The professional cycling thread

[Tidybeard]

snobetter said:

I'm thinking of going to Haytor on Friday to watch the end of the stage. Never having been to a stage before, is it an arse to get to by car with the road closures? How early should I aim to get there, I'll have my kids with me, is there stuff put on to entertain there (other than usual moor life).
Cheers.

I don't know sorry, I live on a farm and they rode right past the end of my drive - me and my children were the only people there. The crowds look quite big in the towns though.

The rolling roadblock was clever - perhaps a dozen Police bikes in front and behind the cyclists and the road was effectively "closed" for about 15 mins.

[louiebaby]

Tidybeard said:

The tour of Britain came past my house earlier, great to see them close up. Very well organised/marshalled in closing the road too. My son took this pic of Wiggins on his phone :-)

If you're talking about the chap in Sky kit, that's Elia Viviani, who got Gold in the Omnium vs Cav. Wiggins rides for his own team now...

[johnxjsc1985]

Great ride by Stannard and nice finish in Tatton Park great crowds again. Think I will shoot over to N.Wales tomorrow and catch one of the climbs.

[Tidybeard]

louiebaby said:

If you're talking about the chap in Sky kit, that's Elia Viviani, who got Gold in the Omnium vs Cav. Wiggins rides for his own team now...

Bugger. Thank you - we thought Wiggins was wearing gold shoes!

Hey, look at that picture my son took of Elia Viviani, Olympic Omnium gold medal winner

[NerveAgent]

Good to see the pros racing on my local routes

Although a bit depressing to compare times on various strava segments, brickworks etc

[louiebaby]

Tidybeard said:

Hey, look at that picture my son took of Elia Viviani, Olympic Omnium gold medal winner

It's a beaut!

[Rich_W]

ferrisbueller said:

What was Cav's beef?

Apparently one of the yoofs was showing off to his "m8s" ,slagging off the riders. Cav stopped to protest that actually the riders were all lovely and yoof was mistaken. Of course like all wky yoofs the guy folded under a bit of a stern talking to

I presume the yoof was Julian64 from that other thread

[_dobbo_]

By Cav's account he offered the yoof his bike and said if he wanted to try the climb he should, the yoof declined.

Obviously not a cyclist because he turned down a free Cervelo S5!

[anonymous-user]

Interesting comments from Tylar Ferrar saying that it's been such a tough race that most of the vuelta peloton are at breaking point and utterly fked, hanging on the back of the gruppetto is now a challenge.

[johnxjsc1985]

pablo said:

Interesting comments from Tylar Ferrar saying that it's been such a tough race that most of the vuelta peloton are at breaking point and utterly fked, hanging on the back of the gruppetto is now a challenge.

apparently approx. 90 riders missed the cut off time the other day and had to be let back in.

[anonymous-user]

Yes there appears to be this notion that they just sat up and relied upon the stay off their size in numbers but it appears the doms are knackered. Farrar said this is the toughest vuelta he's ridden in straight off the toughest tour of California and the toughest tour du suisse.

So races will be decided in the high mountains and breaks with no threat to GC on the other stages will not be chased as teams save their effort, bad news for sprinters....

[Dr Imran T]

^^interesting - it's certainly been a very exciting race the Vuelta, perhaps one of the best GT's I've seen in a long time.

I think the Vuelta organizers seem to love mountains as the Vuelta is [usually] very hilly. Different tactics also provides for an entertaining race

I'm sure the fact it's at the tail end of the season and often baking hot doesn't help.

[johnxjsc1985]

fantastic effort by Froome still an outside chance but he is going to have to destroy Quintana and his team and that seems very unlikely

[Greendubber]

I had the pleasure of watching Froome go by today, I was stood right next to the mid point and it was bloody awesome. We gave Froome a good cheer and had a great couple of hours watching them all go past.

Hats off to them as its 34c!

[johnxjsc1985]

Greendubber said:

I had the pleasure of watching Froome go by today, I was stood right next to the mid point and it was bloody awesome. We gave Froome a good cheer and had a great couple of hours watching them all go past.

Hats off to them as its 34c!

He does like the heat lets hope its hotter tomorrow. Are you going to see the mountain finish tomorrow ?

[Greendubber]

johnxjsc1985 said:

Greendubber said:

I had the pleasure of watching Froome go by today, I was stood right next to the mid point and it was bloody awesome. We gave Froome a good cheer and had a great couple of hours watching them all go past.

Hats off to them as its 34c!

He does like the heat lets hope its hotter tomorrow. Are you going to see the mountain finish tomorrow ?

I wish I was, we're flying back to the UK this morning.

[johnxjsc1985]

Steve Cummins leading the Tour of Britain if he can hold on it will be a fantastic result for him and another great performance at the back end of his career.

[Dr Imran T]

Greendubber said:

I had the pleasure of watching Froome go by today, I was stood right next to the mid point and it was bloody awesome. We gave Froome a good cheer and had a great couple of hours watching them all go past.

Hats off to them as its 34c!

Lucky you. You should have had a PH cycling jersey on for easy identification

That has to be one of the best performances I've seen of froome. He destroyed the field and right at the end of a tough grand tour. I see why he's a champion and he's achieved so much.

Class act.

[Slaav]

Dr Imran T said:

Greendubber said:

I had the pleasure of watching Froome go by today, I was stood right next to the mid point and it was bloody awesome. We gave Froome a good cheer and had a great couple of hours watching them all go past.

Hats off to them as its 34c!

Lucky you. You should have had a PH cycling jersey on for easy identification

That has to be one of the best performances I've seen of froome. He destroyed the field and right at the end of a tough grand tour. I see why he's a champion and he's achieved so much.

Class act.

Agreed re Froome but WTF were Sky doing on that day when he and they were dropped/annihilated? The whole thing was fooked right there on that stage.... What I don't understand though is why the group (and Sky especially) didn't realise how 'do or die' that stage was?? Epic fail IMO and saving themselves for later stages was a waste. I know it's 'with hindsight' but at the time, I tuned in at work and the split had occurred. I switched it off as EVEN I realised that stage was a game changer when the split first occurred and I wanted to see it 'as live' later.

[johnxjsc1985]

Have Sky been saving themselves for todays stage I want to see carnage on the mountains today do or die stuff not leaving it until the last 4km. Been an outstanding Vuelta.