This guys tights = NOT AWESOME

But those socks/shoes... are?!?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/floyd-landis-q-and-a-they-rearranged-the-pieces-but-its-the-same-game/

Do these 2 slobs bring anything to the table?  I've had enough of these interviews.  At this point...nobody should really be interviewing them.  Their interest in cycling is solely tied to their promotion of their cannabis products.  They knew the rules of the game and they signed up to play anyway....

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dan-martin-agrees-two-year-contract-with-uae-team-emirates/

This surprised me.  Quick-Step offloaded Kittel, so I figured they had salary to play with. and Martin seemed like an easy fit for them and the guy gets results.

Wonder if they don't have the budget they used to, or if they've got a new signing yet to come.

Dan Martin is my fav

mugwump said:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dan-martin-agrees-two-year-contract-with-uae-team-emirates/

This surprised me.  Quick-Step offloaded Kittel, so I figured they had salary to play with. and Martin seemed like an easy fit for them and the guy gets results.

Wonder if they don't have the budget they used to, or if they've got a new signing yet to come.

They seem to be banking on Jungels, Alaphillipe & Gavaria. as future projects , not the normal quickstep way , but i would bet that they have secured long term funding 

VeloNews got Lefevere's take on the rider market. About Kittel and Gaviria, the Quick-Step DS made it personal: "I wanted to keep both. Kittel doesn’t want to ride on the same team as Gaviria,” he said. “He was at the end of contract, so I cannot stop him.” The more rational explanation, which Lefevere also alludes to, is that Kittel wanted more money (deservedly so) but the team's budget was "fixed." The whole article is worth a read. 

Mark Taylor said:

mugwump said:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dan-martin-agrees-two-year-contract-with-uae-team-emirates/

This surprised me.  

They seem to be banking on Jungels, Alaphillipe & Gavaria. as future projects , not the normal quickstep way , but i would bet that they have secured long term funding 

good point.

Boonen retired this year, which should have opened up some budget room.

They've still got Gilbert, Terpstra, from the older generation.  And Stybar is in between.  

Still a stacked squad.  Between Gaviria and Kittel, I think I would have gone with Kittel, but Gaviria is probably a good bit less expensive.  I still think they would have kept Martin.  Even with Alaphillipe and Jungels in the team, Martin has been quite consistent.

What the heck? 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cannondale-drapac-uncertain-to-continue-in-2018/

Jules said:

What the heck? 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cannondale-drapac-uncertain-to-continue-in-2018/

According to the VeloNews story, they're only $7 million short of a $16 million budget.
I guess Cannondale and the other title sponsors really pulled back for 2018

mugwump said:

Jules said:

What the heck? 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cannondale-drapac-uncertain-to-continue-in-2018/

According to the VeloNews story, they're only $7 million short of a $16 million budget.
I guess Cannondale and the other title sponsors really pulled back for 2018

perhaps Cannondale knows something we don't...like how using fiscal policy to stimulate the US economy when its already humming at full capacity (looking at you record low unemployment) is just dumb...good bye consumer spending cause u fucked... covfefe

mugwump said:

Jules said:

What the heck? 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cannondale-drapac-uncertain-to-continue-in-2018/

According to the VeloNews story, they're only $7 million short of a $16 million budget.
I guess Cannondale and the other title sponsors really pulled back for 2018

From the article (emphasis mine):

http://www.velonews.com/2017/08/news/cannondale-drapac-may-fold-2018_446633

All of the team’s current sponsors remain. That includes Oath, a new sponsor announced during the Tour de France, Cannondale, Drapac, and POC.

“These sponsors have lived up to their promises; however, without additional financial backing, the numbers simply don’t add up,” the team said.

So this means that Vaughters already knew of the title-sponsor funding roll back or they lost $7m worth of 2nd and 3rd tier sponsors and benefactors or their 2018 operating budget is way higher than 2017 or a combo of the above.

The news suggest there was one other major sponsor/backer for 2018 that officially backed down last week.

Interesting interview on "The Cycling podcast " with Vaughters yesterday

Liz Marcello on NYC's cycling official's shortage.

https://www.tobedetermined.cc/journal/2017/8/the-nyc-race-official-shortage

It's a good piece, but she does not touch on why the shortage has occurred -- around 2010 or so, becoming an official went from being a simple, somewhat cheap process, to a very complicated, somewhat expensive, obfuscated process with no clear benefit whatsoever. 

Really sweet Citibike trip data visualization:
https://tbaldw.in/citibike-trips/ 

Hot stuff...
https://cyclingtips.com/2017/08/eurobike-2017-live-tech-coverage-day-one/

Loving the Wilier metallic paint.  Damn.  

Stefan Wyman's response to seeking sponsorship:

http://www.helenwyman.com/2017/08/value-opportunity-sponsorship/

eloy said:

Stefan Wyman's response to seeking sponsorship:

http://www.helenwyman.com/2017/08/value-opportunity-sponsorship/

Sooner or later someone is going to Moneyball this sport. Hopefully sooner.

What the...?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/08/31/arsonist-suspected-of-setting-fire-to-irish-pro-cycling-teams-bus-at-race-in-spain/?

yup, leave it to Spain, someone lit a mattress under the bus.

also worth noting the spectator in front of a moto moment

Great seeing all the kids at this 

https://rouleur.cc/editorial/grass-track/

The Vuelta, still in crazy town mode.

Love the rest of the fans screaming "hijo de puta, hijo de puta"

also worth noting the spectator in front of a moto m

https://twitter.com/inrng/status/903276424735404033

I believe a cop actually pushed the spectator

Mark Taylor said:

Great seeing all the kids at this 

https://rouleur.cc/editorial/grass-track/

Awesome. They do these in Toronto as well.

Say what we will about Sky's dodgy credibility and infinite resources; you can't dope for press conferences (but I guess you can pay trainers) Froome always seems to strike such a gentlemanly tone - the respect for rivals, it's not over until Paris, it's a strong field, my rivals are here to win, anything can happen at a grand tour, etc. He really is the anti-Wiggo.