New race Tour la Provence

specialgueststar

3 day race in between Haut Var and Boucle Ardeche -gives 7 days of racing in February without too much travelling - good thinking

specialgueststar

Bit more info ... la Provence newspaper owned buy Bernard Tapie a la Vie Claire fame

One puncheur/climbers stage (1)

and two sprint stages

Big final day into Marseille

Quite a few kms for early season?

Le 1er Tour cycliste international La Provence (2.1) aura lieu du 23 au 25 février prochains. L'épreuve se disputera en semaine, entre le Tour du Haut-Var et les Boucles Drôme-Ardèche. Ce sont six villes des Bouches-du-Rhône qui accueilleront cette première édition organisée par Serge Pascal et le journal La Provence. Selon le quotidien, la première étape pourrait plaire aux grimpeurs-puncheurs, et les deux autres aux sprinters.

Les villes-étapes du Tour La Provence 2016 :
23/02 - Et. 1 : Aubagne - Cassis (175 km)
24/02 - Et. 2 : Miramas - Istres (199 km)
25/02 - Et. 3 : La Ciotat - Marseille (165 km

Lire la suite sur DirectVelo.com : http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/47485-tour-la-provence-2016-les-villes-etapes-devoilees.html#ixzz3x1UkTy9k

jimmythecuckoo

Lovely... a nice part of the world to have a bike race.

briantrumpet

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19777891#p19777891]jimmythecuckoo[/url] wrote:

Lovely... a nice part of the world to have a bike race.

... though could be a little nippy in February still.

specialgueststar

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19778335#p19778335]briantrumpet[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19777891#p19777891]jimmythecuckoo[/url] wrote:

Lovely... a nice part of the world to have a bike race.

... though could be a little nippy in February still.

had some good weather at the Haut var recently - not many legwarmers in sight and that's with careful early season pros


shadows !!!

briantrumpet

I've stopped believing in shadows.

jimmythecuckoo

Never stop believing in the Shadows.

briantrumpet

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19778594#p19778594]jimmythecuckoo[/url] wrote:

Never stop believing in the Shadows.

Totally OT, but I used to play with a bass player who was Mr Electric Bass in London in the 50s-60s (he's on the Thunderbirds recordings, for instance), and he was booked for a 3-hour session to record a load of tracks for some up-and coming band, who couldn't read music, so they wanted to have recordings of everything so they could learn them by ear. The band was... The Shadows.

Anyway, back to racing in Provence...

specialgueststar

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19778997#p19778997]briantrumpet[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19778594#p19778594]jimmythecuckoo[/url] wrote:

Never stop believing in the Shadows.

Totally OT, but I used to play with a bass player who was Mr Electric Bass in London in the 50s-60s (he's on the Thunderbirds recordings, for instance), and he was booked for a 3-hour session to record a load of tracks for some up-and coming band, who couldn't read music, so they wanted to have recordings of everything so they could learn them by ear. The band was... The Shadows.

Anyway, back to racing in Provence...

are you Les McQueen?

briantrumpet

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19779008#p19779008]SpecialGuestStar[/url] wrote:

are you Les McQueen?

I can't remember playing in a big band or orchestra where they wore outfits like that...

specialgueststar

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19779011#p19779011]briantrumpet[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19779008#p19779008]SpecialGuestStar[/url] wrote:

are you Les McQueen?

I can't remember playing in a big band or orchestra where they wore outfits like that...

deejay

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19778594#p19778594]jimmythecuckoo[/url] wrote:

Never stop believing in the Shadows.

Agreed, Never stop as most of us start from humble beginings.

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19778997#p19778997]briantrumpet[/url] wrote:

Anyway, back to racing in Provence...

OK, Try this

There is great enthusiasm among the organizers of the Trofeo Laigueglia for the 53rd edition.
The Ligurian semi-classic is a pivotal event of the beginning of the Italian season and last year received a 1.HC license from the UCI.

The only setback in 2016 is that it will be held at the same time as the last stage of Le Méditerranéenne which will start and finish in Bordighera , another town on the Ligurian Riviera.

Since the 1970's I've eagerly awaited the result of Trofeo Laigueglia since it came to my attention with 2 wins by Eddy Merckx to start the season, a couple of weeks before Het Volk.
This is Just another set back after the TDU and the Arab events. (but the Italian Tifosi will still be there)

thchris1958

http://100pour100-velo.com/dernieres-infos-20-12285-bernard-tapie-de-retour-dans-le-velo.html

sorry, in French. Bernard Tapie, former owner of the La Vie Claire (Hinault, Lemond) is the founder of the Tour de Provence.

disgruntledgoat

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19779008#p19779008]SpecialGuestStar[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19778997#p19778997]briantrumpet[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19778594#p19778594]jimmythecuckoo[/url] wrote:

Never stop believing in the Shadows.

Totally OT, but I used to play with a bass player who was Mr Electric Bass in London in the 50s-60s (he's on the Thunderbirds recordings, for instance), and he was booked for a 3-hour session to record a load of tracks for some up-and coming band, who couldn't read music, so they wanted to have recordings of everything so they could learn them by ear. The band was... The Shadows.

Anyway, back to racing in Provence...

are you Les McQueen?

It's a sh*t business son. You'll find out.

thchris1958

podium stage 1:

1 Voeckler
2 Vakoc
3 Calmejane

thchris1958

4 minutes during the stage 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGsVkJxwLVs

takethehighroad

Was the first part filmed from the same place as the bathing scene in Manon des Sources?

specialgueststar

they go up the Espigoulier on the final day - only a 2nd cat - but a climb for a summers day before a plunge down to the coast for some fish soup