HNY to y’all. Let’s hope our good form continues in ‘24.

Indeed. It's been a pleasure thus far.

HNY Everyone

Amazing racing over the holidays!

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev

Happy New Year peeps on bikes!

Looking forward to what is ahead.

Omloop preliminary:

WvA, Lasporty, Deep Wellens
De Lie, Baarle

You know Lisa Bike is raring to go when they've 5 ballers already signed up on the PCS startlist.

Happy new year! Two weeks to the TDU, which has some interesting names on the start list.

Aggressive. Like it.

 
hny all!

this gotta be the year wva starts to tip the balance and pick up some big ones.

ineos actually looks like an interesting team this year. curious to see how sheffield, tarling and ganna go.

Always interesting, but they're essentially the same team as 2023 in terms of riders. Though some key turnover in staffing. As an American AJ August is another one to watch, though I hope Ineos eases him gently into World Tour racing, as that guy is as young and green as they come. I worry a bit about the immediate jump at age 18. I like how Luke Lamperti spent a few years with Trinity learning the ropes in European racing before going to the Wolfpack at age 21.

Dayyum. Admire the early scouting efforts!

Also, good nickname for Wellens. I think that’s the first time i’ve seen it.

HNY and that you for starting the most interesting thread on ST!

Not mine, one of ours from 2023, but I forget who coined it. I think McNulty is currently off the front solo in this regard.

Tarling is going to be the TT World Champ!

Olympic champ more likely I think - Brits love an Oly gold, and in cycling even more so.

He has a teammate who might have a thing or two to say about that. He still needs to check that box, and he won't be happy with his performance in '21. But I welcome any new blood into the niche of elite TT.

Deep or T Dub. Always been a fave, Hope he has a great year. Damn crazy sport shanked him last year.

I am really looking for Cool Hand Luke Lamp to shine. Or at least stay healthy until he can. That kid is different.

Echappy, how far back does this thread go? I'll guess without looking that it's been 5 years. Longer? Pretty great stuff.

I remember riding with Luke when he was maybe 12 years old, and the kid was already a boss then. AJ looks like the real deal too.

I think we "formally" started back in 2014, at first focusing only on the Spring Classics. Someone (I think @ likes_bikes) had the insight to extend the thread to an year-long thing, and I think at least I benefited from that. It looks like the new format started only in 2020.

I certainly wouldn't have gotten into CX as much without the new format, which covered almost all forms of racing on two wheels.

  
yeah i'm curious to see august develop, i've heard wild stuff about him.

as a canadian, i'm also very interested to see of leonard is the real deal. his tt was awful close to gee at nationals, but other than that and a rando euro top10, not much to go on yet.

Just making sure that I haven't missed anything.

Since Namur, has there been any beer chugging efforts of note on the podium? Didn't seen any for Hulst, but I'm working backwards and might not yet watched all of the races yet.

I'm embarrassed to say that I stop watching as soon as soon as, say, Betsema/Kamp lower-top-tier racers cross the line. But I really need to start paying more attention to the podium stuff, because this is serious.

Speaking of chugging liquids of questionable taste, quality, and health benefit. Bora is now majority-owned by Red Bull. Given Red Bull's track record in other sports, I think we can expect to see Bora jump to Lease-a-Bike/Ineos top-tier team level in just a few short years. Getting a jump start with Roglic this year.

That’s a good assumption. Red Bull has a performance center that Lisa Bike could only dream about: https://www.wired.co.uk/...ing-competitors-edge

Side note, listened to GT’s pod with Egan Bernal today. Crazy to think he was THE guy just a few years ago, hope he can get back to the front of affairs and take on Venga, Pogi, Remco, etc.

 


Pro cyclists probably won't get the same pass from the press that athletes in other sports have if they start seeing some of the doctors that have been associated with Red Bull in the past.

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

How about Luke Plapp taking the Aussie TT championship over Harper by over 30 seconds even with a mechanical? Grace Brown was looking strong as always to take the women's title.