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

[Sandisfan]

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.

I can see your point but they could also cross promote by saying that one particular stage is being used as a test in the Tour Of Britain as a preview for the Yorkshire race the next year and the Yorkshire race could note that the T.O.B. will be taking a route in Yorkshire as a possible preview of a subsequent Yorkshire stage the next year. Shaking hands could work out well for each race.

 

[rainman]

What a waste, there should have been at least two killer stages. Can only hope for bad weather which would not be ideal prep for the worlds. At least the sprints should be good.

 

[MartinGT]

Break out to 7m!

 

[MartinGT]

Townsend (BIKE Channel)
Briggs (JLT Condor)
Holmes (Madison Genesis)
Owsian (CCC Sprandi)
Gradek (ONE Pro)
Scott (An Post CRC)
Dillier (BMC)

Briggsy again. Love that guy. I did a TT recently he was at, great guy.

Good to see the domestic teams getting involved.

 

[hayneplane]

The ToB parcours this year are depressing. After years of using the same stages and neutralising the interesting parts by making them happen in the first half of the stage the race grew up and got summit finishes and cobbles. Now its a Caleb Ewan paradise that will make for dull racing and viewing.

 

[willbick]

Why do they keep banging on about the ToB being a prep race for the world champs?! Even the people behind the race keep saying it. Its pathetic. They should be promoting it as a prestigious race in its own right, not trying to piggy back on the importance of the WCs. And anyway, the idea that riders train by riding races went out years ago! Modern day cyclists are perfectly capable of getting into top physical shape away from races. So its all nonsense anyway.

Im interested to know the factors that influence the choice of route. Obviously the location of the start and finish towns has a bearing on this, but there must be many other things that route organisers have to take into consideration. Presumably they cant just grab a pencil and a road atlas and do what they want?!

 

[willbick]

P.s. for those saying the ToB used to have boring flat routes, that maybe true for the current version of the ToB but back in the 80s/90s they had some great tough stages. They even went up Rosedale chimney once -one of the steepest roads in Britain!

And Albasini won a great stage into Swansea in back in 2010 which sent the riders up the mur of Constitution hill

 

[MartinGT]

Why do they keep banging on about the ToB being a prep race for the world champs?! Even the people behind the race keep saying it. Its pathetic. They should be promoting it as a prestigious race in its own right, not trying to piggy back on the importance of the WCs. And anyway, the idea that riders train by riding races went out years ago! Modern day cyclists are perfectly capable of getting into top physical shape away from races. So its all nonsense anyway.

Im interested to know the factors that influence the choice of route. Obviously the location of the start and finish towns has a bearing on this, but there must be many other things that route organisers have to take into consideration. Presumably they cant just grab a pencil and a road atlas and do what they want?!

In the UK it's 'How least can we not p!ss off the motorists most' I assume.

 

[willbick]

Why do they keep banging on about the ToB being a prep race for the world champs?! Even the people behind the race keep saying it. Its pathetic. They should be promoting it as a prestigious race in its own right, not trying to piggy back on the importance of the WCs. And anyway, the idea that riders train by riding races went out years ago! Modern day cyclists are perfectly capable of getting into top physical shape away from races. So its all nonsense anyway.

Im interested to know the factors that influence the choice of route. Obviously the location of the start and finish towns has a bearing on this, but there must be many other things that route organisers have to take into consideration. Presumably they cant just grab a pencil and a road atlas and do what they want?!

In the UK it's 'How least can we not p!ss off the motorists most' I assume.

Lol that quote is the worst sentence ever written but I get yr point and you are probably right. Unfortunately the most interesting roads in the UK are probably considered unsafe for a peloton when going at high speed

 

[MartinGT]

Some of the roads in the TDY are very narrow and twisty and there have been no problems and it all adds to the racing.

It's a shame it's such a poor route this year.

 

[willbick]

Re:

Some of the roads in the TDY are very narrow and twisty and there have been no problems and it all adds to the racing.

It's a shame it's such a poor route this year.

Its hard to think of a week long stage race outside the middle east that has a parcours this flat

 

[MartinGT]

53km to go with a break of 1'53"

 

[deValtos]

Usually the route is pretty good, but this year I have no idea what the fudge happened. Sprint sprint sprint sprint ...

 

[del1962]

Why do they keep banging on about the ToB being a prep race for the world champs?! Even the people behind the race keep saying it. Its pathetic. They should be promoting it as a prestigious race in its own right, not trying to piggy back on the importance of the WCs. And anyway, the idea that riders train by riding races went out years ago! Modern day cyclists are perfectly capable of getting into top physical shape away from races. So its all nonsense anyway.

Im interested to know the factors that influence the choice of route. Obviously the location of the start and finish towns has a bearing on this, but there must be many other things that route organisers have to take into consideration. Presumably they cant just grab a pencil and a road atlas and do what they want?!

In the UK it's 'How least can we not p!ss off the motorists most' I assume.

Lol that quote is the worst sentence ever written but I get yr point and you are probably right. Unfortunately the most interesting roads in the UK are probably considered unsafe for a peloton when going at high speed

It also must have something to do with where they finish and what towns will pay for this, I can think of some great places in the North Pennines they could visit without pissing of many motorist and great climbing, but the towns are so small that I doubt they could afford to pay much for them.

 

[MartinGT]

Why do they keep banging on about the ToB being a prep race for the world champs?! Even the people behind the race keep saying it. Its pathetic. They should be promoting it as a prestigious race in its own right, not trying to piggy back on the importance of the WCs. And anyway, the idea that riders train by riding races went out years ago! Modern day cyclists are perfectly capable of getting into top physical shape away from races. So its all nonsense anyway.

Im interested to know the factors that influence the choice of route. Obviously the location of the start and finish towns has a bearing on this, but there must be many other things that route organisers have to take into consideration. Presumably they cant just grab a pencil and a road atlas and do what they want?!

In the UK it's 'How least can we not p!ss off the motorists most' I assume.

Lol that quote is the worst sentence ever written but I get yr point and you are probably right. Unfortunately the most interesting roads in the UK are probably considered unsafe for a peloton when going at high speed

It also must have something to do with where they finish and what towns will pay for this, I can think of some great places in the North Pennines they could visit without pissing of many motorist and great climbing, but the towns are so small that I doubt they could afford to pay much for them.

Gorgeous part of the country too. But aye, all comes down to cost.

Looks like they are catching the break a little early again!

 

[MartinGT]

EBH Takes it

 

[MartinGT]

Viviani having a right beef at Eddy.

 

[Scarponi]

Caleb took the wrong line and didn't get a single pedal

 

[deValtos]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm not sure about that sprint by EBH, that was a pretty big drift.

 

[MADRAZO]

Re:

Hmmmmmmmmmmm not sure about that sprint by EBH, that was a pretty big drift.

If they follow the rules Viviani should get the win. Just because Boasson is a nice guy and it was perhaps not intentional, he still switched side and blocked Vivianis sprint.

 

[dirkprovin]

Caleb took the wrong line and didn't get a single pedal

He'd lost his man's wheel a long way out due to not being willing to fight for that space and got "washed" several position back. Coming from that far back, he was always likely to find any route to the line already occupied.

 

[yaco]

EBH will probably be disqualified after his yo-yo sprint - Ewan looked the quickest but was blocked.

 

[dirkprovin]

Re:

EBH will probably be disqualified after his yo-yo sprint - Ewan looked the quickest but was blocked.

Plausible case to be made re EBH; whether they'll take action ? Ewan gave himself far too much to do after backing off his man's wheel; was never in the game after that.

 

[deValtos]

Viviani awarded the win!

 

[The Barb]

Word of advice .... anyone who bet on EBH should check their bookie's Rules if they don't get paid. Most bookies clearly state they pay on the podium and subsequent disqualifications don't count.