The 2017 Tour of Britain 03/09 - 10/09/17 (2.HC)

[Pricey_sky]

This years Tour is one of the flattest routes in recent years, with perhaps only stage 7 having the potential to be selective, plus the 16km ITT of course. There is the hope of bad weather and the forecast for later next week is unsettled so that may play a part.

Despite the flat route it has attracted arguably the strongest field to date with Cavendish, Gaviria, Ewan, Viviani, Groenewegan and Kristoff all here to contest the sprints. As well as Tony Martin, Kwiatkowski, Gilbert, Thomas, Roglic, Castroviejo and Dowsett amongst others: http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/OVO_Energy_Tour_of_Britain__2017_Startlist

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Michał for the overall win.

 

[Frankschleck]

eddy the boss

 

[Richeypen]

The race has gone backwards. This is the sort of route that we had at the start, over the years the parcours has got better and more challenging but this year is such backward step. A real shame as all stages this year are being broadcast from the start.

Britain may not have the big alpine climbs but it has the short punchy leg breaking stuff in abundance, how they could come up with such a dull route is really disappointing.

 

[Poursuivant]

Kung for GC.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

The race has gone backwards. This is the sort of route that we had at the start, over the years the parcours has got better and more challenging but this year is such backward step. A real shame as all stages this year are being broadcast from the start.

Britain may not have the big alpine climbs but it has the short punchy leg breaking stuff in abundance, how they could come up with such a dull route is really disappointing.

Agreed, there is great potential all around the country but only Stage 7 is any good.

 

[MartinGT]

The race director during the Tdf was interviewed on ITV and he said whilst the TDY is on they won't be visiting Yorkshire. Shame as the climbs in the area could mix it up!

Also is it just me or does Geoghegan Hart always look like his helmet is on wrong? I.e too far back or does he just have a massive forehead?

 

[fauniera]

Terrible parcours. Tons of flat stages and a time trial.

Cheltenham finale:

 

[MartinGT]

It's embarrassing how many parked cars are on the route.

 

[MartinGT]

Well played Orica well done Ewan

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The official profiles suck, so it's hard to tell quite how bad the parcours is, but it does take me back to the days of Kai Reus being screwed by bonus seconds before the Tour of Britain started to move towards what it should be, which is the stage race par excellence for all manner of Classics riders, with the potential to really give us some great stages with cobbled climbs, punchy hills and the small team sizes making control difficult. The race was making real forward progress and this looks like a complete and utter letdown. It's not just that the race can't use Yorkshire, because there's been plenty of good stages put forward by the race in the South West, and for a few years Wales had the queen stage with the stages around Caerphilly Castle, like the year JTL won. We're finally spared the waste of a day in London, so we give the riders an easy sprint stage into Cardiff instead, when that could have been a legitimately challenging stage? Ugh. The East of England lost the Women's Tour this year, which had been using that area since inception, so the men head back. The TT is in Dowsett territory, no? I think he's from somewhere around there. This mightn't be a bad race for him, normally he can place well in the TT but struggles in closing hilly stages when he's been going well in races like La Sarthe, but I can see this one working out for him, but bonus seconds with the likes of Boasson Hagen in town will be the issue.

 

[jaylew]

Ewan wins ahead of Viviani, EBH, Kristoff and Gaviria.

 

[Brullnux]

The race director during the Tdf was interviewed on ITV and he said whilst the TDY is on they won't be visiting Yorkshire. Shame as the climbs in the area could mix it up!

Also is it just me or does Geoghegan Hart always look like his helmet is on wrong? I.e too far back or does he just have a massive forehead?

Quite rightly they leave out Yorkshire. It's a week long stage race and Yorkshire already has three days to itself. There's plenty of places in Wales, Cumbria, Scotland and the south which are available for excellent stages.

 

[Lequack]

So this is just sprint stages an a TT? What is the point in this stage race?

 

[yaco]

Well for a flat stage it was a reduced peloton, nothwithstanding the amount of CT teams in the race - Gotta say Mezgec gives Ewan four or five perfect lead-outs each year.

 

[MartinGT]

The race director during the Tdf was interviewed on ITV and he said whilst the TDY is on they won't be visiting Yorkshire. Shame as the climbs in the area could mix it up!

Also is it just me or does Geoghegan Hart always look like his helmet is on wrong? I.e too far back or does he just have a massive forehead?

Quite rightly they leave out Yorkshire. It's a week long stage race and Yorkshire already has three days to itself. There's plenty of places in Wales, Cumbria, Scotland and the south which are available for excellent stages.

Oh I fully agree there is plenty of other places which can make a massive contribution. But even pro TDY it was years before it had visited Yorkshire. Cutting its nose of to spite its face

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

So this is just sprint stages an a TT? What is the point in this stage race?

A worlds prep, which is why it's still attracted such a great field.

Shocking route though it must be said.

 

[Inquitus]

Re: Re:

So this is just sprint stages an a TT? What is the point in this stage race?

A worlds prep, which is why it's still attracted such a great field.

Shocking route though it must be said.

`
Good prep for the worlds though, no? That's also a pretty boring parcours which will end up in a bunch gallop?

 

[Orbit501]

Re:

The race has gone backwards. This is the sort of route that we had at the start, over the years the parcours has got better and more challenging but this year is such backward step. A real shame as all stages this year are being broadcast from the start.

Britain may not have the big alpine climbs but it has the short punchy leg breaking stuff in abundance, how they could come up with such a dull route is really disappointing.

100% agree. I'm not excited about the race at all this year.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

So this is just sprint stages an a TT? What is the point in this stage race?

A worlds prep, which is why it's still attracted such a great field.

Shocking route though it must be said.

`
Good prep for the worlds though, no? That's also a pretty boring parcours which will end up in a bunch gallop?

Yes it probably will. A couple of hilly stages wouldn't have been a problem though, could still have had 5 sprints and a TT.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Only the hard sprinters will make it in Bergen, remember its a +270 km race with a decent hill in the middle. Its no race for pure sprinters at all and the weather can also play ball, if its raining it will get very selective I think.

 

[JoeD1997]

Re:

The TT is in Dowsett territory, no? I think he's from somewhere around there. This mightn't be a bad race for him, normally he can place well in the TT but struggles in closing hilly stages when he's been going well in races like La Sarthe, but I can see this one working out for him, but bonus seconds with the likes of Boasson Hagen in town will be the issue.

Was working press at the race and spoke to him about this. He says he lives 45mins from the town where the TT is and has raced a few TTs around that area before but while he knows the course, he doesn't train on the roads around there as the traffic is really bad.

I think he will go well overall but I don't think he wins the TT and therefore not the GC either.

 

[jaylew]

Re:

Only the hard sprinters will make it in Bergen, remember its a +270 km race with a decent hill in the middle. Its no race for pure sprinters at all and the weather can also play ball, if its raining it will get very selective I think.

Sounds like a Sagan 3-peat. Has that ever happened? I'm not seeing one.

 

[del1962]

They could have done much better with the Northumberland stage but it seems they choose Blythe for the finish again

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

Only the hard sprinters will make it in Bergen, remember its a +270 km race with a decent hill in the middle. Its no race for pure sprinters at all and the weather can also play ball, if its raining it will get very selective I think.

Sounds like a Sagan 3-peat. Has that ever happened? I'm not seeing one.

No. Täve Schur was closest, but after winning in 1958 and 59 he sat up to let a teammate win in 1960. Caveat: that was the Amateur Worlds, because Soviet Bloc riders weren't allowed to turn professional.