Time to look back at five highlights of the season with the luxury of hindsight. Here is the second from Paris-Nice and the final stage which saw the overall result uncertain until the very end.
Month: November 2017
Highlights of 2017: Part I
Time to look back at the 2017 season and pull out a few highlights. First up is the Tour of Flanders which is such a great race that the fear is the action on the day won’t live up to the high expectations. Only it did thanks to the return of the Kapelmuur and the comeback of Philippe Gilbert.
Away
Even blogs get their off-season and it’s time to swap the keyboard for the surfboard; reading a palmarès for snoozing under a palm tree and where the only tweets will be from real birds. But stay tuned as a few pieces have been cued up to go online during the next 10 days.
What Happened to the 10 Neo-Pros for 2017?
As well as ten riders for 2017, ten neo-pros were picked in January as ones to look out for this season. How did they fare?
Caps Season
Cold out there? For readers in the northern hemisphere this feels like the season to wear caps so a punctual reminder that you can get some gear and support this blog at the same time. There are t-shirts, jerseys and socks and the caps are back in stock.
Riders To Watch For 2017 – What Happened?
At the start of the year 10 riders were picked to follow during the season. These were not necessarily the best riders – why didn’t you pick Sagan was a refrain in the comments – but more those with a point to prove, a story to tell or some other interest. How did they get on?
The Shrinking Peloton
Movistar announced a men’s squad of 25 riders for 2018, down from the 28 rider squad they had this year. BMC Racing go from 28 riders down to 24. The peloton is getting smaller and the men’s World Tour peloton will shrink by 16 riders, not as much as initially feared but still a trend across most teams.
- This is the post from 3 November updated now that all the 18 teams have confirmed their rosters for 2018.
2018 World Tour Calendar Analysis
The calendar for 2018 is out and there are new races added to the calendar although the World Tour is unchanged. Here’s a closer look at the World Tour events for 2018 to see which are the busiest months and which countries get the most racing.
1989 Tour de France Info Request
Remember 1989? If so maybe you can help as this is a request for info and documents about the 1989 Tour de France, especially for articles and analysis leading up to the race. Many say the 1989 edition was the best ever, a subjective claim but it does seem to have been a vintage edition with plenty of action along the way and suspense that lasted until the end.
Roads to Ride: The Col du Pré
On of the novelties of the 2018 Tour de France route is the use of back-road climbs, smaller routes that have long been skipped by the race. The Col du Pré is one of these, a side way to reach the majestic Cormet de Roselend but worth the detour because it’s a gem of a climb.