Tour of Britain :

Insightful, daring prediction: Boonen wins a stage.

At the moment I am only going on the final day in London - I have not been going to cycle racing since the tdf fiasco but since I live in London and next years tdf starts here I think I will go. Last year the final stage was like a criterium around London sights and I think this year will be pretty much the same - so great viewing of the riders. Anyone else going and want to meet up?

limerickman said:

ToB starts next Tuesday - covering six stages beginning in Glasgow and moving down to England with the final stage in London.

Any predictions?

Are any fans here hoping to see the ToB live ??

Do you have a link to the race site ?

Sorry, at home today and in "dial-up mode" terrible response time.

-Mike

quil said:

Do you have a link to the race site ?

Sorry, at home today and in "dial-up mode" terrible response time.

-Mike

Here's the official ToB site :

http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/

limerickman said:

ToB starts next Tuesday - covering six stages beginning in Glasgow and moving down to England with the final stage in London.

Any predictions?

Are any fans here hoping to see the ToB live ??

Hmm predictions... hmmm again?

Kiss of death... ok number 134 Maarten Tjallingii

And yes i will be there (to be honest after the Puerto [censored] it's a very long season..), i will go to the last 2 stages. My mission, a picture of Tom Boonen on the Tower Bridge and the last Klöden pictures in a TM dress!

cyclingheroes said:

Hmm predictions... hmmm again?

Kiss of death... ok number 134 Maarten Tjallingii

And yes i will be there (to be honest after the Puerto [censored] it's a very long season..), i will go to the last 2 stages. My mission, a picture of Tom Boonen on the Tower Bridge and the last Klöden pictures in a TM dress!

I wonder is Kloden going for overall GC?
Yeah it's probably the last time you'll see Kloden in TM strip : has to be worth a photo.

BBC are giving good coverage to it - which is encouraging for the UK based cycling fans.
Enjoy your trip to Britain!

limerickman said:

I wonder is Kloden going for overall GC?
Yeah it's probably the last time you'll see Kloden in TM strip : has to be worth a photo.

BBC are giving good coverage to it - which is encouraging for the UK based cycling fans.
Enjoy your trip to Britain!

I will, for the US forum members: cycling.tv will put video clips on the Tour of Britain website. I might see Klöden in the 3-länder tour as well (the former Tour of Hessen) but since i am not sure yet if i will be at the Vuelta during that tour i will have it a go in Britain and it's also a good rehearsel for next years TdF for me(finding the right spots- i want to make lots of pics of Ullrich in the heart of London next year....😉 )

I don't think Klöden is going for the overall, he has to start (TM actually promised that a certain Ullrich would start..)...

cyclingheroes said:

I will, for the US forum members: cycling.tv will put video clips on the Tour of Britain website. I might see Klöden in the 3-länder tour as well (the former Tour of Hessen) but since i am not sure yet if i will be at the Vuelta during that tour i will have it a go in Britain and it's also a good rehearsel for next years TdF for me(finding the right spots- i want to make lots of pics of Ullrich in the heart of London next year....😉 )

I don't think Klöden is going for the overall, he has to start (TM actually promised that a certain Ullrich would start..)...

By the way, congratulations on your own website.
I took a look at it yesterday for the first time - very very impressive, CH.

[quote="limerickman"]Here's the official ToB site :

http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/[/QUOTE]

Thanks, good looking course. I would have ended stage 3 at the top of Millstone Edge though. But it's not about building a competitive course it's about Sheffield being the finish town.

It's a pretty fast course with some ocean roads, that could slow them down a bit.

I might go with Schleck on this one. Boonen can take it as well and Kloden has all the tools but he might be a little tired as the season is winding down. Vandevelde may be the darkhorse here but you could say that about several riders.

Will you be spectator for any of the stages .

-Mike

[quote="quil"]

limerickman said:

Here's the official ToB site :

http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/[/QUOTE]

Thanks, good looking course. I would have ended stage 3 at the top of Millstone Edge though. But it's not about building a competitive course it's about Sheffield being the finish town.

It's a pretty fast course with some ocean roads, that could slow them down a bit.

I might go with Schleck on this one. Boonen can take it as well and Kloden has all the tools but he might be a little tired as the season is winding down. Vandevelde may be the darkhorse here but you could say that about several riders.

Will you be spectator for any of the stages .

-Mike

cyclingheroes said:

I will, for the US forum members: cycling.tv will put video clips on the Tour of Britain website. .

YOU THE MAN !

Thanks CH (where do I send the beer?).

-Mike

limerickman said:

It's hard to pick a winner for the ToB.

I know, it's like trying to pick a winner in a golf match. I don't have a clue, too may variables and you have to have the desire to win the smaller races or just win any race that stands in your way.

-Mike

With the ToB being a small tour, and having lots of non protour teams in it I would be hard pressed to pick a winner. Last year a breakaway got 20 minutes on the pack because it wasn't organised to chase anyone down, elimating anyone who wasn't in that breakaway from GC contention. I reckon something similar will happen this year, largish break goes away and dissapears of the horizon. Overall winner comes from that group. Should be a couple of pro-tour riders in that group and its most likely one of them will win the stage and the overall.

limerickman said:

ToB starts next Tuesday - covering six stages beginning in Glasgow and moving down to England with the final stage in London.

Any predictions?

Are any fans here hoping to see the ToB live ??

I'll be watching the Yorkshire stage. The route includes some of the roads I ride. Checked out the part of the route around Langsett/Strines yesterday as I haven't been up there for a while. I was shocked at the state of some of the road surface, loads of pot holes. I'd forgotten just how bad some of it was. When I wasn't having to swerve around the holes in the road I was having to avoid the pheasants who were wandering around. It's also very narrow in parts, certainly not ideal for a race. Can't believe this is a better than Holme Moss. Just hope no one comes to grief.

Going to see the finish in Sheffield. Saw it go over Snakes Pass last year and they were like ZRROOOOM.... That's it.

Reckon I'll soak up the atmosphere of the finish this time round.

Oh and I'm going for Boonen, shame Nuyens can't go for a third straight win.

Or Mark Cavendish as an outside shot... When did he sign up with T-Mobile?

limerickman said:

ToB starts next Tuesday - covering six stages beginning in Glasgow and moving down to England with the final stage in London.

Any predictions?

Are any fans here hoping to see the ToB live ??

i was hoping to get down there....i feel bad becuase i really have to work today....it would be nice to catch a glimpse of Tom Boonen..

DeanMoriarty said:

Going to see the finish in Sheffield. Saw it go over Snakes Pass last year and they were like ZRROOOOM.... That's it.

Reckon I'll soak up the atmosphere of the finish this time round.

Oh and I'm going for Boonen, shame Nuyens can't go for a third straight win.

Or Mark Cavendish as an outside shot... When did he sign up with T-Mobile?

A neighbor of mine, Pierre grew up in France. Every year his father would take the family to one of the stages of the Tour de France. He and the other children would wait patiently for hours to see the Maillot Jaune. The swag cars would drive by and throw cigarettes, little bottles of wine, chocolate and other swag at the kids and they knew the riders were coming. They would wait for a few more minutes and the swoooosh, the peloton would pass, the Maillot Jaune in the middle and then it was over. He would wait for next year and do it all over again....

You can see Pierre if you click on the wine link below.

I am still picking the rider who has the best time to win the ToB. I will not waiver on my pick.

lw

Whose kit does Roger Hammond ride in during this race, DC or the kit of this Great Britain team? Does the GB team exist all year, or is it just cobbled together for this race?

Cycling news has got the start list up: cyclingnews.combritain06Open ↗