2014 Tour de France by gum!
Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 17 January 2013
Route just announced for the UK stages. It is going to go past my office window and all over roads I cycle most of the year.
Made up! (As they say around here)
Bruce
Route just announced for the UK stages. It is going to go past my office window and all over roads I cycle most of the year.
Made up! (As they say around here)
Bruce
You lucky bugger!
Route just announced for the UK stages. It is going to go past my office window and all over roads I cycle most of the year.
Made up! (As they say around here)
Bruce
Hi Bruce.
Where are you in North Yorks. I'm in Sheffield is the tour coming to South Yorks?
Regards Graham.
So am I (in Sheffield that is).
It was on the local news earlier that the tour is coming over Holme Moss, over to Langsett and then into Sheffield. Hope they come across the Strines Road and up the A57, it's on my doorstep.
The problem is though that the all the bikes will be wrecked, such is the state of the roads here.
So am I (in Sheffield that is).
It was on the local news earlier that the tour is coming over Holme Moss, over to Langsett and then into Sheffield. Hope they come across the Strines Road and up the A57, it's on my doorstep.
The problem is though that the all the bikes will be wrecked, such is the state of the roads here.
I'm in Deepcar (Sheffield area). Hope it comes our way.
Often wondered about your user name. Redmires reservoir maybe?
Often walked from there into the Peaks.
....The problem is though that the all the bikes will be wrecked, such is the state of the roads here.
In Europe, the Tour coming through an area is a great excuse to upgrade the roads they use. That's one of the things that makes cycling in the Alps and Pyrenees so wonderful. All the major climbs (and lot of the smaller ones) have pristine road surfaces due to recent Tour usage.
Just as the Queen thinks the world smells like fresh paint, Tour riders could be excused for thinking all the roads in the world are pristine hotmix. Belgian classics riders, not so much.
Just had a ride out (in the car) around Box Hill , they obviously didn't spend anything on the roads around there for the Olympics.
I work in Skipton, and live a few miles NW of there by the way
Bruce
Often wondered about your user name. Redmires reservoir maybe?
Often walked from there into the Peaks.
Graham
Spot on - I live a couple of miles from the reservoirs. Lovely area for walking, as you say.
Redmires (but you can call me Col 
Seems a bit daft to have more than one stage in this country, and if going to Yorkshire I fear many riders will have wheels go missing !
Seems a bit daft to have more than one stage in this country, and if going to Yorkshire I fear many riders will have wheels go missing !
You are so right. It is a terrible place here. Don't visit, definitely don't live here either. You'd hate it. Like my insurance company rates it so badly (not).
Leave it quiet for the rest of us.
Bruce
Bruce, looking forward to the Yorkshire stages. Then the road into London.
Have done various runs around Skipton, Ilkley and Bolton Abbey before. All good fun.
Off for another Etape too. A loop from Annecy to add to various past amateur sufferings on Tourmalet, Ventoux, Galibier and the Alpe.
Pretty tempted to follow the Tour one year. Will need a campervan and probably retirement first.
Wonder how the Froome-Wiggins team leader dynamic will play out? Contador to beat.
Hopefully Cav bags a few stages including the UK ones.
Can't wait!
......Wonder how the Froome-Wiggins team leader dynamic will play out?
Can't wait!
Do you think these guys are clean?
If they're not, I'll never take any interest in other people partaking in sport ever again. I'll campaign vigorous against any company that sponsors it, and argue the toss with vehemence if anyone mentions it to me first ...
That would be the last straw ...
ATB from George
If they're not, I'll never take any interest in other people partaking in sport ever again. I'll campaign vigorous against any company that sponsors it, and argue the toss with vehemence if anyone mentions it to me first ...
That would be the last straw ...
ATB from George
The sight of Porte and Rogers riding tempo at 400W up the hardest climbs of the tour, putting specialist climbers and contenders into trouble was something I wasn't expecting. That, more than Wiggins' performance, raised my eyebrows.
Power meters have pretty much put an end to successful and significant attacks on key climbs. The Sky riders now just time-trial to the top behind a cadre of teammates. If you're sitting behind a team-mate who is pushing 400w you know that any attack to that train is bound to fail. So, no I don't necessarily think that Sky is "on the juice", but they certainly have this tour-thing figured out. Wiggins is the best TTer who can also climb and has a great team. So with the right team, and some luck, he wins. Simple.
If they're not, I'll never take any interest in other people partaking in sport ever again. I'll campaign vigorous against any company that sponsors it, and argue the toss with vehemence if anyone mentions it to me first ...
That would be the last straw ...
ATB from George
+1 George.
It's the last chance saloon for La Tour and pro bike riding if drugs are not eliminated from the sport. Why would we want to support or condone drug cheats! Hope you are well & warm this snowy Sunday take care.
Regards Graham.
Dear Graham,
When it is cold and wet-miserable like this, I try to avoid going out too much. I did buy a superb pair of tall tan leather walking boots on Saturday in the sale from my favourite shoe-shop. £55 after fifty per cent discount. Felt lined and great tread on the soles. Good for hauling tonne pallets of ice cream about in the blast freezer at work, where typically the temperature is between minus 26 and minus 30 degree C, so not a place to spend long without the right footwear.
Also they are really smart so good enough for delivering when I have that job to do. Tomorrow I expect, going over to Stratford.
The Carlton is waiting for a Spring clean, but it would be wasted at the moment as it will be black as ink again after a week of commuting as it is. I just oiled it, and adjusted the brakes up again. Everything else is on the top line at the moment.
I plan to get back into shape with respect to my right leg strength so that by April - twelve months after the crash - I can be as good as I was before ... I rather doubt that I'll ever attempt my planned massive cycle ride in Norway now. As my aunt said of it, "Charmingly mad!" And I am not so happy with the idea since the crash ... She will be relieved to realise that ...
Keep well yourself, ATB from George
......Wonder how the Froome-Wiggins team leader dynamic will play out?
Can't wait!
Do you think these guys are clean?
I do Winky. I don't feel I 'know' Froome as well as Wiggins but nonetheless it is at the heart of the team's ethos from management to riders. I think they last year made resign anyone who in their past had been connected with any team that had in any way had some dubious news (even if not connected to the individual in question at all).
Not only that but the sponsor will be doing everything poss to ensure the standard is maintained as it would be a commercial disaster for them if it were not. The sponsor has really nailed their colours to the mast with cycling in the UK and spent a fortune on promoting it at all levels.
All this said, individuals can get away with stuff. Only a much tighter international testing regime can catch them. I believe cycling is at the forefront of such testing.
I dread to think what has been going on in other sports that people believe are clean because they don't hear anything eg the world's biggest money-spinner - the sport of football.
What make are the boots George?
Made by the Jones Company. They make great boots and shoes, all the way to formal black dress shoes, which are far too expensive for me. UK made of course.
ATB from George
Well done George £5. The Jones Company make fantastic footwear, Based in Northampton I do believe.
ATB Graham.