Category Archives: UCI Events

The new People’s elbow as demonstrated by Peter Sagan

 

OMG!!!! Dear Rouleurs,

Has the Tour de France 2017 been terribly exciting.  The wet time trial and second stage looked like a number of riders were playing russian roulette with the conditions and losing badly eg Alejandro Valverde and Luke Durbridge.  But far the biggest story of the event thus far has been the expulsion of current reigning world champion Peter Sagan.  A nasty incident on stage 4 in the dying moments of bunch spirit has cost Sagan his opportunity to win a 6th Green jersey.  If an image can tell a thousand words, then here’s 2 that should provide sufficient description as to why Sagan was turfed.

Now., that can’t possibly be legal…

Man…that has got to hurt.

Earlier, Arnaud Demare Launching through a hole along the barrier to get pass Alexander Kristoff and Andre Greipel. Mark Cavendish tried to follow him only to be cut off by Sagan and greeted with an elbow. Cavendish crashed into the barriers and then had the igdominy of being run over by another 2 riders. Ouchies…That indiscretion has ended both their races. Cavendish tried to continue the next day but was unable. ‘Chapeau’ to Demare, who became the first Frenchman, to win a bunch spirit for a stage in the Tour de France, since Jimmmy Casper in 2006.

Here’s a very excited Frenchman winning Stage 4’s bunch spirit.

However, Sagan’s use of the elbow as an effective finishing move, is not first time its been used on prime time TV.  Ladies and Gentlemen, MMT gives you the ‘People’s Elbow’ has used by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in WWE.  This bad boy debuted on WWE back in 1990/2000’s and was voted by readers of that paragon of journalism, the UK’s Sun newspaper, as the fourth best finishing move ever in the history of WWE.

   

Perhaps this is were Sagan got the idea from.  MMT wonders if the Rock will sue Sagan?  Now that would be interesting.

Until next time, ride safely in bunches without elbows,

Marv

 

Peter Sagan vs Dog Walker or Why MMT needs to start commuting again

Dear Roulers,

Dear God where did the time go…………It is MMT’s third day back at work and he is wondering why, why, why did the summer go so quickly.  MMT has been humming Eddie Cochran’s Summertime Blues and generally feeling a bit lacklustre about the whole corporate warrior gig. Still, bills don’t pay themselves and paternity leave was wonderful while it lasted.

In the absence of a proper blog, MMT thought He would post this cycling infographic about the joys of commuting.  MMT is trying very, very hard to psych himself up to restart bicycle commuting again.  Unfortunately the midday summer rides have reduced MMT’s appetite for dodging abusive automobile operators and lunatic pedestrians with death wishes.

 

MMT get off your ass and commute.

Speaking of which I just had to steal…er…acquire this photo of Peter Sagan narrowly avoiding a dog and its wayward owner while competing in the individual time trial of 2017 Tirreno-Adriatico race.

Peter Sagan demonstrates a skillful swerve.

Sagan had to swerve abruptly onto the footpath to avoid a collision.  MMT recommends watching the youtube of this.  You can see Sagan pull up later and look around.  MMT guesses that the Czech equivalent of WTF was passing through his mind. Two observations: first the dog walker has correctly used a zebra crossing and second: where were the course marshals.  Given that its Italy, MMT is not sure what he is more amazed by.

MMT digresses.

Until next time, ride safe, particularly if there are thoughtless dog walkers about.

Marv

Mathew Hayman…take another bow..err..three actually

Dear Rouleurs,

Alas I’ve become very time poor in the downhill run to Christmas.  So this post is a cut paste of an article from the Cycling Australia website.  Once again, as cycling is such a highly visible sport in the eye in the of the average punter…NOT, they would have missed Cycling Australia’s Gala Awards night held a few weeks ago on the evening of 18th November.

There were many winners on the night..apparently, but the one that stood out for me was Mathew Hayman.

2016-matthayman-aucyclist

This is were the direct <<stolen text>> starts

Canberra’s Mathew Hayman scooped the Jayco 2016 Australian Cyclist of the Year Awards winning three major awards in front of 400 of cycling’s elite at the star studded gala dinner in Melbourne on Friday night.

Hayman was awarded the prestigious Sir Hubert ‘Oppy’ Opperman Medal & Trophy after being named the 2016 Australian Cyclist of the Year.

The 38-year-old Hayman took home the Male Road Cyclist of the Year Award, with his much celebrated victory at the Paris-Roubaix in May also earning him the adoration of thousands of fans as they voted him to the Subaru People’s Choice Award win.

This is were the direct <</stolen text>> ends.  This guy is a complete legend.

Until next time,

Marv

Chapeau Spartacus!!!

.

Dear Rouleurs,

I’ve been mesmerised by boring TV and Australia’s lack of cycling success at the Rio Olympics. Mind you the Brits came to play on the track and have shown both the Men’s and Women’s teams a thing or two. Alas Australian cycling fared no better in the either Men’s and Women’s road races or time trials. Rohan Dennis had the misfortune of his handle bars breaking in the time trial event and Richie Porte was lucky to be able to walk after his horrible down hill crash in the Men’s road race.

However, the rider that did stand up,  was Swizterland’s Fabian Cancellara, aka Spartacus.  Cancellara dominated the Men’s time tria,l for his second Olympic gold medal, on the wet roads of Rio de Janiero with a time of 1:12:15.42. Spartacus won his first gold medal back in 2008 at the Bejing Games. In his final year of competitive racing, the 35 year old turned back the clock and relegated red hot favourite the Netherland’s Tom Dumoulin (47 seconds behind) and this year’s Tour de France winner, Chris Froome (1:02 back) back into silver and bronze respectively.

left to right - Dumoulin, Cancellara and Froome, Men's Time Trial Rio 2016.

left to right – Dumoulin, Cancellara and Froome, Men’s Time Trial Rio 2016.

Spartacus looking the goods on a very sexy looking Trek TT bike.

Spartacus looking the goods on a very sexy looking Trek TT bike.

So to celebrate Spartacus’s big win, MMT is re-publishing (or more commonly known as stealing) an infographic, from a magazine called Titanien.  The beauty of this infographic, give the man’s success on cobbles in and around Belgium, its written in Flemish, which means MMT has absolutely no idea what it says, although an educated guess is ‘Fabian in Numbers’.

201608116-titanen-info-cancellara

So until next time, ride safe.

Marv