Is Pidcock the new best descender in the peloton?

Pucker Factor - EXTREME.

:scream: :scream: :scream:

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FWIW, I’ve descended Tuna Canyon twice - and these videos don’t capture just how sketchy it can be with sand drifts in corners, chewed up road surface, and what’s on the other side of the wall if you overcook a turn. I’ve never been happier to have disc brakes than my Tuna descents. I don’t think I’ll ever do it again unless it’s the ONLY way down the Santa Monica mountains.

Pidcock and Safa are certifiably insane, highly skilled madmen.

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I swear some people were missed when the “what-if?” genes were handed out. :grimacing:

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I’ve probably missed something but it sounded a few times like his brakes were on the edge and his tyre skidding and then he has a rear shimmy which he gathers and goes faster still :scream: At the the bottom he just calmly explains it was a little sketchy in places. #Lunatic @Helvellyn is 100% right, Pidcock missed the

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The same people as the “it’ll never happen to me” genes :wink:

Which I still think even after a broken tibia, 2 broken collarbones (1 plated), a dislocated self-relocated ring finger and torn rotator cuff :man_shrugging:t4:

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What are the stop signs for? Just to force people to slow before corners?

For reference, I’ve descended Tuna almost 40 times. Last I checked I was in the top 30 for the KOM and my time was still 40 seconds slower that Safa’s ( linked a video at the end).

That’s Safa Brian, he holds the KOM (easily keeps up with Piddock) and has done the descent 100 times.

Tuna Canyon from the point where they start (just after the speed humps) is a one way street all the way to the PCH.

Piddock would have developed his descending skills through mountain biking. I live locally. Piddock was out here for two weeks, he was literally riding Tuna every day, sometimes twice a day (morning and afternoon). He would have had every corner memorized. He also would have had Safa talking him through the corners/lines.

Early on he strikes his pedal.

He almost nails every line. Some corners are crazy off camber, and there’s sections that have debris you want to avoid. Also note he’s taking most of these hard corners at 30 mph.

See above, but in short, he scouted Tuna for two weeks prior filming.

Indeed! Rode down Tuna two weeks ago who went a friend went off the edge. Blacked out for 2 min, doesn’t remember the ride down. We waited 10 min at the bottom before he appeared.

Yup.

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I can’t give enough props to Safa Brian for the outstanding job filming this. It’s so cool to be able to watch and study Tom’s mechanics as he works his way down the descent. Got this bookmarked to watch on repeat.

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Been down Tuna twice, crashed twice!
Las Flores or Fernwood->Topanga for me after that

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Pidcock is good. He’s starting to remind me of a peak Cancellara. He obviously has more chops off road and the elements that adds

As for Safa Brian. I really enjoy a lot of his videos, but I get very, very frustrated watching some of them where he crosses the centre on blind corners etc. It’s a lot like a cyclist leaning on, or threading the needle right beside a truck or a bus in traffic.

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I wonder. - are the pro teams (in this case Ineos) really okay with this kind of training? I mean, is it considered “normal” or even necessary training? An injured Pidcock would be a real blow to the team, I guess financially as well as result-wise.

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Pretty sure this isn’t any more dangerous than other fast descents in road races.

And yes I’ve done Tuna and it’s sketchy, but it’s also tight so not as fast as some of the European mountain descents.

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Yeah, I’m pretty sure they “play” on their bikes a lot.

I hope/assume they generally ride under control (i.e. on their side of the road) in training. I would imagine they’d be reasonably considered given they’d all be wearing highly visible team kits.

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Sad, no uphill KOM up for grabs.

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I’ll give it to Matej Mohorič

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I used to love Tuna for downhill skateboarding. just incredible. As others have noted, some of the corners are deceptive with the way they are off-camber.

Great video showcasing a great road!

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Excuse me while I turn that off to stop getting sea sick at my computer.

More my speed - today’s edition of Gaimon’s worst honeymoon ever:

includes a low speed descent video LOL.

Safa has a couple of videos of “group rides” which I’ve found motivating to watch on the trainer.

More relaxed, but lots of Watts.

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Most cycling videos on the trainer have me reflexively leaning into turns, followed by getting motion sickness :cold_sweat: “this isn’t going to end well” :rofl:

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If this were Froome back in the day on Team Sky they would probably all be crapping their collective pants, but I suspect they cut Pidcock a little more slack…

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