***Spoiler*** Tour of Britain Stage 5

Pross
Pross Posts: 40,490
edited September 2013 in Pro race
It looks like they may actually get a dry day today although there's a risk they may get caught out. However, there is a strong WSW breeze blowing with speeds around 17 - 18mph gusting to 30mph. Having slogged into this as a head wind this morning on my flat commute trying to keep my speed above 16mph I can confirm it's quite hard going! The riders will therefore have a crosswind virtually all day with the possibility of echelons but the topography may prevent this as the flat sections are fairly sheltered by mountains and the exposed bits will be up and down. The wind could help split things on the top of Storey Arms but the best sections are likely to be over the ranges after the Cwm Owen climb or the early part of the ride before Llanidloes but that may be too early.

Caerphilly Mountain could see the likes of Quintana and Martin having fun again and close enough to the finish to make a difference, I'm off for the afternoon to ride out from Cardiff so hoping for some good action and an atmosphere to match last year's - no doubt Matt Rowe and friends will be livening things up and getting the riders involved. My highlights last year were the back markers enjoying a supply of Welsh Cakes and Navardauskas getting involved in the banter.

As we touched on yesterday, it's a shame they persist in using the Storey Arms climb when there are at least three better routes which wouldn't alter the route significantly but you can't have everything. At least they brought in the Cwm Owen climb last year instead of a flat route into Brecon.
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Comments

  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Pelting it down at the start
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    Light drizzle at the finish (actually a couple of miles away)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    Due to dry up shortly but rain forecast in the finish area around 1pm - should be relatively dry!
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,706
    edited September 2013
    A fairly narrow band of rain moving SE so should clear in due course.

    http://www.raintoday.co.uk/
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Yes but what sort of cheese will there be?
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Got to be the real mccoy, Caerphilly, surely
  • andytee87
    andytee87 Posts: 406
    Planning on heading up to Caerphilly mountain today, aim to get just before the cafe. Anybody know if the Thornhill road is the best option for that? Coming from west of Barry
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    andytee87 wrote:
    Planning on heading up to Caerphilly mountain today, aim to get just before the cafe. Anybody know if the Thornhill road is the best option for that? Coming from west of Barry

    Are you riding or driving? I've driven the last 2 years and I would suggest coming through Thornhill and about 400m before the cafe (200m before the golf club entrance) there is a fairly good size layby at the entrance to a farm on the left. I've parked there 2 years running and there has been no-one else in there, once you get up past the golf club entrance it is crazy with people squeezing into ridiculous gaps on the verge and two years ago it was so bad buses could barely get through. The cafe car park isn't an option unless you get there hours in advance and even then getting out is a nightmare.

    I'm riding up this year so will just ride up the Taff Trail and then across the adjoining cycle route to Caerphilly.
  • andytee87
    andytee87 Posts: 406
    Pross wrote:
    andytee87 wrote:
    Planning on heading up to Caerphilly mountain today, aim to get just before the cafe. Anybody know if the Thornhill road is the best option for that? Coming from west of Barry

    Are you riding or driving? I've driven the last 2 years and I would suggest coming through Thornhill and about 400m before the cafe (200m before the golf club entrance) there is a fairly good size layby at the entrance to a farm on the left. I've parked there 2 years running and there has been no-one else in there, once you get up past the golf club entrance it is crazy with people squeezing into ridiculous gaps on the verge and two years ago it was so bad buses could barely get through. The cafe car park isn't an option unless you get there hours in advance and even then getting out is a nightmare.

    I'm riding up this year so will just ride up the Taff Trail and then across the adjoining cycle route to Caerphilly.

    Going to drive this year, like you say, figure it will be easier getting away from Thornhill side. If it was dry I would have ridden, but it's lashing down in St. Athan at the minute.

    Cheers for the tip on parking
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Pross wrote:
    andytee87 wrote:
    Planning on heading up to Caerphilly mountain today, aim to get just before the cafe. Anybody know if the Thornhill road is the best option for that? Coming from west of Barry

    Are you riding or driving? I've driven the last 2 years and I would suggest coming through Thornhill and about 400m before the cafe (200m before the golf club entrance) there is a fairly good size layby at the entrance to a farm on the left. I've parked there 2 years running and there has been no-one else in there, once you get up past the golf club entrance it is crazy with people squeezing into ridiculous gaps on the verge and two years ago it was so bad buses could barely get through. The cafe car park isn't an option unless you get there hours in advance and even then getting out is a nightmare.

    I'm riding up this year so will just ride up the Taff Trail and then across the adjoining cycle route to Caerphilly.


    Look out for Luke Rowe - he'll be up on the mountain. G might be around there too, by the sound of it.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,812
    edited September 2013
    Pretty sure they will be there. Luke's brother Matt was Santa, two years ago and the boxer, last year.
    Had Geraint's cousin taking scaffolding down off my house on Tuesday.

    Strange old world.

    Weather turning murky and mucky atm, but should be pretty good by coverage start.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    Luke will no doubt be with his brother (who was the nutter with the boxing gloves last year and who will probably be riding it next year as his NFTO team are going Continental, Dean Downing is joining them).
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,812
    Pross wrote:
    Luke will no doubt be with his brother (who was the nutter with the boxing gloves last year and who will probably be riding it next year as his NFTO team are going Continental, Dean Downing is joining them).

    Ha ha, I won. :wink:
    Matt also being Dani King's BF.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    Bollox, raining in Cardiff already - I made the mistake of believing the BBC forecast and have no wet weather kit!
  • andytee87
    andytee87 Posts: 406
    Pross wrote:
    Luke will no doubt be with his brother (who was the nutter with the boxing gloves last year and who will probably be riding it next year as his NFTO team are going Continental, Dean Downing is joining them).

    Good news for NFTO. I noticed the national jersey they made for Downing on twitter.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    andytee87 wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Luke will no doubt be with his brother (who was the nutter with the boxing gloves last year and who will probably be riding it next year as his NFTO team are going Continental, Dean Downing is joining them).

    Good news for NFTO. I noticed the national jersey they made for Downing on twitter.

    1237784_438497196269499_91893487_n.jpg
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Pross wrote:
    Luke will no doubt be with his brother (who was the nutter with the boxing gloves last year and who will probably be riding it next year as his NFTO team are going Continental, Dean Downing is joining them).


    Russ D is (too?), right? I kind of hope the ToB doesnt go up to HC - we wouldnt get to see so many of the British domestic guys riding, which would be a shame
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Hope this mountain stage doesnt end in a sprint. I will not be wasting my time watching any of it though and will stick to looking at the highlights if there are any. TofB do not even have a photos section on their website but they have lots of links selling stuff.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    Doubt it will end in a full sprint, the two ascents of Caerphilly so near the finish will split it up as they did last year. It's not a massive climb but at 1 mile in length and a tad under 10% average it's certainly enough when the race is on. I'm not sure it counts as a mountain stage though to be honest, one decentish climb around half way, a long steady drag that can be ridden on the big ring and then two short, sharp efforts at the end.
  • ContrelaMontre
    ContrelaMontre Posts: 3,027
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Hope this mountain stage doesnt end in a sprint. I will not be wasting my time watching any of it though and will stick to looking at the highlights if there are any. TofB do not even have a photos section on their website but they have lots of links selling stuff.

    Plenty of photos on the Sky and MTN Qhubeka websites..

    ?attachment_id=2418
    Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Luke will no doubt be with his brother (who was the nutter with the boxing gloves last year and who will probably be riding it next year as his NFTO team are going Continental, Dean Downing is joining them).


    Russ D is (too?), right? I kind of hope the ToB doesnt go up to HC - we wouldnt get to see so many of the British domestic guys riding, which would be a shame

    Yep, plus Sam Harrison has signed and Dale Appleby. The team owner is a passionate cyclist / fan and certainly puts the resources in to back a team, even this season they were giving their riders far more than most UK continental teams do.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    ContrelaMontre wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Hope this mountain stage doesnt end in a sprint. I will not be wasting my time watching any of it though and will stick to looking at the highlights if there are any. TofB do not even have a photos section on their website but they have lots of links selling stuff.

    Plenty of photos on the Sky and MTN Qhubeka websites..
    Frenchie probably doesn't approve of the ones on the Sky site. The photographers are always looking at their light meters. They should be taking photos by feel on some 90 year old Hasselblad.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    ContrelaMontre wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Hope this mountain stage doesnt end in a sprint. I will not be wasting my time watching any of it though and will stick to looking at the highlights if there are any. TofB do not even have a photos section on their website but they have lots of links selling stuff.

    Plenty of photos on the Sky and MTN Qhubeka websites..

    ?attachment_id=2418

    Tks. The MTN photos are pretty good.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    frenchfighter wrote:
    ContrelaMontre wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Hope this mountain stage doesnt end in a sprint. I will not be wasting my time watching any of it though and will stick to looking at the highlights if there are any. TofB do not even have a photos section on their website but they have lots of links selling stuff.

    Plenty of photos on the Sky and MTN Qhubeka websites..

    ?attachment_id=2418

    Tks. The MTN photos are pretty good.

    :lol:

    What's with the current avatar Frenchie? Did I miss a duckling winning a race recently? :shock:
  • andytee87
    andytee87 Posts: 406
    Plenty of cars already at the right turn after the cafe. Pretty wet though
  • mechanism
    mechanism Posts: 891
    More photos of rain here http://www.flickr.com/photos/veloshooter/ e.g.
    9815934325_407ec05b07_z.jpg
    I'd like to suggest that Movistar reconsider their choice of wet-weather headwear.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    I'm trying to decide whether to set off at 1pm as planned and stand around getting wet but in a good spot or risk leaving it later to avoid standing around in the rain at the risk of not getting a good view :?
  • andytee87
    andytee87 Posts: 406
    Plenty of cars already at the right turn after the cafe. Pretty wet though
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,932
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Hope this mountain stage doesnt end in a sprint. I will not be wasting my time watching any of it though and will stick to looking at the highlights if there are any. TofB do not even have a photos section on their website but they have lots of links selling stuff.

    How can a man with a baby duck for an avatar be so miserable?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,388
    Awww, Dave got all teary yesterday ;)

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/others ... Wales.html

    Go give him a hug RR
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver

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