Tour of Britain 15/09 - 22/09/13 (2.1)

[willbick]

i think he's rode it at least twice before. (Well maybe 1 1/2!) He's said recently that he's very much up for the race and Im sure he is. There wont be many more times for him to ride his home tour. I dont think he'll be trying to win the GC but no doubt he'll be all out in the TT and will be fairly animated in the other stages

 

[Grupetto1]

If its raining though (and the forecasts suggest it could) I suspect he'll fanny about at the back with eisel again

 

[willbick]

Nah, he's got another few kilos of bulk to keep him warm now!

Anyone gonna stick their neck out with a GC prediction?!

 

[Pricey_sky]

Wonder if Lord Wiggins will try to do anything, or will he putter along with a sour look on his face like the other year he rode ToB.

From what I've read Wiggins is very much going for the GC. He should put in a decent TT and the only stage's where he may lose some time are the descent from Caerphilly Mountain (if its wet) or if someone goes long on the Haytor 'MTF'. However at just 6km and 6% he shouldn't lose much there if on form. This years Giro aside every race he has targeted in the last couple of years he has won so it would be rude not to think he has an excellent chance.

It will be interesting to see if Martin or Quintana ride for the GC or if they just soft peddle the first few stages and then attack up Haytor.

 

[Cyivel]

Nah, he's got another few kilos of bulk to keep him warm now!

Anyone gonna stick their neck out with a GC prediction?!

Billy McHyuck will take the GC imho

 

[willbick]

if quintana races for GC i'll crawl naked up Hay Tor. Would have no chance on this parcours anyway. He's built for the Alps, not Britain

 

[willbick]

From what I've read Wiggins is very much going for the GC. He should put in a decent TT and the only stage's where he may lose some time are the descent from Caerphilly Mountain (if its wet) or if s.

be serious

 

[Pricey_sky]

be serious

If someone gets a few seconds up the top and its wet there's no way Wiggins catches them.

 

[VO2 Max]

If someone gets a few seconds up the top and its wet there's no way Wiggins catches them.

The descent of Caerphilly is very straight-forward on the side they're going down, and not affected by the weather really. Nobody will lose time there. Plus the gradual downhill between the cafe and the proper descent, and then between Penrhos r/bt and the finish on the Cresent, both suit a bit of regrouping.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

First 2 stages but especially stage 1 should be interesting.

Forecast for Gretna (approximately 2/3rds of the way into the stage) at 1pm is for heavy rain, poor visibility and south-westerly winds of 27mph (43kph) gusts up to 45 mph (72kph).

Once out of Gretna they turn to the west and then north-west along and out of the very exposed Solway Firth. They stay on a pretty much north-westerly orientation for the rest of the stage. Could be havoc in the crosswinds!

There could be big time losses of the first day if the forecast is anything to go by.

The forecast is for similar for Monday in the Lake District as well. The wind will turn to the west so the sections between Maryport and Whitehaven on the coast could be wild crosswinds again. Also, once of out of Keswick, it'll be crosswinds again but with a tailwind for the last 10-20 km.

The weather will certainly sort out who is really up for competing/winning and who isn't.

 

[Grupetto1]

Its gonna rain in Gretna and the Lake District! Im shocked

 

[willbick]

Lets hope the wind isnt so bad that they have to cancel the stage like 2 years ago

 

[One Man Grupetto]

Nah, he's got another few kilos of bulk to keep him warm now!

Anyone gonna stick their neck out with a GC prediction?!

That's a difficult call. Away from the Wiggins debate, Philip Deignan might be a good shout. In good form, suited to the parcours and - with him joining Sky next year - they might give him the space that they wouldn't give to some others.

Futher out, no idea what form Michal Golas is in but he's raced in the UK before and done okay. Maybe someone from Garmin - Dan Martin or Jack Bauer? Battaglin?

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Its gonna rain in Gretna and the Lake District! Im shocked

Indeed.

Forecast says it's going to feel like 4 degrees in the Lakes on Monday. A typical barmy late summers day in the north-west!!

Shame the two stage I'm going to see are Sunday and Monday!!

 

[Pricey_sky]

Maybe someone from Garmin - Dan Martin or Jack Bauer? Battaglin?

If Dan Martin goes for GC he would be a massive threat. The stage to Caerphilly would suit him ideally and he could take lots of time there as JTL did last year.

 

[willbick]

Got a bad feeling the opening stage is gonna be cancelled. Looks absolutely grim with heavy rain and strong winds.

On the GC front Im not sure Dan Martin will be a runner. Dont know if he's fully recovered from his Vuelta crash and think he's maybe concentrating on the world champs which is on a course suited to him. No doubt he will be very attacking if fully fit like the last time he rode ToB in 2010.

Maybe Josh Edmondson of Sky could be a GC runner? You kinda feel Sky would rather have Edmondson winning the ToB GC than Wiggo.

 

[Afrank]

Got a bad feeling the opening stage is gonna be cancelled. Looks absolutely grim with heavy rain and strong winds.

On the GC front Im not sure Dan Martin will be a runner. Dont know if he's fully recovered from his Vuelta crash and think he's maybe concentrating on the world champs which is on a course suited to him. No doubt he will be very attacking if fully fit like the last time he rode ToB in 2010.

Maybe Josh Edmondson of Sky could be a GC runner? You kinda feel Sky would rather have Edmondson winning the ToB GC than Wiggo.

He is, the plan was to use the Vuelta as prep, but since he crashed out of it, he'll have to make do with using Britain. He had to exit the Vuelta do to a concussion so won't be as bad physically as he would be if he had broken something, so that's good.

about his crash he also said.

“I do think it could be a positive thing. My aim now is to go back home and train harder than ever, all the time thinking about Florence.”

So at the very least I think we could see him attacking and riding hard to get maximum training for worlds.

 

[willbick]

Im sure he will race hard if he thinks that will benefit him for the worlds, but mainly he will race hard because its his home tour! (He's about as irish as fish n chips!)

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Im sure he will race hard if he thinks that will benefit him for the worlds, but mainly he will race hard because its his home tour! (He's about as irish as fish n chips!)

Dan has a lot of "home" races, as the Catalans will tell you.

As an aside, I hope he's not just treating Lombardia as a prep race. That should be one of his season's goals.

 

[Netserk]

Dan has a lot of "home" races, as the Catalans will tell you.

As an aside, I hope he's not just treating Lombardia as a prep race. That should be one of his season's goals.

Prep for what???

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Prep for what???

Have I got my dates mixed up? When has Lombardia been moved to?

 

[Netserk]

Have I got my dates mixed up? When has Lombardia been moved to?

A week after WC RR.

So a prep to Beijing?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

So a prep to Beijing?

It's probably another of his home races.

 

[ferryman]

Have I got my dates mixed up? When has Lombardia been moved to?

Sunday 6 October.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

A week after WC RR.

Actually, is there a decent race on between the two?

If the Giro Dell'Emilia was on midweek, it would be like having an Italian version of Ardennes week at the end of the season. At least when the WC parcours is this hilly.