Tour of Ireland

iainf72

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/And ... 37947.html

Reasonable article here - Although I must've missed Franks win at Leige? :shock:

Little Van Poppel? I was a big fan of his dad's in the old days.

timoid.

Genius. He calls his kid Boy.

Rujano is lined up as well. This could be a corker. Rujano flying up Patrick's Hill.

NervexProf

iainf72 wrote:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Andy_and_Frank_Schleck_beef_up_CSCs_team_in_Irish_tour_article_137947.html

Reasonable article here - Although I must've missed Franks win at Leige? :shock:

Little Van Poppel? I was a big fan of his dad's in the old days.

Seventeen Irish Pro's in the field...looking forward to some great results!

LangerDan

Timoid. wrote:

Genius. He calls his kid Boy.

Rujano is lined up as well. This could be a corker. Rujano flying up Patrick's Hill.

Unfortunately, Patricks Hill is too short. A rider like Boonen would probably do better on such a climb. Its the run down back into the city centre that'll be fun - Kelly and Yates were doing 50 mph in the wet on it back in '91?

They've cleared the road furniture at the bottom of the hill so it looks like they'll climb the whole lot this time, but it only adds another 50m or so to the climb.

(I rode the Sean Kelly Tour yesterday and part of the route around Carrick and Clonmel will used on Wednesday for the first stage - should be interesting threading a large bunch through parts of it!)

iainf72

Just so everyone knows. it's on ITV4 from Wednesday, at 19:00 for 30 minutes.

To be sure.

LangerDan

Given the fact that it has the same time slot, good funding, a good field for its first running and proven race organisation, I wonder if the Tour of Ireland will look to take the ProTour slot currently held by the Eneco Tour.

Oh, and the "project director" for the T of I just happens to be the brother of the UCI president.

afx237vi

LangerDan wrote:

Given the fact that it has the same time slot, good funding, a good field for its first running and proven race organisation, I wonder if the Tour of Ireland will look to take the ProTour slot currently held by the Eneco Tour.

Oh, and the "project director" for the T of I just happens to be the brother of the UCI president.

Hmm, but I can't see the Eneco Tour losing its place. It was specifically created by the UCI for the Pro Tour when the Dutch complained they didn't have enough races. See also: Eindhoven TTT.

CM92S4E

Would be awesome to see Tour of Ireland get a Protour space, but quite unlikely unfortunately.

I will be watching both Eneco and Tour of Ireland tomorrow (if the irish one is really on ITV4?)

simon_e

CM92S4E wrote:

Would be awesome to see Tour of Ireland get a Protour space, but quite unlikely unfortunately.

I will be watching both Eneco and Tour of Ireland tomorrow (if the irish one is really on ITV4?)

Tour of Ireland is on ITV4 every weekday evening 7-7:30pm, then 4-5:30pm Saturday and Sunday
.... at least according to the listings.

LangerDan

Just back from the end of the first stage. A breakaway of 10 riders finished over 10 minutes ahead of the field - 9 of the 16 teams competing were represented in the break so much of the racing may be over, bar the shouting. The crowds are definitely smaller than with the old Nissan Classic. Patricks Hill was only 2-3 deep, compared with 5-6 deep 15 years ago. Highlight was some muppet in an official car stalling on the steepest narrowest section of the hill, just ahead of the bunch which had to squeeze up either side of his car. Then when he got going, he nearly ran over the back of the bunch! Hopefully, the TV coverage will pick up some of the abuse hurled at the man. Next time round on the climb, the cars had been pulled out.