SPAM away with picture would be really appreciated
Just caught up on the news and was amazed to read about Pogacar’s 100km breakaway… Have we ever seen anything like that in a men’s WC? When was the last time we saw something like that in a major one day race or a single stage of a tour? 2006? 2003? ?
Strade Bianchi 2024.
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Here is a nice overview of solo breaks. Some worked; some did not.
Free via VPN to Australia on SBS on demand. I really enjoyed the commentary as well.
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Some are obvious, but I’ve often wondered how some of these brands that I’ve never heard of can sponsor world tour teams. I chalked it up to just living in the US and these brands being more international, I figured. Anyway, today I learned that this is an Ineos Grenadier (and I would consider myself a car guy 
).
The 2024 season was meh 
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Here’s hoping the 2025 season is more exciting than the 2024 was, and that more races are competitive.
Saw my first ever one in San Diego last month (with the licence plate INEOS, no less)
Ineos is a huge chemical company (4th biggest in the world apparently). The Grenadier car is a bit of a random side project for them. The billionaire Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe loved the original Land Rover Defender (boxy 4x4). When Land Rover stopped making them 10 years or so ago he tried to buy the tooling and rights to carry on production but was unable to do so. So decided to build the Grenadier instead.
Ineos have also chucked huge amounts of money at other sports, they own a few football teams including a big chunk of Manchester United, own a chunk of the Mercedes F1 team, are funding the British boat in the current Americas Cup challenge, sponsored/ran the Kipchoge sub-2 hour marathon attempt, etc. To be honest I think it’s less about investment/sponsorship/marketing and more about a very rich guy in his 70s having some fun with his money while he still can! There is a view that one of the reasons that Ineos is struggling is that he’s subsequently made bigger and more exciting investments in sport and his (and David Brailsford’s) attention is now on those and not on the cycling team.
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That interstate sign tells me you’re in Alabama?
Regardless, I think the vehicle may have just been released in the US recently. I’ve seen 2 in the last 6 months here in Knoxville. A couple of weeks ago my wife is the one that actually spotted it and said “I wonder if Geraint” is in town - I had no idea what she was talking about until she pointed to it. They’re definitely nice looking
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An Ineos dealership/showroom just opened a couple blocks from my office here in Seattle. Appropriately given demographic target, it’s a small showroom in a building that also houses a bunch of Google, Amazon and other tech offices, right downtown. Seems a great option for those with disposable income who want to look cool but would never actually leave pavement.
The Ineos Grenadier performs very well off road. Some say it is even better than the original Defender.
I don’t doubt it, but I’d bet most buyers never test those capabilities. Same as all those huge pickups that have never had anything but coolers and furniture in their beds. Trying to signal you’re a big tough man because you drive a big tough car is the American way, and seems to have a toehold in Britain too given provenance of the Grenadier.
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At 6’2 160lbs, I need all the tough guy appearance I can get - which is why I love my big Chevrolet Silverado. It’s actually perfect for multiple bikes.
But I digress and would prefer not to derail the thread any further.
YouTube if you’re in a region that supports it
Sadly, Chelsea Tractors have been a thing here - and a growing trend - for a very long time.
But mercifully, the monster truck sized things many of your lot prefer don’t fit on the narrow streets over here 
UCI Gravel World Championships this weekend…LOTS of roadies toeing the line. Given their numbers and the course profile, it is pretty hard to see one of them not taking the rainbow jersey.
Kinda liking Puck Pieterse for the women…she is clearly on form and the profile should suit her skillset well. But the Dutch are bring a lot of firepower, so someone could slip away early to mark other riders and end up with the chance of a lifetime.
MVP is clearly the man to beat for the men, but he will be closely marked. It will be interesting to see if the men have learned the lessons of the first two editions and that is you can’t let an early break get too far up the road.
The course is decidedly “meh” from a US gravel POV. Lots of road in between short, punchy sections of gravel. Will clearly favor the roadies…
So you are saying we won’t be seeing mountain bike tires? 
I SAID NO SUCH THING!! 
Although realistically, given the tradition bound nature of the Euro-cycling scene, and the amount of pavement, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the majority of riders on 40mm or less tires.
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The real question: will the majority of riders be on 30 / 32s? Or even 28s? 
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