They don't fully understand the "gravel ethos." You're supposed to just 'gram and tweet about hanging out and having a good time on the bike, while secretly training 30 hours/week and trying to tear the competion to shreds. They're mistakenly *actually* just chilling and having a good time.

Just watched Tabor. Good races, still on speedy courses. Quinten Hermans remains World Champ of the holeshot. I think he hits every one. Looking forward to next few weeks. Disappointed to lose Namur, but will be fun to be in Dublin in December.

As I was watching, it dawned on me what a production it is to broadcast a Cx race. On the road you have moto's and the heli to follow all. Track/Crit you have a couple strategically placed cameras. Even the major pro sports like Soccer, MLB, NBA, etc only need a few cameras to capture all the action.

But on a Cx course, must be minimum 15 cameras laid out in that haphazard distribution. All behind the fencing, with rapid switches from camera to camera, and quick zoom in/outs so you don't miss any of the action. Some stationary, some moving along a roller track. MTB World Cup is similar, but still not to this degree. Is impressive.

Iserbyt and Hermans, in particular Iserbyt, dominate the early season racking up points looking over their shoulders wondering when Wout, VDP and/or Piddles are going to come and take their lunch money. I almost feel bad for them, but I guess Iserbyt was able to lock up enough points to take the series ahead the big boys showing up last year.

You can only race who is there, but in previous seasons these guys seem like minor leaguers when the big hitters show up later in the year (if they show up this year I am not sure). That said, it doesn't take away from the quality of racing going on right now - always fun to watch. Maybe more so since the field is more open at each start although Iserbyt is on pretty good form so far. Maybe this is the year Iserbyt still keeps winning all the way through to the world champs.

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"It's good enough for who it's for" - Grandpa Wayne

WvA and MdVP will race CX. With MdVP considerably more than last year, where he missed a bunch with his bad back. Speaking of crusty old veterans, it was nice to see the reception that Stybar got at Tabor. And he did pretty well! But I got the sense that he considered it his last hurrah at Tabor.

Pidcock will race less, and won't defend his world title. Which is a bit of a bummer because a Worlds with all of the big three would be something.

What is going on with Toon Aerts is a bit of a mystery. Oddly, he *still* doesn't have a formal suspension, though he's not racing and has left the Baloise-Trek Lions.

And the Tour will only have a single 22km ITT.

Seems like you can mail Remco's 2023 GT race plan in. This likely allows JV to avoid any consternation on how to manage Roglic. Send him to the Giro, and then he either skips or does the duo to purely ride in support of Jonas.

Yeah, it seems pretty clear who should go where. Roglic vs Remco is a pretty intriguing matchup, as the former has handled the latter in a few ITTs, and also has that nasty finish. Can’t see Remco being able to hang with JV and Pog on all those mountain stages, or at least to the point of gaining an advantage.

Both routes are interesting for different reasons. The Giro looks more like an old school race of attrition with all the TTs kilometers and some very long stages. Tour should be more exciting—harder to control and where one day of jour sans could end it.

I agree his progression suits another GT that suits him before throwing him into the gladitorial cage fight of taking on TaddyPo and Venga up the Tourmalet.

Bernal is an interesting X-factor. Hopefully his post-crash trajectory follows Remco's and not Froome's.

The Giro definitely doesn’t suit Bernal, maybe GT. Gotta think Ineos will approach the Tour with multiple leaders, what with the big Bernal unknown.

Well, if I were going to be forced into retirement by a heart condition, I'd definitely want it happen with my last significant race being a win at Paris-Roubaix. Farewell to Crockatelli.

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nevermind all the doping rumors and unusual late-career improvement

I know you think Evenepoel lesser than Pog, but this is what Valverde just said about him:

“He's a rider who, for me, right now, is the best. Tadej Pogačar is exceptional but Remco does things that surprise everyone. He's far superior to others. So for me, he's the best rider in the world at the moment, by a long way."


Someone needs to tell him you’re the expert though.

Uh huh. Valverde is certainly qualified, and entitled to his opinion.

And for someone who has been more frequently mopped by Pog, I could see him maybe being a bit feisty ("by a long way"). I also think what is between the ears factors into the discussion. I still give TP the nod here.

Yep sure, you know more than the top veteran in the peloton. Right.

Except those few years he wasn't allowed in the Peloton. But agree, he absolutely pulls rank over me.

Relax, buddy! This thread has been officially dedicated a Safe Space (tm) for slinging fanboi claims. When those claims backfire, it's also a Safe Space (tm) for digging up old thread posts for fun when those claims backfire.

We are blessed as fans with the upcoming TaddyPo-Remco matchups.

You are right. You know I’m cyclingnews interviewed Valverde regarding his opinion of Remco versus pog I thought why him? What is his qualifications? Why not just go to any one of those pundits on slow twitch?

You were interviewed on CN, if I'm reading that right? That's awesome. Most certainly welcome here!

Our punditry is strictly for fun. We make no grandiose claims of being really important or always correct. This is what being a sports fan is about. Maybe Man City is the best futbol time right now. But there's still gonna be fans out there who swear up and down that Arsenal is going to wipe up the pitch with them. This makes for fun conversation.

Wait what, you started following football/ soccer? If so, welcome, fellow plastic :) I think Burgler is the only non-plastic in this thread.

Just a little bit. And mostly local (San Diego Wave FC, recently made it to NWSL semi). The most plasticy of plastics - positively liquid. Just have to fill the void between CX matches.

Lol. I’m on a similar level of plasticity. At most oligomer if not just monomer form. I still maintain that there’s nothing better than a Northern Classics, but good soccer match is high on the entertainment factor.

I’m looking forward to having CX fill the void in programming during the Fifa World Cup. Just realized that Eurosport still allows replay from the 2021-22 season, and i’ll need those races to tide me to Christmas time.

Speaking of CX, when are the "big 3" doing to kick off their dirt campaigns? It's good now, but just not the same without em.

From what another poster mentioned (upthread I think), Piddles has a knee injury. Not sure about the other two. My guess is both will have a short-ish season.

You are right that it ain't the same without them.

A win plus two other juniors in top 10 at Koppenbergcross. Signs of the future for US men?

All due respect to PIti (which is to say, not much) his opinion is just one of many in the peloton. It's a fallacy to overweight Piti's opinion based upon his stellar, asterisk laced, career just as it would be to discount his opinion because he doped. He was a great and savvy rider. Vaya con Dios.

As for this thread, there are a lot of very informed people lurking here.

Based upon what they've done in their careers, it's Pogacar hands down. He's also two years older. If Piti is referring to what they've done recently then it's obviously Remco. Guys get hot hands and great form and they get on a roll. Remco is a freak among freaks of course, but I'd submit that you judge a rider on their overall body of work. Form comes and goes. Class remains.

Remco dropped a studded break to win the WC and the Vuelta is a GT. Well done there, but it is/was not the Tour by any stretch and Tadej has 2 Tour GCs and many stages. Monuments 2, and Strade. A 4th at Flanders.

It'll be fun watching the youngsters battle over the next few years.

Speaking of prescient posts, 'burgler and I were speculating on Lambie retiring from pursuit maybe because he didn't think USAC could properly manage an elite TP team.

And right on cue USA Cycling reveals their men's TP management skills to be an utter shitshow. Not just the bogus data, but guys posting on social media they've made the team before the selection committee has even met is just a clown show.

Yes, the Pauwels Sauzen ‑ Bingoal guys aren't gonna be able to play the same games/tactics...LOL