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??
_

Reading the reports Dowsett sends like he was in perfect form for it, chapeau to him, he's not had the easiest run up. I'll be very interested to see how Wiggo does, do we think he's in it to set one that will last a while or just get a feel for it? Was really interested that Dowsett had only ever done 35 mins in training, it's fascinating stuff.

Can't get enough of the TdY, great cycling and seeing home on the telly is ace! Although today I am off to watch DS1 in his inaugural road race, 40 very hilly miles. I'm going to be at the feed station 25 miles in at the top of a very tough climb, will two hours after the start be the right sort of time to be there? I'd be there all day but his brothers will whinge the whole time probably!

We are off up Cote de Cow & Calf today. Luckily the rain seems to have passed and it's brightening up slightly. Think it's going to be a good turn out on the roadside. Will have dd strapped to DP's back and hopefully she won't whinge the whole time It's just a 5 minute train ride away so not too far from home. I'm excited!!!!

Have a good day, both of you!

So proud of him, 40 miles mostly in zero visibility fog with three big climbs and he enjoyed it! Trying to ignore the Strava stats showing him going 51mph down hill on a road open to cars in dense fog.

Doesn't look like they are having much more luck with the weather in Yorkshire.

Well done to him Slant!

We had a fabulous time. We are on the telly at the side of the road, I'll try and get a pic when we watch later on. Glorious sunshine all afternoon it's a shame you can't post videos here as I got one of a rider doing a wheelie right past me on the 17% part of the climb

Giro Giro Giro !

This weekend, so soon! Can't believe this year has flown past so quickly.

Just ordered my baby his first pair of bib shorts too, feels like a rite of passage or something. He's also asking for clip ons. He is 6 foot tall and has the corresponding grace of a baby giraffe, all I can think of is his beautiful face hitting the tarmac

A wheelie on a 17% climb Felix that's just showing off pure and simple! Glad you had such a great time though, the crowds looked amazing on TV. Still in a bit of a grump that we had to stay home but my boys all had a great time doing their respective things so they'd better treat me well when I get old and put me in a home that has Eurosport.

So, the Giro d'Italia starts today

Anyone else watching?

Team time trial today

Finally caught up again. Yet again my Sky box had a queue of races to watch but am now down to one stage of the Tour d'Azerbaidjan and one of Four Days of Dunkirk.
Alex Dowsett was amazing and he actually managed to lift up his bike afterwards when most previous attempts had the rider practically carried off the track. He set Wiggo a real challenge. Though as Wiggins has done almost nothing this year he's had plenty of time to prepare.
Giro off to a flying start, no British riders this year so it'll be Etixx all the way here. Sadly I can't see Uran winning though.

It's hard keeping up, isn't it, ariadne - and the Tour of California starts tomorrow evening as well. At least there are a few Brits to cheer on in that - IIRC there are no Brits riding the Giro at all this year, not even for Team Sky

No, Team Sky is all foreign riders this year. Surprising that there's no one.

Bit late to the party here...
Just not engaged with pro-biking at the mo. I'm afraid....will probs get to see highlights of the mountain stages. But actually riding a lot anyways! Last Sunday did a local iconic climb with a bike buddy who was puffing and sweating to the top but had a massive on his face when we got there.

Didn't get to see yesterday as DS2 (two weeks off his 13th birthday which is significant I think) had an absolute meltdown when I put it on, apparently I always get to watch the cycling, he never gets to watch anything he wants and I am SO SELFISH' . Then when I got angry with him because dear god if being a parent doesn't force you to be the opposite of selfish then I don't know what does. So my tempter vs his attitude. Well, there was no watching the highlights anyway. I'm amazed I get to watch it today tbh.

Was wondering where you'd got to Pan, lovely pink top there btw.

Not a great time trial for Sky then, lovely to see Gerrans in the pink jersey at the end of the day. Who do we fancy for the win then? 20 seconds doesn't seem much in the scheme of things for Porte, he's looking super skinny though, I know that's top tip for cycling but ouch!

Exciting stage at the Giro today, and it's only Stage 4.

Meanwhile, Cav has two stage wins out of two at the Tour of California.

Loved Cav's victories in California. More stage wins in the TdF?

And Simon Clarke's 'Victory Salute' has to be one of the funniest things, esp his reaction when the Movistar rider pointed it out - and THEN claiming he wasn't celebrating 'the win'! The wombat.

Yes, it was funny. In his interview he made quite a good attempt at saying he was actually celebrating getting the pink jersey - pity nobody believed him

Wonderful breakaway stage win in California - I can't remember the rider's name, but was cheering him all the way home.

In the spirit of falsehoods, you may like this vignette...I just creamed a pro-rider from British Cycling/Sky on the way home!

I ride past the National Cycling Centre, M/c on the way home, and a guy in all the gear and on a Pinarello slides in front of me and Spech. Which is fine, until I realise he is slouching, not on full gas, shifting but not enough.. and I need to get home 13 miles away to pick up dd....so I dropped down a cog, put my foot down and sailed gracefully past him whilst he is focusing on his cadence....

best bit..we stop at traffic lights ahead, and I move out to to let him some space, he pulls up looks over to me, I blank him and then with the 'inner Sylvain Chavanell' working, I need to lead from the front....set off and let him wheel suck me for about half a mile.

Small and pathetic, I know, but at the time it was utterly fabulous!

as you were...

And Cav just can't stop winning can he???

And Sagan finally got a win the other day!!

Pan Did you recognise the pro-rider?

DH was a bit miffed yesterday at being overtaken going uphill by another cyclist, especially as the cyclist was 'built like a sprinter'

No DA it's often difficult to recognise them individually, but once you see the Sky/Brit Cycling gear, the white Pinarellos, how sleek they are and not carrying any stuff to and from work you know which species they are. Also most of them seem to live in South Manchester so traveling in that direction also is a big clue. Except for Shane Sutton and Laura Trott who I've exchanged words with. We also get other pro-teams going to and from the Velodrome in cute little trains.

I did like blanking the rider though..the script in my head went "It's just how we roll round here...get with the beat, son." Or something like that.

That crash! . Poor Colli!

I road terms Contador is redefining what a hard shoulder is.

Chuffed for Cav this week he must have been working hard to get into form like that. I just can't like Sagan, which is mean of me! You've got to be impressed by Contador but much as I adored him in the past I hate the bitter taint of the doping now, cycling on after a dislocated shoulder is impressive though especially if he is only taking ibuprofen to deal with the pain.

Poor Colli indeed but back on the trainer today. They are made of special stuff.

Watching speed with Guy Martin where he tries to go 100kph on a bike after watching the triathlon earlier, did anyone see the guy who was 30 seconds ahead on the cycling leg, showed off for the cameras and completely wiped out on the tarmac? Idiot.

DS1 is after a road bike (on a cross bike at the moment) I'm looking at the Boardman bikes because you've got to trust that man when it comes to details. DS1 want the spesh Roubaix. There may need to be compromise .

I think the fact that I haven't spoken to another adult today really shines through .