Author Topic: Tour of Britain 2016  (Read 7224 times)

SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
Tour of Britain 2016
« on: 03 September, 2016, 11:13:27 am »
Anyone watching?  I've booked Thursday off an I'm planning to watch at the Speech House climb. 

If the weather is decent I might have a go at seeing them again at Westerleigh though  2 hours to get home (7km), drop MTB, drive to Chepstow and pedal the road bike 25km will be tight.
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #1 on: 03 September, 2016, 11:22:07 am »
I've booked Monday off and I think I'll head for Whinlatter or Dunmail Raise
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #2 on: 03 September, 2016, 08:50:47 pm »
Saw Mark Stewart (GB) on Tuesday and he is on form and really looking forward to it. Hope he can make a bit of a mark on the only Scottish stage.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #3 on: 03 September, 2016, 10:44:51 pm »
I'll be there on Saturday, wearing a Tour t-shirt and a hiviz vest!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #4 on: 03 September, 2016, 11:00:53 pm »
I'm planning to go and have a look near the start tomorrow.

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #5 on: 04 September, 2016, 03:47:52 pm »
Messy end to that stage, including a Pinerello snapped in two! :o
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

Andrew

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #6 on: 05 September, 2016, 04:46:18 pm »
Brutal stage today. The Struggle looks, um, a struggle. And the descent - well, technical is the word used that somehow doesn't convey the fear factor. Cummings put in one helluvan effort today. Chapeau that man.

Anyone know why Cavendish chose to stop and 'have a word' with a spectator?

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #7 on: 05 September, 2016, 05:01:14 pm »
It didn't look like a 'Hi mate, how is it going?' sort of chat.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #8 on: 05 September, 2016, 06:18:40 pm »
I almost got very up close and personal with a One Pro cycling rider who came off of the tarmac and skidded over the gravel straight at me today. Next time I'll make sure I'm not blocked from moving even further off line by someone's parked car.

After they'd gone I rode up too, but the gantry over the top of the KoM climb had already been taken down by the time I got up there :(

If anyone was watching I was in a long sleeved yellow YACF jersey at the bottom of Whinlatter Pass :)

A couple pictures from today: -

The breakaway


The peloton

Oh and I met Adamski's dad (and his pet dog). I just happened to pick the same layby to stand in :)
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #9 on: 05 September, 2016, 08:24:29 pm »
If anyone was watching I was in a long sleeved yellow YACF jersey at the bottom of Whinlatter Pass :)
You'd best pop over to tenuous claims to fame & check in, your back got a good few seconds on screen ;D
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #10 on: 05 September, 2016, 08:33:35 pm »
If anyone was watching I was in a long sleeved yellow YACF jersey at the bottom of Whinlatter Pass :)
You'd best pop over to tenuous claims to fame & check in, your back got a good few seconds on screen ;D
Those chevrons really do stand out don't they :D

[edit]
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #11 on: 05 September, 2016, 09:08:37 pm »
Anyone know why Cavendish chose to stop and 'have a word' with a spectator?

Comment I saw elsewhere suggests that said spectator (who was getting some dirty looks from another whilst being upbraided by Cav) had probably been acting like the surfeit of raging throbbers that we see on the TdF, who appear more interested in getting on the telly than in the race itself.
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #12 on: 05 September, 2016, 11:12:21 pm »
One thing I've just remembered from today - Why is there a Fire engine in the caravan? Ambulances I can understand, but there was a full sized red tender engine at the back of the ride today ???
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #13 on: 06 September, 2016, 10:50:45 am »
"Wiggins, in his Instagram post used "#onetoomanyginandtonics" as a potential reason for his struggles."

What a dick.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Riggers

  • Mine's a pipe, er… pint!
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #14 on: 06 September, 2016, 11:28:14 am »
Put it on yesterday afternoon, and thought "That's a tad wet!" though very interesting, from a punishing route from what I was seeing. undulating, and some very sharp nasty climbs, that (looked to me) to progressively, be going more and more upwards! When the summit was reached, I kept thinking for those descending "Take it easy chaps, have a care!!" Especially, as you saw them constantly crossing backwards and forwards over those blessed 'white' lines and chevrons on the roads.

I guess Cummings kind of knew (about the last few hundred yards or so) that unless he could drop the young Belgium chap, the blighter would have him on the climb to the finish!
Certainly never seen cycling south of Sussex

simonp

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #15 on: 06 September, 2016, 11:41:29 am »
One thing I've just remembered from today - Why is there a Fire engine in the caravan? Ambulances I can understand, but there was a full sized red tender engine at the back of the ride today ???

I'd guess for rescue equipment. And for if a moto crashes and bursts into flames...

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #16 on: 06 September, 2016, 12:56:16 pm »
"Wiggins, in his Instagram post used "#onetoomanyginandtonics" as a potential reason for his struggles."

What a dick.

If memory serves, it's not the first ToB where Wiggo's been sub-par due to a surfeit of celebratory drinkies after a successful summer.   :demon:
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Andrew

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #17 on: 06 September, 2016, 03:13:06 pm »
Does Stannard always ride like that? Periodically, he flicks his knees out. He's either trying to relieve some discomfort or he's got a most curious style.

Andrew

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #18 on: 06 September, 2016, 03:34:16 pm »
Commentators just answered my question. Seemingly it's his style. They reckon he might be repositioning himself on the saddle.

Andrew

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #19 on: 06 September, 2016, 03:44:01 pm »
Gotta say, not too sure about the finish here (Tatton Park?)

It's narrow for a distance with barriers. When the peleton arrives, it could be tight. Fingers crossed that my concerns are unfounded.

Edit: fortunately my fears were unfounded. The peleton was stretched out by the time they got into the last few km.

Andrew

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #20 on: 06 September, 2016, 03:53:52 pm »
 ;D got to laugh! I can't watch tomorrow, the French commentators inform me, because they're covering petanque tomorrow! Shame, it would have been a stage I would have been interested in watching. Oh well. Back for Thursday's stage.

essexian

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #21 on: 06 September, 2016, 05:50:05 pm »
Took the London Midland train to Alsager today for stage 3 arriving 15 minutes before the breakaway. I must say the crowds were rather epic and good natured cheering any one on a bike along; including me! That of course changed when the roads opened again sadly!

After the Broom Wagon (with NO broom!!!! That just isn't good enough), I had around forty minutes to make it to Sandbach... according to my mapping software it around 5 mile....how comes my Garmin says it was nearer 7? Anyway, further epic crowds around the town centre made very smelly by a convoy of muck spreading tractors which headed north a few minutes before the road closed!

I had considered heading further north to Tatton Park but trying to get home afterwards would involve using Crosscountry trains and their dankly (the spell checker offered this as an option: I liked it!) bike spaces so I retraced my pedal turns back to Alsager and home in time to watch the last hour of the race.

Overall, its a huge step up from where the race was 10 years ago when there was just me and a dog at the top of Jiggers Bank. Let hope it lasts but will it?


Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #22 on: 07 September, 2016, 09:34:26 am »
"Wiggins, in his Instagram post used "#onetoomanyginandtonics" as a potential reason for his struggles."

What a dick.

You do realise he was playing to the crowd, don't you?

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/tour-of-britain/bradley-wiggins-runs-tour-britain-climb-282398

Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #23 on: 07 September, 2016, 10:18:10 am »
"Wiggins, in his Instagram post used "#onetoomanyginandtonics" as a potential reason for his struggles."

What a dick.

You do realise he was playing to the crowd, don't you?

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/tour-of-britain/bradley-wiggins-runs-tour-britain-climb-282398

My opinion remains the same.  And if he wants to piss around why bother riding? This is after all meant to be a fairly prestigious event for British cycling. Perhaps he could have offered a place to one of his other riders? Or maybe team, Wiggins only get an invite because of his presence. I wonder how long that will last?  Or indeed Team Wiggins.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Tour of Britain 2016
« Reply #24 on: 07 September, 2016, 11:18:02 am »
Or maybe team  Wiggins only get an invite because of his presence.
Clearly if Wiggo gets them through the door, he is doing something right. despite your dislike of him.
Has never ridden RAAM
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No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles