Tour of Britain 2011- 11th-18th September

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Froilan Gonzales

Sep 13, 2011
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Tour of Britain.

Typical ToB stages - a brisk clubrun all day with a couple of no-hopers out in front then a race over the last few miles.

The Caerphilly stage - the least challenging route in Mid/South Wales between two previously unheard of towns - Brecon Beacons is just a long drag - Caerphilly Mountain is not especially brutal - hard but manageable and not hard enough or far enough from the finish to really affect things.

The last couple of years I feel that the organisers/team managers/riders collude to keep things together so that the race doesn't become unmanageable or spread out.

There seemed to be as police bikes as competitors - why so many vehicles from the Met? Maybe they were observing ahead of the Olympics?
 
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Froilan Gonzales

Sep 13, 2011
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ToB

You can see how the bunch have been soft-pedalling most of the day - when they start to ride they immediately slash minutes off the no-hopers in a few miles - e.g., on the Brecon Beacons climb and today pulling back the lead group before Exmouth.

Exeter stage - all the climbs in the first forty miles then seventy miles of flat. What was all that about?
 
Animal

Animal

Mar 19, 2009
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Yep. Boring.

A hilly region and two sprinters first over the line?

I know that domestic tours need to encourage domestic teams, but the standards of a lot of domestic teams seem to be too low to compete.

The race shouldn't be softened just for them.
 
Andy99

Andy99

Jul 30, 2009
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Froilan Gonzales said:
Typical ToB stages - a brisk clubrun all day with a couple of no-hopers out in front then a race over the last few miles.

The Caerphilly stage - the least challenging route in Mid/South Wales between two previously unheard of towns - Brecon Beacons is just a long drag - Caerphilly Mountain is not especially brutal - hard but manageable and not hard enough or far enough from the finish to really affect things.

The last couple of years I feel that the organisers/team managers/riders collude to keep things together so that the race doesn't become unmanageable or spread out.

There seemed to be as police bikes as competitors - why so many vehicles from the Met? Maybe they were observing ahead of the Olympics?
Click to expand...

How do you expect to be able to maintain a rolling road closure on Britains roads?? Can you imagine how many side roads need policing at once when the race is stretched out by 15mins or so?
 
Andy99

Andy99

Jul 30, 2009
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Animal said:
Yep. Boring.

A hilly region and two sprinters first over the line?

I know that domestic tours need to encourage domestic teams, but the standards of a lot of domestic teams seem to be too low to compete.

The race shouldn't be softened just for them.
Click to expand...

tumblr_lksir6JVl21qa5rnho1_500.jpg
 
auscyclefan94

auscyclefan94

Jun 16, 2009
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LOL, I agree with you. The fact that Tour of Britain is not restricted by the time of the year it falls into, the teams it invites and the climate surely means that some harder/more interesting parcours could be found.
 
Andy99

Andy99

Jul 30, 2009
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Animal said:
Gaw blimey, that's original.
Click to expand...

Yeah but come on, you people moan when we don't have a national tour.

Now that a dedicated team have worked against the tide to secure, what appears to now be a sustainable event (in a very anti-cycling country), and hopefully a permanent fixture on the calendar all you can do is moan that the race isn't hard enough, or it misses major towns/cities.

Come on, get behind your sport and give it some support. If cycling fans can't back the national tour - what hope is there for it?

:)
 
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bobbins

Jun 16, 2009
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It's restricted by the towns that will pay for a start / finish. It has to follow the money or there'll be no race, the parcours is secondary to that. You won't get the big names if it's too hard and takes in every ridiculous steep hill. Watch the race, some are racing, some are training. That's how the pros want it.
 
Captain_Cavman

Captain_Cavman

Nov 30, 2010
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bobbins said:
It's restricted by the towns that will pay for a start / finish. It has to follow the money or there'll be no race, the parcours is secondary to that. You won't get the big names if it's too hard and takes in every ridiculous steep hill. Watch the race, some are racing, some are training. That's how the pros want it.
Click to expand...

...And yet Cavendish has been doing extra training miles after each stage.

The race is clearly not hard enough for his Worlds preparation.
 
G

greenedge

Mar 27, 2011
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Nice win by Renshaw. Nice of Cav to let Renshaw win ( reminiscent of Cadel working for Gilbert in 09 at Lombardia )

I wonder if Geraint can beat Boom???
 
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Froilan Gonzales

Sep 13, 2011
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Yes - I know how difficult it is to organise events having been both a regular race organiser and rider in the ToB in the past.

The organisers have done a great job given the limitations that are imposed on them and it looks good from the roadside. Sorry to crib, but I just long for the days when there were better balanced fields, hard routes, racing all day, major city centre to major city centre, etc., and I am sure that the organisers would love to get back to that too.

So well done with what they have managed given the problems.
 
Tuarts

Tuarts

May 25, 2010
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Andy99 said:
Yeah but come on, you people moan when we don't have a national tour.

Now that a dedicated team have worked against the tide to secure, what appears to now be a sustainable event (in a very anti-cycling country), and hopefully a permanent fixture on the calendar all you can do is moan that the race isn't hard enough, or it misses major towns/cities.

Come on, get behind your sport and give it some support. If cycling fans can't back the national tour - what hope is there for it?

:)
Click to expand...
Yeah but heaven forbid any of the Aussies doing that for the TDU. :)
 
Andy99

Andy99

Jul 30, 2009
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Froilan Gonzales said:
Yes - I know how difficult it is to organise events having been both a regular race organiser and rider in the ToB in the past.

The organisers have done a great job given the limitations that are imposed on them and it looks good from the roadside. Sorry to crib, but I just long for the days when there were better balanced fields, hard routes, racing all day, major city centre to major city centre, etc., and I am sure that the organisers would love to get back to that too.

So well done with what they have managed given the problems.
Click to expand...

Agree entirely. I, like you have experienced things from both sides of the coin, and I just get frustrated by the constant negativity. Unfortunately, at the moment the sport is far from being welcomed with open arms into the big cities. The popularity needs to build first to gain acceptance from average Joe.

We live in hope.:)
 
El Pistolero

El Pistolero

Jul 16, 2010
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Andy99 said:
Agree entirely. I, like you have experienced things from both sides of the coin, and I just get frustrated by the constant negativity. Unfortunately, at the moment the sport is far from being welcomed with open arms into the big cities. The popularity needs to build first to gain acceptance from average Joe.

We live in hope.:)
Click to expand...

When a Brit wins the Tour every single Brit will hump their bikes. It will be the greatest achievement of the British since winning World War 2.


I speak in jest of course.
 
E

euanli

May 20, 2010
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Captain_Cavman said:
The race is clearly not hard enough for his Worlds preparation.
Click to expand...

its clearly not long enough. hard short racing isn't going to help him prepare for the world.
 
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