Surrey Cycle Classic (i.e. Olympics test run)
Comments
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I was really hoping to collar one one of top organisers and ask them why they have such a fixation with Box Hill and whether they'd consider another climb, but I didn't get the chance :x0
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Short report and even shorter highlights: http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozon ... /1.1087540
Modolo coming very close there...
According to Boonen Farrar and himself crashed, the finale is very hectic (I guess with corners?) and Box Hill harder than he thought ('Ardennes-style'), not necessarily something for sprinters next year..0 -
roberts8 wrote:I was at Boxhill and it was a very flat spectator experience. The race itself was good to watch but the National Trust have nearly achieved what they set out to , that is have nobody on the zigzag, a sad reflection on their attutude, it should have been on another hill. The atmoshere elsewhere sounded great so I will watch on the A24 next year.
Contador is the Greatest0 -
Getty
What awful colours on that lad.
Contador is the Greatest0 -
So Dumoulin comes in only cos Feillu crashed in Poland and take 3rd. Nice work shorty.
Contador is the Greatest0 -
The view from Box Hill:
http://zoom-gordo.blogspot.com/2011/08/ ... -hill.html
Which, apart from the zig-zag bit, looked entirely open to me.Gordo's World of Zoom http://zoom-gordo.blogspot.com/
Those that can, do. Those that can't write about it.0 -
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Yeah I saw the ride out on Putney bridge and back a little further up by Fulham broadway. Was surprised by the attrition - the peloton was certainly smaller than I'd expected by the time they got back with around 6km to go or so. I'm pleased because, if he can stay upright anyway, it might be selective enough for Boonen.
All seemed pretty happy and amicable overall though.
Were a few wingers at broadway, but by and large people seemed quite happy by the side of the road.
Also saw the women's Dutch team take a recce. Got a wave from Vos
Sporza noted in that clip there were no changing rooms provided at the start of any kind of facility, so the riders had to go amateur and change by their cars (which, of course, if 'the rider' is anything to go by, shouldn't be happening!)0 -
I was "lucky enough" to have access to the restricted area on Boxhill. Trust me you missed nothing.
It didn't have a great view or atmosphere, it was a long walk from any facilities and had some god awful PA telling us to be safe because it was an uneven surface literally every 5 minutes. I've never felt so patronised.
The open public areas at the top were much served with better views. I know where I'll be watching next year.0 -
FJS wrote:Short report and even shorter highlights: http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozon ... /1.1087540.
Good old Sporza.0 -
Biaggi wrote:It [...] had some god awful PA telling us to be safe because it was an uneven surface literally every 5 minutes. I've never felt so patronised.
Creating the atmosphere of a typical railway station, where you're constantly warned to look out for suspicious packages. The attitude of British authority seems to be to create a sense of controlled anxiety, a sort of Big Brotherish "do as you're told and be safe".0 -
Biaggi wrote:I was "lucky enough" to have access to the restricted area on Boxhill. Trust me you missed nothing.
It didn't have a great view or atmosphere, it was a long walk from any facilities and had some god awful PA telling us to be safe because it was an uneven surface literally every 5 minutes. I've never felt so patronised.
The open public areas at the top were much served with better views. I know where I'll be watching next year.
What open public areas were those then?
I was on box hill too and agree it wasn't great. Lovely view and safe or my 6 year old to watch though.
The place to be is at the bottom between the roundabout and the righ turn onto the hill. Atmosphere was supposed to have been great today.Blogging about junior road bikes http://junior-road-bikes.tumblr.com0 -
My only complaint on the day was the amount of spectators that ignored requests to keep off the road eventually resulting in taking a rider down near where I was. There was also a complete disrespect for the road closures by cyclists including one club group who decided to head off down the course in the opposite direction to the race after the peleton had passed but before the stragglers from the race or broom wagon had passed! :shock:0
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SLX01 wrote:My only complaint on the day was the amount of spectators that ignored requests to keep off the road eventually resulting in taking a rider down near where I was. There was also a complete disrespect for the road closures by cyclists including one club group who decided to head off down the course in the opposite direction to the race after the peloton had passed but before the stragglers from the race or broom wagon had passed! :shock:
Agreed, I felt sorry for the stragglers fighting through spectators who had started to head off down the road, lots of 'officials' stood around who did nothing to stop this.~~~~~~Sustrans - Join the Movement~~~~~~0 -
Wait what? They allowed people to ride on the course while it was still live and people to encroach and knock riders off but wouldn't let me go home 2 hours after the race passed? Awesome.0
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Good atmosphere in Richmond Park where I was. A slightly overweight middle aged man somehow got on the course just in front of the second peloton and got a huge cheer as he came.
A thought: Next year, could you go to Box Hill to watch and then after they left for the final time, follow the broom wagon along the course? Would be cool to be riding with all the spectators and the course still car-free.0 -
Mdheaton wrote:Good atmosphere in Richmond Park where I was. A slightly overweight middle aged man somehow got on the course just in front of the second peloton and got a huge cheer as he came.
A cycling fan joins the riders in Richmond Park by RozJones, on Flickr0 -
What a nob!Mañana0
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If he tries that at the real Olympics he'll probably get shot by anti-terrorist police."I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)0
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Those shorts! :shock:
He needs to lay off the buns too.0 -
Which one is he again? 0
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pb21 wrote:What a nob!
Anybody checked the Beginners section yet to see if there's a Test Event gatecrasher thread?0 -
I was on The Mall for the start and finish. I have to say, I feel sorry for anyone who has paid to be in there next year. I knew what it'd be like, and it's fine with free tickets... but literally we saw the rider intros, them set off, then the riders coming in to the finish. Probably a few mins of action at most if you see everyone cross the line and not run straight off to get a good spot for the podium celebrations.
That said hopefully they'll have a big screen showing the rest of the race as it happens.
Not sure what we'll do to watch, sounds like it's going to be rammed anywhere along the route.
I know some people don't think a lot of Pat McQuaid, but it's not very good booing him as he's announced to present Cav.0 -
redddraggon wrote:Mdheaton wrote:Good atmosphere in Richmond Park where I was. A slightly overweight middle aged man somehow got on the course just in front of the second peloton and got a huge cheer as he came.
A cycling fan joins the riders in Richmond Park by RozJones, on Flickr
People who look like that should be banned from lycra, its hardly going to aid performance when he's carrying all that flab around with him.0 -
People who look like that should be banned from lycra, its hardly going to aid performance when he's carrying all that flab around with him.
Very harsh. I am sure he know's he is overweight and I expect cycling is to fix that! isn't cycle clothing all about comfort first not really aerodynamics at any level below pro?0 -
thamacdaddy wrote:
People who look like that should be banned from lycra, its hardly going to aid performance when he's carrying all that flab around with him.
Very harsh.
Harsh!? The guy deserves a good hiding for behaving like a complete twat, he could have caused a serious accident injuring a proffesional athlete. I'm sure if he'd taken Cavendish out and ended his season before the World Champs he would have lost a few pounds running from a very large angry mob!0 -
hammerite wrote:I was on The Mall for the start and finish. I have to say, I feel sorry for anyone who has paid to be in there next year. I knew what it'd be like, and it's fine with free tickets... but literally we saw the rider intros, them set off, then the riders coming in to the finish. Probably a few mins of action at most if you see everyone cross the line and not run straight off to get a good spot for the podium celebrations.
That said hopefully they'll have a big screen showing the rest of the race as it happens.
Not sure what we'll do to watch, sounds like it's going to be rammed anywhere along the route.
I know some people don't think a lot of Pat McQuaid, but it's not very good booing him as he's announced to present Cav.
what else would you expect from a road race? they're crap to watch"Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0
