Cycling - road racing

[Paul mabbott]

Quite exciting this year - I hope it stays close! Maybe this will be a tour won in the mountains?
And then we'll have the Tour of Britain to look forward to - it's building up a bit of credibility. This year going into the West Country:
The Tour of Britain 2008

[Pete Collins]

Yes, it's looking like an interesting and close race this year. David Millar is doing well.

Shame the peloton mucked it up yesterday and failed to catch the breakaway group, as Mark Cavendish could have won a sprint finish. Still, he should get another couple of chances.

[Paul mabbott]

Yes. But that's what makes it more interesting - the breakaway should have been caught but ....

I still think it will come down to the mountains, particularly the Alps - the highest possible hill this year!
My bets were on Menchov (not looking so good now), Kim Kirchen (has he got the team?) and a fall-back on Valverde, best on the climbs????? But it's anyone's race really?

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

Yes, it's looking like an interesting and close race this year. David Millar is doing well.

Shame the peloton mucked it up yesterday and failed to catch the breakaway group, as Mark Cavendish could have won a sprint finish. Still, he should get another couple of chances.

[Pete Collins]

I definitely agree that it will be decided on the mountain stages. I hardly know any of the riders this year, so I've no idea who'll win. I just hope it remains a close fight right up to the last stage.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Kim Kirchen (has he got the team?)

Kim Kirchen is with the newly formed team Columbia (my new team since T. Mobile have been disbanded ). Its the same team as Big George Hincape and the Isle- of- Mans Mark Cavendish ride for. I think I heard the person in charge of Columbia mens, now(can't remember the name, sorry) has been involved with T. Mobiles Womans team since 2002, which also is now Columbia.

Its been a good start to the Tour, and I like the time trials not being on the first Saturday so we can get into it straight away!

[Pete Collins]

Well done Mark Cavendish! He's just won today's stage!

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

Well done Mark Cavendish! He's just won today's stage!

Excellent eh! I thought he had gone too early - shows what I know .
Phew - I am soooo glad I showed my allegiance to to Columbia yesterday so no one thinks I am jumping on the band wagon .

[Paul mabbott]

My word, he's fast - as he keeps saying! Nonetheless, I thought the sprinters had left it too late again .....

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by goosey

Excellent eh! I thought he had gone too early - shows what I know .
Phew - I am soooo glad I showed my allegiance to to Columbia yesterday so no one thinks I am jumping on the band wagon .

Hi goosey!

I guess you're getting a lot more coverage of the race than we do in Britain, as I know cycling is far more popular in Holland than it is here. I can't think of any top Dutch cyclists at the moment though, but then I know very little about the sport - there always used to be some good Dutch cyclists in the tour.

Pete

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

Hi goosey!

I guess you're getting a lot more coverage of the race than we do in Britain, as I know cycling is far more popular in Holland than it is here. I can't think of any top Dutch cyclists at the moment though, but then I know very little about the sport - there always used to be some good Dutch cyclists in the tour.

Pete

There was always the irony that Holland produced some of the best mountain-climbers! Kim Kirchen is the best placed Dutch rider at the moment. It is possible to watch all of the Tour if you have cable. I must admit that I usually wait for the 1 hour synopsis in the evening except for the mountain stages when I like to camp before the TV with a couple of baguettes and a selection of cheeses!

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Kim Kirchen is the best placed Dutch rider at the moment.

He is actually from Luxemburg - but the flags look the same so its not obvious, it's just Luxemburgs looks more washed out

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

Hi goosey!

I guess you're getting a lot more coverage of the race than we do in Britain, as I know cycling is far more popular in Holland than it is here. I can't think of any top Dutch cyclists at the moment though, but then I know very little about the sport - there always used to be some good Dutch cyclists in the tour.

Pete

We do get extensive coverage here. There is an excellent programme on one of the Dutch channels every night, first they show the highlights then a group sit round talking of the teams and day events- usually where the days race finished.
I actually prefer to watch Eurosport coverage, but can only get Dutch commentary which seems so dull. So I watch it on the internet, or just have the sound and watch the tv, there is about a 30 second time difference which is a pain. Justin.tv - channel.34 Tour~MotoGP - Live Streaming Video This is free and I can watch and listen to the same Eurosport coverage, and in small if I want to use the computer for something else .

[Pete Collins]

I don't have cable, so I only get to see the 1-hour highlights programme (and I've only watched that 2 or 3 times so far). I'll definitely watch it when they're in the mountains - when it used to be on terrestrial TV, I occasionally taped the mountain stages while I was at work and watched them in the evenings or at the week-end.

Yes, I remember the Dutch produced some good climbers! Very odd!

[Bub-les]

Well done to our local lad Mark Cavendish. He's in the British Olympic Team as well.
Barbara

[Paul mabbott]

Whoops

Originally Posted by goosey

He is actually from Luxemburg - but the flags look the same so its not obvious, it's just Luxemburgs looks more washed out

We get Gary Imlach and other people commenting and they're much more interesting (and often funnier) than the panels that you get for other sports.

One of the great things about the Eurosport all-day coverage is that if the race isn't too exciting you can watch the scenery. When David Duffield used to commentate you also got a lot of information about local food and wine specialities: often useful to know these things.....

[Pete Collins]

Yes, Gary Imlach and co are very good - right up there with the best of all sports presenters, IMHO.

And the scenery is certainly one of the reasons I enjoy watching the Tour - not just the countryside but the chateaus and churches and villages.

The first time I went on a mountain walking holiday abroad was in the French Pyrenees in about 1992 or 1993. One day we went over the top of a pass that had been used in a stage in that year's tour. The road was still covered with white writing such as 'Allez Indurain!' and other comments to encourage favourite riders.

[Pete Collins]

Mark Cavendish does it again! Only the second Brit to win two stages of the same tour, apparently.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

Mark Cavendish does it again! Only the second Brit to win two stages of the same tour, apparently.

.. and he's talking about finishing the Tour - which would be quite something: would put him on a par with Erik Zabel. Suggests that in a few years, with a bit of practice () he'll be amongst the top riders.

Bit lumpy yesterday and worse today; I suspect we may get some breaking up of the peoloton today? Will Kirchen go for it?

[Bub-les]

Mark Cavendish does it again! That makes 3. Can he do it again?
Barbara

[coasty]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

That would be great - until there is some sort of UK team then most people in this country won't take notice ...

I dont think even that will make any difference . Take my love fishing the english national coarse fishing team have been very successful in recent years having both Individual and team world champions.
I happend to be in the same hotel In tenerife as the team manager and several team members a few weeks after their success a couple of years ago. I was chatting to them in the Bar and they said I was the only person that knew who they were.

I am afraid that although cycling is a popular pastime over here the people who seriously follow the professional sport are very few in numbers...

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Bub-les

Mark Cavendish does it again! That makes 3. Can he do it again?
Barbara

I should have known you'd be following Mark Cavendish's progress, Barbara, as he's from your part of the world! Yes, I think there are one or two stages left that he could win - who knows, he could even start challenging for the green jersey!

[Bub-les]

Yep most people over here are following his progress!
I'm waiting to see if they change the Isle of Man to something as they did for the singer! But nothing really springs to mind the best so far is "Cav of Man"!
We've known for a while that he's got the potential to go far.
Barbara

[Jez]

Originally Posted by Bub-les

nothing really springs to mind the best so far is "Cav of Man"!

Hows about Cav The Conquerer

[Jez]

This is the best place for me to get coverage ! I can't get sky or freeview due to my location and I don't think I can have cable installed either, which is rather depressing as I really want to follow the Tours

[Pete Collins]

Well, he's done it again! A fourth stage win for Mark Cavendish!

Is that the first time a Brit has won consecutive stages of the Tour?