Cycling - road racing

[Paul mabbott]

Had my first sustained watch of the Giro d'Italia today. Quite interesting but I seldom get the feeling for the Giro that one develops for Le Tour. Especially interesting this year with some big names missing and a particularly 'bumpy' route. Any ideas about likely winners?

Cycling is, apparently, the biggest spectator sport in this country yet it gets very little coverage in the media. I suppose it goes on too long and is too subtle in some ways ...

[Paul mabbott]

So, now the football season is over, there's only the cycling left ... I've no idea what's been happening in the Giro d'Italia over the last few days ... must get down to it and then ....

[goosey]

For the last five years I have totally been addicted to the Tour De France, you can't drag me away from it. I was devistated last year when Jan Ullrich had to pull out the day before the start - my cycling hero!!! I even had my lovely pink T Mobile cap ready and waiting ( not good for bird watching though ) I was the odd one out amongst the Dutch who love it as they are all Rabo Bank or follow Tom Boonen riding for Quick Step.
A bit of bad planning means I will be away this year when it's on and I doubt I'll get to see much of it .

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by goosey

For the last five years I have totally been addicted to the Tour De France, you can't drag me away from it. I was devistated last year when Jan Ullrich had to pull out the day before the start - my cycling hero!!! I even had my lovely pink T Mobile cap ready and waiting ( not good for bird watching though ) I was the odd one out amongst the Dutch who love it as they are all Rabo Bank or follow Tom Boonen riding for Quick Step.
A bit of bad planning means I will be away this year when it's on and I doubt I'll get to see much of it .

That's a great shame - we're actually going to get two days of it in England so I'll be off to Kent for a few days

When I have nothing else to do I shall either follow the Tour around, one year, or, if the weather is good, I'll take the telly out into the back garden, get an unending stock of wine, a few baguettes and some cheeses ..... what more could you want .... the house repairs can always wait...

[Boddie]

I love both tours. When I was Sales and Marketing Director for Brooks I also worked for Fizik, the saddle manufacturer based in Italy. They had Simoni and Cunego racing their saddles and, as we were based in Bassano, the tour often came as close as Marostica, so it was a great opportunity to go over and meet the riders.

What a lot of people dont understand is the etiquette involved in cycling, and how, for example, the pink jersey wearer might ride through his own home town, dismount to give his mum a kiss, the butcher a hug, and the pack will literally stop, so as to not gain advantage.

This, in the middle of a race.

Cycling is a massively complex sport. I could sit for hours and talk about tactics and the strategies involved that you would simply not believe. I am sure Paul and Goosey know exactly what I am talking about.

If you understood cycling in the way I do, and know dout G and PM do, you would probably end up loving it in the way we all evidently do.

[Paul mabbott]

Quite so - there is sometimes a very relaxed and civilised way of dealing with things and, as you say, the etiquette ... although, of course, a thrusting newcomer can throw all of that to the winds and go their own ways ..... a good sign, in many ways - Anquetil and Lemond did it ....

For the audience, ditto - yes, there are exciting sprint finishes (five hours in the saddle on a hot day over the hills by the Med and still some people have the energy to fight it out in a sprint!) but I'm a mountain man - I'm awestruck by these people who can make a sprint halfway up an alp! Haven't seen any great ones since Pantani but there are a lot of newcomers ...

But, by and large, it's a matter of sitting back and taking it all in - at least, courtesy of Eurosport, you can watch the scenery even if nothing is happening at the peloton! I must admit, that I've hartdly ever seen Le Tour live but have spent many enjoyable hours in Parisian and other cafes watching the TV ... it's what keeps me fit

Originally Posted by Boddie

I love both tours. When I was Sales and Marketing Director for Brooks I also worked for Fizik, the saddle manufacturer based in Italy. They had Simoni and Cunego racing their saddles and, as we were based in Bassano, the tour often came as close as Marostica, so it was a great opportunity to go over and meet the riders.

What a lot of people dont understand is the etiquette involved in cycling, and how, for example, the pink jersey wearer might ride through his own home town, dismount to give his mum a kiss, the butcher a hug, and the pack will literally stop, so as to not gain advantage.

This, in the middle of a race.

Cycling is a massively complex sport. I could sit for hours and talk about tactics and the strategies involved that you would simply not believe. I am sure Paul and Goosey know exactly what I am talking about.

If you understood cycling in the way I do, and know dout G and PM do, you would probably end up loving it in the way we all evidently do.

[Boddie]

I spent some time with Pattachi on a boat in Tokyo harbour, a little karaoke cruise, and some of his stories were something else.

I've met Ullrich a few times at the Milan and Freidrichshafen bike shows and he was one cool character.

I'd love to sit and chat with Armstrong - his books are fantastic, very inspirational

[Paul mabbott]

Certainly an interesting race this year - less predictable than ever. I think, maybe, well, hope, that it will be won by un grimpeur pur but who can tell?

Still ther4e are the weird things: Bike and dog collide | Sport | Guardian Unlimited

[Paul mabbott]

Trust North Yorks police to make a mess of it ....

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Tour of Britain is hit by hold-up

[Mr Mag00]

oh good god!! I went to watch some of stage two Yeovil to taunton via exmoor, very good stage shall put up 'photies of Cavendish before he lost the yellow?

[Jez]

I have only had the joy of watching the tour once when it was on channel 4. I can't get digital shame as absolutely loved it commintry an all. i loved the Mountain stage, to sprint up hill with all the crowds getting involved is something else. Sadly this year Wiggins was out. Who is your all time favourite LTDF winner?

[Mr Mag00]

the start at Taunton



the climb out of Exford, you can see im not a 'photo journalist, shame!

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Jez

I have only had the joy of watching the tour once when it was on channel 4. I can't get digital shame as absolutely loved it commintry an all. i loved the Mountain stage, to sprint up hill with all the crowds getting involved is something else. Sadly this year Wiggins was out. Who is your all time favourite LTDF winner?

Me too, Jez. I've really missed watching the Tour de France on Channel 4 - it used to be one of the highlights of the sporting calendar for me.

My favourite winner was Miguel Indurain.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Jez

Who is your all time favourite LTDF winner?

I think it would have to be one of the first three multi-winners - Jacques Anquetil was my favourite when I was a lad but he was a bit picky (about when he'd try and when not ... ) and used all sorts of substances (perfectly legal at the time) so it has to be Hinault or Merckx - this might seem a bit perverse since Indurain and Armstrong won yellow jerseys more often but they didn't win polka-dots or green ones Merckx (both, several times) and Hinault. Also Eddie Merckx won 34 stages (about three times as many as Indurain and twice as many as Armstrong). So Merckx was the best but my favourite - Pantani, Delgado for climbing - I'll probably go for Laurent Fignon - much under-rated, overshadowed by Hinault and just pipped by Lemond in 1989 ....

[Victors Mate]

Photos I took at the cyclists Chapel above Lake Como.

[Mr Mag00]

Highlights of Tour of Britain on Eurosport at 6pm.

[Paul mabbott]

Nice - which is also a reminder of when top cyclists went for Le Tour and the Giro (and a lot of other races). Another reason why I reckon lots of the earlier riders more than Indurain and Armstrong!

Originally Posted by Victors Mate

Photos I took at the cyclists Chapel above Lake Como.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Mr Mag00

Highlights of Tour of Britain on Eurosport at 6pm.

Yes, Eurosport is the only channel that gives anything like "in depth" coverage of cycling - live broadcasts of the big ones (including La Vuelta for the last few weeks) as well as lengthy broadcasts of, for instance, the Tour of Poland. Shame no one could do the Tour of Britain Live .....

[goosey]

After watching the Tour of Britain highlights on BBC2 Sunday afternoon (very enjoyable it was too). Not only do I feel was a real shame we didn't get to see any of it live during the week, but it would have been great to have had, perhaps half an hours highlights every evening. The crowds were out in force and like with the start of the Tour de France this year in Britain, the public were interested and wanted to be a part of it. Lets hope that the TV coverage in future works on supply and demand.
In years to come, I would like to see a few stages in the Lakes or Scotland where we can have our own equivelent to the Mountain stages - to pick out Didi the Devil at each stage would be fun!
T. Mobile are still my team and Jan Ullrich still my hero, but it is even better to have a few Brits in the team .

[goosey]

I have just read in De Volkskrant(Dutch Paper) that T.Mobile maybe stopping their sponsership to the Cycling team although they have a contract until 2010. According to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, T.Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz is giving evedence against his team to get his own 2 year ban reduced. He admitted taking EPO, but stoped in 2006 and was suspeneded during the Tour De France after testing positive for high levels of testosterone! More bad news for the sport .

[Paul mabbott]

Nice pics and evocative of the great names of cycling - and what scenery to be remembered in!

Originally Posted by Victors Mate

Photos I took at the cyclists Chapel above Lake Como.

[Paul mabbott]

Yes, T-mobile need to be squeaky clean. There has been a lot of almost hysterical reaction in Germany at every problem with the team ... rather than commending the action that is taken to stop illicit drug use they (the press and politicos) seem keen to spread the accusations against all cyclists.

Still, as you said in your other mail - it's good to see some teams taking a strong action against doping and to see the popularity of the sport increasing. Sad that the media can't see the fact that there are more people interested in cycle racing than in the vroom-vroom petrol-guzzling pseudo-sports - presumably because cyclists are not big spenders who the advertisers woul like to attract?

Originally Posted by goosey

I have just read in De Volkskrant(Dutch Paper) that T.Mobile maybe stopping their sponsership to the Cycling team although they have a contract until 2010. According to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, T.Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz is giving evedence against his team to get his own 2 year ban reduced. He admitted taking EPO, but stoped in 2006 and was suspeneded during the Tour De France after testing positive for high levels of testosterone! More bad news for the sport .

[Paul mabbott]

Le Grand Depart tomorrow. Shan't be able to see any of the Tour de France this year so have to get the television sorted! Preview tonight on one of the ITV channels - will be useful because I've no idea who's a favourite this year. Would expect a couple of British stage victories?