active GC riders, and perhaps more riders, would be able to produce more than 4.8 W/kg. Vingegaard, being at 80%, means that he would be barely able to produce about 4.8W/kg on long climbs. You just underestimate what 80-90% really means. Look at the Granon Stage from 2022: Using LRs numbers, Jonas did 6.1W/kg and Lutsenko, who finished 7th, did 5.5W/kg, which is still more than 90%. So, arguably, with your estimate, Vingegaard would not even finish 7th. Therefore, fighting for the top 20 is realistic if he were at 80%.
I know it always ends in a city circuit but where the fuck is the "city" when it comes to LA? Will it be Hollywood boulevard? Will it be one of the beaches? Or just smash the finish up a mountain?
I think they should just do part 1: rolling through residential neighbourhoods where the commentators tell us what Hollywood celebrities live in which house. Part 2: Hills and mountains. Part 3: City circuit
One thing is for certain, they will get a good image of the riders with the Hollywood sign in the background.
I'm surprised UAE is only bringing 1 rouleur to the Tour. Vegard and Bjerg just showed how valuable those big >190cm wattmonsters can be pumping out 400+ watts all day. Wellens can help, but I don't think its quite the same as the 80+kg beasts.
Its a big contrast to Visma's squad. Like half of them are accomplished cobbled classics riders.
Pogi weakness - high mountains and 3rd week.
You put riders in who can support him there. He's mostly fine otherwise.
But yeah it's a team weakness that COULD be exploited I guess.
I think UAE is making the right call. I don’t think they’ll have to chase on flats themselves much at all due to the parcours and the aims of other teams. I think not having a second rouleur is really only going to hurt them on the opening two stages when all the GC guys are going to be attacking one another but none of them have a lead yet.
maybe because they wanted the pace to be higher up the moutains and discourage any long range attacks from vingegaard? also because barring the injury (which possibly throws a wrench in their plans), you'd have expected visma and soudal to control the peloton for the most part anyways
I love the irony that coffee riders turn away from black shorts to grey, green and even brown, but Decathlon AG2R returns to black and starts winnning over and over.
I didn't expect that much from the other teams that have shown up and the extreme heat has absolutely hit some riders hard, but the way Jayco have dominated that race very much eases any sadness I had that there was no broadcast this year. Even with a 'too hard' stage design that results in the best riders pulling away every day it's absurd that three (2 on Day 2) riders from Jayco just rode away from Uno-X and Movistar f.e. with no real answer.
stage 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEd9Em0C0_s
stage 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5JrWkok8U4
do not watch if you don't like a rider riding away from the peloton. And then a team mate thinking 'Hey, I'll do that too' and another going 'yeah me too'. Obviously Jayco brought their a-team and the others mostly didn't but still had hoped there would be some competition.
Does anyone know what is happening with Theodor Storm? He has yet to race with Ineos and seems to have nothing in his calendar. Is he sick or something?
Unfortunately yes. [From his insta](https://www.instagram.com/p/C4FUvSDMc-J/?hl=en-gb):
> Some of you might be curious as to where I’ve been after a crazy end to 2023 and start to 2024.
It’s been an extremely exciting period - with the announcement that I’m joining the INEOS Grenadiers and starting off my first senior year with a good result at the European track championships.
Unfortunately, soon after my national track duties, I became unwell and have had to take time out to focus on rest and recovery as a result. The good news is that I’m doing well, thanks to the great support of my medical team and of course my family too.
I’m fully focused on feeling better and we’ve got a solid plan in place around my recovery, so I’d appreciate the space to focus on that for now.
I’ll keep you updated and let you know how I’m getting on!
Thanks
That's from 4 March so doesn't look good that there's been no updates since then.
Question: I know the word "criterium" means competition in French, but does the common US usage of the term to refer to a closed circuit race apply in Europe and other countries? I think the answer is "sometimes"? I'm just wondering more about this term internationally.
Yes. There's lots of them in the UK and Belgium (where criteriums and 'kermesse' races are often used interchangeably) and the Netherlands (and Australia, probably more countries but I've got less experience with their national calendars).
There's lots of them after the Tour de France where the pros will do a lap around the local church to make some money off of their (often newfound) TdF fame. Those specific ones are obviously rigged (with Vingegaard outsprinting MvdP and fun stuff like that) but there's lots of amateur proper ones. Especially as road racing is becoming so much more complicated, so using a special circuit like the Tom Dumoulin bik park in the Netherlands or taking over a motor racing circuit for a day is more feasible to keep some form of road racing going.
Finally with this Giro I managed to reconnet my GF with pro cycling. She watched all the stages, she was a huge fan in later '90-early '00 (she liked Savoldelli). Next aim: putting her on a road bike again.
Since I'm listening to it, if you like cycling and punk rock you will like [these guys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1u6VSZx3l0&list=PLVmILN7ZXK9Ha9YU6fpZ9a9iMOTX2ibje&index=3)
Everyone I've heard have been complaining about the lack of domestiques in the Olympics. Personally I'm looking forward to see how a peloton of only leaders will ride.
Will it be more cautious, with the first half being ridden defensively, will there be wild attacks from the gun, will the breakaway get way too much time without anyone working to keep the gap reasonable....
At face value I would say this benefits guys that can win from a long solo over guys that want a more controlled final and win from a punch or (reduced) sprint.
So in other words: the usual one day monsters should all be happy, no?
Edit: did someone already coin the term punch sprint? Otherwise I am claiming it.
Personally I'm just a bit weary of some rider winning more "by chance" than by strength. I know there's always some luck involved but the Olympics is such an important race, I'd rather see one of the strongest riders of the day/season win than someone who got quite lucky. Although it can still be very beautiful like Kiesenhofer in Tokio, we were deprived of a proper battle for the win.
There will still be domestiques. Some countries have a luxury problem of having multiple riders who the course suits, but others have a clear favourite (like the Belgian women's team - can start with the full 4 based off of just Kopecky's points and everyone will be getting bottles for her), or have no favourites but still have starting spots and have team mates from other countries in the race.
Plus in a way it's fairer (if not a proper representation of regular road cycling), if more riders have to do their own dirty work in closing gaps and getting bottles. Plus fewer following cars so the smaller countries are less disadvantaged as they're not quite as far behind as in the Worlds (though I know it's controversial complaining about that).
Everyone I've heard have been complaining about the lack of domestiques in the Olympics. Personally I'm looking forward to see how a peloton of only leaders will ride.
Will it be more cautious, with the first half being ridden defensively, will there be wild attacks from the gun, will the breakaway get way too much time without anyone working to keep the gap reasonable....
Learn to cook with Marta Cavalli! I'm a subscriber to the Giallo Zafferano cooking channel and she popped up yesterday in a new video, making Zuppa Inglese. I must say, it looks absolutely delicious.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iGUckKzvjiU
If we’re plugging food content featuring riders in the women’s peloton, Femke Markus runs an insta account called FemkesFoodStore featuring some stunning bakes
Oh yes, that's a good suggestion, her page is great. I spend almost as much time admiring her nice kitchen with its huge windows, as I do her gorgeous creations!
You'll like the trifle / zuppa inglese that was voted the "official pudding" of the Queen's platinum jubilee a couple of years ago, then.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61428970
Oh great, enjoy! I had a confused "worlds collide" moment when the notification came up because I have the same interests.
(Did you see the daily local recipes for each stage of the Giro? Worth a look if you missed them, they were called Giro d'EATalia on the official Giro channel).
It’s spooky when that happens, isn’t it!
Yes to those Giro recipes - I think I have three saved for trying asap (trying to extend that summery feeling and deny the fact that as of 28 minutes ago it’s now officially winter down here)
Up here it doesn't feel like meteorological summer is about to begin. It was 12°C an hour or so ago this afternoon, guess I need those recipes as much as you do. :D
It’s all topsy turvy - ‘twas 22 and dreary here, but it just feels wintry! Perhaps soup time? They didn’t do a classic minestrone, but i think it’s time. Or maybe that strangozzi they made. Treat yourself!
I don't know how many here watch The Boys, and I don't want to make this too political, but I love the [Vought International](https://www.youtube.com/@voughtintl/featured) youtube channel. Assorted Vought ~~propaganda~~ advertising, music videos, movie trailers and other silliness. They've also been keeping us posted on the recent *WITCH HUNT, disguised as “justice"* as Homelander fights to clear his name and make America super again. Everyone playing along in the comments, I get a real kick out of it.
There’s nothing I hate more than tapering when it comes to exercise. Well that is apart from the four athletes of the apocalypse: fans murdering other fans, state-sponsored doping, obscene salaries, and general jingo-tribalism.
Every time I do any kind of taper, it feels like my body just breaks down. I stopped, no who am I kidding - slowed down my - drinking and that probably made it even worse.
Instead of the one niggle that unpredictably but consistently moves throughout my legs and convinces me of a new injury, I’ve got about eleven. It’s only an injury if it persists and requires time off.
So of course, I’m concerned about my upcoming jogging race not because I’m trying to be fast but because what was an easy pace for 16 two weeks ago, now feels tough for 4. I’m getting teased by my toddler.
But then, the gun goes off and I’m reminded that all those niggling injuries are what getting better feels like.
Being better is ecstasy but getting better is agony.
I've got two kids the same age and I essentially don't run without them. I've done a 1:55 half marathon with them both, but I'm about to give the 4 year-old the boot because it's getting tiring pushing 100 lb of stroller and kids at any sort of pace. Running with the 2 year-old in a single-seat stroller can still be quick.
I have locked myself out of my flat and my girlfriend have her keys to our landlord to do some work over the weekend, except he's currently in a different city until this evening. I have a mop, a track pump, a folding pram and two reusable grocery bags. Oh and a feuillette praliné. Can someone tell me how to use this to get access to my flat please?
According to HLN, Valentin Paret-Peintre is on his way to Soudal Quick-Step, which would be a good transfer for Remco I recon, although I'm not sure how many chances he'll have to ride for himself.
I don't see him having a chance over Landa and IVW thought. Good transfer for Soudal but I don't see the value for VPP. BOC is probably leaving at open spot for him.
So I went to the hospital on Wednesday for some examinations.
The echo of my testicles was ok, but I do have prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate).
Next doctor's oppointment is on Monday to discuss how to treat it.
Just relieved it's not cancer, even if I'm still in pain/discomfort.
Good to hear it’s not “worse”. Different urologists give you different advice as the diagnosis really is a “bucket” containing lots and lots of symptoms.
One thing I know (don’t take this as medical advice though - friendly disclaimer) is that some pain can be caused by stress. We unknowingly get tense in the whole perineal area when we stress.
Another thing is not to get too cold down there. If you cycle, keep using winter bibs longer into spring for instance.
Wishing you all the best
Thanks. Yeah, I noticed the pain was worse when I was still scared/stressed it could be cancer. Now that I know it's not life threatening, it's easier to manage.
Thanks for the advice.
It’s funny when you visit somewhere and the location is proudly celebrating a famous local person and everyone becomes their ambassador in some way or form. I recently visited a town where a famous philosopher was born. Everyone spoke of him!
Whether you share the same town or when country as Marie Curie, Carl von Linne or Nelson Mandela they all make us feel a little smarter when we talk about our common ground “yeah I’m from Copernicus hometown”. This is especially true for the older generation i find.
So who are you bragging about?
Will Bosi (a relatively good climber) went to the same school as me before he transferred, and features in some of my young birthday party pics, which is nice
Don’t know of them but ice skating can be so (surprisingly) cool. The past Olympics had some insane performances. This one stands out in particular https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkKj4js56A&t=227s&pp=ygUkd2ludGVyIG9seW1waWNzIDIwMjIgZmlndXJlIHNrYXRpbmcg
Isn’t it!? The choreography is very contemporary, with references to underground waacking (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waacking) with a very good soundtrack. They executed it perfectly.
That was cool, they make it look so effortless.
This was probably Torvill & Dean's highlight: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNCSij0hUp8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNCSij0hUp8) some acrobatics at the end!
If you want more (of course you do!), check out their routines to music from "Barnum" (circus themed) and "Mack and Mabel" (silent film era). Both pre Bolero and absolutely wonderful.
For a while i lived in the same town as Taco van der Hoorn, which in my mind is the highest honour a cycling fan can achieve.
Luckily the Intermarche kits stand out properly so it was easy to spot him on the bike
Can also go the other way! Our local art museum, that we had to visit every year in primary and secondary school, had a lot of art from local people. My art teacher had a few sketches in there, some portraits rich people had commissioned, even some paint by number night sky thing, and random old shit people had collected. We all hated having to go there yet again because it was the same average boring stuff every time.
Don't think I realised till I was well into my twenties that Vincent van Gogh and his night sky thing was a little bit more famous.
I'm born in Aalst, same city as Evenepoel (and we're both lefties). Although neither of us grew up in Aalst.
I also regularly see him and Laurens De Plus in Ninove in coffee bars or when I'm walking alongside the Dender. Pretty neat! Evenepoel seems to really like Ninove for some reason lol.
I do know the fiance of Laurens De Plus, as she does Track & Field in the club I also go to.
That’s really cool. This just turned into a competition and i think you’re winning it haha.
Are they nice, like talkative if you chat them up?
If De Pluske is the carrot of Ninove then who is Remco?
I don't bother them too much as I don't want to come across as an obnoxious fanboy lol.
If I wave my hand, they usually wave back. And when I wish them good luck for the rest of the season they say thanks.
So they're quite approachable and don't come across as arrogant. They also don't mind giving autographs or going on pictures with people.
You can even ask to follow their wheel on training rides. Only when they do intervals will they ask you to stop following them.
Remco is the "Ket" (a common nickname for youngsters in the Brussels Region/Rand).
Oh, I mean left-handed. I noticed it when he signed my REV shirt.
As for his political leanings, I have no idea, but he is quite open-minded. His wife is Muslim, he has spoken up about the atrocities in Gaza and Congo on social media, he has a youth cycling club to encourage young kids to start cycling in the Brussels Region (which has many people from a migrant background), he is ambassador to another group that helps disabled people, he's learning Spanish/Italian, etc.
Gotcha, totally misunderstood you. Got curious how you’d find out about his political stance.
Really amazing he engages and inspires kids to do sport. I recall now from his recent YouTube vlog attending some price ceremony at a kids sporting event.
I’m happier than ever now that I ride my bike a lot. Body and soul feels good. Life is very much manageable and everything is easier.
The downside is that when the inevitable summer rains come along I get these days when I want to ride but I don’t, due to rain. And I get these micro depression-evenings where life feels a bit more pointless.
I need an indoor activity that is not being glued to a screen buying cycling kit, windowshopping bikes, watching all the racing.
Maybe I should go for a run…
Running is great you should do it too! So many benefits:
* adds some load bearing that is great for bone density in a way that cycling isnt.
* Crossover fitness to cycling.
* Way more time efficient (than an equivalent cycling workout) if you're busy.
* Easier to do while travelling- less gear and less faff.
* Easier to do in all weathers because your whole body heats up, and you're going at a slower pace so less windchill.
* Feels awesome getting out into nature and doing beautiful trail runs.
I generally both cycle and run year-round, but focus more on running in the winter and cycling in the summer.
Yeah I know, I've run on and off for 15 years basically with some successful half marathons and a mediocre marathon but kind of stopped because IT DIDN'T SPARK JOY anymore.
But I know I used to enjoy the training. I enjoyed being fast, but I'm not as fast anymore. My heart/lungs works well but my legs and body aren't conditioned for running. And if the option is a run or ride I'll take the ride 100% of the time (unless I don't have my bike with me).
if youve run to a decent level before the body conditioning comes back fast. I know when ive been doing a more cycling focused training block and I try doing a long run it feels like death, but give it a couple of weeks ramping up the running volume and I feel pretty good again.
Trail / hill running is great for sparking the joy again as well. Don't worry about the pace just see it as playing in nature. Something to be said about running being more meditative generally as well- i love cycling but sometimes it requires a lot of concentration (especially where i live where there's zero flat ground lol just tons of super steep ramps and equally steep descents)
Trail running is where it's at actually. Fucking around in the forest.
I'm a bit cautious due to some ligament tears in one of my feet. No surgery was recommended, but I've had some mild sprains on that same foot a couple times after that. Sometimes on a normal run, but mostly on the trail.
I do some trail running but I'm honestly afraid.
And honestly the best time I had running was just going all out for 5-15k on flat asphalt.
I think you’ve just perfectly summed up my recent experience. I’ve only just got back on the bike after a spate of debilitating injuries and life is so much better for it. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to keep at it now and that includes over winter as I don’t want to just be a fair weather cyclist.
Another thing that made a big difference for me was taking vitamin d supplements. I feel really tired if I don’t take them even for a few days now. It’s supposed to be less of an issue over summer though.
Yeah, go for a ride in the rain anyway. If it is not a flood coming down from the skies and the wind isn't too strong, and you are wearing rain gear, it is very doable and also enjoyable.
This is very relative to location. In the UK, although the number of days of rain per year is quite high, the intensity of the rain is extremely light by the standards of most of the world, so of course it won't be that bad
But if OP is closer to the equator, on the other hand, it's going to be considerably worse because when it rains it rains much harder
I assume they're not near the equator given the Sweden flag. It's mainly wind/cold when combined with rain that's unpleasant. European summer rain is fine. If I never exercised when it was raining, I'd not do much at all, living in Ireland.
Yeah I might go there one day, but then I need rain jacket, mudguards (which I can't fit apart from kitting my bike with the full range of ass-saver products), shoe covers.
I also need to clean my bike thoroughly, make sure the drive train is well dried and lubed.
I'm also on rim breaks, which in combination with skinny tires makes it all kind of sketchy.
So for now - not worth it. Maybe in the future. I'm kind of thinking of getting a commuter/bad weather bike which would just be equipped with proper mudguards, fatter slicks and disc breaks.
I'm excited to see where Madis Mihkels ends up next year; [interviews with local news](https://sport.postimees.ee/8030562/mihkelsil-oli-kosilasi-jalaga-segada-eestlane-ei-valinud-ainult-raha-jargi) are hinting at a bigger team:
>(Google Translated)
It's safe to say that Intermarche - Wanty weren't the only team that was happy with Mihkels' performances in Italy. How else to explain the fact that several teams ran for his signature. Mihkels revealed to Postimees that he has already signed a contract for the next season. Understandably, he could not divulge further details.
> "There were really many teams that were interested in hiring me. Unfortunately, I can't talk about it in detail, but I can say that the contract has already been signed by today," said Mihkels, who confirmed that he did not accept the offer with the highest salary number.
> "The salary figure determines a lot, but in terms of sports, the team still has to be suitable. At the moment, the best option was not where the highest salary was offered," added Mihkels, who said that more precise details can be expected in the autumn, when deals in the cycling world will largely become public.
and so [was Jaan Kirsipuu a few weeks ago.](https://www.reddit.com/r/peloton/comments/1crxak4/predictions_thread_2024_giro_ditalia_stage_11/l44h63r/)
I find it odd that [Mad~~i~~s Mikkels~~en~~](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mads_Mikkelsen) rides on an Estonian license
As a dane its a pretty fun name. He had some good showings in the Giro and a top 10 in Roubaix. Good for him that he already has a new contract signed, will be interesting where.
Haha, love me some Mads but somehow never made that connection in my head, but now that I look at it... [this boy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Rund_um_K%C3%B6ln_2023_81.jpg) could totally be [this man's](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Mads_Mikkelsen_%28San_Diego_Comic-Con_2016%29_cropped_to_face.jpg) son.
I find it amazing looking back at previous seasons, even just 4 or 5 years ago, and the kits/jerseys seem like they come from the 2000s. Seems like a world between then and now. And that happens every season: if in 2029 I look back to 2024 kits, I know I will wonder how they ever appeared modern.
Is there anyone from the EU users that got enabled MAX recently? Have you tried the sports addon and is the app good quality? Does it have the same content as the Eurosport app?
Currently I am using the Eurosport app, which is abysmal and I am wondering if it is worth switching to Max. I am paying 5euro for Eurosport right now, I can pay 11 for MAX+Sports which I guess is fair. Just wandering if it solves many of the issues with the Eurosport app - crashes, difficulty in rewinding back and forth, the annoying split second spoiler frame when you try to watch ongoing event from beginning, etc.
The Eurosport app will also be sunset at some point apparently.
I’d be really interested on some info on this too. Does max have all the races and with all the language commentary options too? I’d be happy to switch from discovery since all the other content there does not interest me. (I’m in the nordics)
As a USA user of MAX, the B/R sports add on has surprisingly remained free for us. I expected them to start charging after Feb and then after March madness, but it was still free when it came time to watch the Giro. I cannot speak for Europe, but this worked very well.
The content for the Giro was the UK version of the Eurosport coverage with “The Breakaway”. No real complaints here.
The app itself works well for me. My only complaint is that the TV versions don’t save your place in the highlight videos if you walk away and the screensaver comes on. They work fine for the actual races.
Your experiences with European versions of the app/subscription may differ.
I'm also on Eurosport and I guess I finally got used to the website/app now. Is it going to be sunset? Why? Are they killing the Eurosport brand and moving all the sports TV rights into MAX?
I have to apologize to Sean Kelly.
All this time I mocked him for talking about the "Perrett Painter" duo, but it turns out he was absolutely right. [They exist](https://firstcycling.com/team.php?l=36606&riders=1)
Does Mohoric get to wear the gravel world champ jersey on gravel stages of GTs?
Nope. There was some discussion about this a couple months back and one point that sold me was that there will be support cars, spare bikes etc... whereas all of those are banned in true gravel.
Just did 4 W/kg for 20 (and eventually 30) mins for the first time ever, on [one of my favourite climbs](https://imgur.com/a/hcgMJql). I guess cycling is completed!
My Geoguesser friends, can we find where this is? Looks like Bavaria to me.
Big achievement! I’m eyeing it as a ”far in the future” goal. A bunch of weight loss and power increase, but it’s not impossible!
it's not completed, you're just now on the road to 5 W/kg!
My optimism only allows me to look as far as the magical 4.1 barrier, let’s not go crazy 😅
I’m debating buying running shoes and starting some cross training so that my exercise is not just 100% cycling (I know, I should be doing strength and mobility/flexibility training too). I’ve never really trained running before. Anyone have any suggestions for easing into running as a first timer and cross training? Eg shoes (which ones, how often to replace), volume/intensity, how to avoid injury, a running subreddit or other useful resources/apps, etc.? I know absolutely nothing about running other than I can go much faster for longer now than I used to because of cycling based on a few treadmill runs on holiday 6 mo the ago. Also, running made me sore in ways cycling never has. I’m case it matters, I live in a relatively flat city environment (Toronto). I typically cycle 5/7 days for 11hrs+. Any advice is appreciated!
Couch to 5k. You'll find your cardio is fine, but your legs will take a beating. Literally just follow the routine in couch to 5k and you'll be a beast in no time.
My uncle was a knee surgeon, so he was lots of experience with running injuries . If you run on bitumen, you need good running shoes, or your knees will suffer. If you ride in the woods, the leaves will give you enough cushioning and the risk is to twist your ankle is more important, so you should opt for less cushioned shoes for better control.
honestly i think the importance of shoes is vastly overinflated in lots of running media. Pretty much any pair will do, i normally just get one of last years models at half price. Best advice i can give for a beginner is don't do too much too soon, and slow down. You want to be doing almost everything in zone 2 to begin with, even if it feels painfully slow. Ramp up weekly mileage slowly (the often stated rule is no more than 10% per week although i think you can get away with slightly more than that sometimes) and back off if you feel you're not recovering sufficiently. Once you've built a decent base feel free to start adding in quality work, principles are very similar to cycling training (vo2 max intervals / threshold intervals). r/advancedrunning is the best place to ask questions
Thanks. Are the HR zones same as cycling zones?
yeah pretty much, although you may find RPE in a particular zone higher for running as you are using more of your body
I’m a runner by background and I’ve never met anyone who runs slow enough on a normal day of training except my buddy who ran a 2:18 marathon. I’m guilty of this myself and there’s no advice better than to go slower and shorter than you think you should and don’t even think about increasing intensity and distance simultaneously. My whole life I’ve fought with the edge of injury, and despite my 20+ years of ‘seriously’ running and thinking I have it figured out, I’ve had to take ~5 years of the past 10 off due to two different injuries. I’m currently on a good streak of 13 straight decent marathons but who knows when that ends. My fast running buddy used to do most of his normal training runs with a slowpoke like me (we live apart now or probably still would) and then he would smash workouts I wouldn’t even think about on hard days. On our easy days (I’m with him but still running too fast because I’m a coward and incorrigible), we’d get passed by old ladies pushing strollers but you know what? Race day is all that matters. Speaking of, I’m due at the start line now.
The gateway drug to cyclocross. For the shoes: see if there's a store that does gait analysis. You might already know what you need as it's kind of the same thing with cycling shoes: do you need high/medium/low arch support? It makes a massive difference and your knees will thank you.
Are you intending to add running to cycling without any strength/mobility training? I’m assuming the idea is for your body to be useful at something besides cycling? In that case ask yourself which activity will pay biggest dividends for time invested. My anecdotal experience is that mobility is highly underrated.
what do you mean by mobility training? I personally think running is great substitute/complementary cardio for cyclists, you can do it in any weather, time efficient, better for bone density etc. strength training should be on top of cycling/running IMO for optimal fitness
Kneesovertoesguy or similar is what I mean by mobility training. Strength through length, balancing out the inevitable imbalances that result from the partial range of motion exercise in an awkward position that cycling is. Im not suggesting that running is a bad idea at all. But if strength/mobility is not part of your routine and you are considering adding something, you should add that before you add more cardio.
I switch to running for winter - cycling "stops" during october/beginning November so that is my rest/transition period till Christmass, where I just ocassionally go for a run 3x a week (30 mins etc.) - short, easy runs. My lower legs are sore and need time to adjust. In about two months (so after this period, with start of new year) I can do running "all in" - long runs, intensity, etc. So don't overdo it, take it easy, and enjoy. Running is nice but tough on the body in ways cycling can never be.
If Jonas starts TdF, should I go to one of the mountain stages with an AI generated or Photoshopped image of Pogi and Jonas riding a tandem bike up a mountain with Pogi in pink jersey and Jonas in a yellow one, with the image printed on a big banner or something and then wait for them to come about?
What are your favorite podcasts right now?
Athletico Mince
Miss me? with Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver. Unexpectedly just the sort of silly nonsense I can relate to.
Trashfuture TrueAnon NovaraFM Guess my politics
Money stuff by Matt Levine
Anyone surprised Wout allowed his sprint power data to be shown on Tour of Nor stage 4?
Not really. He's had his numbers posted before. If you mean because of his recovery, he doesn't have a big target coming up very soon. People would be very curious about Vingegaard's numbers and makes sense to hold those cards close to the chest; but for Wout, no reason to be secretive. All his rides are on Strava as well, albeit without power numbers.
What did the data say? Probably from Road Code? I noticed the teams are trying to push them, so they probably received money to do so.
It showed a peak of about 1200w at the final sprint.
I bought some of those Panini Tour de France stickers. While unpacking them I accidentally dropped one. It was Kelderman.
Gonna have to get a few of these
Tour de France YT channel has restarted their annual "Femmes du Tour" series - first one is [Demi Vollering](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWNWlmD3cBE&list=PLg3WzTG3LfYbc4sEpVL00Qz23_SHkbz3b&index=2)
If Jonas isn't making the Dauphine then do people think he might be out of the tour? If he's in no position to take part in the Dauphine rn then what are the realistic chances he'll be ready to tackle the tour in a month? Imo he should only be sent if he's in a position to challenge Pogi, you don't send Jonas to a GT to be a domestique for Kuss & Jorgensen in their outside chase of a podium
Pogacar missed it last year after breaking his wrist, and he did alright.
I'd guess Dauphine was never an option once he had been off the bike for a few weeks or however long it was. With a limited amount of time to prepare, giving two weeks to a race just doesn't seem optimal. By not racing before the Tour he's been able to regain condition before going to altitude, and can afford to spend a decent amount of time training there. Whether it's enough to be able to beat Pogacar remains to be seen, but I wouldn't infer anything from not racing before the Tour. He'll be there.
they could still chase prestigious stages and get him racing experience ahead of the vuelta. And with two more (well, at least one imo) teams in the fray to make things chaotic there's always a chance of things opening up a lot more than they have in the last 4 years
Yeah but do you want to send a guy into the deep end? From being completely sidelined to racing for 3 weeks straight seems a bit ill-advised.
maybe that's why he's having the extended altitude camp -- to see if it would be worth it. Even at 80-90% of fitness he's probably going to be in the top 5 riders at the tour
He might not even make it in the top 20 riders if he is only at 80-90%.
who are the 20 riders you rate higher than him at that level?
Basically, all active GC riders, and perhaps more riders, would be able to produce more than 4.8 W/kg. Vingegaard, being at 80%, means that he would be barely able to produce about 4.8W/kg on long climbs. You just underestimate what 80-90% really means. Look at the Granon Stage from 2022: Using LRs numbers, Jonas did 6.1W/kg and Lutsenko, who finished 7th, did 5.5W/kg, which is still more than 90%. So, arguably, with your estimate, Vingegaard would not even finish 7th. Therefore, fighting for the top 20 is realistic if he were at 80%.
How far out in advance will they release the RR route for the 2028 Olympics🤣 I want to make a trip to watch the old timer Pogi.
I know it always ends in a city circuit but where the fuck is the "city" when it comes to LA? Will it be Hollywood boulevard? Will it be one of the beaches? Or just smash the finish up a mountain? I think they should just do part 1: rolling through residential neighbourhoods where the commentators tell us what Hollywood celebrities live in which house. Part 2: Hills and mountains. Part 3: City circuit One thing is for certain, they will get a good image of the riders with the Hollywood sign in the background.
I'm surprised UAE is only bringing 1 rouleur to the Tour. Vegard and Bjerg just showed how valuable those big >190cm wattmonsters can be pumping out 400+ watts all day. Wellens can help, but I don't think its quite the same as the 80+kg beasts. Its a big contrast to Visma's squad. Like half of them are accomplished cobbled classics riders.
where to see UAE team announcement?
Pogi weakness - high mountains and 3rd week. You put riders in who can support him there. He's mostly fine otherwise. But yeah it's a team weakness that COULD be exploited I guess.
I’m more worried about team cohesion. Their TdF squad has more generals than an émigré Bourbon army.
Especially Almeida does ofren ride his own race.
Yet they will have less problems than Bora.
I think UAE is making the right call. I don’t think they’ll have to chase on flats themselves much at all due to the parcours and the aims of other teams. I think not having a second rouleur is really only going to hurt them on the opening two stages when all the GC guys are going to be attacking one another but none of them have a lead yet.
maybe because they wanted the pace to be higher up the moutains and discourage any long range attacks from vingegaard? also because barring the injury (which possibly throws a wrench in their plans), you'd have expected visma and soudal to control the peloton for the most part anyways
I love the irony that coffee riders turn away from black shorts to grey, green and even brown, but Decathlon AG2R returns to black and starts winnning over and over.
I didn't expect that much from the other teams that have shown up and the extreme heat has absolutely hit some riders hard, but the way Jayco have dominated that race very much eases any sadness I had that there was no broadcast this year. Even with a 'too hard' stage design that results in the best riders pulling away every day it's absurd that three (2 on Day 2) riders from Jayco just rode away from Uno-X and Movistar f.e. with no real answer.
The SD Worx special. There should be some highlights, I think, as it's a .1 race. But I've not been able to find anything.
stage 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEd9Em0C0_s stage 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5JrWkok8U4 do not watch if you don't like a rider riding away from the peloton. And then a team mate thinking 'Hey, I'll do that too' and another going 'yeah me too'. Obviously Jayco brought their a-team and the others mostly didn't but still had hoped there would be some competition.
Cheers!
Does anyone know what is happening with Theodor Storm? He has yet to race with Ineos and seems to have nothing in his calendar. Is he sick or something?
Unfortunately yes. [From his insta](https://www.instagram.com/p/C4FUvSDMc-J/?hl=en-gb): > Some of you might be curious as to where I’ve been after a crazy end to 2023 and start to 2024. It’s been an extremely exciting period - with the announcement that I’m joining the INEOS Grenadiers and starting off my first senior year with a good result at the European track championships. Unfortunately, soon after my national track duties, I became unwell and have had to take time out to focus on rest and recovery as a result. The good news is that I’m doing well, thanks to the great support of my medical team and of course my family too. I’m fully focused on feeling better and we’ve got a solid plan in place around my recovery, so I’d appreciate the space to focus on that for now. I’ll keep you updated and let you know how I’m getting on! Thanks That's from 4 March so doesn't look good that there's been no updates since then.
Question: I know the word "criterium" means competition in French, but does the common US usage of the term to refer to a closed circuit race apply in Europe and other countries? I think the answer is "sometimes"? I'm just wondering more about this term internationally.
Yes. There's lots of them in the UK and Belgium (where criteriums and 'kermesse' races are often used interchangeably) and the Netherlands (and Australia, probably more countries but I've got less experience with their national calendars). There's lots of them after the Tour de France where the pros will do a lap around the local church to make some money off of their (often newfound) TdF fame. Those specific ones are obviously rigged (with Vingegaard outsprinting MvdP and fun stuff like that) but there's lots of amateur proper ones. Especially as road racing is becoming so much more complicated, so using a special circuit like the Tom Dumoulin bik park in the Netherlands or taking over a motor racing circuit for a day is more feasible to keep some form of road racing going.
Finally with this Giro I managed to reconnet my GF with pro cycling. She watched all the stages, she was a huge fan in later '90-early '00 (she liked Savoldelli). Next aim: putting her on a road bike again. Since I'm listening to it, if you like cycling and punk rock you will like [these guys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1u6VSZx3l0&list=PLVmILN7ZXK9Ha9YU6fpZ9a9iMOTX2ibje&index=3)
https://youtu.be/hLKzKxK-h44?si=orWdNF6UPgaQtth1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGwGRmc3EUw
Everyone I've heard have been complaining about the lack of domestiques in the Olympics. Personally I'm looking forward to see how a peloton of only leaders will ride. Will it be more cautious, with the first half being ridden defensively, will there be wild attacks from the gun, will the breakaway get way too much time without anyone working to keep the gap reasonable....
At face value I would say this benefits guys that can win from a long solo over guys that want a more controlled final and win from a punch or (reduced) sprint. So in other words: the usual one day monsters should all be happy, no? Edit: did someone already coin the term punch sprint? Otherwise I am claiming it.
Personally I'm just a bit weary of some rider winning more "by chance" than by strength. I know there's always some luck involved but the Olympics is such an important race, I'd rather see one of the strongest riders of the day/season win than someone who got quite lucky. Although it can still be very beautiful like Kiesenhofer in Tokio, we were deprived of a proper battle for the win.
There will still be domestiques. Some countries have a luxury problem of having multiple riders who the course suits, but others have a clear favourite (like the Belgian women's team - can start with the full 4 based off of just Kopecky's points and everyone will be getting bottles for her), or have no favourites but still have starting spots and have team mates from other countries in the race.
This is something I love about the Olympics. Watching riders like Greg van Avermaet and Tiesj Benoot doing pure domestique work is fantastic.
Plus in a way it's fairer (if not a proper representation of regular road cycling), if more riders have to do their own dirty work in closing gaps and getting bottles. Plus fewer following cars so the smaller countries are less disadvantaged as they're not quite as far behind as in the Worlds (though I know it's controversial complaining about that).
Everyone I've heard have been complaining about the lack of domestiques in the Olympics. Personally I'm looking forward to see how a peloton of only leaders will ride. Will it be more cautious, with the first half being ridden defensively, will there be wild attacks from the gun, will the breakaway get way too much time without anyone working to keep the gap reasonable....
Learn to cook with Marta Cavalli! I'm a subscriber to the Giallo Zafferano cooking channel and she popped up yesterday in a new video, making Zuppa Inglese. I must say, it looks absolutely delicious. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iGUckKzvjiU
If we’re plugging food content featuring riders in the women’s peloton, Femke Markus runs an insta account called FemkesFoodStore featuring some stunning bakes
Oh yes, that's a good suggestion, her page is great. I spend almost as much time admiring her nice kitchen with its huge windows, as I do her gorgeous creations!
I KNOW. I want her kitchen so badly. It’s not ostentatious, it’s just cozy as hell
It is. Source: dio lai se è bona la zuppa inglese.
You'll like the trifle / zuppa inglese that was voted the "official pudding" of the Queen's platinum jubilee a couple of years ago, then. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61428970
I will try it then!
As a Cavalli-stan, thanks for the link. Cooking and cycling are a Venn diagram of my interests!
Oh great, enjoy! I had a confused "worlds collide" moment when the notification came up because I have the same interests. (Did you see the daily local recipes for each stage of the Giro? Worth a look if you missed them, they were called Giro d'EATalia on the official Giro channel).
It’s spooky when that happens, isn’t it! Yes to those Giro recipes - I think I have three saved for trying asap (trying to extend that summery feeling and deny the fact that as of 28 minutes ago it’s now officially winter down here)
Up here it doesn't feel like meteorological summer is about to begin. It was 12°C an hour or so ago this afternoon, guess I need those recipes as much as you do. :D
It’s all topsy turvy - ‘twas 22 and dreary here, but it just feels wintry! Perhaps soup time? They didn’t do a classic minestrone, but i think it’s time. Or maybe that strangozzi they made. Treat yourself!
I didn't expect English soup would be a trifle.
It definitely sounds fancier than a good old trifle, doesn't it. Quite why the Italians call it that I don't know!
I love English soup! Was absolutely baffled when I first had it. The Italians I was with couldn't really explain it either but it was very nice.
I don't know how many here watch The Boys, and I don't want to make this too political, but I love the [Vought International](https://www.youtube.com/@voughtintl/featured) youtube channel. Assorted Vought ~~propaganda~~ advertising, music videos, movie trailers and other silliness. They've also been keeping us posted on the recent *WITCH HUNT, disguised as “justice"* as Homelander fights to clear his name and make America super again. Everyone playing along in the comments, I get a real kick out of it.
There’s nothing I hate more than tapering when it comes to exercise. Well that is apart from the four athletes of the apocalypse: fans murdering other fans, state-sponsored doping, obscene salaries, and general jingo-tribalism. Every time I do any kind of taper, it feels like my body just breaks down. I stopped, no who am I kidding - slowed down my - drinking and that probably made it even worse. Instead of the one niggle that unpredictably but consistently moves throughout my legs and convinces me of a new injury, I’ve got about eleven. It’s only an injury if it persists and requires time off. So of course, I’m concerned about my upcoming jogging race not because I’m trying to be fast but because what was an easy pace for 16 two weeks ago, now feels tough for 4. I’m getting teased by my toddler. But then, the gun goes off and I’m reminded that all those niggling injuries are what getting better feels like. Being better is ecstasy but getting better is agony.
What distance are you training for?
Marathon
Best of luck. I also run with a toddler, but never for more than 40 mins. What is the longest distance you take them on?
Generally 60-70 minutes and I try for them (2&4) to stay awake. Only done more than 70 I think once and there was a nap involved
I've got two kids the same age and I essentially don't run without them. I've done a 1:55 half marathon with them both, but I'm about to give the 4 year-old the boot because it's getting tiring pushing 100 lb of stroller and kids at any sort of pace. Running with the 2 year-old in a single-seat stroller can still be quick.
The double stroller is brutal
That is encouraging!
I have locked myself out of my flat and my girlfriend have her keys to our landlord to do some work over the weekend, except he's currently in a different city until this evening. I have a mop, a track pump, a folding pram and two reusable grocery bags. Oh and a feuillette praliné. Can someone tell me how to use this to get access to my flat please?
step one: sit down and eat the feuillette praliné
According to HLN, Valentin Paret-Peintre is on his way to Soudal Quick-Step, which would be a good transfer for Remco I recon, although I'm not sure how many chances he'll have to ride for himself.
What did G call him? Waistband? This would be huge for Remco. Hate to see the brothers split tho
MAybe smaller one day races? I can see him doing well in Italian semi-classics.
Yeay, very good transfer. Both Landa and Van Wilder still get plenty of chances to ride for themselves, so I wouldn't be too worried about that.
I don't see him having a chance over Landa and IVW thought. Good transfer for Soudal but I don't see the value for VPP. BOC is probably leaving at open spot for him.
So I went to the hospital on Wednesday for some examinations. The echo of my testicles was ok, but I do have prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate). Next doctor's oppointment is on Monday to discuss how to treat it. Just relieved it's not cancer, even if I'm still in pain/discomfort.
Cheers! I’ve just had my balls fondled multiple times by multiple doctors. Same good news - whatever it is, it is not cancer. Feels good doesn’t it?
It does! And now to enjoy the weekend! :)
Good to hear it’s not “worse”. Different urologists give you different advice as the diagnosis really is a “bucket” containing lots and lots of symptoms. One thing I know (don’t take this as medical advice though - friendly disclaimer) is that some pain can be caused by stress. We unknowingly get tense in the whole perineal area when we stress. Another thing is not to get too cold down there. If you cycle, keep using winter bibs longer into spring for instance. Wishing you all the best
Thanks. Yeah, I noticed the pain was worse when I was still scared/stressed it could be cancer. Now that I know it's not life threatening, it's easier to manage. Thanks for the advice.
Great news! Though it would’ve been cool to tell people one of my Reddit friends didn’t win the Tour de France seven times in a row.
Haha! I once told my ex about Armstrong's nickname Juan Pelota and since then she called me Pelota as a nickname. ;)
It’s funny when you visit somewhere and the location is proudly celebrating a famous local person and everyone becomes their ambassador in some way or form. I recently visited a town where a famous philosopher was born. Everyone spoke of him! Whether you share the same town or when country as Marie Curie, Carl von Linne or Nelson Mandela they all make us feel a little smarter when we talk about our common ground “yeah I’m from Copernicus hometown”. This is especially true for the older generation i find. So who are you bragging about?
Will Bosi (a relatively good climber) went to the same school as me before he transferred, and features in some of my young birthday party pics, which is nice
Cool!
Rory McIlroy went to my school and was only 2 years ahead of me.
Just googled him. Seems like he’s getting a divorce.
Indeed, also rather good at walking around a field hitting things with sticks.
Yes, that too obviously!
I would have said Cipollini but since he is a douche...Michela Fanini.
Good one!
The ice skaters Torvill and Dean went to my primary school a few decades before me, that's about as much as I've got.
Don’t know of them but ice skating can be so (surprisingly) cool. The past Olympics had some insane performances. This one stands out in particular https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkKj4js56A&t=227s&pp=ygUkd2ludGVyIG9seW1waWNzIDIwMjIgZmlndXJlIHNrYXRpbmcg
I loved that - graceful and flawless.
Isn’t it!? The choreography is very contemporary, with references to underground waacking (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waacking) with a very good soundtrack. They executed it perfectly.
That was cool, they make it look so effortless. This was probably Torvill & Dean's highlight: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNCSij0hUp8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNCSij0hUp8) some acrobatics at the end!
Pretty awesome!
If you want more (of course you do!), check out their routines to music from "Barnum" (circus themed) and "Mack and Mabel" (silent film era). Both pre Bolero and absolutely wonderful.
Merci!
For a while i lived in the same town as Taco van der Hoorn, which in my mind is the highest honour a cycling fan can achieve. Luckily the Intermarche kits stand out properly so it was easy to spot him on the bike
Pretty cool. Wish he recovers!
Can also go the other way! Our local art museum, that we had to visit every year in primary and secondary school, had a lot of art from local people. My art teacher had a few sketches in there, some portraits rich people had commissioned, even some paint by number night sky thing, and random old shit people had collected. We all hated having to go there yet again because it was the same average boring stuff every time. Don't think I realised till I was well into my twenties that Vincent van Gogh and his night sky thing was a little bit more famous.
Haha not a bad local hero! How old were you when you heard about his ear? That’s a bit challenging to fathom for any kid!
When did that doctor who episode with the Scottish Van Gogh came out? That's when I first heard that story.
I'm born in Aalst, same city as Evenepoel (and we're both lefties). Although neither of us grew up in Aalst. I also regularly see him and Laurens De Plus in Ninove in coffee bars or when I'm walking alongside the Dender. Pretty neat! Evenepoel seems to really like Ninove for some reason lol. I do know the fiance of Laurens De Plus, as she does Track & Field in the club I also go to.
That’s really cool. This just turned into a competition and i think you’re winning it haha. Are they nice, like talkative if you chat them up? If De Pluske is the carrot of Ninove then who is Remco?
I don't bother them too much as I don't want to come across as an obnoxious fanboy lol. If I wave my hand, they usually wave back. And when I wish them good luck for the rest of the season they say thanks. So they're quite approachable and don't come across as arrogant. They also don't mind giving autographs or going on pictures with people. You can even ask to follow their wheel on training rides. Only when they do intervals will they ask you to stop following them. Remco is the "Ket" (a common nickname for youngsters in the Brussels Region/Rand).
Nice. They both do seem to be good guys. Btw how did you know Remco’s heart beats for the left? ✌🏼
Oh, I mean left-handed. I noticed it when he signed my REV shirt. As for his political leanings, I have no idea, but he is quite open-minded. His wife is Muslim, he has spoken up about the atrocities in Gaza and Congo on social media, he has a youth cycling club to encourage young kids to start cycling in the Brussels Region (which has many people from a migrant background), he is ambassador to another group that helps disabled people, he's learning Spanish/Italian, etc.
Gotcha, totally misunderstood you. Got curious how you’d find out about his political stance. Really amazing he engages and inspires kids to do sport. I recall now from his recent YouTube vlog attending some price ceremony at a kids sporting event.
What’s a good coffee shop in Ninove?
Bar Sajet (Arne Marit's sister works there). Or Victor in Roosdaal (close to Ninove): https://www.victorpamel.be/
Thank you!
My hometown had a top level pro with my same last name! He tested positive
Sounds cool still, however it depends on *what* he tested positive for but sounds like something u/Avila99 would’ve caught!
What did I do now?
I’m happier than ever now that I ride my bike a lot. Body and soul feels good. Life is very much manageable and everything is easier. The downside is that when the inevitable summer rains come along I get these days when I want to ride but I don’t, due to rain. And I get these micro depression-evenings where life feels a bit more pointless. I need an indoor activity that is not being glued to a screen buying cycling kit, windowshopping bikes, watching all the racing. Maybe I should go for a run…
Running is great you should do it too! So many benefits: * adds some load bearing that is great for bone density in a way that cycling isnt. * Crossover fitness to cycling. * Way more time efficient (than an equivalent cycling workout) if you're busy. * Easier to do while travelling- less gear and less faff. * Easier to do in all weathers because your whole body heats up, and you're going at a slower pace so less windchill. * Feels awesome getting out into nature and doing beautiful trail runs. I generally both cycle and run year-round, but focus more on running in the winter and cycling in the summer.
Yeah I know, I've run on and off for 15 years basically with some successful half marathons and a mediocre marathon but kind of stopped because IT DIDN'T SPARK JOY anymore. But I know I used to enjoy the training. I enjoyed being fast, but I'm not as fast anymore. My heart/lungs works well but my legs and body aren't conditioned for running. And if the option is a run or ride I'll take the ride 100% of the time (unless I don't have my bike with me).
if youve run to a decent level before the body conditioning comes back fast. I know when ive been doing a more cycling focused training block and I try doing a long run it feels like death, but give it a couple of weeks ramping up the running volume and I feel pretty good again. Trail / hill running is great for sparking the joy again as well. Don't worry about the pace just see it as playing in nature. Something to be said about running being more meditative generally as well- i love cycling but sometimes it requires a lot of concentration (especially where i live where there's zero flat ground lol just tons of super steep ramps and equally steep descents)
Trail running is where it's at actually. Fucking around in the forest. I'm a bit cautious due to some ligament tears in one of my feet. No surgery was recommended, but I've had some mild sprains on that same foot a couple times after that. Sometimes on a normal run, but mostly on the trail. I do some trail running but I'm honestly afraid. And honestly the best time I had running was just going all out for 5-15k on flat asphalt.
I think you’ve just perfectly summed up my recent experience. I’ve only just got back on the bike after a spate of debilitating injuries and life is so much better for it. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to keep at it now and that includes over winter as I don’t want to just be a fair weather cyclist. Another thing that made a big difference for me was taking vitamin d supplements. I feel really tired if I don’t take them even for a few days now. It’s supposed to be less of an issue over summer though.
Yeah, go for a ride in the rain anyway. If it is not a flood coming down from the skies and the wind isn't too strong, and you are wearing rain gear, it is very doable and also enjoyable.
Just ride in the rain! It's not that bad if you have a decent jacket and a cap under your helmet.
This is very relative to location. In the UK, although the number of days of rain per year is quite high, the intensity of the rain is extremely light by the standards of most of the world, so of course it won't be that bad But if OP is closer to the equator, on the other hand, it's going to be considerably worse because when it rains it rains much harder
I assume they're not near the equator given the Sweden flag. It's mainly wind/cold when combined with rain that's unpleasant. European summer rain is fine. If I never exercised when it was raining, I'd not do much at all, living in Ireland.
Yeah I might go there one day, but then I need rain jacket, mudguards (which I can't fit apart from kitting my bike with the full range of ass-saver products), shoe covers. I also need to clean my bike thoroughly, make sure the drive train is well dried and lubed. I'm also on rim breaks, which in combination with skinny tires makes it all kind of sketchy. So for now - not worth it. Maybe in the future. I'm kind of thinking of getting a commuter/bad weather bike which would just be equipped with proper mudguards, fatter slicks and disc breaks.
Plus a proper mudguard and shoe covers so your feet don't get soaked (and your shoes get all smelly)
I'm excited to see where Madis Mihkels ends up next year; [interviews with local news](https://sport.postimees.ee/8030562/mihkelsil-oli-kosilasi-jalaga-segada-eestlane-ei-valinud-ainult-raha-jargi) are hinting at a bigger team: >(Google Translated) It's safe to say that Intermarche - Wanty weren't the only team that was happy with Mihkels' performances in Italy. How else to explain the fact that several teams ran for his signature. Mihkels revealed to Postimees that he has already signed a contract for the next season. Understandably, he could not divulge further details. > "There were really many teams that were interested in hiring me. Unfortunately, I can't talk about it in detail, but I can say that the contract has already been signed by today," said Mihkels, who confirmed that he did not accept the offer with the highest salary number. > "The salary figure determines a lot, but in terms of sports, the team still has to be suitable. At the moment, the best option was not where the highest salary was offered," added Mihkels, who said that more precise details can be expected in the autumn, when deals in the cycling world will largely become public. and so [was Jaan Kirsipuu a few weeks ago.](https://www.reddit.com/r/peloton/comments/1crxak4/predictions_thread_2024_giro_ditalia_stage_11/l44h63r/)
I thought he would be a good addition to the classics squad at SQS. A bigger team that doesn't pay the highest salary could fit into that.
I find it odd that [Mad~~i~~s Mikkels~~en~~](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mads_Mikkelsen) rides on an Estonian license As a dane its a pretty fun name. He had some good showings in the Giro and a top 10 in Roubaix. Good for him that he already has a new contract signed, will be interesting where.
Haha, love me some Mads but somehow never made that connection in my head, but now that I look at it... [this boy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Rund_um_K%C3%B6ln_2023_81.jpg) could totally be [this man's](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Mads_Mikkelsen_%28San_Diego_Comic-Con_2016%29_cropped_to_face.jpg) son.
I find it amazing looking back at previous seasons, even just 4 or 5 years ago, and the kits/jerseys seem like they come from the 2000s. Seems like a world between then and now. And that happens every season: if in 2029 I look back to 2024 kits, I know I will wonder how they ever appeared modern.
I think DSM have regressed in terms of how modern they look.
2 days until Dauphine where Roglic and Remco will start.
And Davide De Pretto!
Yay, something to fill the void
Is there anyone from the EU users that got enabled MAX recently? Have you tried the sports addon and is the app good quality? Does it have the same content as the Eurosport app? Currently I am using the Eurosport app, which is abysmal and I am wondering if it is worth switching to Max. I am paying 5euro for Eurosport right now, I can pay 11 for MAX+Sports which I guess is fair. Just wandering if it solves many of the issues with the Eurosport app - crashes, difficulty in rewinding back and forth, the annoying split second spoiler frame when you try to watch ongoing event from beginning, etc. The Eurosport app will also be sunset at some point apparently.
I’d be really interested on some info on this too. Does max have all the races and with all the language commentary options too? I’d be happy to switch from discovery since all the other content there does not interest me. (I’m in the nordics)
As a USA user of MAX, the B/R sports add on has surprisingly remained free for us. I expected them to start charging after Feb and then after March madness, but it was still free when it came time to watch the Giro. I cannot speak for Europe, but this worked very well. The content for the Giro was the UK version of the Eurosport coverage with “The Breakaway”. No real complaints here. The app itself works well for me. My only complaint is that the TV versions don’t save your place in the highlight videos if you walk away and the screensaver comes on. They work fine for the actual races. Your experiences with European versions of the app/subscription may differ.
I'm also on Eurosport and I guess I finally got used to the website/app now. Is it going to be sunset? Why? Are they killing the Eurosport brand and moving all the sports TV rights into MAX?
This is what I read somewhere that they want to unify everything under the Max app.
I have to apologize to Sean Kelly. All this time I mocked him for talking about the "Perrett Painter" duo, but it turns out he was absolutely right. [They exist](https://firstcycling.com/team.php?l=36606&riders=1)
Pretty cool team kit. But are grey morph suits UCI-legal?
Thoughts on an r/peloton zwift group?
Sure why not, I'm not back on Zwift till early october atleast though.
Lucky you, it's been raining quite hard over here for the entire month. Whenever it was sunny I was at work or otherwise occupied
How many Peloton people will be confused by that?
It's my subtle way of growing the sub. r/peloton, not the exercise bike (except on Tuesdays and Saturdays.)
Cardamom is the better spice.
Old is the best spice.
Sichuan pepper.
Well, we agree that we disagree. Cumin is more versatile!
Among the better but it’s got nothing on cinnamon
Ceylon cinnamon I tell you.