2021 Road Racing Thread - Spoilers Included

[Saab2000]

So this caught my eye and surprised me a bit.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tou...aves-team-dsm/

[corko]

Me too......jumped a year early on his contract, did he or his new team buy him out?......I’m sure all will be revealed, but those rain capes they used in the Giro might have upset him?��

[Tamu8104]

That’s a surprise, I hope it’s simply a change of scenery and not foreboding something that would call his incredible performances into question.

If it is a change in scenery, could be a real get for another team.

[j44ke]

Sounds more like he joins a list of other riders -

Hirschi is the fifth high-profile rider to negotiate an early departure from Iwan Spekenbrink's team in recent seasons after Marcel Kittel, Warren Barguil, Tom Dumoulin and Michael Matthews all left the German-registered outfit before the end of their contracts.

- who've left the same team early. So maybe something to do with team management?

Meanwhile, Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec, a team famous for its jerseys littered with sponsors, moves the bar higher on jersey layout skills. I actually think this is well done. Nice job!

[rabo]

Immediate release of contract does not sound good. That is not just changing teams or so imo.

[echappist]

Me too......jumped a year early on his contract, did he or his new team buy him out?......I’m sure all will be revealed, but those rain capes they used in the Giro might have upset him?��

I hope DSM (Sunweb) got duly compensated for this early departure. Otherwise, what's a contract even good for?

[WillT.]

Looks like he's getting scooped up by UAE according to Wielerflits.

[j44ke]

I was just thinking this is getting a bit like football (trans. "soccer") and then spotted this article -

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/foo...uerreiro-deal/

[corko]

I was just thinking this is getting a bit like football (trans. "soccer") and then spotted this article -

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/foo...uerreiro-deal/

Disclaimer : I am in no way affiliated with this Agency

[KonaSS]

[QUOTE=j44ke;1033591]Sounds more like he joins a list of other riders - who've left the same team early. So maybe something to do with team management?


Either something to do with management (negatively), or how management deals with their limited budget. Perhaps their budget is so low that they are playing moneyball? Picking out these diamonds in the rough. When one of them starts to shine, they want more money. Management can either 1. refuse to renegotiate their current contract (deal with an unhappy rider) 2. Give rider more money for remaining year on contract (but they are probably leaving anyway at end of year) 3. Get paid by new team which actually increases your budget and go find a new diamond in the rough.

It is probably a combo of management and the realities of budget.

[BBB]

Season 2021 is going the same way as season 2020.

https://cyclingtips.com/2021/01/chri...uan-cancelled/

And maybe this is something for the 2025 Road Racing Thread, but this caught my eye...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...n-anne-hidalgo

[j44ke]

Season 2021 is going the same way as season 2020.

https://cyclingtips.com/2021/01/chri...uan-cancelled/

And maybe this is something for the 2025 Road Racing Thread, but this caught my eye...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...n-anne-hidalgo

Nothing has changed. May actually be worse. A few people have vaccines, but otherwise the virus is just as infectious and running rampant in a lot of countries.

[Saab2000]

I actually liked how the 2020 grand tours were run later in the year. Maybe that will happen again in 2021. Wouldn’t be the worst thing. They weren’t super spreader events that we know of and were very competitive and enjoyable to watch. A change from the old and maybe tired paradigm might not be the worst outcome for cycling.

[BBB]

I liked it too. No races for months and then a concentrated program from sometime in July onwards.

[j44ke]

Okay, I didn't know that in cycling professional women were not licensed professional women. Is France the first to issue pro licenses to women bicycle racers? Or are they the last?

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fre...he-first-time/

[skouri1]

While I enjoyed the races last summer, which were truly filled with dope driven surprises, I have to say that pro sports really shouldn't be the priority in these times. If the season is compressed/races are cancelled, its probably a good thing. I would rather there be no crowds congregating with questionable social distancing/masks and would prefer vaccines to go to essential workers, people with preexisting conditions and the elderly, instead of remarkably fit and quite possibly fraudulent 20-30 somethings.

[sk_tle]

Okay, I didn't know that in cycling professional women were not licensed professional women. Is France the first to issue pro licenses to women bicycle racers? Or are they the last?

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fre...he-first-time/

No word about the MTB world. Sigh.

[72gmc]

No word about the MTB world. Sigh.

I feel like the women's MTB world has its act together better than the women's road world (not referencing the UCI here, just the riders and teams).

[rabo]

While I enjoyed the races last summer, which were truly filled with dope driven surprises,

Which ones are you talking about?

[skouri1]

the tour de france and the giro, world championship come to mind. probably the vuelta as well.
everyone was pushing mutant numbers after a quarantine program.
to back up for a second--just consider the tour, not even the unbelievable TT performance from Pogs, but also the fact that he danced to what, 4-5 all time records during the tour? All time records. All time as in armstrong, contador, 90s epo fest. all time.
I mean, this year made Roglic seem human. Somethings wrong in that picture. I was rooting for him. And in awe watching the tour come out of his grip. And stunned and enchanted by Julian Alaphilippe's nuclear WC attack. I loved every minute of it. But that was the most supercharged peloton I have seen in a while.