Tour of Britain "it doesn't come past my house" thread

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  • JA confirmed
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661

    JA confirmed

    It is becoming legit worlds prep.

    Two absolute hitters. Good on the ToB.
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 13,227
    Ooh, getting better and better. Glad I took a punt a while back and booked up accom for the last stage into Aberdeen.
  • JA confirmed

    It is becoming legit worlds prep.

    Two absolute hitters. Good on the ToB.
    I'm far more excited by this than any 49 year old man should be (other than the fact I'm not 50).

    Just checked the timings for the stage and they have them climbing the Cairn in 4 to 5 minutes! Aye, right.

    A mate had the KOM earlier this year at 11 mins dead (he's a 17 year old mountain goat) but it was beaten a few weeks later by another youngster - it now stands at 10:51.

    Its a given they'll go sub 10 mins, but not 5. It'll obviously depend how its raced too.

    I've been trying to go sub 15 mins for years and never quite managed it. I also wanted to break into the top 150 times, but guess I've only got a couple of weeks to do it now, as it won't be happening after the ToB comes through!
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  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,578
    That 5 minutes will be based on the average pace for the full stage?
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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,680
    It hasn't worked....next weekend is gonna be fun😧
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  • Defblade
    Defblade Posts: 142
    Seen guys in vans out this morning around Carmarthenshire putting up the diversion signs ready for the race :)

    Hope they sweep the the hill down from Maesybont though - it's steep, somewhat twisty and as of this morning still has a fair bit of gravel across it from the lick'n'chip they gave it a few weeks back...
  • Defblade said:

    Seen guys in vans out this morning around Carmarthenshire putting up the diversion signs ready for the race :)

    Hope they sweep the the hill down from Maesybont though - it's steep, somewhat twisty and as of this morning still has a fair bit of gravel across it from the lick'n'chip they gave it a few weeks back...

    They changed the route for some reason. They’re just going straight down the b4300 from llandeilo now which is a major disappointment.
  • Defblade
    Defblade Posts: 142

    Defblade said:

    Seen guys in vans out this morning around Carmarthenshire putting up the diversion signs ready for the race :)

    Hope they sweep the the hill down from Maesybont though - it's steep, somewhat twisty and as of this morning still has a fair bit of gravel across it from the lick'n'chip they gave it a few weeks back...

    They changed the route for some reason. They’re just going straight down the b4300 from llandeilo now which is a major disappointment.
    Blimey, that's really pathetic - it wasn't exactly a challenging route to start with! I know it's the TTT, but why come to Wales and then avoid anything hill shaped or twisty? I mean, I take that new route when I want an easy ride, for crying out loud!

    I'm still planning to pop down to spectate (probably at the finish), mind you, if I can get the day off...
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    edited August 2021

    JA confirmed

    It is becoming legit worlds prep.

    Two absolute hitters. Good on the ToB.
    I'm far more excited by this than any 49 year old man should be (other than the fact I'm not 50).

    Just checked the timings for the stage and they have them climbing the Cairn in 4 to 5 minutes! Aye, right.

    A mate had the KOM earlier this year at 11 mins dead (he's a 17 year old mountain goat) but it was beaten a few weeks later by another youngster - it now stands at 10:51.

    Its a given they'll go sub 10 mins, but not 5. It'll obviously depend how its raced too.

    I've been trying to go sub 15 mins for years and never quite managed it. I also wanted to break into the top 150 times, but guess I've only got a couple of weeks to do it now, as it won't be happening after the ToB comes through!
    As a general rule the pros can climb roughly twice my speed. The steeper it is the faster they go relative to me, obviously.

    I think Gilbert did box hill on his 9th time up just under 4 minutes in the Olympics and my best was just under 7 (plenty go faster) which was just mad.



  • Back in the infancy of Strava I was in the top 10 for the Cairn o Mount. Ah the good old days.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,135

    Back in the infancy of Strava I was in the top 10 for the Cairn o Mount. Ah the good old days.

    Strava didn't exist when I did the Cairn O' Mount. 😱
    Thankfully. 😉
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,356
    Defblade said:

    Defblade said:

    Seen guys in vans out this morning around Carmarthenshire putting up the diversion signs ready for the race :)

    Hope they sweep the the hill down from Maesybont though - it's steep, somewhat twisty and as of this morning still has a fair bit of gravel across it from the lick'n'chip they gave it a few weeks back...

    They changed the route for some reason. They’re just going straight down the b4300 from llandeilo now which is a major disappointment.
    Blimey, that's really pathetic - it wasn't exactly a challenging route to start with! I know it's the TTT, but why come to Wales and then avoid anything hill shaped or twisty? I mean, I take that new route when I want an easy ride, for crying out loud!

    I'm still planning to pop down to spectate (probably at the finish), mind you, if I can get the day off...
    The other day in Wales is the challenging route. You can't really have a TTT where the teams are going to get shattered.
  • flite
    flite Posts: 226
    The TTT up Whinlatter pass a few years ago was a good day to be roadside.
    TTT doesn't need to be flat....
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 2,293
    Early forecast for Sunday: 50% chance of rain, wind at 35kph southerly gusting to 50kph.
  • Pross said:

    Defblade said:

    Defblade said:

    Seen guys in vans out this morning around Carmarthenshire putting up the diversion signs ready for the race :)

    Hope they sweep the the hill down from Maesybont though - it's steep, somewhat twisty and as of this morning still has a fair bit of gravel across it from the lick'n'chip they gave it a few weeks back...

    They changed the route for some reason. They’re just going straight down the b4300 from llandeilo now which is a major disappointment.
    Blimey, that's really pathetic - it wasn't exactly a challenging route to start with! I know it's the TTT, but why come to Wales and then avoid anything hill shaped or twisty? I mean, I take that new route when I want an easy ride, for crying out loud!

    I'm still planning to pop down to spectate (probably at the finish), mind you, if I can get the day off...
    The other day in Wales is the challenging route. You can't really have a TTT where the teams are going to get shattered.
    The trip over up to Maesybont would have added a real challenge as it’s twisty, short, not super steep but a decent ramp up and then a tricky enough descent for a ttt.

    It’s removal has made a 28k ttt with an interesting middle to a straight up 17km power effort.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,356
    I don't know why they are even having a TTT in a one week stage race. They seem to have even gone out of favour in GTs. Feels like a waste of a stage.
  • bm5
    bm5 Posts: 569
    flite said:

    The TTT up Whinlatter pass a few years ago was a good day to be roadside.
    TTT doesn't need to be flat....

    2 great days indeed.

  • bm5
    bm5 Posts: 569
    Road book now on the website to confirm they don’t come past your door.
    Some long hotel to start transfers in the mornings.

  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,586
    edited August 2021
    From Road book

    " The B974 Cairn o’Mount Road will be closed to vehicles from 6pm on Saturday 11 September until after the race has passed on Sunday 12 September "

    Bloody hell that's put a dent my plans of arriving at midnight after a gig in Aberdeen in.

    Might have to park the van up top on Saturday afternoon and ride into ABZ and back.

    Cairn on Saturday just gone.

  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,485
    edited August 2021
    Is it just me being a newbie at all this, or is the road timetable for stage 5 with "caution Average Speed Cameras 50mph" taking the mick? Will the drivers / riders really need to be aware of those restrictions, as they certainly aren't in the middle of the road.
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,356
    larkim said:

    Is it just me being a newbie at all this, or is the road timetable for stage 5 with "caution Average Speed Cameras 50mph" taking the mick? Will the drivers / riders really need to be aware of those restrictions, as they certainly aren't in the middle of the road.

    Probably to warn the team drivers travelling outside of the formal race convoy. I think that the race convoy itself is exempt from speed limits as the road is technically closed as they pass.
  • It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.
  • It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    Get a grip.
  • It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    That analogy would hold more water if Wales and Scotland stretched much further south than they actually do.

    There's only so far the route can deviate from an axis as long as Penzance - Aberdeen unless more stages are added. Also, the Midlands and East Anglia will be covered by the Women's Tour.
  • flite
    flite Posts: 226
    edited September 2021
    It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes

    4 stages in England, 2 in Scotland, 2 in Wales. Sounds fair enough to me.
    Sorry - can't find the quote function....

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,356

    It's more a tour of Wales & Scotland tbh. Doesn't even come close to a tour of Britain in my eyes.

    It's like the NFL calling the Superbowl winners 'World Champions', when it's the only country that plays in the tournament.

    Have you actually looked at the route? Four out of eight stages are in England with two a piece in Wales and Scotland. It covers more of the UK than most versions and the race only ever goes where Councils are prepared to pay for the privilege.

    But hey, why worry about facts.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,247
    The irony of the “it doesn’t come past my house” is that the time it came nearest to my house (about a mile away), I didn’t watch it as it was hammering down with rain.
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,356
    It came within about 1km of my house 3 years ago but it was rubbish as they were all together and through in seconds. There was also a finish literally outside my offices 4 years ago. We had a big party, it was lashing down and our TV feed was obviously delayed as the screen was showing about 500m to go when I turned around to see Groenewegen cross the line. We've got some nice prints of photos showing him crossing the line with all our branding in the background on the office walls.

    Past editions I've watched include the double ascent of Constitution Hill then the finish on Kingsway in Swansea, Caerphilly Mountain several times, numerous times over the Tumble including the MTF and standing for hours at the top of the Black Mountain in pouring rain where I ended up giving a club mate who had ridden out a lift home as he was borderline hypothermic, my shoes took about 4 days to dry out.

    Won't bother this year though as everything is just a little bit too far away to make it worthwhile.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,419
    I went to the sprint finish in Manchester the other year. Didn't see sh!t of the actual race but I got a load of bottles and saw a load of pros (inc Cav) on their way back to their buses. So it was well worthwhile.

    I reckon I can get to the Warrington sprint finish this time, it's one stop down from my office on the train.