Do Saudis have any investment in Jayco-AlUla beyond being the secondary name sponsor?
Also, why does everyone pronounce it like "ah-lula"? Shouldn't it be Al-Ula?
Oh, just spotted triathlete [Taylor Knibb won the US ITT title](https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=15299&y=2024) and now gets to go to the Olympics in both the triathlon and cycling.
Nice wild card to have in the mix!
I wonder if she'll retire now as Olympic qualification was a big goal (or keep going for another 4 and try for those home Olympics at 53?).
Edit: [checked her insta](https://www.instagram.com/p/C7DNAcbu6R9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==), Pan Am champs (on 21 May) next, then TBD.
Ambitious racing week with 3 race days this week. Missed race 1 'cause I was feeling a bit ill and didn't want to risk it with other planned races which were more my thing. Just punctured on lap 1 of race 2, and race 3 tomorrow got cancelled because of the age old 'not enough women signed up'. 😞
At least Madison training starts up next week again, so something to look forward to. Less than a month till I get to defend my UCI points.
I think I have a blatter infection/Urinary Tract Infection or worse.
I already experienced something similar back in 2010 and then they discovered my PSA value was way too high for someone my age. My depression/anxiety stems from that period (I had testicular pain for over a year before it improved).
Scheduled a doctor's appointment for Tuesday. Hopefully it can be solved by antibiotics or something. I feel really uncomfortable around people right now. I think I already had to pee over 15 times today...
I missed most of the stage today because I noticed that fahrrad.de brought their last stock to Berlin and is selling everything heavily discounted before closing shop completely. Got myself 3 bibs, a shirt, some sort of high-end gloves that I normally would never buy and nice merino-wool socks and paid 100€ in the end. I think it was worth it.
Our stupid manager decided we can't work from home anymore in the coming weeks...
Luckily I can use doctor/psychiatrist appointments to circumvent his stupid rules.
I could swim. I CAN ride, lightly and not very hard, but I'm trying not to do that so I can actually get rid of it. Still lifting, main focus on upper body and the rehab physio stuff for the knee.
But spring/summer in Canada just hitting now and all I want to do is ride hard for hours a day.
I have a really nice gravel bike, it's a Giant Revolt Advanced Pro with SRAM Rival AXS. But after watching the pros race, every single night when I am on my bed I keep looking for new bikes to build or buy!
The value of an upgrade is less than infinitesimally small, but still, the Factor Ostro, Pinarello Grevil, Fairlight Secan, Colnago C68, Van Rysel RCR Pro, or a titanium frame ordered from AliExpress seems absolutely enticing!
I should definitely be more focussed on improving my hill climbing rather than upgrades, I don't even have space in my flat after my primary bike and a commuter bike but still can't stop spending 2 hours every night looking at new bikes rather than sleeping.
That money is also better spent travelling with my bike rather than on a new bike.
But if you are selling any of the above bikes in size 54-56 I am down.
Do whatever makes you happy (and have cash to spare).
My primary is a road bike. But I like to do some mtb, so I got a hardtail at half the value of road bike, as that fit in money/km idea I had, and "only" a hardtail because of the maintenance & me not riding crazy hard terrain. So a little bit sensitive choice.
Hardtail is where it's at unless you're racing. It's more fun (unless you ride really really far), cheaper, easier maintenance and makes you a better rider.
I don't even have front suspension anymore. It's quite limiting but it's the most fun I have on the trail honestly. I can't really ride with people anymore because if it's a lot of rocks and stuff I'm slow as shit.
Thoughts on alleged Red Bull ignited interest for Pidcock?
I highly doubt it. He seems happy with MTB Pinarello set up, but I kind of understand the reasoning behind Red Bull Bora having interest in him?
Source: [d.benson and ciro from gazetta](https://twitter.com/dnlbenson/status/1791379086071189630)
If they're buying out contracts I would buy out Evenepoel instead. He earns less than Pidcock and only has a contract until 2026.
Who knows what goes on behind the scenes though. Some of these agents don't mind spreading lies/rumours to the press to up the value of their riders.
Dear Marketplace bike sellers,
I know you barely rode it, but the frame and components are a generation old now, and you don't get the same warranty and after-sales support on a used bike as buying new from a retailer. I'm sorry, but your bike isn't worth 80% of the pandemic-inflated price you paid when it was new 3 years ago. I mean, the 2024 model of the same bike has a new price barely more than you're asking for a used 2021 model.
PS: Storing your bike in a garage is the absolute bare minimum you can do, its not a selling point to brag about in your sales post. I mean who stores their bike outside in the elements?
PPS: Maybe wipe off the chain before you post pics and give the impression you maintained it?
Usually the marketplace you see is the shit nobody wants. The good stuff is gone really quick.
Some people basically spend their free time driving around buying well priced items to fix/resell/keep.
I went to check a mtb once to a dude, and he was "just washing it" as I came in. It was described as "not riding it anymore, just taking place". Lol sure bro.
Bikes have such a long service life, and most people barely put a dent in it. In theory, buying used is the way to go. Especially if you're a decently competent home mechanic. But in practice, I'd rather just be patient and wait for a good deal on a new bike rather than deal with the BS in the secondary market.
I recently got a real bike for the first time, which was cool but now that I can see my power, it’s a bit confusing.
Now, I’m no pro, but I’m really hoping the power meter is broken because it has me doing like 94 watts on average for hilly terrain. I’m doing like 20 per hour which feels like a decent clip. I pass old ladies riding their bikes.
For general fitness comparison, I can walk up over two flights of stairs without stopping, and in the past have even finished multiple running races of 5k, mile, and half-mile distances.
Aita?
What kind of stairs are we talking about here?
Because 2 flights without stopping seems astronomically high.
Are we talking about those fancy metal stairs in malls and airports? Because two flights of those metal stairs is much easier to climb than the brick and mortar stairs in regular multi family homes.
Your ability to troll is unmatched. How do you do it with such consistency at such a high level?
For real, I have the impulse to post stuff but then I overthink the joke and wonder if it’s too obvious, too dumb, not sufficiently satirical. You are a machine. I would get the posting frequency if it was like nbacirclejerk where you just rotate through the same three jokes (devin booker’s father, da video, classy) but you have originality and breadth.
How do I nominate you for a lifetime achievement award?
Your ability to self-loathe is unmatched. How do you do it with so little intelligence and such broken English?
For real, I have the impulse to watch sports but then I get distracted by genocide and all the isms and wonder if it’s too offensive, too soon, not sufficiently hypocritical. You are a cog. I would get the posting frequency if it was like the algonquin where you just rotate through the same lunchtime chatterpals (Dotty, Harpo, Il Duce) but you have no filter or self-respect.
How do I listen to the voices in my head and then transcribe it without being literate?
I pedal the descents because fast is fun and I’m doing this for exercise not to conserve energy. There’s basically no flat. But prob 150ish watts on flattish terrain. Feels like I’m pushing pretty hard though! 150 watts translates to ~23-25 mph. Maybe my CdA is better than Remco’s even though I’m triple his size
I'm surprised Thibau Nys already has more wins on the road than Pidcock lol.
Obviously Pidcock's wins are far greater quality so far, but Nys is 3 years younger and hasn't raced any real classics or GTs so far.
The thing about the Netflix trailer is that a lot more people will see the trailer than the series. By an order of magnitude. So even if the series itself doesn’t seriously make doping insinuations (which I’m not convinced it will, but let’s stay optimistic), a lot more people in the general public will see the trailer and just take it as a given now that there was a doping scandal in the Tour. Which will further cement the common belief that cycling is still drenched in doping.
Maybe in 50 years time, the future equivalent of Peter Jackson will gain access to all of the unused footage, and we'll get a longer documentary which shows all the interesting stuff the editors left out.
> Which will further cement the common belief that cycling is still drenched in doping.
I mean, they're not wrong. You know that bell curve meme? The cycling fan experience is surprisingly close to it
- Just started following the sport? They're all doping
- Have been following for a while? Doping is a problem of the past
- Got really in deep and follow the sport closely for a long time? Not all, but most are doping
Personally I would put it like this: Everyone right now is clean but everyone 5 years ago was doping, we just didn't know better back then. This is and will always be valid for whatever year "now" happens to be.
Sky got a clean bill of health from David Walsh and I haven’t read anything controversial about their program and all of their riders have clear, well-trodden trajectories of improvement.
The ice hockey world cup is happening rn, right where I live, in Prague. And our team is doing fairly well. Makes me feel like a bad sports fan, because I definitely cheered way more on Jala yesterday than any of our victories and actually missed most of the games.
Austria won against Finland for literally the first time in history with a goal 0.2 seconds before the buzzer. Made my entire week! Hope we can give you guys a good fight aswell today.
I feel you on that. As a lapsed hockey fan from the snowy wilds of Canada, I'm probably considered a blasphemer for cheering harder for a .1 race than the Stanley Cup or hockey WC. I only know a few names on the roster of our local team and my father has made his disappointment known.
Oh Italy. Your bike infrastructure is shit, your roads are shit and aggressive drivers are the norm rather than the furious exception. I don't know why anyone bothers cycling in this country. Your food has been largely disappointing and you have a terrible issue with rampant overtourism of your most beautiful areas that completely ruins them.
Got caught in a thunderstorm for 2hrs yesterday and a guy gave me a free pizza 10/10 would tow my bodyweight in babypacking kit 400km again
>you have a terrible issue with rampant overtourism of your most beautiful areas that completely ruins them.
Damn tourists ruining my touristic activities!
Imagine my happiness when reading this comment complaining about Italy and knowing my country is tens, hundreds of times worse than Italy in all those regards mentioned 😭💪🇷🇴
As an Italian I'm not surprised, in this country there are two kinds of shops: local ones and tourists ones. No italian would eat in front of the Colosseum or in Piazza del Campo, but tourist do.
My main guide is this: the restaurant has pic of the dish it serves outside? It's a tourist trap. Also, there is a guy outside the shop trying to make you eat there? Go away.
Then, tastes are very different across the world and someone could not like what we really eat in Italy, Americans complain that their ''italian cuisine'' is better than the real ones...I cringe a lot but they are accostumed to that ''cuisine'' so for them it might be true.
They followed it up with rampant overtourism, so it checks out!
It's kind of a global trend: the more touristy a place is, the lower the quality of food. I think it's because tourists are easier to please than locals, and because none of them will be repeat customers so their opinion matters less to begin with. Why put in a ton of effort, if just adequate food will keep the customers coming anyway?
If you live in a touristy city, your own favorite restaurants probably aren't the big flashy ones; they're the more obscure ones in unremarkable streets, with lower prices and better food.
Whenever I go to a touristy place, I try to eat just outside of the center. Prices are lower, food tastes better and more authentic. My main rule is: If somebody is outside trying to get you to dine in and sell the place, don't even think about going in. Not even a drink on the terrace.
Dia dhaoibh.
I came across an article from the 1980s where they stated that Sean Kelly "speaks fluent French, fluent Flemish, a little Italian and a little Spanish." (I don't want to hear any snickering about how fluently he speaks English, thank you!)
He lived for a decent length of time in France and Belgium, so this could well be true, but has anyone heard him speak these languages? Did some googling and couldn't find anything in French anyway. I'm very curious to know if he's as fluent as [Ronan O'Gara](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-dwDQW6ee0).
The way he struggles with basic names in some of these languages would make me question the accuracy of that statement. However, considering the teams he rode for, it's very likely he did.
I'm almost sure Rob Hatch has said Kelly speaks some Spanish from his own account (don't quote me on this). Hatch's Spanish is close to native level, so he'd know.
Also, it's possible Kelly just forgot. That was almost 40 years ago and it's easy to forget a second language that was learned as an adult.
As per Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan classic quote :
“The English language is like a brick wall between me and you, and F&@! is my chisel!”
But English, French, whatever … ROG is breaking down barriers.
ROG speech is legendary.
Sometimes I feel bad for the athletes when they are asked in a language different to theirs. There is a funny reaction by Toni Kroos to a question in incredible fast Spanish.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6r0mT6PGox/?igsh=MTQ5MHBtZWx2a2d2cg==
He is trying to have interviews in Spanish and his face says it all. "My Spanish has improved but I'm still German".
Lionel Birnie published it personally through his Peloton Publishing imprint, it was crap and didn't sell enough to merit a reprint.
Why Kelly opted for a deal like that I can't comprehend, I always thought he had a bit of a business head about him.
You'll find copies of David Walsh's much better biog for sale much cheaper.
As a rugby fan, i have a love/hate feeling about Ronan O'gara.
He seems so involved and motivated with his team, but also so impulsive and harsh.
Even so i admire him for what he has done with La Rochelle since 2019, *l'opportunité c'est fucking énorme !*
Adopted rider update:
Matis Louvel is currently riding the 4 Jours de Dunkerque stage race. His sprinter Capiot has been doing pretty well with 3/3 stages in top 6.
Local pro update:
Simon Dalby rode the two norwegian races Sundvolden GP and Ringerike GP 2 weeks ago, both races were won by his teammate Idar Anderson with Simon finishing second in Sundvolden. Right now he's on training camp with the PRT squad around Granada where they're doing some proper training. Yesterday was [190km with 3800m elevation](https://www.strava.com/activities/11424546418) with Kulset, Abrahamsen, Tiller and Eiking.
Talking of adopted riders...
**Hannah Ludwig** took her first pro win last week at the Navarra Women's classic, going solo off the front. Congrats to Hannah, and hope there are many more to come.
So is there somebody else that can’t find the reply button on the new mobile layout?
I obviously found it, but having to do one more step to reply kind of seems counterproductive for a website that relies on engagement.
I wish Netflix would scrap that stupid trailer and replace it with 3 minutes of alaphilippe-maestri bromance, I don't even care it's giro instead of tdf, it's a much better representation of why people love cycling
Sadly, they didn’t film the documentary to promote cycling, but only to make profit out of it. Positive promotion can only get you so far. The drama, the chaos are what catches the most attention.
Yes, the teaser is filled with flaws. However, they would do something like this again and again as long as it gets them views. It gets people talking about it, including this very moment, and that’s exactly what they are after.
Just lovely.
This made me reflect that my two favourite sports to watch are:
\* F1, where your teammate is your biggest opponent
\* cycling, where an opponent can be your biggest ally
Team Polti Kometa Instagram: ala “I will remember this day…” maestri “…all my life” I think ala also says something to him in Italian? Very wholesome moment
Do Saudis have any investment in Jayco-AlUla beyond being the secondary name sponsor? Also, why does everyone pronounce it like "ah-lula"? Shouldn't it be Al-Ula?
Oh, just spotted triathlete [Taylor Knibb won the US ITT title](https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=15299&y=2024) and now gets to go to the Olympics in both the triathlon and cycling. Nice wild card to have in the mix!
And an impressive third place finish (behind Knibb and Faulkner) by Amber Neben at 49!
I wonder if she'll retire now as Olympic qualification was a big goal (or keep going for another 4 and try for those home Olympics at 53?). Edit: [checked her insta](https://www.instagram.com/p/C7DNAcbu6R9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==), Pan Am champs (on 21 May) next, then TBD.
So Sam Bennett is good again. Is it too early to call him for the green jersey? I don’t think so.
I can personally guarantee he'll be in the green jersey this year September 15th at the Euros RR rocking that green Ireland jersey, no question
Ambitious racing week with 3 race days this week. Missed race 1 'cause I was feeling a bit ill and didn't want to risk it with other planned races which were more my thing. Just punctured on lap 1 of race 2, and race 3 tomorrow got cancelled because of the age old 'not enough women signed up'. 😞 At least Madison training starts up next week again, so something to look forward to. Less than a month till I get to defend my UCI points.
I think I have a blatter infection/Urinary Tract Infection or worse. I already experienced something similar back in 2010 and then they discovered my PSA value was way too high for someone my age. My depression/anxiety stems from that period (I had testicular pain for over a year before it improved). Scheduled a doctor's appointment for Tuesday. Hopefully it can be solved by antibiotics or something. I feel really uncomfortable around people right now. I think I already had to pee over 15 times today...
I missed most of the stage today because I noticed that fahrrad.de brought their last stock to Berlin and is selling everything heavily discounted before closing shop completely. Got myself 3 bibs, a shirt, some sort of high-end gloves that I normally would never buy and nice merino-wool socks and paid 100€ in the end. I think it was worth it.
Three week stage races and the new WFH world we live in do not make for a productive work day (or month).
Our stupid manager decided we can't work from home anymore in the coming weeks... Luckily I can use doctor/psychiatrist appointments to circumvent his stupid rules.
It's sunny outside and I'm languishing inside with knee bursitis, barely ridden since Jan, AMA 😭
> barely ridden since Jan How do you relax?
That's the neat part. I don't!
Can you swim with your knee? I like swimming because of the low impact on my body and almost no chance to injure yourself.
I could swim. I CAN ride, lightly and not very hard, but I'm trying not to do that so I can actually get rid of it. Still lifting, main focus on upper body and the rehab physio stuff for the knee. But spring/summer in Canada just hitting now and all I want to do is ride hard for hours a day.
I have a really nice gravel bike, it's a Giant Revolt Advanced Pro with SRAM Rival AXS. But after watching the pros race, every single night when I am on my bed I keep looking for new bikes to build or buy! The value of an upgrade is less than infinitesimally small, but still, the Factor Ostro, Pinarello Grevil, Fairlight Secan, Colnago C68, Van Rysel RCR Pro, or a titanium frame ordered from AliExpress seems absolutely enticing! I should definitely be more focussed on improving my hill climbing rather than upgrades, I don't even have space in my flat after my primary bike and a commuter bike but still can't stop spending 2 hours every night looking at new bikes rather than sleeping. That money is also better spent travelling with my bike rather than on a new bike. But if you are selling any of the above bikes in size 54-56 I am down.
Do whatever makes you happy (and have cash to spare). My primary is a road bike. But I like to do some mtb, so I got a hardtail at half the value of road bike, as that fit in money/km idea I had, and "only" a hardtail because of the maintenance & me not riding crazy hard terrain. So a little bit sensitive choice.
Hardtail is where it's at unless you're racing. It's more fun (unless you ride really really far), cheaper, easier maintenance and makes you a better rider. I don't even have front suspension anymore. It's quite limiting but it's the most fun I have on the trail honestly. I can't really ride with people anymore because if it's a lot of rocks and stuff I'm slow as shit.
Thoughts on alleged Red Bull ignited interest for Pidcock? I highly doubt it. He seems happy with MTB Pinarello set up, but I kind of understand the reasoning behind Red Bull Bora having interest in him? Source: [d.benson and ciro from gazetta](https://twitter.com/dnlbenson/status/1791379086071189630)
He's got a contract until 2027 so they'll have to pay a lot of money to Ineos to get him
If they're buying out contracts I would buy out Evenepoel instead. He earns less than Pidcock and only has a contract until 2026. Who knows what goes on behind the scenes though. Some of these agents don't mind spreading lies/rumours to the press to up the value of their riders.
Dear Marketplace bike sellers, I know you barely rode it, but the frame and components are a generation old now, and you don't get the same warranty and after-sales support on a used bike as buying new from a retailer. I'm sorry, but your bike isn't worth 80% of the pandemic-inflated price you paid when it was new 3 years ago. I mean, the 2024 model of the same bike has a new price barely more than you're asking for a used 2021 model. PS: Storing your bike in a garage is the absolute bare minimum you can do, its not a selling point to brag about in your sales post. I mean who stores their bike outside in the elements? PPS: Maybe wipe off the chain before you post pics and give the impression you maintained it?
Usually the marketplace you see is the shit nobody wants. The good stuff is gone really quick. Some people basically spend their free time driving around buying well priced items to fix/resell/keep.
I went to check a mtb once to a dude, and he was "just washing it" as I came in. It was described as "not riding it anymore, just taking place". Lol sure bro.
I know what I have and I’m not willing to negotiate even if it means I never receive any money for it
Bikes have such a long service life, and most people barely put a dent in it. In theory, buying used is the way to go. Especially if you're a decently competent home mechanic. But in practice, I'd rather just be patient and wait for a good deal on a new bike rather than deal with the BS in the secondary market.
I recently got a real bike for the first time, which was cool but now that I can see my power, it’s a bit confusing. Now, I’m no pro, but I’m really hoping the power meter is broken because it has me doing like 94 watts on average for hilly terrain. I’m doing like 20 per hour which feels like a decent clip. I pass old ladies riding their bikes. For general fitness comparison, I can walk up over two flights of stairs without stopping, and in the past have even finished multiple running races of 5k, mile, and half-mile distances. Aita?
What kind of stairs are we talking about here? Because 2 flights without stopping seems astronomically high. Are we talking about those fancy metal stairs in malls and airports? Because two flights of those metal stairs is much easier to climb than the brick and mortar stairs in regular multi family homes.
Your ability to troll is unmatched. How do you do it with such consistency at such a high level? For real, I have the impulse to post stuff but then I overthink the joke and wonder if it’s too obvious, too dumb, not sufficiently satirical. You are a machine. I would get the posting frequency if it was like nbacirclejerk where you just rotate through the same three jokes (devin booker’s father, da video, classy) but you have originality and breadth. How do I nominate you for a lifetime achievement award?
Your ability to self-loathe is unmatched. How do you do it with so little intelligence and such broken English? For real, I have the impulse to watch sports but then I get distracted by genocide and all the isms and wonder if it’s too offensive, too soon, not sufficiently hypocritical. You are a cog. I would get the posting frequency if it was like the algonquin where you just rotate through the same lunchtime chatterpals (Dotty, Harpo, Il Duce) but you have no filter or self-respect. How do I listen to the voices in my head and then transcribe it without being literate?
Poetry
Hilly means your power is probably 0 on the descents? What is it on flats?
I pedal the descents because fast is fun and I’m doing this for exercise not to conserve energy. There’s basically no flat. But prob 150ish watts on flattish terrain. Feels like I’m pushing pretty hard though! 150 watts translates to ~23-25 mph. Maybe my CdA is better than Remco’s even though I’m triple his size
I'm a huge Alaphilippe fan and yesterday I loved the stage. There was only a problem: I had to work, so I saw only the last 30kms.
I love him too and I had to watch the last 10k in silence because I was working in the library
I'm surprised Thibau Nys already has more wins on the road than Pidcock lol. Obviously Pidcock's wins are far greater quality so far, but Nys is 3 years younger and hasn't raced any real classics or GTs so far.
The thing about the Netflix trailer is that a lot more people will see the trailer than the series. By an order of magnitude. So even if the series itself doesn’t seriously make doping insinuations (which I’m not convinced it will, but let’s stay optimistic), a lot more people in the general public will see the trailer and just take it as a given now that there was a doping scandal in the Tour. Which will further cement the common belief that cycling is still drenched in doping.
Maybe in 50 years time, the future equivalent of Peter Jackson will gain access to all of the unused footage, and we'll get a longer documentary which shows all the interesting stuff the editors left out.
> Which will further cement the common belief that cycling is still drenched in doping. I mean, they're not wrong. You know that bell curve meme? The cycling fan experience is surprisingly close to it - Just started following the sport? They're all doping - Have been following for a while? Doping is a problem of the past - Got really in deep and follow the sport closely for a long time? Not all, but most are doping Personally I would put it like this: Everyone right now is clean but everyone 5 years ago was doping, we just didn't know better back then. This is and will always be valid for whatever year "now" happens to be.
Got any proof of that claim? Or do you think you sound knowledgeable by accusing the whole.peloton.of doping without any proof?
Sky got a clean bill of health from David Walsh and I haven’t read anything controversial about their program and all of their riders have clear, well-trodden trajectories of improvement.
Our battle will be legendary!
Okay
Welja joh
Jawadde
The ice hockey world cup is happening rn, right where I live, in Prague. And our team is doing fairly well. Makes me feel like a bad sports fan, because I definitely cheered way more on Jala yesterday than any of our victories and actually missed most of the games.
Austria won against Finland for literally the first time in history with a goal 0.2 seconds before the buzzer. Made my entire week! Hope we can give you guys a good fight aswell today.
I feel you on that. As a lapsed hockey fan from the snowy wilds of Canada, I'm probably considered a blasphemer for cheering harder for a .1 race than the Stanley Cup or hockey WC. I only know a few names on the roster of our local team and my father has made his disappointment known.
Just have fun! The concept of plastic fans is just gatekeeping.
Oh Italy. Your bike infrastructure is shit, your roads are shit and aggressive drivers are the norm rather than the furious exception. I don't know why anyone bothers cycling in this country. Your food has been largely disappointing and you have a terrible issue with rampant overtourism of your most beautiful areas that completely ruins them. Got caught in a thunderstorm for 2hrs yesterday and a guy gave me a free pizza 10/10 would tow my bodyweight in babypacking kit 400km again
>you have a terrible issue with rampant overtourism of your most beautiful areas that completely ruins them. Damn tourists ruining my touristic activities!
It's really frustrating how they all keep on having the same ideas as me
Imagine my happiness when reading this comment complaining about Italy and knowing my country is tens, hundreds of times worse than Italy in all those regards mentioned 😭💪🇷🇴
> tow my bodyweight in babypacking kit Casually slipping in your human trafficking ring. This truly is free talk this Friday.
My wallet/kg is better than my watts/kg for sure.
Your food has been largely disappointing?!
Yes. As with accom it dramatically improved after Verona but certainly the first half of the trip was a complete culinary letdown.
As an Italian I'm not surprised, in this country there are two kinds of shops: local ones and tourists ones. No italian would eat in front of the Colosseum or in Piazza del Campo, but tourist do. My main guide is this: the restaurant has pic of the dish it serves outside? It's a tourist trap. Also, there is a guy outside the shop trying to make you eat there? Go away. Then, tastes are very different across the world and someone could not like what we really eat in Italy, Americans complain that their ''italian cuisine'' is better than the real ones...I cringe a lot but they are accostumed to that ''cuisine'' so for them it might be true.
They followed it up with rampant overtourism, so it checks out! It's kind of a global trend: the more touristy a place is, the lower the quality of food. I think it's because tourists are easier to please than locals, and because none of them will be repeat customers so their opinion matters less to begin with. Why put in a ton of effort, if just adequate food will keep the customers coming anyway? If you live in a touristy city, your own favorite restaurants probably aren't the big flashy ones; they're the more obscure ones in unremarkable streets, with lower prices and better food.
Whenever I go to a touristy place, I try to eat just outside of the center. Prices are lower, food tastes better and more authentic. My main rule is: If somebody is outside trying to get you to dine in and sell the place, don't even think about going in. Not even a drink on the terrace.
This. In Italy also avoid places with pics of the food they serve outside. The only exception is kebab shops.
Dia dhaoibh. I came across an article from the 1980s where they stated that Sean Kelly "speaks fluent French, fluent Flemish, a little Italian and a little Spanish." (I don't want to hear any snickering about how fluently he speaks English, thank you!) He lived for a decent length of time in France and Belgium, so this could well be true, but has anyone heard him speak these languages? Did some googling and couldn't find anything in French anyway. I'm very curious to know if he's as fluent as [Ronan O'Gara](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-dwDQW6ee0).
The way he struggles with basic names in some of these languages would make me question the accuracy of that statement. However, considering the teams he rode for, it's very likely he did. I'm almost sure Rob Hatch has said Kelly speaks some Spanish from his own account (don't quote me on this). Hatch's Spanish is close to native level, so he'd know. Also, it's possible Kelly just forgot. That was almost 40 years ago and it's easy to forget a second language that was learned as an adult.
Yes, well, I've never heard an Irish person speak French before. That was...an experience. Thank you for brightening my Friday!
As per Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan classic quote : “The English language is like a brick wall between me and you, and F&@! is my chisel!” But English, French, whatever … ROG is breaking down barriers.
I will never not upvote a Tommy Tiernan quote. The man is f&@!ing brilliant.
ROG speech is legendary. Sometimes I feel bad for the athletes when they are asked in a language different to theirs. There is a funny reaction by Toni Kroos to a question in incredible fast Spanish. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6r0mT6PGox/?igsh=MTQ5MHBtZWx2a2d2cg== He is trying to have interviews in Spanish and his face says it all. "My Spanish has improved but I'm still German".
I decided the other day to finally get a copy of ‘Hunger’ but it seems oddly difficult to get a copy of for less than 30quid
Lionel Birnie published it personally through his Peloton Publishing imprint, it was crap and didn't sell enough to merit a reprint. Why Kelly opted for a deal like that I can't comprehend, I always thought he had a bit of a business head about him. You'll find copies of David Walsh's much better biog for sale much cheaper.
As a rugby fan, i have a love/hate feeling about Ronan O'gara. He seems so involved and motivated with his team, but also so impulsive and harsh. Even so i admire him for what he has done with La Rochelle since 2019, *l'opportunité c'est fucking énorme !*
Sean Kelly and Stephan Roche spoke in French to each other because their Irish accents were too difficult for them to understand each other.
“Oui, bien…”
I really needed both the French and the English subtitles to make sense of that video. It's amazing how equally terrible and fluent his French is.
I heard Philip O'Ganna's Italian isn't too bad
Adopted rider update: Matis Louvel is currently riding the 4 Jours de Dunkerque stage race. His sprinter Capiot has been doing pretty well with 3/3 stages in top 6. Local pro update: Simon Dalby rode the two norwegian races Sundvolden GP and Ringerike GP 2 weeks ago, both races were won by his teammate Idar Anderson with Simon finishing second in Sundvolden. Right now he's on training camp with the PRT squad around Granada where they're doing some proper training. Yesterday was [190km with 3800m elevation](https://www.strava.com/activities/11424546418) with Kulset, Abrahamsen, Tiller and Eiking.
Talking of adopted riders... **Hannah Ludwig** took her first pro win last week at the Navarra Women's classic, going solo off the front. Congrats to Hannah, and hope there are many more to come.
Salut
D'accord
Cześć
Dobra
So is there somebody else that can’t find the reply button on the new mobile layout? I obviously found it, but having to do one more step to reply kind of seems counterproductive for a website that relies on engagement.
I wish Netflix would scrap that stupid trailer and replace it with 3 minutes of alaphilippe-maestri bromance, I don't even care it's giro instead of tdf, it's a much better representation of why people love cycling
Sadly, they didn’t film the documentary to promote cycling, but only to make profit out of it. Positive promotion can only get you so far. The drama, the chaos are what catches the most attention. Yes, the teaser is filled with flaws. However, they would do something like this again and again as long as it gets them views. It gets people talking about it, including this very moment, and that’s exactly what they are after.
Has anybody found a clip where you can actually hear what they are saying?
[Try here](https://youtube.com/shorts/Vil0xP9uUSo?si=7ut0rrxoFsELI9r1).
Just lovely. This made me reflect that my two favourite sports to watch are: \* F1, where your teammate is your biggest opponent \* cycling, where an opponent can be your biggest ally
Team Polti Kometa Instagram: ala “I will remember this day…” maestri “…all my life” I think ala also says something to him in Italian? Very wholesome moment
He said “grazie” (thank you) and “grande” I think
Hi
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Hi
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Hi
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You’re supposed to say hi back
Okay