Tour of Ireland - will contain spoilers (eventually)

LangerDan

I suppose I can claim a Paddys perogative and kick off a thread for the Tour of Ireland, which starts tomorrow (Friday).
The final start list is available here: http://www.tourofireland.ie/media/stage ... r_list.pdf

The Irish national squad have not named a replacement for Paul Healion who was tragically killed last Sunday.
Bert Grabsch has pulled out due to bronchitis, or he might just have seen the weather for the week-end.
The forecast for the next few days is proper Irish Summer weather. Lots of rain tomorrow, mainly dry on Saturday but windy. Sunday, which finishes on the St. Patricks Hill circuit in cork is looking like a right stinker, with heavy rain for much of the day. Probably a day for a small break to the finish circuit with everyone else climbing into the team cars

Occasionally, there are threads on BR about the lack of black racers in the peloton. The MTN team from South Africa features Adrien Niyonshuti from Rwanda. ( Turns out his coach in Rwanda was none other than Jonathan "Jock" Boyer).
( www.tourofireland.ie/news.php )


Event Website: www.tourofireland.ie

TV Coverage:
RTÉ transmission times
Friday 21st August: 7.30 - 8.30pm
Saturday 22nd August: 7.00 - 8.00pm
Sunday 23rd August: 8.00 - 9.00pm

ITV4 (UK and Satellite/Cable)
Friday 21st August: 7.00 - 8.00pm, (Repeat Saturday 22nd August: 1.00 - 2.00pm)
Saturday 22nd August: 8.00 - 9.00pm, (Repeat Sunday 23rd August: 1.00 - 2.00pm)
Sunday 23rd August: 7.00 - 8.00pm, (Repeat Monday 24th August: 1.00 - 2.00pm)
Monday 24th August (overall highlights): 7.00 - 8.00pm, (Repeat Tuesday 25th August: 1.00 - 2.00pm)

(Warning - If Jimmy Magee is doing the commentary with Phil Liggett, rip the speakers out of your telly now. He is appalling.)

I don't know yet if www.irishcycling.com are doing live updates on the website as they do for the Rás

paulcuthbert

Wish I could afford the train fair down to Enniskerry, and I'm gutted that I'll have missed the Lance show twice in the same week- but I'm going to be watching on ITV4 nonetheless!

DaveyL

There's also a Tour of Ireland app for the iPhone (it's free and it's nothing to do with Livestrong ). Promisiing live updates and behind the scenes stuff. Have uploaded it and will see how it pans out.

I was really hoping something like this would come out for the Tour - the US Open, the USPGA, the Ashes and Wimbledon all seem to have managed iPhone apps. A TdF one would be excellent.

DaveyL

I spoke too soon. There is a link on the app to the Livestrong summit!

The app *is* free though...

paulcuthbert

iPhones are so easy to annoy people with. If someone's texting, just wipe their screen and it disrupts everything.

Really gets to the yuppies on the train!

DaveyL

Thank you for that.

afx237vi

LangerDan wrote:

Occasionally, there are threads on BR about the lack of black racers in the peloton. The MTN team from South Africa features Adrien Niyonshuti from Rwanda. ( Turns out his coach in Rwanda was none other than Jonathan "Jock" Boyer).
( www.tourofireland.ie/news.php )

Wow, what a story. Hope he does well.

Been watching the athletics from Berlin, and whenever I watch the long distance races, I can't help but wonder what the Kenyans or the Ethiopians would do to cycling if there were a group of them taking the sport seriously, and given the right training and equipment etc. Some of the guys running around in circles on track make Contador look like he's clinically obese.

There was a story last year about some guy from Singapore who went to Kenya to look for cyclists, and one of them did an amazing time up Alpe d'Huez, but I don't recall there being any follow up.

There's also a 20 year old Eritrean, Daniel Teklehaimanot, who won the Ain-Jura French amateur classic earlier this year:

http://www.directvelo.com/direct-velo/a ... ement.html

He had a trial with Amore e Vita last year and finished as the best African in the Tour Ivoirien de la Paix (1 place ahead of Nicolas Roche, to bring this post at least a little back on topic).

Hopefully some of these riders will get pro contracts in the next few years. What'll be first... a British Tour winner or an African one?

LangerDan

For those that don't have iPhones, there will be updates from www.irishcycling.com from approximately 10:15am.

General concensus on the radio this morning is that it will either all be over after today, or will go down to the wire on the finishing circuits in Cork on Sunday. Given thats exactly how the last two editions finished (break with 13 minute gap after first day in 2007, Pinotti going for a flyer in the last 20km in 2008) its not exactly a massive leap into the unknown.

moray_gub

paulcuthbert wrote:

iPhones are so easy to annoy people with. If someone's texting, just wipe their screen and it disrupts everything.

Really gets to the yuppies on the train!

Getting the last train back from Edinburgh tonight so i think ill try that and let you know how i get on

For Langer why is the TOI only three days this year ?

moray_gub

afx237vi wrote:

LangerDan wrote:

Been watching the athletics from Berlin, and whenever I watch the long distance races, I can't help but wonder what the Kenyans or the Ethiopians would do to cycling if there were a group of them taking the sport seriously, and given the right training and equipment etc. Some of the guys running around in circles on track make Contador look like he's clinically obese.

Yea there was a guy in the 10,000 metres that the amazing Bikele won the other day when he took his top of he was a bag of bones didnt look healthy at all. But put these guys on a track and they are something else.

iainf72

Moray Gub wrote:

For Langer why is the TOI only three days this year ?

Financial reasons.

frenchfighter

Thanks for the detailed info LD.

Really pleased about the Rwandan rider - I cannot wait until we see some of those guys slugging it out on the Pro Tour circuit.

There was this fascinating article in the Guradian about the Rwandan National Team - it was a great read and showed that there is some serious talent.

You can read it here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/ma ... cling-team

As for this stage - almost a forgone conclusion for Cav.

LangerDan

iainf72 wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

For Langer why is the TOI only three days this year ?

Financial reasons.

Before the conspriacy theorists get hold of this and assume there is no money left 'cos it is all being given to LA in un-marked, non-sequential bills, I believe that the previous (Lance-less) editions put a considerable hole in the sponsors coffers. Given the fact that the Irish economy is in the can and the key sponsor is the state tourist board, there just isn't the money there full stop, LA or no LA.

Certain aspects of the race itself are pricey too - the event runs with rolling road closures but the circuit on Sunday requires the complete closure of about 15km of roads around the city for several hours. The local council loves to charge for road closures.

ednwireland

LangerDan wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

For Langer why is the TOI only three days this year ?

Financial reasons.

Before the conspriacy theorists get hold of this and assume there is no money left 'cos it is all being given to LA in un-marked, non-sequential bills, .

i beleive in the conspiracy

mind i live here and have never seen the tour it has nver been neare than 3 hours drive from where i live (so i hate the organisers that think there is no ireland above a line drawn from dublin to galway)

LangerDan

ednwireland wrote:

[mind i live here and have never seen the tour it has nver been neare than 3 hours drive from where i live (so i hate the organisers that think there is no ireland above a line drawn from dublin to galway)

Thats cos there isn't anything worth showing to the Yanks north of that line. When the choice is between coverage of the scenery around Killarney and some shot of endless bogs and the local goat-touchers, the choice is simple.

Meanwhile Jay Thomson of the MTN squad, (team mate of Adrien Niyonshuti referred to above) is off the front with a six minute lead.

paulcuthbert

ednwireland wrote:

LangerDan wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

For Langer why is the TOI only three days this year ?

Financial reasons.

Before the conspriacy theorists get hold of this and assume there is no money left 'cos it is all being given to LA in un-marked, non-sequential bills, .

i beleive in the conspiracy

mind i live here and have never seen the tour it has nver been neare than 3 hours drive from where i live (so i hate the organisers that think there is no ireland above a line drawn from dublin to galway)

That's not the organisers fault. You better go back to the 1920 and start complaining about the Partition of Ireland if you want to start discussing that.

Or just blame oil barons for bringing about the onslaught of the Recession.

Yeah... it's all a conspiracy :shock:

aarw

From the BBC:

"A delegation from Northern Ireland's Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has travelled to witness the start of the race, and the organisers hope Northern Ireland will be included on the race's route in the future."

Would have thought soem of th climbs in Donegal would have made for good racing and good for the tourist board also???

All money i guess. Also hard to fit in everywhere over 3 days.

Won't hold my breath on it coming taht far north though.

shockedsoshocked

Is anyone else relishing the idea (even if it is very remote) of an Elliot/Armstrong head to head?

LangerDan

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

Is anyone else relishing the idea (even if it is very remote) of an Elliot/Armstrong head to head?

I can just imagine.
Musettes full of Complan and Wurthers Originals.

Trying to outdo each other with stories of how it was in the "good old days" and how the problem with old age is every bone in the body gets stiff -except one.

Lance attacking up Patricks Hill, only for Malcolm to pass him on a Stannah Stairlift

Armstrong calling Eliiot "old" and Malcolm telling Lance he's not too big to be put over Elliots knee and spanked.

aarw

18 year old irish rider Philip Lavery up the road chasing! nice......

aarw

From Shane Stoke on Irishcycling.com:

14.26: Lavery has joined and overtaken Thomson! He continues alone…he is already ten seconds ahead.

The main bunch is two minutes 48 seconds back. Super performance by Lavery, who is one of three talented first year seniors on the Irish team.

as i said...nice.... 8)

LangerDan

Peleotn split into 3 groups, 24 riders off the front, including Lance but no Cav

Marco Pinotti, Morris Possoni (Columbia HTC), Lance Armstrong, Janez Brajkovic, Jose Luis Rubiera, Haimar Zubeldia (Astana), Stuart O’Grady, Jakob Fuglsang, Karsten Kroon, Matti Breschel, Alexander Kolobnev (Saxo Bank), Philip Deignan, Gabriel Rasch, Daniel Lloyd (Cervélo Test Team), Andrey Grivko, Igor Abakoumov, Denys Kostyuk (ISD – Neri), Russell Downing (Candi TV – Marshall’s Pasta), Mathias Frank, Florian Stalder (BMC Racing Team), Frederik Wilman, Lars Peter Nordhaug (Joker Bianchi) and Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank).

2 minute lead and 25km. to go Can't see Colombia chaisng this down to get Cav up for the sprint

LangerDan

two and a half minutes with 15 km to go.

LangerDan

The group stayed away and lots of attacks in the last 10km

Russel Downing takes the stage

andyp

Great win for him. He beat some top quality riders there.

aarw

He likes these Irish road eh?

LangerDan

He did the same last year. I think that his team will struggle to keep the race contained over the next two days. If he makes it through to Sunday in yellow, it'll be deja vu - riding his ring out while Colombia beat him up ans take the race on the final stage.

Where was that "Cav" guy you've all been harping on about? He mustn't be much good - several minutes down on a flat stage. Maybe he's a climber?

paulcuthbert

aarw wrote:

From the BBC:

"A delegation from Northern Ireland's Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has travelled to witness the start of the race, and the organisers hope Northern Ireland will be included on the race's route in the future."

Would have thought soem of th climbs in Donegal would have made for good racing and good for the tourist board also???

All money i guess. Also hard to fit in everywhere over 3 days.

Won't hold my breath on it coming taht far north though.

Shame it's not this year. I live in Paisley 9 months of the year and Co. Down the other 3 when I am at Uni. Just so happened my idol was in Paisley the other day... so would have been nice to see him racing through my home country, but oh well.

There are some good roads through the Mournes too. Tough for the average rider, but probably breakfast for the pros. Still, would slow them down a little. And would be great to see.

They could do a 2003 TdF style route- start and end in the same city. Dublin > then North through the Mournes to Belfast > then all around the Antrim coast to Derry > then through Donegal down to Sligo > then down the west coast > then the south > then back to Dublin

I think I'm dreaming!

rockmount

paulcuthbert wrote:

Shame it's not this year. I live in Paisley 9 months of the year and Co. Down the other 3 when I am at Uni. Just so happened my idol was in Paisley the other day... so would have been nice to see him racing through my home country, but oh well.

Here's a pic for you (Mount Leinster)...

capilinconnemara

paulcuthbert wrote:

aarw wrote:

Shame it's not this year. I live in Paisley 9 months of the year and Co. Down the other 3 when I am at Uni. Just so happened my idol was in Paisley the other day... so would have been nice to see him racing through my home country, but oh well.

There are some good roads through the Mournes too. Tough for the average rider, but probably breakfast for the pros. Still, would slow them down a little. And would be great to see.

They could do a 2003 TdF style route- start and end in the same city. Dublin > then North through the Mournes to Belfast > then all around the Antrim coast to Derry > then through Donegal down to Sligo > then down the west coast > then the south > then back to Dublin

I think I'm dreaming!

That would be a great route in an ideal world.Cork is now the Queen stage so it will alwas go there. But Lance made a few comments about the Rough Twisty Undulating roads so I reckon the whole thing will be up North on their good roads next year if they want him to comeback

ednwireland

paulcuthbert wrote:

ednwireland wrote:

LangerDan wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

For Langer why is the TOI only three days this year ?

Financial reasons.

Before the conspriacy theorists get hold of this and assume there is no money left 'cos it is all being given to LA in un-marked, non-sequential bills, .

i beleive in the conspiracy

mind i live here and have never seen the tour it has nver been neare than 3 hours drive from where i live (so i hate the organisers that think there is no ireland above a line drawn from dublin to galway)

That's not the organisers fault. You better go back to the 1920 and start complaining about the Partition of Ireland if you want to start discussing that.

Or just blame oil barons for bringing about the onslaught of the Recession.

Yeah... it's all a conspiracy :shock:

hey i still live in the south there's a the top left bit thats still the south (as it were)

good days racing mind

inspired to go up glengesh pass tomorrow (aaah 100km on near empty roads !)