Tour of Britain 2023 (September 3-10)

[Armchair Cyclist]

I watched the last 5km, but pics only as I had sound running for La Vuelta. Was there any suggestion of Van Aert being relegated for moving back to the barriers to shut out Bennett? (not that Bennett had any acceleration)

 

[samhocking]

Yet, the crowds are fantastic for British races.

Yep. it's a strange one. I think a lot of it is just not in my back yard thinking, they love a big bike race, but not if it means they can't get to the shops because the road's closed. We used to have locals protesting against a local road race on sunday mornings and the roads are not even closed for them.

 

[awavey]

That explains why they're going through those areas, but not why they don't use what those areas have to offer. It's like we've said on the Women's Tour multiple times, it's like they just draw lines between the areas that are paying without paying any mind to what is in that area. The East Anglian Women's Tour stages riding straight past the only hills in the area before a finish too dangerous for a safe sprint are particularly galling.

Absolutely, and ironically enough they're going past the exact same hill they could have used on the Women's tour, that hill climb at Semer again and using the same finish loop into Felixstowe, the road book does at least draw attention to the road furniture near the finish this time.

And it's not because that hill road is too narrow because they're using roads that are far sketchier to ride imo in a big group than that would be.

It's just the stage is designed like today to give a breakaway a small lead for a bit and then a bunch sprint finish, not to be one of those really tricky stages to navigate and ends up costing gc riders lots of time.

 

[awavey]

Yep. it's a strange one. I think a lot of it is just not in my back yard thinking, they love a big bike race, but not if it means they can't get to the shops because the road's closed. We used to have locals protesting against a local road race on sunday mornings and the roads are not even closed for them.

We will see how the support holds up over the week, I'd expect any race in the NW to be popular because there's a strong cycling culture & base there.

There's very little awareness down in sleepy Suffolk that there's even a stage happening or that it's part of this race.

And inevitably the no parking rules, closed access won't be noticed till the day and then the locals will complain about how come there are so many police involved, and so on.

 

[MartinGT]

What a joke this race has become. So many parked cars on the stage where they've clearly moved police cones. Loads of cars on the route that shouldn't be there. Just a complete farce. Then they wonder why road racing is pretty much dead in the UK.

 

[MartinGT]

Yep. it's a strange one. I think a lot of it is just not in my back yard thinking, they love a big bike race, but not if it means they can't get to the shops because the road's closed. We used to have locals protesting against a local road race on sunday mornings and the roads are not even closed for them.

It always makes me laugh when they say Otley is the heart beat of cycling in Yorkshire. They f@cking hate cyclists. Every year on crit day the FB pages are full of people abusing it etc. I get more abuse cycling through Otley than anywhere else locally. It's all because Armitstead is from there. Even she has a brain and moved out of the dump.

 

[Izzyeviel]

Yet, the crowds are fantastic for British races.

We love sports events. You can watch half marathons in newcastle & manchester for example, and the road side crowds are pretty big. If you promote it, they will come.

 

[Danskebjerge]

They should have a couple of finishing circuits on the first stages. A 5-10 kilometer long circuit with a short +14 percent climb ridden three times - that's a good way of creating equal chances for sprinters and breakaways while ensuring the gaps will remain small.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

What a joke this race has become. So many parked cars on the stage where they've clearly moved police cones. Loads of cars on the route that shouldn't be there. Just a complete farce. Then they wonder why road racing is pretty much dead in the UK.

I'm afraid people in the UK think they can park their cars wherever they like - and as they don't get moved, it would seem they can. There's actually a Twitter account highlighting the issue - it's absolutely depressing.....and highly annoying.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Absolutely, and ironically enough they're going past the exact same hill they could have used on the Women's tour, that hill climb at Semer again and using the same finish loop into Felixstowe, the road book does at least draw attention to the road furniture near the finish this time.

And it's not because that hill road is too narrow because they're using roads that are far sketchier to ride imo in a big group than that would be.

It's just the stage is designed like today to give a breakaway a small lead for a bit and then a bunch sprint finish, not to be one of those really tricky stages to navigate and ends up costing gc riders lots of time.

Even I make a point of riding up Watson's Hill, Semer, when I am on a route in that direction, rather than avoid it

 

[theyoungest]

Yep. it's a strange one. I think a lot of it is just not in my back yard thinking, they love a big bike race, but not if it means they can't get to the shops because the road's closed. We used to have locals protesting against a local road race on sunday mornings and the roads are not even closed for them.

It's probably similar to the Netherlands. People see huge crowds at the Vuelta start in Utrecht and think "wow, cycling is really popular in the Netherlands". But that's more a kind of opportunism, an event that people want to be part of. It's not cycling in itself that they care about. I think there's just a few places on earth where the general public really knows and embraces cycling. Flanders being the most obvious one.

 

[search]

Today we have a 100k stage with a narrow city centre finish in Wales. What can possibly go wrong?

But to be fair, last time they used it, it didn't cause any issues. As positioning will be even more important than yesterday, though, the outcome could very well be the same.

View: https://youtu.be/r1POTvCMcuQ?t=227

 

[TourOfSardinia]

This break should just sit up.
JV are just too pushy.

 

[Izzyeviel]

This is the first sunny day we've had in the UK since June. And only the second day since then that the temp has gone past 20c. (yesterday was the first)

 

[Tim Cahill]

Been enjoying the mild weather, I felt like I was dying outside yesterday, far too hot for me at 19 degrees, 11-15 is the ideal temperature range, don't know how the riders do it.

 

[Izzyeviel]

Been enjoying the mild weather, I felt like I was dying outside yesterday, far too hot for me at 19 degrees, 11-15 is the ideal temperature range, don't know how the riders do it.

glad someone enjoyed this summer

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Typical Brits
talk about the weather
ignoring the race!

 

[Samamba]

What was Bora's plan there? They don't even try or what?

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Too easy for Kooij.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Ok, what kind of a finish is that?

 

[Tim Cahill]

Brilliant leadout from WVA, understand why they aren't there but they'd win 5-6 stages at the Vuelta with this team.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Stage #2 Tick

 

[Izzyeviel]

DSM rider slid into the cones.

 

[DNP-Old]

Sam Bennett still stealing money. He is now angry at Van Poppel because he does not have the speed to overtake him.

 

[KZD]

This Jumbo train is seriously impressive. Hope that the riders that fell in the last 2k are ok.