2010 ToB route unveiled

2

Comments

  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    GroupOfOne MkII wrote:
    incog24 wrote:
    Have police played any role in the location of the stages?

    Yeah London, because some bloke with a silly hat is in town that day :lol:

    Yeah, Mr Dawkins will be having him arrested. It's going to be a great day
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,821
    I'm more excited about the Tour Series heading to Chester on the 21st of June, but hey hoo, that's just me
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    andyp wrote:
    Last time I checked both Rochdale and Blackpool were in the north of England.


    Yeah - but 'the North-West'. Barely out of the Midlands that!
  • Bhima
    Bhima Posts: 2,145
    Great, looks like I can go and spectate on the Stoke stage again, although I wish they would stop using the same locations and vary it up a bit. There's some amazing roads in the peaks/lakes which are never used.

    Is it all sprint finishes again? No mountaintop finishes or anything? Website wont work for me...
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Bhima wrote:
    Great, looks like I can go and spectate on the Stoke stage again, although I wish they would stop using the same locations and vary it up a bit. There's some amazing roads in the peaks/lakes which are never used.

    Is it all sprint finishes again? No mountaintop finishes or anything? Website wont work for me...

    Depends how many times they go up Constitution Hill...
  • Tusher
    Tusher Posts: 2,762
    WHAT??

    Where are the Scottish stages? And I did mean plural.

    Cracking roads, cracking scenery, good range of hotels, and lots of sheep to watch them go past.

    What more could they ask for?

    Anyway, when was the last time the TofB came north of the Central Belt?
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    SparkyP wrote:
    Tour of WHERE?? :)



    Tour of England mate .........oh i know it goes into Wales but thats basically Western England anyway :wink:
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    Tusher wrote:
    WHAT??

    Where are the Scottish stages? And I did mean plural.

    Cracking roads, cracking scenery, good range of hotels, and lots of sheep to watch them go past.

    What more could they ask for?

    Anyway, when was the last time the TofB came north of the Central Belt?

    Dont think it has ever been North of Glasgow in recent years indeed iirc the Milk Race which was often called the TOB rarely if at all entered Scotland. We once had our own Milk Race i was only a boy at the time 1971 but i was at the start of stage 2 at Arbroath (my old man was a big cycling fan) and for some reason i have vague recollections of it.

    http://www.veloresults.co.uk/2007/10/wh ... eur-years/
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • Tusher
    Tusher Posts: 2,762
    We should have a Tour d'Ecosse. That'll show them.
    :twisted:
  • Tusher
    Tusher Posts: 2,762
    Have I got the right emoticon for superior gleeful wickedness there?
  • Tusher
    Tusher Posts: 2,762
    And we would include the Barra to Lewis time trial to please His Nibbs.
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    RichN95 wrote:
    neilmacd wrote:
    Tur of Britain - Tour of England and Wales more like.
    Understand the need for minimising transfers where possible but bit of a misnomer methinks.

    It's been to Scotland in each of the last five editions and on four occasions a stage has started or finished in Glasgow. But miss one year and it's boo hoo hoo. Don't you think you're being a little greedy?

    To be fair its barely scrathed the surface into Scotland ,thats like saying a stage in Cornwall every year is covering England
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    I'd like to have seen a route through the Chilterns. I guess the woods would make for rubbish overheads, but you could have them starting in Oxford, doing a bit of flat down the high st, get them up headington hill where a break would defo go and then ping them up and down the Chilterns. Think that would be a great stage.
    http://www.georgesfoundation.org
    http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
    http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Moray Gub wrote:
    To be fair its barely scrathed the surface into Scotland ,thats like saying a stage in Cornwall every year is covering England

    To be even fairer, it's been within a hour's travel of 80% of Scotland's population for each of the past five years. It's been to Wales once - six years ago.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Tusher
    Tusher Posts: 2,762
    So, what we really want is a Tour of Britain that takes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland one year, leaving England completely out of it.

    I like.
  • Snorebens
    Snorebens Posts: 759
    I am amazed the London stage will be set in Newham... appreciate that the Pope's in town which scuppers central London but why not Richmond to Box Hill and back or Highgate/Hampstead hills? I guess Newham were up for it but the backdrops of Canning Town, West Ham, City Airport and Stratford will look particularly dreary - and they better start fixing the pot holes now if they want to race in September
  • incog24
    incog24 Posts: 549
    Why couldn't the ToB start in Scotland and work its way down into England and then Wales? You could have short transfers all the way surely and make everyone happy...
    Racing for Fluid Fin Race Team in 2012 - www.fluidfin.co.uk
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    I think some of us need to take stock a bit, the tour of Britain appears to be relatively stable and attracts top teams. Considering the route screw ups that the tour had in its first few years (remember Tom Boonen et all getting lost!) we should probably celebrate the fact that its still here...
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • fungus_the_muffin_man
    fungus_the_muffin_man Posts: 1,608
    Well i'm quite chuffed I get to watch the first day from Rochdale to Blackpool. Then the second day in stoke. I'll have to book the 2 days off and organise a ride out to watch the tour swing on past :D
    Bianchi. There are no alternatives only compromises!
    I RIDE A KONA CADABRA -would you like to come and have a play with my magic link?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Bradleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee now saying he's going to ride.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    It should be sponsored by National Express, it's more a coach tour of Britain than a bike race.
  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    I've found some detailed route maps

    http://road.cc/category/image-galleries/tour-britain-2010
  • Rodrego Hernandez
    Rodrego Hernandez Posts: 1,436
    I take it that those of you complaining about the route have also written to your local councils asking them why they are not inviting the ToB this year?

    I know it is a difficult concept to grasp for some of you but the ToB doesn't just pick a route they fancy riding and then just turn up and erect stage finishes and starts.

    The local councils pay the ToB to visit and if these towns are a long distance apart then that's just the way it goes.

    Complain to the people who can do something about it rather than just moan on a forum!!
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    Wot Rodrego said +34567123
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • fastercyclist
    fastercyclist Posts: 396
    GroupOfOne MkII wrote:
    I've found some detailed route maps

    http://road.cc/category/image-galleries/tour-britain-2010

    Thanks for that, now know where I'm going to watch stage 4 from :D

    Need to work out where the biggest climb over dartmoor on stage 5 is though, I'll wait at the top with some ice cream :D
    The British Empire never died, it just moved to the Velodrome
  • flattythehurdler
    flattythehurdler Posts: 2,314
    IMO, the stages are far too long. If it is cold and wet, as it often is, it will just lead to a pissed off miserable peloton. They should run short stages with a few hills and then a town centre criterium type few laps finish for each stage. What is the point in aping a GT route when the weather is likely rubbish, the traffic a nightmare, the scenery often poor, and the routes by and large flattish and dull. Few few spectators are going to line up in the sticks to watch this. A route as above would be far better. It would be easy to have say 100k stages with some early and mid climbs to break things up a bit, and then a few town centre laps to finish. You could have a cracking day like that in almost all major cities and towns, and the councils might be more interested in an evening lap race finish. The riders would prefer it Im sure, as would the general population.
    Dan
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,821
    The stages in East Anglia could be interesting if there's wind around. They are going along the coast after all, and IIRC that road is windy
  • Rodrego Hernandez
    Rodrego Hernandez Posts: 1,436
    flattythehurdler wrote:
    IMO, the stages are far too long. If it is cold and wet, as it often is, it will just lead to a pissed off miserable peloton. They should run short stages with a few hills and then a town centre criterium type few laps finish for each stage. What is the point in aping a GT route when the weather is likely rubbish, the traffic a nightmare, the scenery often poor, and the routes by and large flattish and dull. Few few spectators are going to line up in the sticks to watch this. A route as above would be far better. It would be easy to have say 100k stages with some early and mid climbs to break things up a bit, and then a few town centre laps to finish. You could have a cracking day like that in almost all major cities and towns, and the councils might be more interested in an evening lap race finish. The riders would prefer it Im sure, as would the general population.

    Apart from - I know it is a difficult concept to grasp for some of you but the ToB doesn't just pick a route they fancy riding and then just turn up and erect stage finishes and starts.

    Many town centres have now been pedestrianised so a town centre finish is impractical but let us know what your local authority says in reply to your letter.
  • greeny12
    greeny12 Posts: 759
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    The stages in East Anglia could be interesting if there's wind around. They are going along the coast after all, and IIRC that road is windy

    You're not wrong - that coast road through Hunstanton, Sheringham etc will remind the riders of their worst echelon experiences in Holland. Look for Rabo/Topsport to make hay there I reckon.
    My cycle racing blog: http://cyclingapprentice.wordpress.com/

    If you live in or near Sussex, check this out:
    http://ontherivet.ning.com/
  • eh
    eh Posts: 4,854
    have them starting in Oxford, doing a bit of flat down the high st, get them up headington hill where a break would defo go and then ping them up and down the Chilterns.

    What?? Is that a joke, Headington hill wouldn't even split a Cat 3/4 race. As for the riding in the Chilterns they pretty much did, route went from somewhere like Milton Keynes down via Pangbourne (& Streatley) to somewhere I forget.

    Now Aberdeen to Aviemore via the Lecht and with the finish up Cairngorm mountain, now that would be a proper moutain route :D

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