Category: Classics and day races
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Geraint Thomas awkwardly dismounts the fence ahead of Paris-Nice
Paris-Nice starts on Sunday. Technically, other WorldTour races have already been and gone, so I’ll be diplomatic and call it the first major European stage race of the season. Last year, Paris-Nice had a bit of a limp start list. It’s actually not wildly different this year in terms of names, but if the consonants…
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Greg Van Avermaet has found a way to win bike races
We’ve been here before. Greg Van Avermaet has found a way to win bike races. By ensuring that his main rival at the finish is Peter Sagan, he raises the distinct possibility that he might be out-bridesmaided. I actually missed Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the end because I was busy writing about cycling. Apparently, the…
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Bring forth the Omloop!
And bring forth the Spring Classics, the first significant chapter in the racing season. Last year Ian Stannard won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the traditional opener. He won it the year before too, but this year he’s skiving. However, Team Sky remains the place to look for Britons. In the absence of Stannard and Geraint Thomas,…
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John Degenkolb’s finger and what it means for the spring classics
Nine of John Degenkolb’s fingers are fine. The tenth one pretty much came off and has only just been stuck back on. According to the man of science who wielded the glue, it’ll be three months before its owner is back racing. That means Degenkolb will miss the whole spring classics campaign. Being as he…
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The eight best moments of the 2015 cycling season
Loads of entertaining cycling took place in 2015. Here’s some of the stuff that I can actually remember. Having a chat with Jens Voigt Well it was a highlight for me. Ian Stannard disrespects the numbers It was three v one at the end of the Omloop. Etixx-Quick Step’s three were soundly beaten. I still…
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Winners of the classics and Grand Tours in 2015
The framework for this site is this list of the bike races which actually matter. The list is my own and an attempt to impose some sort of structure on a sprawling, hard-to-understand calendar. It omits many major stage races, but includes all the Grand Tours, all the Monuments and a select few high profile…
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Vincenzo Nibali has a Monument
Not a statue, not a commemorative building of some description, but a win in the Tour of Lombardy (Il Lombardia), one of cycling’s five Monuments. It’s a big deal. When people measure a cyclist’s worth, they often look to the diversity of wins. It’s one of the reasons why Eddy Merckx is out on his…
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Peter Sagan did NOT come second
He’s only the world champion. If ever a season had a satisfying narrative, it was this year. In 2013, Peter Sagan notched four second places in the Tour de France. In 2014, he got another four. This year, he lost to Andre Greipel (twice), Zdenek Stybar, Ruben Plaza and even Greg Van Avermaet, of all…
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A list of names for the 2015 World Championships road race
It occurs to me that most of you will be reading this preview on Monday once the race is over, so it’s probably inadvisable to spend too long on this. Therefore, without further ado, here’s the bare bones of the course and a handful of riders who might do something in the World Championships road…
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Tony Martin doesn’t win time trial gold at World Championships
Tony Martin wins time trials. That’s his thing. Last year, when Bradley Wiggins won gold at the World Championships, he looked very, very unhappy on the second step of the podium. It was widely assumed that he would come back this year and set things straight. It was therefore somewhat surprising that he came seventh.…