Tour of Britain 2014

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  • Englishmanabroad
    Englishmanabroad Posts: 14
    8.8km TT this morning and an 88km circuit race this afternoon
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    RichN95 wrote:
    Wiggins wins the TT comfortably. Chavanel second, Cummings third. Van Baarle retains the lead.
    Stage 8a Results
    GBR 1 WIGGINS, Bradley (SKY) 9:50
    FRA 2 CHAVANEL, Sylvain (IAM CYCLING) + 8
    GBR 3 CUMMINGS, Stephen (BMC RACING) + 9
    CZE 4 BARTA, Jan (NETAPP - ENDURA) + 14
    AUT 5 BRANDLE, Matthias (IAM CYCLING) + 15
    POL 6 KWIATKOWSKI, Michal (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP) + 16
    IRL 7 MULLEN, Ryan (AN POST - CHAIN REACTION) + 20
    GBR 8 DOWSETT, Alex (MOVISTAR)
    DEN 9 JUUL JENSEN, Christopher (TINKOFF-SAXO) + 24
    SUI 10 KOHLER, Martin (BMC RACING) + 25
    NED 11 VAN BAARLE, Dylan (GARMIN SHARP)
    ITA 12 BOARO, Manuele (TINKOFF-SAXO) + 26
    ESP 13 IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, Jon (MOVISTAR)
    DEN 14 HANSEN, Lasse Norman (GARMIN SHARP) + 28
    GBR 15 CAVENDISH, Mark (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP)
    GER 16 KITTEL, Marcel (GIANT-SHIMANO) + 29
    CZE 17 KONIG, Leopold (NETAPP - ENDURA) + 30
    NZL 18 BAUER, Jack (GARMIN SHARP)
    SVK 19 VELITS, Peter (BMC RACING) + 31
    NED 20 DEKKER, Thomas (GARMIN SHARP)
    AUS 21 HAUSSLER, Heinrich (IAM CYCLING) + 32
    IRL 22 ROCHE, Nicolas (TINKOFF-SAXO)
    NED 23 TIMMER, Albert (GIANT-SHIMANO) + 34
    BEL 24 VERMOTE, Julien (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP) + 35
    GBR 25 SWIFT, Ben (SKY)
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,898
    So, basically, the race is already won by 1 second.
    Mechanicals or an act of God, aside.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,175
    Kittel edges Cavendish in the last stage. Ruffoni right up there with them. Renshaw probably more help to Kittel than Cavendish.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • peat
    peat Posts: 1,242
    edited September 2014
    Great tour. Really enjoyed this one (It helped that it swung through my hometown) and find a week a good length of time to be able to keep track. The Vuelta is amazing and all, but I've kind of drifted off, as i do with Le Tour.

    The ToB podium presentation girl is a delight too.
  • LJK94
    LJK94 Posts: 18
    great last stage! This tour has seen some very aggressive riding!
  • rickyrider
    rickyrider Posts: 294
    SoloSuperia wrote:
    poor old Hugh, doesn't know where he is or which rider is which half the time.
    Apologies Rant Over.

    I'm full of respect for everything he's done for cycling over the years, but he just shouldn't be commentating any more, it's getting quite embarrassing.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,886
    Nice to see a proper man against man straight line, clean sprint. Cav seemed to lack his old second kick but given his recent injury and, as Maggy pointed out, the amount of work he's been doing for Kwiatowski over the last few days he did well to get so close. I think Renshaw messed up a bit though, he should have either taken a real flyer to force Kittel to chase or pulled off early to leave him in the wind for a lot longer. The Bardiani rider did well to be so close to the other two and he was closing fast.

    It's been a very good edition of the race, a well balanced route has led to a regular changes of leadership and left the final GC up for grabs right to the end. My only negative would be that the 'queen stage' was too early in the race and it would have been nice if had been on the weekend.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    So are we agreed that reduced teams make for improved racing?
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,175
    Six different leaders in a week long stage race must be some sort of record.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Art Vandelay
    Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
    Good week's worth of racing. There was talk that Dowsett and his fellow breakaways had some motorbike assistance (esp before TV coverage started) as the bunch were working hard early in the stage to limit the time gap but saw the gap expand by about 2 mins. Probably not intentional but the motorbikes are offering too much assistance in general.

    At yesterday's stage the bunch weren't aware Van Baarle and Konovalovas were still out in front so Kwiatek should have won this if the race information was more accurate.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    So the no name rider wins this Tour? Good for him I suppose, hopefully he does something next year. Would have liked the aggressive Kwiatek to win. Haven't watched any of the race other than a few km from Vermote's win.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Art Vandelay
    Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
    frenchfighter wrote:
    So the no name rider wins this Tour? Good for him I suppose, hopefully he does something next year. Would have liked the aggressive Kwiatek to win. Haven't watched any of the race other than a few km from Vermote's win.

    I'm sure when he joins Tinkoff he'll be one of your boys FF :wink:
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Art Vandelay wrote:
    At yesterday's stage the bunch weren't aware Van Baarle and Konovalovas were still out in front so Kwiatek should have won this if the race information was more accurate.

    1 min is a ton of time to take back by 15 riders or so. They looked like they were going flat out to distance Dowsett. Or were they soft pedalling for a good long while before that?
    Contador is the Greatest
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    frenchfighter wrote:
    So the no name rider wins this Tour? Good for him I suppose, hopefully he does something next year. Would have liked the aggressive Kwiatek to win. Haven't watched any of the race other than a few km from Vermote's win.

    Pretty ridiculous statement. He's a neo-pro who's come from the Rabo development team. Of course he isn't a headline name yet. Behind the podium today Wiggo and Kwiat were all giving him the respect he's due. Look out for him to do more.
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Art Vandelay wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    So the no name rider wins this Tour? Good for him I suppose, hopefully he does something next year. Would have liked the aggressive Kwiatek to win. Haven't watched any of the race other than a few km from Vermote's win.

    I'm sure when he joins Tinkoff he'll be one of your boys FF :wink:

    Haha is that confirmed? Im not a fan of Dutch riders in general as they seem to be a lot of them and all hype and little substance.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Art Vandelay
    Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Art Vandelay wrote:
    At yesterday's stage the bunch weren't aware Van Baarle and Konovalovas were still out in front so Kwiatek should have won this if the race information was more accurate.

    1 min is a ton of time to take back by 15 riders or so. They looked like they were going flat out to distance Dowsett. Or were they soft pedalling for a good long while before that?

    OPQS weren't working as hard as they could of as Vermote was ahead and thought Kwiatek was looking good in the bunch.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    phil s wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    So the no name rider wins this Tour? Good for him I suppose, hopefully he does something next year. Would have liked the aggressive Kwiatek to win. Haven't watched any of the race other than a few km from Vermote's win.

    Pretty ridiculous statement. He's a neo-pro who's come from the Rabo development team. Of course he isn't a headline name yet. Behind the podium today Wiggo and Kwiat were all giving him the respect he's due. Look out for him to do more.

    One of a list as long of as the euro tunnel who show little. Might be a decent rider but I'd prefer someone of note to win unless the guy won with a great move.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,886
    All the best riders were once 'no name' riders. Last season people were saying 'Kwia who?' and he has been one of the riders of the season this year. Consistency is the way you win stage races. If they were won on aggressive riding alon then Dowsett would have taken the GC.
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    frenchfighter wrote:

    One of a list as long of as the euro tunnel who show little. Might be a decent rider but I'd prefer someone of note to win unless the guy won with a great move.

    You're pretty obsessive about the sport, no-one doubts that, but your love of the sport is pretty plastic. Do you actually get out to many races or just watch on the TV and hunt for pretty photos on the internet? By your definition Vincenzo Nibali was a bit of a no-name who showed little when he was young.
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
    Brilliant weather, racing, scenery, standard and turnout.

    tob14-st6-Dowsett-Yellow-630x419.jpg

    Real gutsy riding from Alex Dowsett and other protagonists.
  • frisbee
    frisbee Posts: 691
    6 man teams and great stage routes made it a cracking race.

    Impressive crowds and the double stage on the last day was a nice touch.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,016
    Pross wrote:
    Nice to see a proper man against man straight line, clean sprint. Cav seemed to lack his old second kick but given his recent injury and, as Maggy pointed out, the amount of work he's been doing for Kwiatowski over the last few days he did well to get so close. I think Renshaw messed up a bit though, he should have either taken a real flyer to force Kittel to chase or pulled off early to leave him in the wind for a lot longer. The Bardiani rider did well to be so close to the other two and he was closing fast.

    It's been a very good edition of the race, a well balanced route has led to a regular changes of leadership and left the final GC up for grabs right to the end. My only negative would be that the 'queen stage' was too early in the race and it would have been nice if had been on the weekend.

    Spot on I would say.
    Cav briefly had his nose in front but couldn't hold it, which doesn't happen often at that point in the race.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    I missed all the TdF action this summer as I had a ridiculous amount of work to do, so I wasn't going to miss today. Got amongst the team buses as the time trial started. Saw some of the riders warming up, milling about and heading off/back from their rides. The teams were very generous, Jnr came away from the NFTO bus with a nice little musette with a Camelbak bottle, hat, signed photo and fridge magnet in. He was holding the barrier tape up for the Movistar guys as they were shuttling wheels to the team car, so they gave him a t-shirt.

    Wandered along the Embankment to watch some of the TT. Then went for back to the same spot for the race. The racing in itself wasn't fantastic today when stood by the road, but I was never expecting it to be. Still a good day out.
    Took the parents out for the day, funniest moment was Mum saying "oh, that riders pulled over, has he got a puncture?"... "no Mum I think he's having a pee".
  • narbs
    narbs Posts: 593
    frenchfighter wrote:
    So the no name rider wins this Tour? Good for him I suppose, hopefully he does something next year. Would have liked the aggressive Kwiatek to win. Haven't watched any of the race other than a few km from Vermote's win.

    I know you like to have a joke, but why bother commenting when you've not watched any of it?

    And as pross says, Kwiatkowski would have been a "no-name" in your eyes last year.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Superb sport for access to superheroes. Special thanks to the Belkin representatives for their excellent after-sales service. Unfortunately a rampant lion ran off with my Wiggo banner before I got a pic.

    24eakax.jpg
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • southdownswolf
    southdownswolf Posts: 1,525
    Here are a few pictures of Alex Peters crashing yesterday.

    Heading into a 90deg corner on the aero bars at about 35-40mph...
    15248828095_4232bf189d_z.jpg

    I think he realises it's a corner...
    15062154660_9cb1e9e106_z.jpg

    Too late, panic sets in...
    15225841696_c5eafc8532_z.jpg

    Ooops..
    15062160720_8379f0c993_z.jpg

    Can I have a new wheel please? What do you mean the team car has gone?
    15248450332_12ae9f1823_z.jpg

    2nd hand Dura-Ace C35 wheel for sale, one careful owner...
    15248840325_cbd03476ef_z.jpg
    http://www.stuartmole.co.uk/
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Did they not have a chance to recce the course before? Possibly not due to the location I suppose
    Road
    MTB
    NEW Cross
    Track/Grass Track/Winter bike
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Paul 8v wrote:
    Did they not have a chance to recce the course before? Possibly not due to the location I suppose

    Not sure what time he set off. But I have a photo from the top of the Eye of a couple of Garmin and a Raleigh rider riding around the course at what must have been 10.30am. I'm guessing the roads would have been closed from about 9am - if not earlier. So yes I think he could have had a chance to recce the course.
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    They did recce the course before. It was probably just youthful over-exuberance - much like Tao's kamikaze attack in Brighton the day before.
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --

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