Beards

[smutchin]

Apparently, the Vlaanderen-Baloise team has banned its riders from wearing beards. Chiz!

Rouleur have responded by photoshopping beards onto riders for a quiz, with the chance to win a pot of Simon Geschke's beard balm:
https://rouleur.cc/editorial/geschke-who/

I must say, Kittel looks rather fetching with a bit of face fuzz.

 

[smutchin]

Here's the original story, where Walter Planckaert explains the reasons for the ban:
https://www.rtbf.be/sport/cyclisme/...-sein-de-l-equipe-sport-vlaanderen?id=9719553

"Nous sommes une équipe cycliste, avec des coureurs. Pas des pilotes de motocross ou des joueurs de rugby. Les snot (la morve) et les restes de nourriture dans la barbe d'un coureur en pleine course, c'est sale", précise le directeur sportif de Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise.

trans: "We are a cycling team, with riders. Not motocross riders or rugby players. The snot and leftover food in the beard of a rider in the middle of the race is dirty," said the sporting director of Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise.

 

[ianrauk]

Well he has a point I suppose. If you own a team you want them to look good whilst racing

 

[Rooster1]

I wonder what he drag co-efficient of a good old bearded cyclist is vs a non-beardy variety.
Obviously dependent on the size of the foliage.

Oh crap - I've strayed into the Pro Section, sorry, I don't have any right to be in this area - SORRY!

 

[rich p]

I thought

Spoiler

Stannard

was Wayne Rooney...

 

[Doseone]

I wonder what he drag co-efficient of a good old bearded cyclist is vs a non-beardy variety.
Obviously dependent on the size of the foliage.

I was listening to an interview with Simon Geschke. Sunweb have actually tested his beard in the wind tunnel and over 10k at 40kmh it made 0.2 seconds difference.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Spoiler: Name of rider

Merckx

looks like Will Young

He doesn't actually look like Will Young in this pic but he does look like Will Young if I hadn't put a pic of Will Young up...

 

[HLaB]

I wonder what he drag co-efficient of a good old bearded cyclist is vs a non-beardy variety.
Obviously dependent on the size of the foliage.

Oh crap - I've strayed into the Pro Section, sorry, I don't have any right to be in this area - SORRY!

GCN or somebody done a test on youtube a few years back and it was a massive 1w over 40km It makes a real difference when you are going for the hour record

Edit it was Specialized

View: https://youtu.be/FkmCLOjk2h8

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Beardy riders should go the whole fashion hipster hog, get a full sleeve and a calf tattoo, wear NHS thick black framed specs, and a check patterened lycra shirt, and faux denim lycra shorts. Maybe even winkle pickers with cleats on the bottom. So achingly hip. And so last year (and the year before).

 

[Tin Pot]

Froome should do it.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

...faux denim lycra shorts.

Faux denim lycra is soooooo last century

 

[simongt]

Of course if you want to be picky, a beard could have a detrimental effect if you come off and end up using your chin / face as a brake. The medics would have a bit of a task picking bits of stiff facial hair out of the deep gashes as well as all that road grit.

 

[simongt]

Best remove all hair everywhere then, just in case.

And of course, that would get the 'streamlining advantage' afficianados on their high horse - !

 

[Stef 1]

hmm, timmed most of my beard off yesterday.... Strava told me today was my best effort to date.... go figure!

 

[brommers]

Psychological bullshit.