S*** Small Races Thread - 2022

No_Ta_Doctor

It's been a tasty little stage today. Every climb has split the peloton (Uno-X managed to fracture a group of 25 off), then regrouping and new attacks. Very attritional

No_Ta_Doctor

Jake Stewart and Movistar just ate that lead ridiculously quickly

Pross

Jake Stewart took on the chase after Erviti did a little bit of damage and looks to have destroyed the break.

Pross

Not quite sure why they used Stewart up like that, he looked like he had excellent legs. Should have left Movistar to burn their matches.

Pross

Teuns went again at the bonus sprint taking Pidcock and Serrano (who went on to take the sprin) with Fraile bridging. They now have a 14” lead and the momentum seems to have gone out of the chase. Teuns now missing his turn. Ineos need to play him at their own game.

Pross

Looks like Serrano just edged out Pidcock and should go into red as race leader came in 13” down.

Pross

Pidcock just ran out of road.

Decent ride by Fraile to help Tom considering he was slightly better placed on GC.

I assume that’s AlanA’s dulcet tones coming over the PA.

thejimmymethod

Fun last 30k that

Pross

Not quite sure how Ben Perry drops to 4th. Was he not in the second group across the line?

flite

Time bonuses at finish and at the sprint about 10k before the finish, which was actually a climb up Newgate Bank?

wakemalcolm

How can they know the order of the GC without having the time gaps to hand?
Does the C stand for 'classification' or 'classified'?

blazing_saddles

At the risk of sounding like our resident soldier, Millar and Boulting’s stage long Tom Pidcock circle jerk had me rooting for Serrano in the end.

Way too long much inflated adulation.

seanoconn

blazing_saddles said:

At the risk of sounding like our resident soldier, Millar and Boulting’s stage long Tom Pidcock circle jerk had me rooting for Serrano in the end.

Way too long much inflated adulation.

Not nearly enough Pidcock adulation in this Tour and should be at least 4 cameras on him at all times IMHO. If he’s having a wee, I want to know about it.

webboo

blazing_saddles said:

At the risk of sounding like our resident soldier, Millar and Boulting’s stage long Tom Pidcock circle jerk had me rooting for Serrano in the end.

Way too long much inflated adulation.

I thought their appraisal of what he was going to do on the Glenshee stage was priceless. They were going on and on about how was sitting up and not going to contest the stage because there he was having a chat at the back of the bunch. Then there he was in 5th place.
Mind that could be him not bothering.

bm5

Well Miller told us repeatedly that there was no way the Movistar/ GB chase group could catch the Pidcock 1st attack group. Then a few minutes later there they all were back together!
Still it was a good stage and a bit drier than yesterday.

alan_a

Pross said:

I assume that’s AlanA’s dulcet tones coming over the PA.

Yes... And every other sentence was Guan Yersel Oscar Onley

The young Scot has been having a great ride.

Brilliant fun day yesterday bamming up the Yorkshire folk.

Pross

blazing_saddles said:

At the risk of sounding like our resident soldier, Millar and Boulting’s stage long Tom Pidcock circle jerk had me rooting for Serrano in the end.

Way too long much inflated adulation.

I'm finding them nearly as annoying as Kirby.

Pross

Break of 4 now arguing amongst themselves after a very strange intermediate sprint.

blazing_saddles

The ToB descends into farce for the stage finish

pblakeney

Funny when the lead out swings off and off route, and others follow. 🤣🤣🤣

Pross

Took Millar and Boulting an age to realise what was obvious in real-time, that Pidcock and got third on the throw. They were so adamant he was fourth I was beginning to doubt my own eyes.

blazing_saddles

Millar and Boulting have become insufferable.
Tom Pidcock 3rd or 4th place orgasms.

Amador took Cees Bol and a chunk of the peloton off the course.

No_Ta_Doctor

That layout was a joke, Danish coms were speechless about how badly they'd set it up

photonic69

WTAF!! Nuts! What a complete shambles of a route end that was going to end in a sprint finish. What were they thinking of? Tight right-hander at speed with ambiguous layout under race conditions - what could possibly go wrong

blazing_saddles

Van Vluten currently making a mockery out of the rest of the women’s peloton, once again.
First attack dropped 95%, a series of attacks got rid of the 4 hangers on, one per attack.

Pross

After showing signs of turning into a decent quality race a decade ago the ToB really is starting to regress unfortunately both in terms of the quality of the riders and teh quality of the organisation. What with the loss of the ToY and Ride London and, from the limited attention I give it these days, a more or less non-existent domestic pro road racing scene it feels like we are going back to the position of the late 90s / early 00s (in men's racing) after the promise of the 'Sky era' although at least we still have a few decent sized pro squads for the time being.

Depending on events up in Scotland it may well be that the rest of the race ends up getting cancelled anyway I suppose.

alan_a

Tomorrow is cancelled

Decision yet to be made on final 2 stages.

blazing_saddles

alan_a said:

Tomorrow is cancelled

Decision yet to be made on final 2 stages.

Same with the golf at Wentworth, premiership rugby and the horse racing.
But of course tonight's football went ahead, "following direction from the Football Association and Uefa".

kingstongraham

blazing_saddles said:

alan_a said:

Tomorrow is cancelled

Decision yet to be made on final 2 stages.

Same with the golf at Wentworth, premiership rugby and the horse racing.
But of course tonight's football went ahead, "following direction from the Football Association and Uefa".

Minute's silence before the start of the vuelta tomorrow 🤷‍♂️

alan_a

STATEMENT

THURSDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2022

Further to the earlier statement in relation to the cancellation of stage six as a mark of respect following the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, the organisers of the AJ Bell Tour of Britain can additionally confirm that stages seven (Dorset) and eight (Isle of Wight) will not take place.
This decision has been taken in consultation with stakeholders and partners in light of operational circumstances, including the understandable reassignment of police resource at this time.
Therefore, the final standings will be taken following the conclusion of stage five on Thursday 8 September. The winner of the AJ Bell Tour of Britain 2022 will be Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar Team).
Additionally, the respective classification leaders – Tom Pidcock (Dodl by AJ Bell points), Mathijs Paasschens (ŠKODA King of the Mountains) and Matthew Teggart (Sportsbreaks.com Sprints) – will also be declared the winners of those competitions.
The Tour of Britain organisation, alongside the teams, riders and officials involved in the event, send their deepest condolences to the Royal Family at this sad time.

We will update you on a plan re vehicles and kit after a meeting tomorrow morning! We will come back here after the meeting and let you know.

Thanks so much for all of your time, patience and corporation.