La Vuelta (Tour of Spain) and The Tour of Britain

[Pan]

Taking a leaf out of my new biking hero Sylvan Chavanel, it seemed a good idea to lead from the front.
Vuelta starts this Saturday, and many of the usual suspects will be in there. The course looks quite climby, so Team Sky have opted for their Columbian rider Sergio Henoa Montoya as leader, tho' an old warrior will be the sprint king.
Useful links are:
A course guide
and
The Start List by Team
As far as I can tell, Eurosport are carrying live action and ITV4 are showing highlights, tho I think that may well be from the action the day before.
The Tour of Britain starts the day the Vuelta ends, 15th September.

Sooo, if you like most things in lycra and whizzing along a road, this is the place for you. As NicholasTeacozy reckons, it's like chess on hundreds of wheels. If you're intrigued but don't know your peloton from your domestique, drop in and someone will no doubt help out.

don't know about biscuits but I've just eaten a couple of fig rolls.

Yesterday's was a great finish, Cav owning up to "moving him over to the bumpy bits at the edge".

I'll be watching the highlights later, right now I'm supposed to be marking books.

No lack of biscuits here on the route, they've been past twice now. I hope the rain holds off!

Hugh Porter has just described cycle racing as 'chess on wheels'. Just as I did before the TdF. We need an emoticon to define smug. :o

Back home in time to catch the finish on TV. Another great one. Nicholas you can have an emoticon but only if you have proof you are not actually Hugh Porter.

I have no proof unfortunately, but Hugh had probably retired from cycling by the time I learned to ride a bike. He seems to have been a commentator for absolutely ever. He's still rubbish...

Is he the one who never pronounces anything the same way twice?

If we need an emocion to notate smug then [NT] should work.]

Not seen highlights yet..

Humph, I think you'll find I was calling it 'chess on wheels' during the 2011 TdF . I probably nicked that off someone I heard on telly. Either that or it is just the definitive way to describe something as riveting as grand tour cycling.

Great day today, was funny seeing Wiggo's mum ring the last round bell. Did you have a brilliant time ariadne?

tbf, isn't it more like poker on wheels? When to play, when to hold, what cards do your competitors hold, when you hold the ace? < attempts to hold the team to the finish line.>

Fab result, made me happy after a stressful week dropping DT's off at uni. I just love how he makes it look so damn easy and is so chuffed afterwards. Well done to Wiggo too - he still only won one stage to Cav's three though!

Oooh yes, poker on wheels, much more duplicitous than chess. I'm nicking what you say now Pan .

Good old Cav with his three stage wins and isn't Delilah all big now. I love that sportsmen nowadays bring their children with them.

Lost it was great fun. I was in a less crowded spot in the City (officially my fave spot which I have used for the Olympics, Paralympics and London Marathons) so I was leaning on the crash barrier with an unrestricted view. I was near the turning point so I have some great footage on my phone of them all going one way on the way uphill and a minute later all coming back again. They are incredibly fast downhill.

I was watching thinking that corner would be a great spot to watch I wish I'd made it to see some racing this year. Have to put it in my new years resolution for next year.

Yay! Petacchi is a bit good at lead-outs. Cav could have done with him in the Tour de France I think.

Wow! Wasn't that just a fairy tale ending?! And BIG biscuits to Petacchi for the lead out on the victories. He must have been itching to just keep on going.
And Simon Yates too, an iconic photo shot at the top of Haytnor.

yes, next year it's Renshawe to knock everyone else out of the way, Petacchi to cue up, and Cav to take it. Perfect!

Right. Next thread up is the World Champs!
Any domestique in the peloton to ride us out on the neutralised zone?

World Champs has started today, was just googling it and OPQS have won team time trial.

Can't find out if it's on telly though. Will ITV 4 show any races? I don't get Eurosport.

Some of it is on the BBC Endo.

What a fab ToB that was, I enjoyed every minute of it, and a fairytale ending indeed! Petacchi is certainly a wily old campaigner.

Impressed with young Sam Bennett, the Irish guy. Not bad finishing in between Cav & Viviani - though I'm sure he's gutted not to win... I think he has high hopes of a move to a senior team soon.

World Champs next - can't wait!

Pan what are we all going to chat about in the neutralised zone between now and the World Champs?

I'll do a new Worlds thread now. We can't be caught out on the split.

here

What a lead out train Cav is going to have next year with Petacchi and Renshawe.