Tour de France 2015 route released

[DoctorTwo]

Calling the MN peloton. No Yorkshire this time. Interesting looking route though.

The track was a bit disappointing from a British perspective but there were some great races.

Also on the track is Thomas Dekker's hour record attempt tomorrow on Eurosport.

And this weekend is Kurne Brussels Kurne, the season has started in earnest

UCI requests for Licence Commission to withdraw Astana licence
Read more at www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/uci-requests-withdrawal-of-astana-licence-159985#j0VyuE2uDpXpQJMy.99

This is going to cause some turmoil, Nibs might not make it to the TdF

CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAV!

Ahem.

Happy New Year peloton. Lovely Mark seems to be in good form early on eh?

Interesting move by the UCI. Combined with Cookson's warnings of the can of worms that will be revealed by his Commission into the doping past. FIngers crossed, he is actually toughening up the UCI stance.

And what about Stannard?

Just Can't Stop The Cav Music, can they? _ - and Happy St Davids Day to you in your adopted home, Lost!

Interesting read that ariadne. Would there be a fire sale IF/when the licence is revoked?

I suppose so Pan , but couldn't it be rescued if there was a clear out of management? I did read on another forum the speculation that Specialized might underwrite Nibali's salary and park him at Etixx, though I can't see Uran or Kwiatkowski being delighted by that necessarily as they would both expect to be GC leaders.

I love how there is a side bit to that article 'A brief history of Astana scandals' do you think it will actually be longer than the original?

I am staring at a new turbo trainer and trying to work out if I am brave enough to have a go.

I think they called it brief so readers wouldn't lose the will to go on before clicking.

There's no point owning a turbo trainer if its just going to be an ornament. A couple of hours before dinner will round the weekend off nicely.

DH loves his turbo trainer, basic one though it is.

Great wins for Stannard & Cav this weekend.

Really excited about the classics season now. Roll on the mud & cobbles

The trainer is DS1's he asked for it for his birthday, I just keep thinking I should use it too then imagining all the ways I could end up being extricated by the paramedics . I've got as far as putting on the different quick change mechanism. How anyone gets the courage up to use rollers is utterly beyond me.

It has been a great weekend, promise of the year to come?

with sleet and iced roads predicted for tomorrow up here, I'm suspecting my 'work out' will be shared with another gritter lorry. Not something they face in Melbourne.
Classics - time to resubscribe to the sports channels...

My DP is desperate for some rollers but they scare the crap out of me. I use the turbo but I'm rubbish at it. I use Trainer Road for workout plans but they are too hard for me, even after DP adjusted all the settings

Saw Cav's win when I got home yesterday and fell in love with him a little bit when watching his post-race interview. He's so adorable.

Apparently the trick with rollers is start on them within a door frame so that when we get flicked off there is something to grasp on to. Not that I am ever going to try that.

Slick mudguards on. Check.
Chain lubed. Check.
Legs shaved....err...
Water bottle filled. Check.
Sunspecs on. Check.
Sports channels back on. Check.
Drug testing done. Check.

Are we thinking it's time to roll out the team car and get this peloton in some sort of decent order for Spring Classics time?

Hope you all caught Strade Bianche if not, do watch the highlights that final climb to the finish was so exciting.

Enjoyed Strade Bianche, ariadne, t'was a good race.

It was wasn't it!! Saw sections of it between house hold stuff but got in for all of the last 20km or so. The Valve just blew didn't he? And Sienna - another one of those times when you see the locality and say 'Iwannagothere!

Been over to France and rescued the team car from a farmer's barn just outside Paris - covered in hay, full of chicken droppings and a hedgehog nuzzled in under the front seat...v cute...but the podium is still in the back, laying on top of some stinky gear from last season. Car valeted.

Stopped at the local Carrefour and stocked up on gels, fluids, creams and plasters - popped into Jean-Pierre's bike shop ( son of barn-owning farmer) and stashed spare tubes and tyres , chain oil, multi-tools and assorted bits which might fall off bikes...

Mechanics Dave, Lisbeth and Niki on board, picking up masseuses Laure and Ivan on way back, though Ivan is having a little relationship difficulties at the moment, so he could be quite emotional..

All we need now is a new thread....

Mesdames et Messieurs?

Printemps!