What's the first race you are looking forward to in the new season?

[mr. tibbs]

Easy. TDU.

It's the first racing in several months with the top teams. It's also the first chance to see new teams, new outfits or riders on new teams for the first time.

I might look forward to other races even more but the first race is definately TDU.

TDU for the same reasons. (But with emphasis on the new kits.)

 

[El Pistolero]

Probably the Ronde. And that's because they usually pass through where I live and I can also watch it at the Muur in Geraardsbergen.

The other races before it are great as well, but it's just not the same as the Ronde especially when you can see it live.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I know they are covering Tour Down under which last year (at least in the UK) they didnt.

And during the latter half of the season Harmonn and kirby said a few times that eurosports cycling viewership is up, so they expect to be buying more races as well. Dont know what more they can show though. Last year the only thing they missed was TDU a few cobbles, the iberian local stage races (burgos Catalunia murcia, algarve) and San sebastian.

Oh and unforgivably, only a replay of the Zonc. I tell you right now, this season I will preffer for them to not cover Eneco, tour of turkey, quatar, oman rather than not show the Zoncolan stage live.

PORTUGAL.

Oh, and they also showed delayed of Alpe d'Huez, but that often happens with the Dauphiné because it clashes with the 24h du Mans and a major tennis tournament.

They also showed Algarve - just in the 15 min highlight package form they got from the Portuguese regional sender - and Catalunya.

The one that was really missing was Castilla y León - missing a truly epic stage with Antón dropping Contador, Mosquera and Soler (who did a truly epic bridge to catch the other 3).

I think that, Burgos and Portugal (both of which clash with Poland and are better races, though Poland is ProTour which explains the priority) aside, they have Iberia sorted (I would say that Asturias is too small a race to justify their attention at the same time as Romandie, for example). What they're missing for me is the Italian domestic side of things - Giro del Trentino (both genders), Coppi e Bartali, Giro dell'Apennino, Giro dell'Emilia.

What I would like above all, however, is the Giro Donne. Seriously - while the men were doing three identical pancake flat Tour stages with the break never getting more than 3 minutes up on the péloton, the women were climbing the Stelvio. I'd have much rather seen that. They could at least have picked up Raitré's half-hour highlights show.

 

[flicker]

Flanders, Amstel,, Roubaix ,ToC. No visibil;ity ian the other races.

 

[The_Z_man]

I had a tough time choosing between Het Nieuwsblad and Paris-Nice. In the end Het Nieuwsblad won out because it happens first. It gives a good nice picture to who might be in what shape for the northern Classics. Paris-Nice gives a nice preview for the GTs.

 

[pedaling squares]

Het Volk. Haven't really gotten into the early stage races yet.