He's so good.

https://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/jumbo-visma-werkt-aan-fusie-met-soudal-quick-step/


TJV working on merger with QS.


Can you imagine Pog, Remco, Venga and Kuss all working as part of the long forgotten Free-Landa movement? This is going to get interesting.

not enough "embarrassment of riches"? i'd like to read that piece above, but it's not in english and didn't know what i'd have been agreeing to (assuming cookies)

I think Johan hinted at something like that
at the end of La Vuelta coverage?

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Even more so, can you imagine those guys having to read about themselves in Don’s column each week?

I just can't imagine JV's current management giving Don Patrick much of a role in the speculative new team. It doesn't appear they need a ton of help. Maybe Blowhard Emeritus.

His role will be guzzling all of the beverages so that the riders don't have any themselves. He is elite in this capacity for certain.

I still think Wout sat up. It seems very obvious.

I do understand in that situation it's unusual to get caught and then have a "second effort" that prevents the pass. It was surprising, for sure. But I really think that Wout would be all-in for a Belgian win. I doubly don't think he'd have risked hauling Kooij to the line and risk setting up a Dutch win. He's got a lot of teammate loyalty, but I think also Belgian loyalty. I think those two just cracked right as they caught LaSporty. Or I prefer to think that, anyway.

I do wonder if De Lie didn't quite sell out in bringing Wout closer. It seems unlikely that if you emptied the tank over that last kilo to close the gap you wouldn't finish just a second behind at the finish.

Morkov to Astana and Cav signing for next year? That’s a spicy meatball.

I agree - I think there's zero chance Wout sat up there. No way he's gifting anyone a win when he's been second so many times this season. If he had the rainbow or even the Belgian tri color then I'd say maybe he let him win, but there's no way Wout gives up a chance to wear a champions jersey next season.

Vino wants 35 for Astana.

I get all of that and agree in general, but when I watch what happened it looks obvious when I see his head and body language.

I only watched one replay of the finish, so I probably missed the body language. I wonder if it wasn't a "I'm getting second again" head nod though.

Hey, whatever keeps them out of the 40+ masters bro crit scene! Astana was soooo bad this year, and I guess this is all they've got.

Though if QS and JV merge, there could suddenly be a good number of decent riders on the market to pick up. And someone can go to Vegas to drag Mauro Schmid off the strip.

Tim Cook is the supposed buyer...

EF locked up Harry Sweeney for 3 years. I actually think that's a great signing. He should really benefit from their TT setup as well as the extra geometry he has access too.

Somewhat stingy comments from G about Remco and Jumbo (i.e. Remco hates Jumbo, Jumbo hates Remco...Roglic hates him)

I feel like the guy has been spitting venom left and right after he got destroyed at the Vuelta. After Kuss won, he said: "Let's be honest, Spain is for holidays not for bike racing"

Jose De Cauwer and Patrick L might have some competition in the making.

G is a good dude, but I found those comments weird as well. I need to see if he is just getting up for his post-cycling career as a talking head (which he is I believe).

Remco and Rog/Venga have always been quite cordial outwardly.

If he says that in front of Horndog, there's going to be punches thrown. :)

That is kind of a dickish thing to say. HIs teammates will wonder why they busted their asses in preparation for their GC leader if the GC leader didn't GAF.

I haven't listened to this most recent podcast from G, but are we sure he wasn't saying that jokingly (that and the Remco comment)? It seems like the majority of the podcast (at least the ones I've heard) are joking comments.

Definitely a joking tone. And I have a deep appreciation for dry, snarky British (er, Welsh) humor, but still feel it was bad timing to throw darts at Roglic and the importance of the Vuelta, while your teammates are striving for stage wins as a backup plan to Thomas' GC hopes.

Pints may have been involved.

Cro Race today: surprised to see Iúri Leitão 🇵🇹 take the win considering that Orluis Aular 🇻🇪 had been Caja Rural's sprinter at the Vuelta and gotten some decent results. Figured he would be the man sprinting for that team.

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Dotti the ITT champ from Argentina has just been announced as being positive for CERA when tested before the ITT in Glasgow (his second time popped positive I believe). Poor guy finished 45th place and minutes down. Good to see the best are still clean and its only the BOP up to shenanigans...