London Fixed-gear and Single-speed

Cav looks nothing like Cav, unfortunately. More like Phil Collins. The others are pretty good though.

The Cav one's particularly shit.

ftfo.....

http://www.rouleur.cc/rouleur-mugs

Sorry, £19 each.

Gtfo

Nice, but a bit pricey.

I'm no mug

hate those illustrations - no idea why Rouleur are always pushing them

Because they made the capex on getting them created and want a return on that?

Although I'm sure they care about more than just money.

Sour grapes, Dan?

Probably more to do with good taste and a discerning eye.

Oh, that's nice. Is it a Team Garmin saucer?

Can someone please explain why some of the teams at the Volta a Catalunya seem to be racing with reduced squads? Cofidis, Lampre, Project 1t41 and BMC all have 7 riders and Sky only seem to have 6. So far as I can tell this isn't due to withdrawals, they started with men down.

Obviously different squads will prioritise different races and rotate riders, but with c. 30 riders in a squad it's not like the teams are stretched thinly and I'm surprised race organisers accept incomplete entry forms.

As far as i can tell after listening to Eurosports yesterday it's just down to illness, sky lost 2 to illness. Not very exciting at all really.

The 'missing' riders are all homosexuals. Although in most professional races these days there is no prohibition on gay riders there are still some islands of prejudice and Catalunya is one. So-called 'anal virginity' tests were still in place at the race until the late 80s and at least one stage winner was thrown off the race for an apparent lack of enthusiasm when it came to receiving his bouquet and kisses off the podium 'girls'.
By contrast the Amstel Gold is commonly known as the 'rainbow race' because of the Dutch tolerance of LBGT riders. The last 3 winners of that race live together in a 'queer commune' and I think that gives all of us hope for the future of the sport we love.

:)

Lot of stuff going on in the racing calender at the moment and as the Volta is in the World Tour, teams with a Proteam license have to send a squad. Hence why some teams aren't at full strength I imagine

^^^ Thanks, I assume this also explains why no catalan has ever worn the rainbow jersey?

Sadly the true omerta in cycling is not about drugs but the love that dare not speak its name or use the showers at Roubaix.

I'm not an illustrator - no grapes, no sour. I do art direction though, and I'd never commission those.. or expect Rouleur to either, so off-brand.

Apparently I still haven't spread enough rep around...

Are they? As far as I'm aware, Rich's work first appeared in the magazine, then on the merchandising.

Anyway, it's pricey and cycling related so is surely dead on brand?

You haven't asked whether they are epic or not?

And how are they 'grand tour' related?

As an aside, the nickname 'G' makes me cringe for some reason.

Yes, I know they were in the mag first - but I've never thought they fitted within the editorial style of magazine. To be fair I don't think any of the illustration they commission does though. Not very well considered... but this should be moved to the art directors thread

Today's Volta a Catalunya looked pretty epic.. Few riders abandoned due to the snow..

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/210320...ned-stage.html

And this morning the riders are mostly snowed in at their hotels* unable to get to start

*which were at the top of the climbs abandoned yesterday.

Bunch of wuss'. Smallfurry would be be breezing through that.

I for one would like to see the next stage completed on fat wheeled Surly's.

That is pretty fucked up though..

Fat wheeled Surly's what? Bike? Back?

I have no idea if they're on or off, but they are, I feel, crap. So I won't be paying £19 for one.

I agree with laner, it's just a bit of snow. They need to man up.

;)

some kind of alpine challenge stage would be good - a downhill ski/snowboard section followed by dog sleds on the flat, then snowshoes up the climbs

Wouldn't that turn it into some kind of triathlon?

Any weekend predictions?

^ sunny, great riding and a pub lunch.

I'm going to smash a crit at Hogs Hill..

Nationals (XC) this Sunday. Nancy is all hot to trot.

UCI has decided it needs a whole new raft of position, kit and clothing rules for 2012; lots of riders TT positions particularly are going to be fucked.

http://inrng.com/2012/03/uci-rules-r...ikes-clothing/

jens voight for criterium international
boonen for gent wevelgem

The 81st edition of the Critérium International started with a very entertaining first short stage in the morning. While a groupe of just under 50 riders managed to power away in the last 30kms, Frenchman Florian Vachon avaoided the falls and prooved to be the fastest of the bunched sprint, beating Wyss and Koretzky to the line. The Bretagne-Schuller rider therefore captures the first Yellow Jersey of the event.
Heavy showers hit beautiful Corsica during the night, but as the riders showed up on the start line, the clouds had miraculously disappeared for stage 1 of the race: a 89.5km loop around Porto-Vecchio.
After 7 kilometres on the sinuous road to the picturesque Palombaggia beach, three riders managed to break away: Berard (ALM), Le Lay (SAU) and 21-year-old Taaride (LPM), the youngest rider of the pack.
The front three saw their advantage grow from 40" at km 16 to a maximum 2’ at km 23. From then on, team SKY took command of the chase and the gap dropped.
At the top of the côte de Conca (km 46) where Berard captured the most mountain points ahead of Taaride and Le Lay, the pack remained 50" adrift. At km 53, while his former breakaway companions were caught by the pack, Berard insisted on his own. He was eventually caught at km 58.
A few moments later, 46 riders made the best of the narrow roads going downhill to power away. The pack therefore broke into two groups and the front men would never be caught. With 10 kilometres to go, they could enjoy a 35" lead.
Victory was to be decided in a bunched sprint. Avoiding a fall, Frenchman Florian Vachon flew to the line, beating Wyss (BMC) and Koretzky (LPM). He captures the overall leader’s Yellow jersey that he’ll be wearing in the afternoon for the individual time-trial. Vachon also leads the points’ standings while Berard claims the king of the mountains jersey.


http://www.letour.fr/2012/CRI/LIVE/u...tml#zone186479

Whilst Cav is gunning for No1 - I'm going to have a stab and say Eddy B is going to take it.

50% score!

Evans & Boonen

From the latter race

http://www.sporza.be/permalink/1.1254861

how did Nancy go today :^]

report coming soon in the mums and dads thread. just sorting the pics.

I'll take the toaster out of the bath I have been running then.

Not sure if this is really the right the thread, but as we've mentioned Tao's exploits at the Junior Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne I thought it relevant as he won the opening round of the National Junior Road Race Series;

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/roa...-Junior-Race-0

Well done, Tao.

Fantastic effort. Brilliant to see the CCH shirt up there.

CCH write-up here:

http://cyclingclubhackney.blogspot.c...arch-2012.html

Go Tao!

He's got nothing on Nancy, though.

Crikey, Karsten Kroon seems to have forgotten what he's not supposed to know and go on the record about.