Tour Of Britain 12th to 19th September

[timturpinfleck]

yeh its a shame it only flirts with the scottish borders.. i dont think the tour of britain has been as tough as it could have been for a few years, in the kellogs days i remember some pretty serious climbs that surprised a lot of the non brits who where expecting rolling countryside and didnt think their where killer climbs outside of the alps.. funny to see foriegn riders pushing bikes up our little cobbled hills..

listened to russ downings interview yesterday where they talked about the lack of real big city centre finishes, and he said how dissapointing he was.. does he forget the city centres all got given their racing earlier in the year with the new tour series, its the little towns turn now..

I agree, the ToB route is a bit soft and doesn't include the killer climbs of old. Graham Jones doesn't seem to get it right at all and I'm sure every stage could be better to make the ToB a great race. I'll never forget seeing the foreign riders getting off and pushing up the Trough or the tough stages in the Peak District. Places like the Lakes, Dales, Peak, Bowland, N Pennines, W Yorks, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Cornwall have enough nasty climbs to fill many a future year's ToB (that's before we even consider Wales and Scotland). This would give our lads the edge on climbs that you can't get in mainland Europe

My thoughts on this year's route:
Avoid rail crossings (v poor!) and add a circuit of York to showcase one of our finest cities.
Stage 2 virtually same route as last year (lazy!) - shame they managed to miss out the best of Yorks/NE's cycling/scenery .
Can't comment on today's route, but looks like it's avoiding the harder climbs again.
Blackpool looks to be the best stage, but it could be much harder, especially if they'd started in S Cumbria/ N Yorks (reducing the large transfer).
Similarly start stage 5 in Cheshire to reduce the transfer and feature more of the Peak.
Next Somerset/Exmoor/Devon - this should be nasty, but I reckon it'll be quite tame compared to what Exmoor can offer. How about the evil climb of Porlock Hill (not the easy version featured previously), which would be great with its' hairpin bends.
I seem to recall there was talk of adding an extra stage to next year's ToB, if so then let's hope we they sort out the route to have some harder stages, shorter transfers and feature more of Wales and Scotland.

 

[Anonymous]

Next Somerset/Exmoor/Devon - this should be nasty, but I reckon it'll be quite tame compared to what Exmoor can offer. How about the evil climb of Porlock Hill (not the easy version featured previously), which would be great with its' hairpin bends.

the north devon route is dissapointing.. knowing the area well i could have come up with a killer kill.. winsford hill is down as a cat 1, but it wouldnt have taken too much of a diversion to hit some real hills.. as you say, porlock not far away, would have love ot have sent them onto porlock hill, through lynton and lymouth and down to barnstaple that way..

its a picturesque climb out through simonsbath, but nothing the wife couldnt manage in the right weather and with a following breeze..

 

[Anonymous]

i guess the problem with short tours, is if you put in a real b1tch day, then the non climbers are never going to win overall, same as if you include a time trial on a short tour, its going to unfairly benefit the specialists..

 

[Animal]

Why do they keep avoiding the Peak District?

The hilly National Park region within reach of several million people from many of the midland cities.

I haven't been to see it since.... I dunno, 2005? When was the Bakewell - Nottingham stage? I got to see that 3 times.

It's just too far away from me now.

 

[timturpinfleck]

the north devon route is dissapointing.. knowing the area well i could have come up with a killer kill.. winsford hill is down as a cat 1, but it wouldnt have taken too much of a diversion to hit some real hills.. as you say, porlock not far away, would have love ot have sent them onto porlock hill, through lynton and lymouth and down to barnstaple that way..

The route you suggest would be spectacular. Holidayed a few times near Porlock and took me bike one year. Never managed Porlock Hill (traffic put me off), though I did do the route up it that they took a few years ago and that was easy (like a mini alpine climb).

 

[timturpinfleck]

the north devon route is dissapointing.. knowing the area well i could have come up with a killer kill.. winsford hill is down as a cat 1, but it wouldnt have taken too much of a diversion to hit some real hills.. as you say, porlock not far away, would have love ot have sent them onto porlock hill, through lynton and lymouth and down to barnstaple that way..

its a picturesque climb out through simonsbath, but nothing the wife couldnt manage in the right weather and with a following breeze..

The route you suggest would be spectacular. Holidayed a few times near Porlock and took me bike one year. Never managed Porlock Hill (traffic put me off), though I did do the route up it that they took a few years ago and that was easy (like a mini alpine climb).

 

[timturpinfleck]

i guess the problem with short tours, is if you put in a real b1tch day, then the non climbers are never going to win overall, same as if you include a time trial on a short tour, its going to unfairly benefit the specialists..

Guess it's hard to get that balance right to make sure it's an open entertaining race. Think they're getting there and it's good to see a stronger field and I think it should be a bit tougher this year than last. Can't see Reus staying in yellow throughout with Rabobank only having 5 riders after losing 2 of their initial line-up before the race started.

Still need to change that horrible yellow jersey though and I'm a bit concerned as to whether the 2 Canadian ProTour races will affect line-up for the ToB next year.

 

[Anonymous]

the route they should ahve taken over north devon..

porlock hill at 110k is more like 12-13% in places, but is a complete drag that feels like its going on forever.. the short hill between lynton and lymouth doesnt look much but is a killer.. i dont know why they didnt go this way.. just wimped out i guess.. such a famous bit of north devon cycling, makes no sense..

 

[Big_Blue_Dave]

Have to say I like the North Devon route, but the main problems with the Tour, is threefold. The first being no real hill/mountain top finish that can create time gaps. We have some real hard climbs that are of differing distances from 1km to 7km on the mainland which would be really good to create interest in the race. The second is a lack of a time trial, which should not be a prologue like the one in Milton Keynes in 2007. Say 15km to 20km, or at a push 30km which would allow the pure tt rider to gain on the hill/mountain climbers.

Finally, and this is my big point. Start up in Northern Scotland, like Inverness or Aberdeen, and zig-zag down Britain to London for a criterium style stage finish as they do now. For different years you could reverse and finish in Edinburgh on a circuit of the old town up the cobbled streets from the Scottish Parliament and finishing at the base of Edinburgh Castle.

 

[Anonymous]

i think they probaby could put in a real nasty climbing stage, as long as they put as you say a decent length TT stage to balance the two out.. not hard to work out how much a normal rider will lose on a mountain route, how much a climber will lose on a TT course and balance the two out..

find out what happened today in an hour.. eurosport nearly gave it away but i turned the volume off in time..

shall we have a fantasy tour of britain route making competition..

 

[Anonymous]

shall we have a fantasy tour of britain route making competition..

ok not as easy as it sounds.. got a nice 15k prologue in edinburgh with a nice sting in the tail, but struggling to to east scotland to glasgow while taking in some decent hills.. the run all the roads through ruddy valleys..

 

[Big_Blue_Dave]

ok not as easy as it sounds.. got a nice 15k prologue in edinburgh with a nice sting in the tail, but struggling to to east scotland to glasgow while taking in some decent hills.. the run all the roads through ruddy valleys..

Let me guess, the sting in the tail involves riding up to the top of the roads in Edinburgh Castle, cobbled and 15% for 200m?

 

[Anonymous]

if EbH had gone any earlier he would have won the previous king on the mountains pts.. does the guy not have any patience...

Question 2.. ok.. who is this De Gent lad, what do we know about him.. so far won every spring point bar two (came second in those), every mountains pt bar 2 (came second in those)... can take tommoro off and still have both jerseys..

 

[Kingsley A]

De Gendt is definitely the story of the race so far. What sort of nutter goes with early breaks three days in a row? I'll be amazed if he hasn't been signed by a bigger team in time for next season! He seems to be more into the sprints than the KOM; on stage 1 in particular he seemed to have a pact with the Dutch guy, "You take the KOM, I'll take the sprint points and bonuses" but he's given himself a pretty impressive lead in both.

As for a dream ToB as has been discussed on this thread, I'd love to see a Midlands stage going through Shropshire, via Church Stretton and over one of several possible routes of The Long Mynd. Not only would it be a nasty climb and equally nasty decent to and from the plateau, with a high probability of the wind causing problems to the peloton, the opportunities for spectacular helicopter shots would be almost unrivalled!

 

[samb01]

Final minutes of stage two: http://www.itprocedures.nl/kaishort.avi

End of stage three is up on youtube. I found the sprint finish quite amusing.

 

[timturpinfleck]

De Gendt is definitely the story of the race so far. What sort of nutter goes with early breaks three days in a row? I'll be amazed if he hasn't been signed by a bigger team in time for next season! He seems to be more into the sprints than the KOM; on stage 1 in particular he seemed to have a pact with the Dutch guy, "You take the KOM, I'll take the sprint points and bonuses" but he's given himself a pretty impressive lead in both.

As for a dream ToB as has been discussed on this thread, I'd love to see a Midlands stage going through Shropshire, via Church Stretton and over one of several possible routes of The Long Mynd. Not only would it be a nasty climb and equally nasty decent to and from the plateau, with a high probability of the wind causing problems to the peloton, the opportunities for spectacular helicopter shots would be almost unrivalled!

De Gendt has made the race this year and deserves to be signed up by a bigger team. I like the way that he says he attacks to make the others work harder – very refreshing to see. Will be interesting to see how he copes today as this should be the hardest stage so far (and will make me feel homesick with them cycling on roads so familiar to me).

My dream ToB would include Lancaster to Newcastle (119 miles); from Lancaster head up to Windermere via A6/A591 then to A592 to Penrith via Kirkstone Pass and along Ullswater. From Penrith climb up A686 over the Pennines through Alston (highest town in England) before taking A695 to finish at Newcastle. This would provide decent sized start/finish towns, plus good crowds in a number of towns and tourist hotspots along the way and some fantastic scenery. Or do the route in reverse going over the tougher side of Kirkstone Pass and make it shorter by finishing in Kendal but with the finish up Beast Banks to really make it hard.

I would also like to see Stirling to Glasgow via Loch Lomond and the Trossachs for some stunning scenery.

 

[Henrik]

Delete ...

 

[Anonymous]

Spoiler free thread till 7pm

 

[Henrik]

oh FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we went a whole day without spoilers until AFTER IT HAD BEEN ON TV.. please read the start of the thread before posting..

Sorry about that, I obviously had not read the first post.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry about that, I obviously had not read the first post.

no worries.. thanks for deleting it..

have just had an injury report from big blue dave whos watching live today... sounds nasty... watching the highlights at 7pm is gonna be interesting.. :/

 

[Big_Blue_Dave]

no worries.. thanks for deleting it..

have just had an injury report from big blue dave whos watching live today... sounds nasty... watching the highlights at 7pm is gonna be interesting.. :/

So as those who managed to see the highlights will have seen in part, at 450m to go a large pile-up occured with about 8 riders getting through with the front 6 battling it out. The riders that fell included Van Spreybouck (sp) with a 4 inch gash down to the bone that looked absolutely horrific and he was carted off in an ambulance as soon as he crossed the finish line. Stian Remme, not Alexander Kristoff as reported by ITV4, has some road rash and was winded, hence why he took some time to get up to ride in, and as was seen by the interview with Ian Wilkinson he has a few cuts and road rash on his left leg and hip, and feels a dead leg which is not the most enjoyable thing to have.

It really did not help, and this was not really shown on the coverage but the lead out moved across from the right side to the centre of the road, when the riders realised its was a right kink in the road they moved back but those trying a second train came together causing the pile-up and the incidents. Marshalling races really can be a fun business at times.

 

[Anonymous]

they pretty much missed it on tv.. wilkinson looked like his left shoulder had sunk about 2 inches..

shame.. good stage up to then although i dont think it effected the outcome..

Nice to see De Gendt having another attempt off the front again today.. whatever happens in the future for him, hes definately got himself noticed.. WIfes already in love with him for his sheer aggression.. (poor sod hasnt even got a wikipedia page)

 

[ingsve]

Nice to see De Gendt having another attempt off the front again today.. whatever happens in the future for him, hes definately got himself noticed.. WIfes already in love with him for his sheer aggression.. (poor sod hasnt even got a wikipedia page)

If he continues like this he'll join the likes of Jacky Durand and Fabio Roscioli as perpetual attackers...

 

[timturpinfleck]

Good stage today, but a pity it had to start and finish in Blackpool giving plenty of time for everyone to re-group resulting in another bunch sprint. It’s nice to see so many big names making an effort in the race. Still think the race is fairly open and with all the potential time bonuses anyone who’s in the top 32 could be within 6 seconds of the lead if they won the next 2 stages (pity they don’t also give KOM time bonuses).

Disappointing to see Wiggins quit last night; the Worlds may be more important to him than his national tour, but try telling that to all the people who will go along hoping to see him. I see Grabsch is still riding the Vuelta.

Can’t see any Brits getting into the top 3 this year, but if they do it will probably be our GB based riders (Geraint was unlucky to puncture yesterday). Hopefully Team Sky will give us a better chance of winning our national tour next year for the first time in over 20 years.

 

[Anonymous]

cracking finish again today, i actually thought pozzato might challange..

but how strong is EBH