WorldTour racing is back! Australia has provided some cracking racing in both the men’s and women’s Tour Down Under and all feels right with the world.
To accompany the warm comfort blanket that is the return of the cycling calendar here’s an assortment of tweets to serve as a digestif.
We’ve got the EF Pro Cycling boys up to their old tricks, Mathieu van der Poel practicing his sprinting and a case of mistaken identity with Romain Bardet. Genuinely, what more do you need?
1. A view many in the pro peloton will see this year – Mathieu van der Poel sprinting away from them.
First road sprint of the season for Merlier and Van Der Poel https://t.co/TptlYxzXbB
— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) January 17, 2020
2. This is like that scene in the US Office where Michael Scott throws a party in his hotel room and nobody comes.
Legend https://t.co/VF9teD0v0w
— Michael Woods (@rusty_woods) January 18, 2020
3. How do non-pros unlock this extreme weather Zwift world?
🌊🌊🌊
Avis de tempête en Espagne, c’est donc sur l’home-trainer que ça se passe aujourd’hui.
The storm tackled Spain today ➡️ home-trainer for everybody. #allezALM pic.twitter.com/pnNZfX8zvn
— AG2RLM Pro Cycling Team (@AG2RLMCyclisme) January 20, 2020
4. Romain Bardet is surely too much of a good guy to do the selfie trick
Yesterday at the #TDU #Q&A I had 2 ladies ask for a photo w me. They asked the first person they saw to take it. It was @romainbardet. He looked shocked & then took the photo like a champ. Although I haven’t checked, might have just taken selfies of himself 😜 Thanks Romain!
— Chloe Hosking (@chloe_hosking) January 20, 2020
5. What do we reckon his go-to tune is? My guess is What’s Luv? by Fat Joe ft. Ashanti. Answers on a postcard, please.
For the first time in the history of my cycling career I’ve been given a responsibility far higher than any other role within the team….
…bus DJ
— Alex Dowsett (@alexdowsett) January 21, 2020
6. A reminder that the WorldTour isn’t always glitz and glam.
Update: stupidest invention ever. Currently freezing my nuts off waiting to be rescued. Punctured and the sealant didn’t work. Tried to put a tube in and pinched 2 tubes because the tyres are so bloody tight. My advice, stick to the conventional stuff. 😤🤕 https://t.co/Tn3YYbf2u5
— Jake (@jakey_stewart) January 23, 2020
7. By the sounds of it, Adam Hansen was already drunk when sending this tweet out.
With @CalebEwan 66.6% winning success rate, he is going to make our @Lotto_Soudal Alcohol-Ban team alcoholics from us 😱
— Adam #Vegan Hansen (@HansenAdam) January 22, 2020
8. Yep, professional cyclists can meme too.
I did the dolly parton challenge 😄 pic.twitter.com/YRts2RMDBP
— Ellen Noble (@ellenlikesbikes) January 24, 2020
9. Does Lachlan Morton’s shaved head mean the EF Alternative Racing YouTube series is now going to take a Walter White-esque turn à la Breaking Bad? Guess we’ll just have to wait to find out.
@EFprocycling’s Mitch Docker and Lachlan Morton losing their luscious locks and mos at the @tourdownunder in the name of the @salvos for bushfire relief. AU$6,500 raised, and counting. Donate here: https://t.co/HKWEh9yOvu pic.twitter.com/d4ozEofmCl
— Ellis Bacon (@EllisBacon) January 24, 2020
10. Is there anything more satisfying than a nice slo-mo? No. The answer is no.
Now that’s how you hand out the bidons 👌🏻
We’ve got a leading quartet with an advantage of 3 minutes. The peloton containing all our riders Is letting the elastic stretch so far. pic.twitter.com/yks2zJeqf2
— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) January 21, 2020
We’ll be back in seven days’ time for more of the best from social media across the cycling world.