It is pretty much a drag race up to them and then out. The course doesn’t seem it will be too brutal on his back. Am expecting them to be together to the end.

Beside the mad skills, the attitude is also quite commendable.

Too bad she just lacks a tad in the dieseling side of things (for now).

Wait, that screenshot has been underappreciated. 370W for 20 minutes is impressive!

I'm going to say Wout rides MvdP off his wheel and wins solo.

Counting out Mathieu is a mistake, but Wout looks to be in his own category for the most part.

I'm more excited about the breadth of the alternative racing here. I was approached to help out a few riders in some races and I am planning on doing it. I think there are a few races I might target for my own results too.

I know some of the crew here race some of the bigger North American events, so hopefully its a chance to connect.

Those are some good numbers for anytime of year! I just got back from a solid 10 days in Nor Cal, managing to get numerous 3-4 hour rides and close to 450 miles after pretty low volume since November. I don’t have any allusions about fitness level but was surprised on how far high intensity and short duration goes for maintenance. Got some skiing to do now before fully committing to riding, but building a new <unreleased> gravel bike next week so the motivation will be there.

I'll be keen to hear about that bike. When will we get to see it? ;)

I'm pretty pleased with where things stand. I can't hang with the good guys on a w/kg test at all, but if I can find another 20 watts, lose a few kg and get the fatigue resistance where it should be I can be useful at least.

The secret is having a dad bike, with Assiomas and a kid carrier that tows behind. My daughter loves riding through the hills with me and having that resistance on grocery trips, daddy daughter dates, etc. gives some nice base training. The dad-gains are real.

While the numbers are indeed impressive, this part is even more impressive and wholesome.

I think @burgler still lives in the Appalachias? If so, it’s quite a feat to schlep across very hilly terrain. To do grocery runs on a bike, in a region where roads were planned only for automobiles, makes it even more impressive.

I’m actually more interested in the dad bike set-up.

@likes_bikes now. Time for a less stupid name. ;)

We have a new baby at home too, but yeah riding with my older daughter is a treat. She is incredibly verbal and its so fun to have these rambling one on ones together. She is already a little terror on her balance bike.

Back on track. The weather tomorrow is mostly sunny and warm. The dryer the course the better Mathieu goes. I think that could play in to this as a mud fest would be no contest to Wout.

There's a rumor going around that they were going with white skinsuits, but accidentally threw an old orange one in the washing machine. How do these rumors get started? :-)

I heard that same thing from a source (you here now on Slowtwitch)

If you haven't already, the best of Appalachia......

Does Clara Honsinger ever have even an adequate start? I’ve watched a lot of cross races over the last twenty years and I have never seen a rider squander so many front row start positions. It’s painful to watch. She wasn’t on the front row today but she dropped back like she was actually riding backwards.

Does she have no sprint power and only steady diesel capacity?

I don't know. Jeremy Powers while commentating has speculated it's a combination of lack of top end explosive power and a lack of confidence to know how to hold your position in a crowd.

I know the feeling from crit racing - once you cave in and let someone's bars ahead of yours and let them move in on you, suddenly it can be like being stalled on a freeway. You might as well hold up a sign, "Form a line and go past me."

She's about 3-4 levels of racing beyond me so I'm hesititant to criticize her myself, except that it's clearly holding her back from being a perennial top-10 in World Cup-class racing.

It’s pretty sweet, I should be aboard a week from Monday and then the release is late the following week. I’ll post some pics!

I’m sure a dad bike works; that counts as muscle resistance and strength work, I reckon. Since early November I’ve been pretty consistent with ~4 Zwift rides and 1-2 uphill ski sessions per week, all 60-90 minute durations. None of it easy; pace partner rides mixed with at least 1 fast group ride or race. We walk our dogs for an hour each morning so all totaled, somewhere in mid-600 tss. Last week multiple 3-4 hour rides and 900 hr tss (haven’t had a pm on bike for a while, but putting one on new rig), then backed it with another solid one this week. Surprising to feel strong on the longer ones. Fitness has been and continues to be quite an interesting experiment in a winter zone, and low interest in riding through it.

Now we are talking! I'm curious to see what you have up your sleeve with the bike.

The "dad-bike" is probably a misnomer on my part. Its still a pretty nice ride, just set up for the kiddo and I...and of course there are still 5 other bikes in the regular stable too so there is always plenty of variety.

I haven't really been up to much structured anything other than riding a lot and doing efforts when its fun to do efforts. There has been a lot of skiing and fat-biking too this year. Things have gradually been ramping up though and I head away soon to train in greener pastures with some of the boys for a bit so that should be good and productive.

Preach. I just moved to a winter zone this year. Been doing some snow shoeing. Need to get some alpine-style nordic skis (don't want to drive to proper groomed trails).

I've toyed with getting a fat bike, but I tested the limits of my 2.5"-tired trail bike, and I have a strong belief that even a fat bike would only work on said groomed trails.

My wife said she spotted two road teams out today (Tahoe area). But the roads are still icy, and the high is like 40, meaning they probably started in the 20's. And I'm fine with my skills on ice. I watched Val di Sole after all. But reading of cyclists being killed by cars all over the place with their cars *not* on ice, man, I'm not quite ready for that level of risk.

You moved to Tahoe? I lived on the North Shore for 15 years.

Have you tried going uphill on skis, either on groomers (fitness laps) or backcountry? With a steady pitch the effort can be quite similar to riding, especially zone 2 to tempo paces. I’ve found it to be a nice substitute/break from riding.

Those stories have been far to frequent and disturbing.


Based on the junior's race this morning the track is relatively dry. Hopefully we have a good battle today.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/ineos-grenadiers-spanish-speaking-tour-de-france-trident-bernal-martinez-and-rodriguez

Interesting developments circa Movistar 2018. ;) I'll be curious to see how this shakes out. I'd love Bernal to comeback and be a contender. Martinez is on paper, but has a bad track record of ground visits in grand tours. Godriguez should be exciting; I think he has a TdF or two in him.

Not Tahoe proper, Carson City. I'll have to try the uphill skis thing. :)

Meanwwhile there is zero chill in this men's elite race.

For a split second I thought there was a moto out on the course. Drone cam.

There are two motos with our superstars. Those guys are throwing down. No feeling out the course and attacking at 40 minutes.

MvdP putting in the surges left and right. Great stuff so far.

MdVP has been better over the barriers .