2012 Tour of Britain (9th - 16th September)

[Andy99]

Having watched the 20 odd kms of the echelon, the finish and the extended Sky love in, post race chat, I still have no idea who the solitary Liquigas rider was.
I suspect it was Basso, but never having seen a clear shot and with no the slightest reference, throughout...........

Still, they seem to have realised that Sep Vanmarcke is in the race.

Obviously you weren't paying attention. They did mention, once, that it was Caruso.

In all though, the coverage would be infinitely better if Porter wasn't involved

 

[Frosty]

I thought Caruso rode for Katusha rather than Liquigas?

 

[HiCadence]

JTL must have slipped a gear if he was in the bunch and didn't beat Cavendish.

 

[Andy99]

Tell you what though, swithching over to Wallonie demonstrates how good the tv pictures are from ToB.

 

[Kwibus]

If I recall correctly there was some good racing in Brittain last year, but I wonder if there will be this year?

4 bunch sprints in a row. Tomorrows profile looks ok, but also deceiving lookign at the max height. Will there be entertainment?

 

[djlovesyou]

I thought Caruso rode for Katusha rather than Liquigas?

Different Caruso. Giampaolo rides for Katusha, this is Damiano - he's a lot younger.

 

[Andy99]

If I recall correctly there was some good racing in Brittain last year, but I wonder if there will be this year?

4 bunch sprints in a row. Tomorrows profile looks ok, but also deceiving lookign at the max height. Will there be entertainment?

All the upcoming stages should be pretty interesting.

The last two have been too front loaded with pretty dull flat finishes (though today's wind kind of negated that!)

 

[Pharazon]

If I recall correctly there was some good racing in Brittain last year, but I wonder if there will be this year?

4 bunch sprints in a row. Tomorrows profile looks ok, but also deceiving lookign at the max height. Will there be entertainment?

the year that Albasini won... 2010 i think... was an EPIC edition that year... terrible weather and they raced it all balls to the wall...

one of the best stage races of the year

 

[Frosty]

Different Caruso. Giampaolo rides for Katusha, this is Damiano - he's a lot younger.

Ah, ok. Thanks

 

[Boardslide]

Porter is useless but I think for a first timer Rob Hayles is very good and for one I'm just happy we've got live coverage every day. Well done ITV4.

 

[Andy99]

Porter is useless but I think for a first timer Rob Hayles is very good and for one I'm just happy we've got live coverage every day. Well done ITV4.

Would second that.

If it wasn't for Porter, I couldn't really fault it. HD too.

 

[will10]

He also does some commentary at the Rutland Melton classic. Even more embarasing there as he knows hardly any of the riders.

It'll be some time until he lives down introducing National Crit Champion Graham Briggs as "Dave" to the crowd at the Stafford GP earlier in the year.

 

[Andy99]

Today's full result;

http://www.tourofbritain.com/_ns_results/default.asp?stage=4&page=3

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Today's full result;

http://www.tourofbritain.com/_ns_results/default.asp?stage=4&page=3

I'm so f'n amazed by backstedt every day!! I hope he returns next year for real.

 

[will10]

If I recall correctly there was some good racing in Brittain last year, but I wonder if there will be this year?

4 bunch sprints in a row. Tomorrows profile looks ok, but also deceiving lookign at the max height. Will there be entertainment?

I had high hopes (as I live local to the stage tomorrow), there's some hard climbs and some long exposed stretches. One spot in particular I'd spotted for splitting the race as it's really exposed, comes after the climb out of Oakamoor and given the forecast tomorrow is a good place to attack. And what've they done? Put the f**king feed zone there. Hopefully Sky will drill it in the gutter through the feed but I doubt it.

Tomorrow is a hard stage but the run-in into Stoke is too flat I fear.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I had high hopes (as I live local to the stage tomorrow), there's some hard climbs and some long exposed stretches. One spot in particular I'd spotted for splitting the race as it's really exposed, comes after the climb out of Oakamoor and given the forecast tomorrow is a good place to attack. And what've they done? Put the f**king feed zone there. Hopefully Sky will drill it in the gutter through the feed but I doubt it.

Tomorrow is a hard stage but the run-in into Stoke is too flat I fear.

do you think stage 6 will be the queenstage? not many contenders left anyway

 

[El Pistolero]

Is there any point to the ToB except raise Sky's win count?

 

[will10]

do you think stage 6 will be the queenstage? not many contenders left anyway

If it's not then there won't be a queen stage I expect another selection tomorrow and then big enough gaps on stage 6 to decide the GC. I fear it might come down to bonus seconds

 

[Andy99]

Is there any point to the ToB except raise Sky's win count?

Its a victory parade for our Olympic and TDF champion

 

[Gloin22]

Is there any point to the ToB except raise Sky's win count?

Same point so do the races OPQS did in early season

 

[burning]

Same point so do the races OPQS did in early season

To be honest, I dont remember OPQS owning some Belgian stage race with basically no opposition from anyone else

 

[Gloin22]

To be honest, I dont remember OPQS owning some Belgian stage race with basically no opposition from anyone else

Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen
Nokere Koerse
Handzame Classic

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

To be honest, I dont remember OPQS owning some Belgian stage race with basically no opposition from anyone else

That's because Sky are a better team.

 

[El Pistolero]

To be honest, I dont remember OPQS owning some Belgian stage race with basically no opposition from anyone else

Well, they won Tour of Belgium pretty easily. You won't hear me complimenting this year's edition of the Tour of Belgium! Awful course, competition was much better than here though. And Der Tony at least had to do a considerable amount of effort on the queen stage which was won by Betancur.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

To be honest, I dont remember OPQS owning some Belgian stage race with basically no opposition from anyone else

really? almost every racfe they won this spring had no or almost no big compeititon