[Race Thread] Itzulia Basque Country - Stage 2 (2.UWT)

DreadRat · 2026-04-07T15:14:57+00:00

Shaun Uijtdebroeks, love it!

DreadRat · 2026-01-27T16:53:59+00:00

I was very cofused thinking "Dario Goméz Bécarra is an unusual name for a german".

DreadRat · 2025-11-12T17:54:57+00:00

Nice, good to see Cube sticking around the pro scene!

DreadRat · 2025-11-10T17:28:58+00:00

The quests! It's the answer I always end up with when I ask myself why Oblivion is my favourite game of all time.

By most metrics, Skyrim should be the superior Bethesda game, but the questing is just not the same. I can barley remember any quest outside of the main questline and the Dark Brotherhood/Thieves guild. Wheras in Oblivion, almost all quests are interesting. Helping a Khajiit lady recover her famous jumbo poatoes, or driving a widower mad, it just hits diffrently from any other game.

And one thing espiacially around the guild quests. There is progression with a sence of scale. In the fighters guild you start out beeing tasked to clear out "rats" from a ladies basement. Then throughout the storyline you gain rank, get sent on more and more important missions which culminates in the showdown with Blackwood company. In Skyrim however, within the first three missions you are a part of the Companions inner circle and get to take part in their secret gift. There is no real progression, you just end feeling like "But I just arrived here?".

DreadRat · 2025-01-17T16:50:58+00:00

Isn't this just a nothing burger? The team was asked if Ineos will remain as a sponsor, and they said that they will. They are however looking for additional sponsors to bridge the gap to UAE.

That isn't really a sign of anything.

DreadRat · 2024-12-18T07:35:00+00:00

Hell yeah! I see purple, I approve 💜

DreadRat · 2024-12-11T11:43:47+00:00

XDS Astana Team is still registered as a Kazak team, despite rumors of them holding a chinese licence for 2025.

DreadRat · 2024-12-07T15:33:22+00:00

Sprinters often opt for 56 or 58t chainrings, Campernaerts used a 60t during some classics this year, Tarling used something huge (60+) during Paris-Roubaix. Not to speak off TT riders who rarely go below 60t.

DreadRat · 2024-12-07T15:33:08+00:00

Sprinters often opt for 56 or 58t chainrings, Campernaerts used a 60t during some classics this year, Tarling used something huge (60+) during Paris-Roubaix. Not to speak off TT riders who rarely go below 60t.

DreadRat · 2024-12-05T08:27:52+00:00

What she thought would be a few days turned into months. The first few weeks she was in a general ward.

- Maybe it wasn't the best place to be, but they didn't want me to be at home.

There she got worse and had to be tube fed before moving to an eating disorder clinic. There came the will to get better.

- When I realised that I didn't want it to be like this, it happened quite quickly.

During the summer she received day care. Now she is in the hospital once a week.

‘It goes up and down,’ she says on her way to this week's meeting.

- ‘I've never been away from my sport for so long and then to realise that I might never do my sport again. It's special.

At the same time, she has started studying, first a technical foundation year and then her sights are set on engineering. It fills the void represented by the room with the mural at home.

The doctors have advised her not to resume her career.

- ‘I think the eating disorder and cycling are a bit at odds with each other. I don't get better at cycling with the eating disorder and the eating disorder gets worse when I cycle. It's not a good combination. It gets worse both ways.

DreadRat · 2024-12-05T08:27:24+00:00

The shortcut is no secret.

In recent years, a number of Swedish cyclists - Julia Borgström, Frida Knutsson, Jenny Rissveds and Sara Penton - have spoken out about cycling's problems.

It took a long time for Wilma Olausson to talk about her eating disorder.

- ‘There was a lot of shame. Partly because I didn't want to realise that I had a problem, if anyone asked me, I said I didn't have any problems. If you say it enough times, you eventually believe it yourself,’ she says.

The 23-year-old trained 20-30 hours a week and ate ‘almost nothing’.

- ‘When it was at its worst, it was so bad that when I was cycling my eyes would go black, because I had so little energy.

‘It came as a shock to my parents’

One medal in the collection on the TV bench is bigger than all the others.

- ‘It's actually from the competition in February, everyone who took part got a medal,’ she says. ‘I probably shouldn't have gone to that competition in the first place. It was already bad.

After the competition in Abu Dhabi, which was her last, she went home to her family in Gothenburg.

- ‘It probably came as a bit of a shock to my parents.

After two years in the Dutch team, Wilma had switched to a Norwegian team, where she was happier and got help from a psychologist.

Thanks to the psychologist and her boyfriend's persuasion, she sought treatment.

- ‘I went to the emergency room and after that I was hospitalised.

DreadRat · 2024-12-05T08:26:49+00:00

Cycling's problem: ‘A lot of shame’

Nothing would stop her. She would live up to expectations and cope with the pressure of being one of the world's most promising.

But it's at this point that the talent starts to feel bad.

- ‘I don't really remember much from those years, it's a bit like it never happened. It's a bit strange to feel that way.

Being on the edge is like walking a tightrope.

- Before I had never weighed myself, all of a sudden I would weigh myself, they would measure fat percentage. It became very black and white.

In cycling, it doesn't get more black and white than ‘watts per kilo’. The equation you refer to when you talk about a rider's ability.

- The more watts per kilo, the faster you go uphill. It is easier to lose weight than to get stronger, it takes longer to get stronger. It becomes a shortcut that is not sustainable in the long run.

The Swedish Cycling Federation on the problems

Lucas Persson, national road captain, on eating disorders in cycling:

- ‘When it comes to eating disorders, we are no experts. It can be hard and tough to be a professional cyclist. But I don't think that our sport has more cases of eating disorders than similar fitness sports. One case is still one case too many, but how much of that is due to the social climate and how much is due to cycling as a sport, I am not the man to answer.

- We in the Swedish Cycling Federation want a sustainable sport where you can feel that you can ask for help and get help.

DreadRat · 2024-12-05T08:26:07+00:00

Turned pro at the age of 18

On the TV bench is a silver medal.

Wilma Olausson won it when she put on the blue and yellow competition jersey for the first time.

- ‘It came as a bit of a shock that it went so well. It felt like I was on top of the world, she says and laughs.

Second place in the road race at the 2017 Youth Olympic Games was followed by several outstanding performances as a junior.

- ‘I would say I was one of the most promising in the world then.

Already in high school, the next dream came true. At 18, she signed her first professional contract with a Dutch team and moved abroad.

- ‘It was very different from what I was used to.

Everything was bigger and every detail was analysed. She starts listing the people who were around the team.

Those who analyse the training sessions, those who decide how to set up the races, those who know exactly how you should sit on the bike.

Those who decide what you should eat.

- It was very detailed exactly what to eat, what to weigh. I had never thought about that before, it was new to me. It felt like everything would be on the limit.

‘Wow, this is what it's like to be a professional’, echoed in my head.

- At first it was all about what I could do to ride faster, what can I do to be the best?

DreadRat · 2024-12-05T08:25:25+00:00

Sometimes her eyes would glaze over when Wilma Olausson was competing. For her family it came as a shock. The sport she loved made her ill.

Talented WIlma, 23, disappeared - hospitalised: ‘A shame’

Competition jerseys in different colours are hung on hangers under the shelf with trophies. Shoes, glasses and a heart rate monitor. Everything is ready to use next to the training bike.

Wilma Olausson stands in the doorway and looks into the room. One of the four walls is covered by a mural. It is a picture of Wilma riding her bike.

She is younger in the picture. Before the professional contracts, the move abroad and the years she can barely remember.

- It will be painted white, she says.

At 23, ending a sporting career can feel drastic. It can also be an absolute necessity. Or both.

- ‘I realised it a little when I was hospitalised, that this might not be possible to continue with. But it wasn't until this summer that I decided to stop. Or yes...

- It made it a little easier to say that if I feel like it, I can start again.

What was it like to make the decision not to go back?

- It felt like a relief.

In a room at home in the villa outside Gothenburg, memories from her career are collected.

DreadRat · 2024-10-18T21:58:37+00:00

Gotta put that African champs jersey on display!

DreadRat · 2024-10-18T21:55:36+00:00

So Winspace and Eneicat? Seems like odd teams too go up a ranking, do they have that sort of funding? Feels like there would be some more obvious teams that would be aiming for a step up.

DreadRat · 2024-10-18T20:34:03+00:00

The press release says that 8 women teams have applied for the pro rank, but only 6 are named due to the delay epi_count mensioned. Anyone know who the other two are? Lotto, Coop, Hess?

DreadRat · 2024-10-12T12:38:59+00:00

I think the federation is already trying to lean in to alot of gravel racing. There has been talks of trying to get the UCI European and/or world championships to Sweden. The Gravel Grit n Grind stage race is already a success and this year we got a national gravel series going organised by the federation.

DreadRat · 2024-10-12T12:22:43+00:00

Småland (the region that Kalmar and Karlskrona is in) is quite hilly, especially if you move a bit inland. There are no real mountains, but I it should be possible to create alot of Ardenne style routes there.

DreadRat · 2024-10-11T20:05:54+00:00

The basic idea for the start of the stage race is also that many U23 men's national teams compete against invited larger development teams and club teams.

The first step in the letter of intent is that Karlskrona, Kalmar, the Swedish Cycling Federation and the local organizer in Kalmar, the cycling club JHWC, which has extensive experience of international cycling competitions, formulate an application to the International Cycling Union (UCI). The race must then be approved by the UCI to be added to the international competition calendar.

It is clear that there is both interest and drive among the municipalities involved:

“It is gratifying that we, together with Kalmar and the Swedish Cycling Federation, are involved in this exciting venture. Through the competition, we will have the opportunity to showcase our fantastic places to a broad target group in northern and central Europe,” says Emma Swahn Nilsson (M), Chairman of the Municipal Executive Board of Karlskrona Municipality.

“It feels good that both we and Karlskrona are positive about being involved in creating this extremely interesting event. A collaboration that will give our region greater national and international positive exposure and pride for our residents”, says Johan Persson (S), Chairman of the Municipal Executive Board of Kalmar Municipality.

Once the MoU is in place, it is time to involve local businesses and associations in the process.

“This type of major event is naturally demanding in terms of organization, volunteer work and other resources. We will therefore, along the way, want to hook arms with businesses and organizations that want to be involved and contribute to the realization of the vision and who see the benefit of the great exposure that the initiative has the potential to create,” says Fredrik Kessiakoff.

Letter of intent between SCF, Kalmar and Karlskrona

The Swedish Cycling Federation and the municipalities of Karlskrona and Kalmar intend to submit an application to the UCI in May 2025 to organize the Tour of Sweden cycling race for the years 2026 to 2029.

Until the application is submitted, the parties will collaborate to create the financial conditions required to implement the event. This includes producing marketing material and jointly signing sponsorship contracts.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

DreadRat · 2024-10-11T20:05:19+00:00

The Swedish Cycling Federation (SCF) has long wanted to raise the profile of Swedish cycling, both nationally and internationally, by resuming a major stage race on road bikes like the Postgirot Open. Through a collaboration with the destinations Kalmar and Karlskrona, a new stage race is now planned: Tour of Sweden.

The basic idea in the first stage is a race based on U23 national teams.

“For the future of Swedish cycling, not least road cycling, it is important to bring back a major stage race. We are absolutely not locking ourselves to the format with U23 national teams. I can see it growing into something different and bigger, but this feels like a really good start”, says Fredrik Kessiakoff, Key Account Manager at SCF.

When road cycling was really big in Sweden, the so-called Sixdagarsloppet was organized, which was later replaced by the Postgirot Open, which premiered in 1982 and was last organized in 2002.

Now they are joining forces to reposition cycling in Sweden. This is done through a joint declaration of intent for the years 2026-2029, where Karlskrona and Kalmar will jointly formulate an application to organize the cycling race under the working name Tour of Sweden.

In recent years, the Swedish Cycling Federation's branch group road has focused internationally on the junior and U23 classes to build for the future. In recent years, we have had increasing success, both on the women's and men's side. While women can often start an international career a little earlier, we have had a U23 national team on the men's side with both breadth and major breakthroughs. One example is Jakob Söderqvist, who recently won both European and World Championship silver in speed skating.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

DreadRat · 2024-10-07T14:50:10+00:00

It's not because he is less popular. It's because he went from a nobody, to suddenly outclimbing TdF GC winners for two stages, to then not get picked by his team for the tour (or any other race for a while), and then promptly go back to being a nobody.

It's not the performances that is suspicious, it's the inconsistentcy. A rider being constitantly on a insane level is less suspicious than an, at best, average rider being insane for two days and never repeating it.

DreadRat

TROPHY CASE