Watching the peloton - Professional Road Racing thread 2026

[stompandgo]

Jeremy, it was much more than a "bad legs day" for the others. Simmons softened the field up for the first few times up the mountain. Both WVA and MVDP had plenty of time off the front, but there was an American with them for almost all of it. That is, except for the time when WVA, MVDP, and Roglic were away, and the Americans knew that Roglic is only going to suck wheel. Then Mateo buried himself to get McNulty OTF and the rest is history. The team tactics were the difference maker. No Belgian or Slovakian riders were crushing themselves for their teammates. Remember, also, that this is not a trade team race, so no radios are allowed. Lots of tactical decisions are made over the radio. The Americans didn't need them.

The interesting question is, what is UAE going to do with McNulty? His world completely changed yesterday.

Another interesting question. America hasn't had an Elite Men's WC since Lance and Lemond. Will this have a downstream effect on road cycling in this country? It did back then, but it's a different cycling world now. I certainly hope so. I want to work more road races. I love being in the "red car". Best seat in the house.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Well, sounds like the blonde hair might be here to stay, but a good McNulty interview nonetheless...

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Through slightly Irish-green tinged glasses!

What a fantastic race. Got to see it all or at least joined in while the Girmay group was still away. Fantastic ride there by Jamie Meehan a youngster newly joined Cofidis and beginning to make a name for himself. Remarkably the entire race was on the BBC! Auntie never covers cycling apart from the Olympics and now apparently the worlds. I guess the sight of GB jerseys gets them fired up. Anyway that meant an easy non-vpn viewing experience & I could pause go do Sunday family things and pick it up later. And what a screamer of a race. If this is what no race radio does then ban them completely!

Van Aert then MVDP attacking once the Girmay group was caught was so early but with MVDP Simmons Onley and Roglic it really looked the winning move. MVDP seemed to be doing everything right and looked impossibly strong. Whereas behind it wasn't just the usual looking around, it was far too many chiefs and already by this stage too few Indians. And what chiefs! The best in the world all staring at one another. With the exception of Simmons the other US riders were well hidden at this point as they should be. Eventually Healy had enough and attacked and got clear. But it look him forever to get to the front group who by then shredded Onley. The first signs to me of how absolutely brutal this course was. Also the crowds! Looked to be ten deep on every corner, lining every street. Who says road racing isn't popular! Fantastic atmosphere. Anyway I was screaming at Healy as he agonisingly got closer then caught them. I fully expected this group to stay away, although the shenanigans behind of various splits and regroupings, mostly driven by Del toro, were finally closing the gap. But the big tell was when Healy immediately attacked this front group without pausing for breath- he knew how close they were behind and the urgency of keeping the pace up, MVDP caught him, Healy looked over at him, waiting for him to pull through- and nothing. mVDP didn't respond. He'd used it all up. You could almost see Healy's shoulders sag. Then they got reeled in and everything changed. What a fantastic patient waiting game the US team played. All the visible early attackers were now dying on the pedals; Del Toro, Roglic, MVDP, Van Aert, Remco (another Belgian team screw up at a worlds/Olympics, becoming standard practice)Pidcock was far back possible crash and suddenly among this bloated front group there was a lull as often happens after a long exhausting chase and McNulty choose the moment perfectly. 3 plus hours of attacking complicated racing featuring the world's best riders (minus Pog of course) it was fantastic and that course was just brilliant. Healy snagged tenth- he had enough left to attack again from that group in the final km - amazingly - but was swallowed up. Bronze last year in Rwanda, 10th this year, for a rider with zero sprint ability he rides aggressively and reads races very well. He must have thought when he caught MVDP and Simmons that here was a select group they can together power to the end, but there was just too much racing left to do, too many miles, too much to fight for on that tough tough circuit.