MN Peloton's Road Racing Spring Classics 2015 - trois, deux, un..

[derailleurdePan]

We've had training camps in Catalunya and the Canaries, eaten desert dust and limbered up in Strada Bianche yesterday. Some keen team riders have even been on turbos and rollers....or watched other people do that...which is the same thing really...so we are good to go!

If anyone is new to road racing, the spring classics are generally one-day events (but 150-200 kms long!), usually in Northern France or Belgium and are the hors d'oeuvres to the Grand Tours of Italy, France and Spain. Some though, like today's start on the Paris-Nice are multi-stage of a week or so in length.

The remaining UCI-advertised classics up the Giro d'Italia are here..

08.03 15.03 Paris – Nice France
11.03 17.03 Tirreno – Adriatico Italy
22.03 22.03 Milan – San Remo Italy
23.03 29.03 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Spain
27.03 27.03 E3 Harelbeke Belgium
29.03 29.03 Ghent – Wevelgem Belgium
05.04 05.04 Tour of Flanders Belgium
06.04 11.04 Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco Spain
12.04 12.04 Paris – Roubaix France
19.04 19.04 Amstel Gold Race Netherlands
22.04 22.04 La Flèche Wallonne Belgium
26.04 26.04 Liège – Bastogne – Liège Belgium
28.04 03.05 Tour de Romandie Switzerland

So shall we roll out of the neutralised zone, and start sweating??
_

Chris Boardman is just about to cycle past my house DS1 and I are going out to be complete fan boy/girls . And cheer on everyone else in the Tour of Pembrokeshire of course.

is there another bloody classics road race on today then? It's exhausting!!
MrS CB may be gratified to know his hybrid of mine is getting a good chain and gears clean and re-lube today.

I'm sure he would be most gratified, he is all about the details is he not? I have a great shot of him (well his rear end!) cycling up the road by my house but I'm trying to work out whether it would just be easier to post a photo of my face and my name and address in terms of outing myself to the Internet . Might have to double check all the posts I've made in this NN first.

More classics G in this one so hope he had a good day. Need to go and read up and get prepared. Late night partying last night so my back is killing, head is fine - honest - so a day following cycling sounds perfect.

Oh no, got that wrong, G not in it he's cycling something else. Get really confused with him on FB because I've got a RL friend called Geraint who is super sporty so sometimes I read G's posts thinking it's just one of my friends . One friend did win the tour of Pembs if that counts. Boardman did it in just under 8 hours, that's going to hurt today.

Hello all!

Looking forward to an exciting, and hopefully accident free, Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

It's non-stop this cycing lark. Been dipping in & out of the Tour of Croatia last week, LBL today, and Tour of Turkey starts tomorrow - Cav is in that one.

I was out on the trusty hybrid yesterday, first time in I can't remember how long. Twas hard work, but fun. DH sorted the route, along a quietish road with a decent cycle path & not too hilly, nice & gentle for my first time out. He stuck with me for a while, to make sure I was OK (sweet) then he took off at speed on his road bike, I pottered along at my own pace, and we met up later back at the car. Really enjoyed it, & we'll do it again

DS3 is insisting I watch James and the giant peach with him, nooooo. Going to have to surreptitiously follow via Twitter.

Oh, MrS, the things we do for our DC . Following on Twitter is fun, tho'.

Well DS3 called the winner! It was a choice based entirely on the fact that he liked his outfit though . Recorded it and watched on catch up, saved hours of my life being able to fast forward the adverts. Won't say more until I'm sure everyone has caught up with the results.

Here you go as well, not that it is remotely interesting but on the right in the first one is Chris Boardman making my fan girl squee by cycling through my village. Second one just cyclists because we all like those

Nice piccies there!! They're obv in 'hill attack mode'...
It's nice to pootle for a bit isn't it DA? I don't pootle enough.

I am only able to pootle. Sadly, speed is beyond me

Valverde again today, grrr. I do not like the man.

On the positive side, Cav's stage win in Turkey was very exciting. He was presented with a multiple bunches of bananas on the podium. His face was . I hope he likes bananas.

Great pics, MrS

I was away this weekend so didn't manage to watch anything!

Is anyone going out to watch the Tour de Yorkshire this weekend? They pass through Menston which is around 4 miles from my house. We will be going to the cow & calf at Ilkley as its a good climb.

They are going straight past my family home in Bridlington and up the roads I used to pootle on my BMX to the wood to play (now I've shown pictures of home I'm going to give up any shred of anonymity eh?). Where will I be watching you ask? From a football field in West Wales where my team are in a tournament. God they had better do well.

I was delighted for Cav. I love his face though, he's just like me no filter at all. You can see exactly what he is thinking at all times.

Ooh I've not been to Bridlington for years. Used to love it as a kid.

Just managed to watch most of liege bastogne liege. Isn't the winners trophy just ridiculous?! Would look really odd on my mantle piece

Another stage win for Cav. Wonder if they gave him more bananas?

Tour de Yorkshire is going past my parents' house on Friday but I'll be at work. We might try and get to York on Sat as they are going round in a loop so will see them whoosh past three times.

Well this is just fantastic to watch! Kittel, Voekler (!!!!!!) and Wiggins riding through my childhood. My dad says Brid was rammed today and he put yellow painted bikes all over town advertising his business! I think this afternoon is officially the first one where he will sit down and watch cycling!

What has been wrong with Kittlel though, they said he's had a really bad illness. I could have gone and mopped his brow and made him soup.

Not sure what's been up with him but he's dropped out now. I'm gutted, Kittel is my favourite rider

Just finished watching. What a good race. Great cat & mouse stuff at the end.

Poor Kittel

I've also been watching the Tour of Turkey. The scenery is stunning, I was there years ago & I really want to go back.

Just seen my parents on the telly! They were watching on one of the climbs.

Shame I won't get to see Kittel tomorrow.

Endo that's ace

I really wanted to see Kittel too (and declare my undying love for him). Forecast rain all day tomorrow here now so not sure what we are doing. If it was just me and DP I would easily stand out in the rain all day but we have 16mo dd too so might have to just stay at home

That was an exciting finish :).

We didn't get wet, but it was cold. We were near the middle of the figure of eight loop circuit, so heard them come past the other way then saw them come past us. Some people were running backwards and forwards so saw them go past five times!

Here are some Lotto riders going past:

they had a good day; DH was marvelling at how BIG Hoflander is. Even his bike is noticeably larger frame than most.

Great to see all the crowds at the TdeY. Very at all of you who were there.

Anyone else see Alex Dowsett take the track hour record today? Smashed it, in fact. Wiggo is having a go next month too.