MN Peloton - Giro d'Italia, 9th May Belfast to 1st June Trieste.

[PansBigChainring]

Almost here....how's the training regime going?

The first of the three Grand Tours, Tour of Italy, departs from Belfast with a team time trial from the Titanic shipyard, before a second day riding round the North, and then a third day from Armagh to Dublin centre, and then a flight to southern Italy and few weeks easy riding up through central Italian Apennines, over the Dolomites and a cruise through to Trieste on the Adriatic coast. No problems then...

Some useful links?

Overall route and maps

The understandably excited local Belfast press

and a bit more general fuss

Most of the usual pro-cycling suspects will be competing, and returning for the Tour de France Yorkshire in July.

Before all of this though there's a few 'classic' races to be had, but we can put those to another thread? Nothing else should get in the way of 3 days of professional racing in the Irish sunshine.

Oh dear I'm sorry Lost. Typing words here may not alleviate much for you right now, but I'm sure you have every sympathy and really best thoughts and wishes from our entire peloton.

As newly-appointed road captain, I'm exercising Sect 3, para iv., sub para xxiv of the road captains sportive directeurs Tour manual 1973 (amended 2014) - this clearly states " if road capt. wishes to rest a rider with their agreement, then they can stipulate a rider may hug the rear of the train, and be drafted along by concerned mates, until such a time as the rider feels recovered enough to move up the train, upon which loud whooping noises must be emitted by the other train members." It's what it says. That's dealt with that.

Valley of Kings?? On a ....?? I've been there. You are officially a very bonkers and proper rider, in the best sense!!

Giro is brutal!! So with the Pink Panther crowned, yes lets close down and do Criterium and Swiss things as the warm up acts.

Did anyone notice the comment by one of the commentators - talking about the chances of a particular manoeuvre succeeding, he said 'this will fail, nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a hundred'! I did have a bit of a grin at that.

Lost - I think th road captain is right - you take the time you need, and the peloton is here for you. {{{hugs}}}

Nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a hundred? Oh dear.

Ack if they can finish grand tours with road rash over 50% of their bodies and broken bones then I can get through this bollocks

TdF thread here we all come...

I turned 50 today, so feel the need to move to swiftly on, though I have to admit I don't feel as bad about it as I thought I would. Probably because I've been spoilt rotten today, taken out for dinner and am now on the Cheers, all

Oh DA! Many many happy returns!! Being 50 is cool. It's the new 30! Being spoiled rotten helps as well. Enjoy the . And BIG congrats.

Thank you!

Lovely DS1 told me today I don't look 50. Made my day that did, bless him.

I have just been handed yet another large glass of sparkling and am curled up on the sofa about to watch yesterday's Game of Thrones.

Game of thrones was awesome. I was

Excellent! When I turned 50, veeeery recently..dd said "you're not 50. 50 is really old!". I'll take that.

I read somewhere that you don't stop riding your bike because you are old. You are old because you stop riding your bike. I'll go with that.

I suppose I ought to learn, one day. Can I still be on this thread once I admit I can't ride one? I can drive the team car though.

I'm too old to get up the Valley of the Kings now, though, even with all the gears in the world I have enough trouble with the steep hill outside my house.

I've finished reading David Millar's book now & will report back when I'm sober. Sláinte!

Endo - if we meet in Yorkshire, you will be able to ride mine then, if you wish to. Or, you can be the one that shouts stuff and passes bottles out the car window.

Endo no problem. We need someone to drive the team car, hand out bidons, patch up our road rash & wield the magic spanner when required, so you are more than welcome.

X-post with Pan!

I thought we were supposed to be over on the TdF thread? MN lead out all over the fecking road again!

Well. get the lead out organised & get us over to the TdF thread then

See you over there.

Right, in Renshaw mode! This thread ends. Over to TdF. Jeez. I bet Cav never had these problems!