Well I'm back! Yes sorry for my absence, but I've been on a much needed holiday and have had a very cycle free week.
Well here the other talk is of the Tour of Britain. Well the local magazine is. I'm just gutted that once again it fails to go past my area. I loved watching it when it did. Mingling with the Pros before they set off was great and I got all snap happy. It was strange that I could sit in a cafe and be joined by members of Garmin and Rapha Condor. I regret not going around asking for every signature, hair, breath that I could but then again the wife may have had something to say so I restrained. Got some nice pictures that I'll dig out some time and show you all. Word is that Cavendish will race but that's pending a ruling of him quiting the Vuelta. Apparently if you leave a major race then you can't race in anything else whilst it continues. Sometimes you can if you appeal. Obviously with the World Champs coming that would be ideal. Yet I'm going to strop like a teenager because I won't get to see him in action. Just not fair!! (storms off shutting door behind him loudly, playing music at high volume)
 |
| Bradley Wiggins http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/ |
Anyway, I thought I'd start back this week by looking at what is happening in the cycle world. I suppose racing is a good place to start and the Vuelta a Epana. I've not been able to watch any whilst on holiday so haven't been kept up to speed. I was sad to see Mark Cavendish out of the race, but maybe another grand tour wasn't the best thing for him. He had slug his guts out trying to get around the Tour de France, and only just making it over the mountains. How the hell was he expected to survive a challenging hilly Vuelta course?! Still, being British (and I apologise to my American followers for bleating) its not all bad. Bradley Wiggins is top of the pile and looking dashing in red with Christopher Froome in second. I'm not used to seeing one rider at the top list of a grand tour let alone two!!! I had to double take when I read the news. Go team Sky.......erm also British.......OK I'll stop gushing now, but I'll just keep the smile to myself and of course fingers crossed. Well Tomorrow will be an interesting stage as the riders have to ascend the Angliru. A nasty climb of about 8% average before ramping up near the end. The stage is shorter at 144km to limit the damage a stage like this could make but all the same it could make or break some riders. If last years winner Vincenzo Nibali wants to retain his crown then he needs to seriously kick butt, or at least shift off his own arse, currently lying in seventh place isn't going to win him 'that' Jersey.
Well here the other talk is of the Tour of Britain. Well the local magazine is. I'm just gutted that once again it fails to go past my area. I loved watching it when it did. Mingling with the Pros before they set off was great and I got all snap happy. It was strange that I could sit in a cafe and be joined by members of Garmin and Rapha Condor. I regret not going around asking for every signature, hair, breath that I could but then again the wife may have had something to say so I restrained. Got some nice pictures that I'll dig out some time and show you all. Word is that Cavendish will race but that's pending a ruling of him quiting the Vuelta. Apparently if you leave a major race then you can't race in anything else whilst it continues. Sometimes you can if you appeal. Obviously with the World Champs coming that would be ideal. Yet I'm going to strop like a teenager because I won't get to see him in action. Just not fair!! (storms off shutting door behind him loudly, playing music at high volume)
