How could Pog do that to my sweet, sweet boy, Ganna?
I would never forgive him if his helmet-defying hair wasn't so adorable.
helmet-defying hair
I couldn’t help noticing the when he removed his helmet there wasn’t a bead of sweat on his head. 🤷♂️
An incredible talent and amazing to watch. Hoping he's at peak human capability and it's all natural as he's slaughtering everything in front of him.
I really really really really really want to believe he is doing this clean. He is just so far ahead of a field of pretty decent riders. We have been here before. I know it’s an easy target and the winners of all races are tainted by sins of the past. I don’t say it with any hint of accusation. I genuinely want to believe.
I was reading an article recently that said there had been some advancements in getting lots and lots carbs carbs into elite cyclists bodies during races and this is leading to the performance increases we've been seeing recently.
I have to say it felt very much like when they were saying Lance Armstrong's high cadence was allowing him to clear lactic acid better and that was leading to performance increases.
Saying that, if it is the case that they have figured out new ways to deliver carbs then it would make sense that some people might have a physiology that responds better to these methods. Team directors and coaches will be on the lookout for people with this type of physiology so over the years the peleton might fill up with more and more of these types.
Or maybe there's an as yet not illegal/not detectable substance that they are taking that allows them to take in more carbs and some riders are super-responders.
I try not to overthink it (but I often fail) and just enjoy the racing.
https://escapecollective.com/the-pros-are-eating-more-carbs-on-the-bike-than-ever-should-you/
The Carb thing seems to be true today they are loading about double the quantity per hour as what was deemed possible ten years ago. Which means the riders energy tank stays closer to full all race improving lots on the capacities on multiple climb rides and recovering reloding for the next day. Only a couple of years ago a 7watt kg rider might only get to 6 on the third climb of the day nowadays he will probably be at 6.8 on the last one.
When done properly bonking should be history although you can still see it in hectic races and bad weather as combined more burning but even more forgetting to eat drink or not be able to get more from cars in time can still give you a shortage.
See it as a car that automaticlaly refuels for almost free when the reservoir gets to 75% you wouldn't be bothered about fuel economy and just go full gas everywhere you can.
Talking of full gas, it's another frantic start, groups all over the road. Good to see Julian Alaphilippe up the front, he's always classy.
[url= https://postimg.cc/3y5vM9Cn ][img] https://i.postimg.cc/FK1gLBf5/20240511-152040.avif [/img][/url]
Some weird ebike sportive thing just went through....
[url= https://postimg.cc/xqTbSXMD ][img] https://i.postimg.cc/HWb0X5Lx/20240511-144123.avif [/img][/url]
They should make Pog ride it on a singlespeed
Oh come on Pog, have a day off!
He's going to find himself without any friends in the peloton fairly quickly if he keeps doing what he is. He had no need to win today, could have rolled in at the back and let the "lesser" riders (for whom a chance at a stage win does not come around every other day) have a go.
It's pretty poor form to be honest at this stage.
You here to win or watch?
Good luck to him!
Nothing to say about the actual cycling. The Discovery presenters are beyond annoying now (possibly Robbie McEwen excepted. ). Orla has jumped the shark in terms of the “rummaging in the dressing up box” vibe and Dan Lloyd must have got a good deal on wrongly sized children’s clothes.
Judgemental? Moi??
Dan Lloyd must have got a good deal on wrongly sized children’s clothes.
GCN recently did an article about him and weight gain / loss, pictured topless. He looks awful to the point of being ill, massive head on an ill defined childs body.
Ineos were using the Classified rear hub system.
Ah, I did wonder. I recall Victor Campanaerts gave it a go last year.
He’s going to find himself without any friends in the peloton fairly quickly if he keeps doing what he is.
Other riders have won 5 out of the 8 stages so far. It seems quite logical to me for Pog to target the uphill finishes as that is where he can make the biggest difference. In the time trial, if are a GC contender, you have to go as hard as you can anyway. If that results in a win, so be it.
I'd love to see the Ineos tech data on the Classified system, considering I've not seen anything that doesn't suggest quite a few watts lost,
It’s pretty poor form to be honest at this stage.
Agreed, it used too be considered poor form for the jersey holder to contest the stage, even Armstrong tried to avoid it BITD
I’d love to see the Ineos tech data on the Classified system, considering I’ve not seen anything that doesn’t suggest quite a few watts lost,
Wasn't aware Ineos were trying that although I know a few teams have used it.
Have a look at Peak Torque on YouTube. He's done a couple of videos on the Classified Powershift - actual proper engineering and test videos. Even he reckoned the efficiency was only very fractionally below the 99% that Classified claim.
Hambini reckons it's lower efficiency than that, but he hasn't seen one! Par for the course for him. There are reportedly other gains from using the Classified, e.g. better aerodynamics from using 1x and mechanical gains from larger chainring, straighter chainline.
Hambini reckons it’s lower efficiency than that, but he hasn’t seen one! Par for the course for him.
I can't stand the obnoxious little shit but I did force myself to sit through his video where he gave it a "roasting", slagging it off and then he later admitted he'd only seen their website and had no idea of its internals, he'd never seen or used one in real life and he was really just upset that Classified had - after initially being fairly positive - refused to respond to him.
Probably because they'd seen his videos...
I really really really really really want to believe he is doing this clean. He is just so far ahead of a field of pretty decent riders. We have been here before. I know it’s an easy target and the winners of all races are tainted by sins of the past. I don’t say it with any hint of accusation. I genuinely want to believe.
I totally agree that I so wish Pog (and the other top riders) are clean but I am really struggling with it.
What disturbs me the most is the relative freshness that the top riders finish the races / stages. MVDP in Paris Roubaix looked as fresh as a daisy. Pog looks reasonably unpertubed having ridden the rest of the peleton off his back wheel or giving everything to beat time trial specialist by a reasonable margin.
At least Armstrong looked like he'd worked hard, albeit with a large dose of unnatural assistance.
Oh look, G's crashed. How unusual... 🙄
He's OK and back on his bike.
Heartbreaking.
in true Italian style revenge is a dish best served cold
For those above asking about Ineos using the classified hub system, there's a pretty detailed breakdown over on Escape Collective:
https://escapecollective.com/optimising-ineos-grenadiers-classified-but-genius-gains/
As for the race, anyone else just assuming that Pog will find a way to find more time on everyone today?
better aerodynamics from using 1x and mechanical gains from larger chainring, straighter chainline.
Dylan Johnson touched on this sort of stuff in a video with the Silca guy, talking about SRAM's strategy in particular of SMALLER chainrings and smaller (9 or 10t) sprockets. They thought the mechanical losses from wrapping the chain around smaller chainrings and sprockets weren't worth it, and also talked about chainline. I could believe that a mammoth chainring, reasonably large sprocket and straighter chainline might make up for other losses (I've always felt that for a similar ratio, being in a bigger chainring always felt better, perhaps this is why).
What disturbs me the most is the relative freshness that the top riders finish the races / stages. MVDP in Paris Roubaix looked as fresh as a daisy.
Sort of why I'm still a WvA fanboi, when he wins he looks like he's burying himself (snot dangling, grimacing etc) whereas when Pog and MvdP go there's no real drama, it's just like they've taken the decision to finally start trying and just ride away from everyone. Even if it is just pure, raw power and talent I find it hard to empathise with or engage with. Makes the rest of the field look amateur as well.
Ineos using the classified hub system
SRAM had a 3x9 Dual Drive years ago. I'm surprised that the losses in internal hub gearing are less than the aero losses of a (manual) FD, given they are all running a chain guide. Nice that they built it into a disk wheel though.
‘As for the race, anyone else just assuming that Pog will find a way to find more time on everyone today?’
Today is the one day he is guaranteed not to gain anytime.
It’s a rest day……
Yep, rest day then tomorrow is a short day (only 142km) starting in Pompeii and ending with a summit finish although it's not one of the ridiculously steep things, general consensus seems to be it's a big ring smashfest type of climb.
The final week is going to be the good part with Stelvio, Mortirolo, Livigno and into the Dolomites. This week has some more sprint stages plus some of the roads from Tirreno-Adriatico.
Word has it that the Stelvio may be cancelled due to avalanche risk.
Pog is a funny one, I think if there was a suspicion that he was doping, that other riders would speak out, or at least speak of him in unfavourable terms, but watching the TV and listening to Cycling Podcast interviews and others, his fellow riders seem to hold him in high regard and seem to like the guy?
With regards to him competing for so many stages to win, ultimately with him, i get the feeling he is a racer, he doesn't have the clinical edge that we saw with Sky/Ineos, he seems to genuinely enjoy himself, and in the past this has has been to his detriment, how many times has he had some stage wins, and some great attempts at stage wins, only then to blow up in the 3rd week and fall apart, but he seemed to be having fun doing it. In the same way, you don't see Jonas or Primoz (when healthy) racing so many of the classics, Pog seems to want to win everything
Stelvio is right at the start in the stage that goes over it, so it’s more there for attrition than to be raced flat out as it would be at the end of a stage. Its removal would probably be less impactful to the race as a result.
Pogacar is such a phenomenon. I’ll forever hate seeing UAE win, but he comes across as personable as he is fast on a bike. I enjoyed watching the ride video he did with Matt Stephens on YouTube. (I would post a link, but I appear to be unable to paste it here…)
probably could manage to put time in everyone else on a rest day though
https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1790276827430175193?t=vLarvhWUpNCTUIfRtSv0BQ&s=19
That's a shame. ☹️
Also out - Olav Kooij, The Stelvio 🙁
https://twitter.com/vismaleaseabike/status/1790276914260607346
https://twitter.com/giroditalia/status/1790369853238309008
I might use one of the stages as a drinking game. Every time Sean Kelly starts a sentence with "Yes, well..."
I reckon I'd be hammered within about 2hrs.
Good stage, nice to see some of the "other riders" featuring for once. That's a very select group left on the mountain now.
Giddy Aunt I'm down to 5 riders in velogames.
Well done to V. Paret Pantre, but you and your brother need a pie or two.
Also it's been great having Ineos pro rider Luke Rowe as part of the commentary team. He's a natural. His insights have been spot on and also he knows many of the pelaton riders well. Let's hope he becomes a permanent fixture when he retires.
need a pie or two.
Belleville Rendez-vous vibes....
Another one bites the dust - there's definitely something going round the peloton
https://twitter.com/vismaleaseabike/status/1790640872750567724
Ooh, messy sprint and a crash mid-bunch. Thought it might have been an Ineos rider went down but it was an Arkea rider. Ineos did a cracking job keeping G up the front on the run in to get to the 3km safe zone before the sprint teams took it on.
Average speed for the first 30 mins of today's stage is 57kph /35mph. 🤯
Should be a good one today - if they've got any legs left after the opening 50km!
need a pie or two.
Belleville Rendez-vous vibes….
Just to go back to little Paret-Peintre, I put my 13 year old daughter on the scales last night, just to compare. She's tall for her age, but skinny, and weighs 2 kg more than our stage winner. Freaks, every single one of them!
