The Bicycle Racing Thread 2014

[stavros]

Contador, Froome and Nibali all did a bit of dick-waving today. I suppose Tony Martin did a bit as well, after Cancellara's escapade yesterday, putting their markers down for the TTs.

 

[1927]

Contador, Froome and Nibali all did a bit of dick-waving today. I suppose Tony Martin did a bit as well, after Cancellara's escapade yesterday, putting their markers down for the TTs.

Only 1 TT this year isn't there? On the penultimate day!

 

[poului]

Decent stage today. Shame the Tour of Britain isn't bigger/longer. We have some great routes which don't get seen due to the dominance of Stoke and Caerphilly etc. A bigger race could include some proper difficult stages in the Highlands etc as well.

Always wondered what a full-length stage or two traversing the relentless hills of the West Country would be like for the sport's big names too.

 

[Dogsauce]

Always wondered what a full-length stage or two traversing the relentless hills of the West Country would be like for the sport's big names too.

South coast from Dorset to Cornwall has some right shitters. I gave up and switched to the A30 last year on my run down that way (in my defence it was about 27 degrees and my bike weighs 25kg).

 

[King Biscuit Time]

I had a cracking day out on the Cote d'Oughtibridge yesterday, about 1km from the top. - Almost as much fun as riding out the last 30 or so miles of stage 2 on Saturday. At the top of Jenkin Rd there was a succession of old gits coughing their lungs up.

 

[hash tag]

Its been brilliant the way the tour has been embraced so far; the tournouts tremendous. Be interesting to see how it goes today, a working day, through yhe city, the weather not looking too bright.
Vive le tour...

 

[hash tag]

Some of todays course has covered a bit of the dunwich dynamo ( in reverse ).

 

[Sprocket.]

I had a cracking day out on the Cote d'Oughtibridge yesterday, about 1km from the top. - Almost as much fun as riding out the last 30 or so miles of stage 2 on Saturday. At the top of Jenkin Rd there was a succession of old gits coughing their lungs up.

I too, have in the past been such an old git coughing up pieces of tortured lung at the top of Jenkin Road, especially if we had called in the White Swan first.

 

[5t3IIa]

Le Tour going along Embankment

 

[twistedAM]

£5 e/w on Mark Renshaw 40/1

 

[Dogsauce]

Rode over to Otley on Saturday to catch the ride early on, atmosphere was amazing. I'd have loved to have been up in the hills but health has been a bit shit lately and I had the girlfriend in tow on a 70's 3-speed, eleven miles over from the next valley was enough for both of us! Managed a few snaps, this is probably the best of them.

There are plans to create a new world-class race in Yorkshire which were discussed prior to this event happening, I imagine the success of the event will have emboldened those behind them. It's funny that Yorkshire got this without government support, they wanted it to start in Edinburgh to somehow support the 'No' campaign in the independence referendum, and Yorkshire nabbing it put their nose out of joint a bit.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Always wondered what a full-length stage or two traversing the relentless hills of the West Country would be like for the sport's big names too.

There are plenty of places in Britain (also Ireland) where you could put together a tough, interesting, race route. But there really isn't anywhere that the sports big names would find all that hard, even the Scottish highlands. These guys race up Angliru and Zoncolan, or spend all day going up and down at Liege Bastogne Liege.

Trying to mimic the latter would probably be the best option, but you'd have to go hunting around the most rugged parts of the islands to do it.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

There are plans to create a new world-class race in Yorkshire which were discussed prior to this event happening, I imagine the success of the event will have emboldened those behind them.

From the outside the visit looks to have gone exceptionally well. The crowds look great on tv and crucially the parcours has been clever. The Giro got big crowds in Ireland, but it's route was basically a tour of the flattest bits of the country.

 

[twistedAM]

Rode over to Otley on Saturday to catch the ride early on, atmosphere was amazing. I'd have loved to have been up in the hills but health has been a bit shit lately and I had the girlfriend in tow on a 70's 3-speed, eleven miles over from the next valley was enough for both of us! Managed a few snaps, this is probably the best of them.

There are plans to create a new world-class race in Yorkshire which were discussed prior to this event happening, I imagine the success of the event will have emboldened those behind them. It's funny that Yorkshire got this without government support, they wanted it to start in Edinburgh to somehow support the 'No' campaign in the independence referendum, and Yorkshire nabbing it put their nose out of joint a bit.

I love it that Yorkshire got it over Scotland - just imagine how much we'd have to have listened to Sir Chris Hoy dressed up in his various endorsements.
Chatting with some old club mates over the weekend made me remember about the Leeds Classic that was held during the late 80s/early 90s I think. I marshalled at one such event (when it came under the banner of the Wincanton Classic and was part of the World Cup or whatever it was called in those days) and there were a few dozen club cyclists on their bikes at the top of Holme Moss.
Anyway some great terrain in south/west Yorks.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

I'm a bit concerned that al of the sprint stages are going to be a procession, now that the a Cavendish - Kittel head to head is off the menu. Hopefully Greipel can make them a contest.

 

[stavros]

Once he's sewn up the green jersey, Sagan might start going full-out for the stage wins too. He's certainly not as quick as Kittel, but he's fairly wily.

 

[The Boy]

Speaking of Green Jerseys, Bryan Coquard has surprised me in his ambition in clearly targetting it. Been doing ok by all accounts.

Anyway, rain and driving wind predicted for stage 5 over the cobbles.

edit: also interesting to see Brailsford talking about winning the Tour with a French rider. There was talk of Barguil going there, wasn't there?

 

[twistedAM]

Once he's sewn up the green jersey, Sagan might start going full-out for the stage wins too. He's certainly not as quick as Kittel, but he's fairly wily.

They should have a special jersey for intermediate sprints and just let Sagan wear it for the rest of his career to keep him happy.

Anyone know why Stybar isn't riding? I was pretty sure he was in the OPQS team. Really wanted to se him light up stage 5,

 

[Sprocket.]

I too, have in the past been such an old git coughing up pieces of tortured lung at the top of Jenkin Road, especially if we had called in the White Swan first.

Talking of Jenkin road they only joined it half way up, lightweights!

 

[BlueSquareThing]

There are plenty of places in Britain (also Ireland) where you could put together a tough, interesting, race route. But there really isn't anywhere that the sports big names would find all that hard, even the Scottish highlands. These guys race up Angliru and Zoncolan, or spend all day going up and down at Liege Bastogne Liege.

Trying to mimic the latter would probably be the best option, but you'd have to go hunting around the most rugged parts of the islands to do it.

Coast to coast up north - you could include Hardknott/Wrynose and that stupidly steep bit on the NYM at Blakey Crossing!

 

[Dogsauce]

Chatting with some old club mates over the weekend made me remember about the Leeds Classic that was held during the late 80s/early 90s I think. I marshalled at one such event (when it came under the banner of the Wincanton Classic and was part of the World Cup or whatever it was called in those days) and there were a few dozen club cyclists on their bikes at the top of Holme Moss.
Anyway some great terrain in south/west Yorks.

A popular one with people I know in a local club is the White Rose Classic, which covers similar ground to the TDF stage 1:

http://www.ilkleycyclingclub.org.uk/white-rose-classic-2014/

http://www.ilkleycyclingclub.org.uk...014/white-rose-classic-routes/wrc-long-route/

The long route is 114 miles, with 3000m climbing.

 

[The Boy]

At least kittel had to work for it today.

 

[Ted Striker]

It's Cobbles Day! And it's a wet one! Proper psyched, this one is going to be brutal

I'm picking Sagan, if only because I don't want to jinx a Spartacus master show but also because he's turning quite the graceful slippery brute on the bike.

 

[The Boy]

Reports that sectors 5 and 7 won't be used today. They were two of the big sectors iirc.

 

[The Boy]

Also looks like a merger betwixt Garmin and Cannondale for next year.

 

[peterkro]

Fromme abandons.

 

[butchersapron]

I'm hiding this, not sure of spoiler rule on this thread:

Spoiler: eh

Froome gone - before even the first pave. Wiggin's - good on cobbles - not there.

 

[butchersapron]

Anyway, cancellera's day surely?

 

[The Boy]

Froome gone - before even the first pave. Wiggin's - good on cobbles - not there.

Kind of irrelevant if Wiggins is there, surely? They hadn't even reached the cobbles and he'd been down twice. Thrice if you include the previous stage where he injured his wrist.

 

[butchersapron]

Kind of irrelevant if Wiggins is there, surely? They hadn't even reached the cobbles and he'd been down twice. Thrice if you include the previous stage where he injured his wrist.

True, just saying, having another potential winner there - not that i think he would win - might have been useful.