Tweets of the week: Lidl-Trek go brat, some muddy riders at Paris-Tours, and Cav is the new Bond?
It's everyone's favourite cycling social media round-up
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As I type this I'm listening to Brat and it's completely different but also still brat. That's right, I'm subjecting myself to an album that's not really my kind of thing for journalism. Brat summer is over, but Brat and it's completely different autumn is here, or something.
For the uninitiated, the album is a remixed version of British pop star Charli XCX's summer-defining Brat, which I didn't love to begin with. Still, it was "zeitgeist-defining" according to The Guardian, and spoofed a whole load of memes across the summer, as well as being a hit. The remix album was trailed on billboards around the world in 'brat green' with the names of the guest stars written backwards.
Why does this matter? Well, Lidl-Trek announced their men's development squad on Friday via social media, with the team using helpful journalists to post pictures of the names of the lucky riders in the brat billboard format. It's fun! And on the way, you learned about Charli XCX. What a day for everyone. Although, Lidl-Trek will be hoping its junior riders aren't bumpin' that.
Elsewhere in the world of cycling social media this week, we had some very muddy riders after an apocalyptic version of Paris-Tours, and Matt Holmes reveals that he owns the very latest in prison-tech. It's all very straightforward. Dive in.
1. The name's Cavendish, Sir Mark Cavendish. To be fair, he will need to fill his time somehow from next year, and why couldn't the Manx Missile be 007? The fastest secret agent MI6 have to offer...
A post shared by Nicholas Foulkes (@n_foulkes)
A photo posted by on
2. What do you think actually happens to this ham? Do Tadej Pogačar and Elisa Longo Borghini take it home with them, and live off it for a few weeks? Does it get re-gifted to a relative? Is it thrown into the crowd? What if you're a veggie?
A post shared by Eurosport Cycling (@eurosportcycling)
A photo posted by on
3. This was before my time in cycling, and I know that there's a billion of shady things about this era, but the caps and the lack of too much aero tech are cool, aren't they. This is just cool.
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A post shared by Mark Chadwick (@mchazwazza)
A photo posted by on
4. What has happened to Marianne Vos' bike computer here? Is it the gravel? Is it the power of her sprint?
🇧🇪 #GravelChampionshipsGreatness. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/e4kU1FIvdmOctober 5, 2024
5. Poor Simon Warren. He shouldn't have to put up with this!
AI. Stay out of my life. pic.twitter.com/ie0VB5toEqOctober 7, 2024
6. Matt Brennan's first race with the Visma-Lease a Bike WorldTour team went well then. How long do you think his post-race shower was?
Paris Tours. pic.twitter.com/8sMbzZTQAvOctober 7, 2024
7. Jasper Philipsen, meanwhile, finished third. He doesn't look delighted about it here
A post shared by Jasper Philipsen (@jasperphilipsen)
A photo posted by on
8. Valtteri Bottas once talked to me about my shoes, and that's all I have to say on the matter. Nice man.
A post shared by Valtteri Bottas (@valtteribottas)
A photo posted by on
9. The Gravel World Championships is great and all, but I want more racing along canals. Imagine the Kennet and Avon Classic, with the threat of Weil's disease added into the mix. Let's get the Canal and River Trust on the phone!
A post shared by ZaniBikefit Biomeccanico (@zanibikefit)
A photo posted by on
10. It's just some guys having fun with their phone torches. That's it.
Not clear if we’re preparing for Tre Valli Varesine or a Taylor Swift concert 😁 pic.twitter.com/uzJR347FNhOctober 8, 2024
11. He's a great bike rider, but also an adorable man - look at Richard Carapaz with his cows (vacas)
A post shared by Richard Carapaz (@richardcarapaz)
A photo posted by on
12. There are so many Lidls around that it isn't hard for Lidl-Trek to nail marketing, but it's always pleasing anyway
#SLT2024 @LidlTrek has their parking spot on point pic.twitter.com/RZ2GcP7GebOctober 8, 2024
13. Matt Holmes just with the kind of phone that you only ever here about being smuggled into prison. Simple.
A post shared by BikeRadar (@bikeradar)
A photo posted by on
14. Luke Rowe here, with quite a droll tweet. Ineos Grenadiers will miss him.
Sadly only 2 pro races over 13 years, how many you got? https://t.co/ZMCfvMBvxIOctober 8, 2024
15. Wholesome Alison Jackson content! It's off-season!
A post shared by Alison Jackson (@aliactionjackson)
A photo posted by on
16. And finally, the replies are the real gold here, but Lidl-Trek decided to go all Charli XCX on Friday just because, I guess. It's good stuff. Well done.
lidl-trek future racing and it’s completely different but also still lidl-trek feat: pic.twitter.com/ecXZQUf7BlOctober 11, 2024
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Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW in 2021 he spent two years writing for Procycling. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds.
Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to riding bikes.
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