MN Pro-Cycling Peloton - Spring Time Classics!! Starting with Milan-San Remo Sunday 23rd March

[PansBigChainring]

Resuming domestique duties ...we've raced away from the broom wagon that is a miserable winter and the dudes are up and racing on the Continent.

Milan-San Remo is first up with Cav looking to get his first race win of the season and with Petacchi and Renshawe in his lead out train (and one climb removed for safety reasons) this is where he could do it. It's live on Eurosport with highlights on Euro and Sky.

There are six other one-day classics before the Irish Giro in May, so rather than doing all the research, I'd commissioned the Beeb to do it for me!
So here is a nifty guide to all of them in one easy go

The Irish Giro may get a bit of pure local interest traffic, so I'd started a new thread just for that celebration of all that is green, lycra and on two thin wheels, here...The Irish Giro

Ah, got it!

Or very very tiny cyclists? (The gods of comedy rarely trouble Losty)

Just talking on FB (ok checking out a beardy Brad in jeans looking quite normal for a pro cyclist) Does he need to drop 5 kilos, look skeletal again and get back into being a super star cyclist or should he step back, let humourless Froome take centre stage and leave a space for G, then he could become a full time commentator, derailing everything and being brilliant preferably as part of a team with his wife because she is hilarious and knows everything there is to know about cycling?

Lol@ bloody big camper van!

I do have to say that I would love to follow the Tour in one of those campers - I think it would be great to drive through France, stop somewhere by the side of a road, and sit eating baguette and cheese, and drinking wine, whilst waiting for the Tour to pass - and then getting back in the van and heading off to do it all again the next day. Wonderful!

I was looking at the routes of the Yorkshire stages last night - dh and I are going to try to work out whether we can come down by train, but can still get to a fairly remote (ergo, not too crowded) section of the course, or whether we need to drive down from Glasgow. I like the driving down option because a) dh would be doing all the driving and b) I could load the car up with a couple of chairs, books, lots of picnic and some knitting or crochet to do while I wait - and if it is wet, we can wait in the car.

Dh is keener on the train option - though we might consider train to York and hire a car, which would be a reasonable compromise.

Pan - can you recommend any parts of the route that you think would be fairly remote?

SDTG - I'll have a good look at these first two stages. I'm favouring Holme Moss near Holmfirth - it's quiet a climb and at least relatively remote..

Thanks, Pan! If we do end up driving, and were to aim for the same place, maybe we could have a MN Peloton meet up - I'll bring cake!

That would be jolly! Would like to be able to bike there and bike back home! #braveboy

#impressive.

I am not built for cycling - I will applaud you as you arrive.

Loving the idea of an MN Peloton meet up

It's auto embedded! Just wow!

Well that's just SO cool! Nice one MN and nice one Pan, great little potted history, I love the groovy music too!

Hello, helllooooo, where is everyone? Tour of Flanders day, I have read lots of back up stuff, put a hex on Sagan's goatee and organised my day. Whose coming for the ride?

I've got the sky box set up to remind me when the coverage starts - I am planning a lazy afternoon in front of the tv, with the Tour of Flanders, and the Boat race - I shall be getting my exercise vicariously!

Sunday is exciting housework day! Bet you are well jel...as dd insists on saying...so I'm going to be in and out of the lounge (probably more in than out tbh!)
Didn't realise how big a deal Flanders is in the bike year til recently.
Unrelated, but on twitter there's a v funny #ReplaceBikeWithCar if you wander onto the tweet deck ever.

Pan - do you know if there will be parking along the road at Holme Moss? Dh is looking at it now, and says it is fairly narrow, and wonders if they will allow parking.

And apparently Johan van Sommeren has hit a spectator and is out already.

Not sure - I'll look at the whole route and see where's best. I can also check with police locally exactly when the roads will be closed. Was caught out on Alpe d'Huez once which was a bit frustrating.

Thanks, Pan - dh was talking about contacting the police to ask about road closures - it would be W Yorkshire, he thinks.

Oof that's a steep bit.

Done the food shop and am doing my maths in front of the telly (well I've got my books with me, that counts right?)

That Cancellara pic got me back into twitter, like I needed more distractions, thanks a bunch!

yes iirc the route comes from N.Yorks, into W Yorks, touches Derbyshire for a short while and then into South Yorks to Sheffield. Holmefirth is W Yorks last time I looked.

Ok, how did twitter manage to get hold of a picture of me today?

oh you twitter tease!!

It's lawless out there at the RVV. Punctures,and those spectators need to step back a bit more!

God I wince when I see pile ups like that.

Horrible isn't it, and mega OUCH for Popovich, he went down hard. What happened with Van Summeren, I can see it on twitter but now explanation, were they both ok?

I can't spell Popovych, or no. I think I need to follow less cycling people on twitter, I can't keep up!

Woman crossing the road it seems, and hit by Van S. Reporting to be in hospital with life-threatening injuries. No so clear with Popovich - it looked like the woman in the red coat was stood on the pavement and he rode onto the pavement. Messy.