Anyone enjoying this TOB more than the Vuelta

specialgueststar
specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
edited September 2012 in Pro race
? :shock:
«13

Comments

  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    The absence of the idolisation and swooning over cruelly-treated :roll: Bertie by all the Spanish fans and media (and by others), makes it more enjoyable for me for sure. That really stuck in my craw.
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    No.

    The ToB isn't a bad little race, but it's not got anywhere near the depth of talent or the parcours of a GT.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    How are they even comparable?
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    ThomThom wrote:
    How are they even comparable?

    Err, they are both bike races? :wink:
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,181
    The thing I like about the ToB (other than actually getting to see a stage live) is seeing them treat the hills that we think of as a challenge on our Sunday clubruns with complete disdain :lol:

    I enjoy it as a race in its own right and it's good to have live coverage (need to work at the production but that will hopefully come with experience and isn't much worse than the Vuelta considering the massive differences in funding!). I would rather see a really top level one dayer in this country though, I think we have the terrain that could produce a very good one day route.
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    I've been enjoying it hugely and can't wait to get up the top of pork Hill on Saturday. I think the tv coverage is great and the competition is pretty good
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Cycling being shown on the big telly is always good.
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    ThomThom wrote:
    How are they even comparable?

    Err, they are both bike races? :wink:

    And that's about it, eh ;)
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    ThomThom wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    ThomThom wrote:
    How are they even comparable?

    Err, they are both bike races? :wink:

    And that's about it, eh ;)

    Yeah, something tells me this photo wasn't taken in Spain...

    Mankinis%20web.jpg
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Some people have no shame and no dignity.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Some people have no shame and no dignity.

    pic307648864_600.jpg

    Agree with you on that one.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Some people have no shame and no dignity.

    {Picture}

    Agree with you on that one.
    :lol::lol::lol::lol: Nicely done.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    You must have a short memory. Let me repeat what happened earlier.

    How are they even comparable?

    Thanks.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Vino2007
    Vino2007 Posts: 340
    Does anyone think it would every be possible to turn the t.o.b into a grand tour comparible race? It's really a matter of landscape isn't it?
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    It could stretch to 10 days to allow it to include some decent climbing along the way but trouble is that no-one in britain really cares ... Cycling is for telly and city centres in the uk ... It's just how it is ... You never se classfulls of schollkids bussed onto the GT routes ...
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,181
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Some people have no shame and no dignity.

    Too right, flesh coloured underwear under a mankini? You have to go commando in those.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,161
    Vino2007 wrote:
    Does anyone think it would every be possible to turn the t.o.b into a grand tour comparible race? It's really a matter of landscape isn't it?

    Was wondering about this. Is there anywhere that could provide a REAL cat 1 climb? Snake pass? Somewhere in Scotland/Wales/Exmoor?
    Related - if the ToB climbs were classified using continental criteria, how many would rank, and where?
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    RichN95 wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Some people have no shame and no dignity.

    {Picture}

    Agree with you on that one.
    :lol::lol::lol::lol: Nicely done.

    Hah - Bitchslap!!! :lol::lol::lol::lol:
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Crankbrother wrote:
    It could stretch to 10 days to allow it to include some decent climbing along the way but trouble is that no-one in britain really cares ... Cycling is for telly and city centres in the uk ... It's just how it is ... You never se classfulls of schollkids bussed onto the GT routes ...

    Milk Race used to be 2 weeks, didn't it?
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    Mad_Malx wrote:
    Was wondering about this. Is there anywhere that could provide a REAL cat 1 climb? Snake pass? Somewhere in Scotland/Wales/Exmoor?

    Bealach Na Ba is a Cat 1 according to Strada: http://app.strava.com/segments/1244832
    http://www.georgesfoundation.org
    http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
    http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    If we spent billions of pounds tarmacing cycling routes over the Scottish and Welsh mountain ranges then we could probably have a good 2-3 week stage race. Until then we'll just have to make do with what are mostly 2km climbs at 20%+ gradients. :wink:
  • keyser__soze
    keyser__soze Posts: 2,067
    I'd love to see the pros race the Fred course :)
    "Mummy Mummy, when will I grow up?"
    "Don't be silly son, you're a bloke, you'll never grow up"
  • nickel
    nickel Posts: 476
    Mad_Malx wrote:
    Vino2007 wrote:
    Does anyone think it would every be possible to turn the t.o.b into a grand tour comparible race? It's really a matter of landscape isn't it?

    Was wondering about this. Is there anywhere that could provide a REAL cat 1 climb? Snake pass? Somewhere in Scotland/Wales/Exmoor?
    Related - if the ToB climbs were classified using continental criteria, how many would rank, and where?

    I don't know about climb classification, but I'd sure love to watch the pros ride Bwlych y groes, Porlock Hill or Hardknott Pass
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    I think Graham Jones has said that at that time of the race calendar the big teams don't want the race made any harder.
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,314
    In previous years there were stories of many of the riders doing Worlds would do extra miles after each ToB stage in prep. Don't know how true it is, but heard that Pozzatto came unstuck in his post-stage attempt to ride from Bideford (N Dev) to Plymouth and got in team car after about 20 miles saying the Italian equivalent of "sod this for a game of soldiers". To be fair to his rep of la-di-da ponceyness, I know those roads extremely well, and they're tough (they'll be doing these roads on stage on Sat).
    I was pleased to hear Dan Martin say last year how shocked some of the riders were when they assessed their power readings for some of the stages - I think they thought the ToB might be considered "active recovery" or something...
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    This race is constantly saved by the UK's shiite climate.
    The wind worked it's magic today.

    Otherwise we would have had 4 breaks go on early climbs.
    Bunch rides tempo, waiting for the usual 60km flat km run in.
    Break caught, sprint finish.

    Roll on the Muur de Caerphilly, by why the couldn't they have sent them up Llangynidr Mountain
    and the Tumble, too?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Nickel wrote:
    Mad_Malx wrote:
    Vino2007 wrote:
    Does anyone think it would every be possible to turn the t.o.b into a grand tour comparible race? It's really a matter of landscape isn't it?
    Was wondering about this. Is there anywhere that could provide a REAL cat 1 climb? Snake pass? Somewhere in Scotland/Wales/Exmoor?
    Related - if the ToB climbs were classified using continental criteria, how many would rank, and where?
    I don't know about climb classification, but I'd sure love to watch the pros ride Bwlych y groes, Porlock Hill or Hardknott Pass
    I think you’d be hard pressed to find many Cat 1 climbs in Britain using the method for classifying climbs in the TdF. They use a formula something like the average % slope squared, times three-quarters the ascent length in km. And if the result is between 250 and 599, then that is a Category 1 climb.

    In theory there are some UK passes which would qualify as Cat 1 according to the formula (e.g Hardknott, Bwlch y Groes, etc) but on the other hand in the TdF, very short climbs are sometimes ‘demoted’ in category because they are considered too short (and Hardknott is probably only 2 km long, Bwlch y Groes just 3 km).

    The Snake Pass would only manage a resultant of about 150 using the above formula, which would make it a Cat 3 climb in the TdF.

    Porlock Hill in Exmoor would be at the top end of a Cat 2 (but might make it into Cat 1, because I think occasionally the TdF organisers shift little-used climbs up or down in category, if a different categorisation fits better into their race plan for that stage).

    I actually think the way the ToB could make its route more challenging is by including more saw-tooth type profiles, series of steep short climb after steep short climb. I don't mean 3-4 steep short climbs like when they went through the Peak District the other day, rather 10-15 such climbs over 100 km on each of a couple of days.
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    I make Bealach na Ba about a 250 so just about a Cat 1 (9km with an average grade of about 6%). It'd only be interesting though if the stage finished on top of the hill.
    More problems but still living....
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,550
    edited September 2012
    The cats in the TdF aren't standardised over the rest of cycling though.

    When you look at the profile for a e.g. Belgian route it's got it's own categorisation, and nothing in Belgium - however short and nasty - is going to get a cat 1 classification by TdF standards.

    Hardknot and Wrynose on the same stage. I'd like to see that. I'd pay double to see them do them from both directions.

    You could easily string together a pretty long ToB that was the equivalent of a series of "Belgian classics". We've even got some cobbles here and there...

    Actually, thinking about it, wouldn't that make for an exciting race? No actual HC mountains means riders need to attack elsewhere rather than saving their matches for a few days in the Alps/Pyrenees.... Throw in a few stages for the sprinters and everyone's happy.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    GP Walonia was excellent.

    Disappointed in this ToB.

    Especially since it's not coming to London. ;). I'm unemployed and everything. Had time to turn up, be a bit nerdy, chat up Jonny in a totally plutonic way and be a smug bastard for an hour or two before retiring to my sofa and boring life sh!t.

    Couple years ago the ToB was alright racing wise.


    Good crowds mind. Probably as many UK fans in 1 week as there are in 3 weeks of Vuelta.
    _

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