Build up to the 2017 season

[HF2300]

As an Italian mamma, she probably still does his washing!

Yes, but given Cannondale-Drapac's prominence, she probably wouldn't recognise the kit.

 

[chappers1983]

I actually just had to Google to find out exactly what results Alberto Bettiol got to be 20th in the UCI rankings.

Turns out 3rd on GC and the Sprinters jersey in the Tour of Poland,, 4th in Quebec and 7th in Montreal.

Great form for possibly the 3 most insignificant World Tour races of 2016

 

[SWSteve]

I actually just had to Google to find out exactly what results Alberto Bettiol got to be 20th in the UCI rankings.

Turns out 3rd on GC and the Sprinters jersey in the Tour of Poland,, 4th in Quebec and 7th in Montreal.

Great form for possibly the 3 most insignificant World Tour races of 2016

Whoa! Those Canadian races are the Hipsters Classics

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Lampre team renamed UAE Abu Dhabi and gets 2 year WT licence.

From now on I shall refer to them as Team Flogging'n'Stoning, to sit along side Team Torture - all is well...

 

[rich p]

Lampre team renamed UAE Abu Dhabi and gets 2 year WT licence.

From now on I shall refer to them as Team Flogging'n'Stoning, to sit along side Team Torture - all is well...

or Team BloodMoney?

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

or Team BloodMoney?

Akshully that's much better...

Team Torture v Team BloodMoney

It was all so simple when Team Evil was evil due to mad dopers and not mad murderers and torturers

 

[SWSteve]

Akshully that's much better...

Team Torture v Team BloodMoney

It was all so simple when Team Evil was evil due to mad dopers and not mad murderers and torturers

It's a shame that Team Evil have been upgraded with teams with genuinely worrying circumstance

 

[brommers]

Official World Tour Teams 2017

AG2R LA MONDIALE (ALM – FRA)
ASTANA PRO TEAM (AST – KAZ)
BMC RACING TEAM (BMC – USA)
BORA – HANSGROHE (BOH – GER)
CANNONDALE DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM (CDT – USA)
TEAM DIMENSION DATA (DDD – RSA)
QUICK – STEP FLOORS (QST – BEL)
FDJ (FDJ – FRA)
LOTTO SOUDAL (LTS – BEL)
MOVISTAR TEAM (MOV – ESP)
ORICA – BIKEEXCHANGE (OBE – AUS)
BAHRAIN-MERIDA (TBM – BRN)
TEAM KATUSHA ALPECIN (KAT – SUI)
TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO (TLJ – NED)
TEAM SKY (SKY – GBR)
TEAM SUNWEB (SUN – GER)
UAE ABU DHABI (UAD – UAE)
TREK SEGAFREDO (TFS – USA)

 

[lyn1]

That's because the UCI vastly out-weigh coming 15th in a GT compared to winning stages in a GT. It's how DD have been scuppered, when they got the bands, and 5 stages at Le Tour.

Sorted that for you !
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci...e-riders-for-worldtour-team-rankings-in-2017/

 

[SWSteve]

Sorted that for you !
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci...e-riders-for-worldtour-team-rankings-in-2017/

It's better at least, but I still think we're going to see teams be really happy with 4 riders in the top 60, but having won no stages.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Official World Tour Teams 2017

AG2R LA MONDIALE (ALM – FRA)
ASTANA PRO TEAM (AST – KAZ)
BMC RACING TEAM (BMC – USA)
BORA – HANSGROHE (BOH – GER)
CANNONDALE DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM (CDT – USA)
TEAM DIMENSION DATA (DDD – RSA)
QUICK – STEP FLOORS (QST – BEL)
FDJ (FDJ – FRA)
LOTTO SOUDAL (LTS – BEL)
MOVISTAR TEAM (MOV – ESP)
ORICA – BIKEEXCHANGE (OBE – AUS)
BAHRAIN-MERIDA (TBM – BRN)
TEAM KATUSHA ALPECIN (KAT – SUI)
TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO (TLJ – NED)
TEAM SKY (SKY – GBR)
TEAM SUNWEB (SUN – GER)
UAE ABU DHABI (UAD – UAE)
TREK SEGAFREDO (TFS – USA)

Just been having a look at the origins of some of those teams, and thought I'd do a quick Christmas quiz.

Who have the following teams morphed into (date of inception in brackets)?
Chazal-Vanille et Mure (1992)

Spoiler: A difficult one to start with

AG2R

Team Slipstream (2007)

Spoiler: An easier one

Cannondale Drapac

Team MTN (2008)

Spoiler: easy peasy

Dimension Data

Team NetApp (2010)

Spoiler: Ohh what's there name again?

Bora Hansgrohe

Lotto-Merckx-Campagnolo (1985)

Spoiler: Is it one of the Lotto teams or is that too obvious?

Lotto Soudal

Reynolds Benotto (1980)

Spoiler: 1980?! Are you having a laugh?

Movistar

Skil-Shimano (2008)

Spoiler: Are they continued under another name? Really?

Sunweb Giant

Kwantum-Decosol (1984)

Spoiler: You're slurring your speech now...

Lotto Jumbo

Team Radio Shack (2010)

Spoiler: Surely you'll get at least this one right

Trek Segafredo

Lampre-Caffita (2005)

Spoiler: Mmmm there's not many left to choose from

Team BloodMoney

Feel free to post your scores.

I would have got 7/10 - maybe

 

[rich p]

1 wrong (

Spoiler

Movistar

) with a couple of lucky guesses.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

(name of team).

which is a spoiler reveal, you stupid old git!

Not that anyone else is likely to give a toss.

 

[rich p]

which is a spoiler reveal, you stupid old git!

Not that anyone else is likely to give a toss.

Whoops! Silly me

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

What a successful quiz...

Anyway, back to the 2017 season - the UCI have just announced the cancellation of the Tour of Qatar (male and female), due to lack of sponsorship.

Could it be the beginning of the end of racing in Gulf states?