Grande Depart : Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:28 am  

This time next week Le Tour will have been through Yorkshire and it's fair to say I'm so excited I could let out a little bit of wee.

Sunday is taken care of. I'm heading to Blackley Cricket Club and watching the race on television, enjoying the atmosphere of the beer festival before the caravan and the race passes.

I've got Saturday morning taken care of. Coming down with a friend from Scotland we're off for an early morning cycle covering the Sunday climbs of Oxenhope, Cragg Vale, Barkisland/Greetland and Blackley before heading off in the car to.......and this is what I'm not sure of. Can someone recommend a good place to come and watch the race go by?

I still can't quite believe the Tour is passing through my home town. How are you marking the event?

[John_D]

Re: Grande Depart : Wed Jul 02, 2014 7:47 am  

Thought about Holme Moss, but Mrs D doesn't fancy that, so we'll take advantage of the council putting stuff on in the town centre and see the peloton sweep by at the bottom of Chapel Hill (Cote du Chapel Hill?)

Re: Grande Depart : Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:16 pm  

So who do you think is winning this year?

I'd bet the house on Kittel winning stage 1 barring accidents even with Cav being super determined to take the stage. Stage 2 I'm less sure of but thinking of a Valverde/Sagan/Kwiatkoski/Gerrans type rider.

I'll go for Sagan in the green jersey.

Polka I'll go for Rolland.

White Kwiatkowski although I'd love to think Simon Yates could do it.

And as for yellow.......I think it'll be Contador. Sky and Froome are not in good shape this year as a result of injuries and illness. It's like 2010 all over again.

However - what the Dauphine showed is that the other teams are willing to do their own thing and not follow their wheels. I have a sneaky suspicion we may see a good 'young un' get in a break and get enough time to make it interesting.

[John_D]

Re: Grande Depart : Fri Jul 04, 2014 11:34 am  

Sagan for green, fancy Purito for the polka-dots after what he was saying yesterday. White - flip a coin between Kwiatkowski and Pinot.
Overall? Can't call it. Sky have been awful all year, but would it be so much of a surprise to see them pull it off again? I actually think Valverde has a great chance, but hate to admit it to myself. Interesting to see how Rui Costa takes to leading a team.

Stage 1. OPQS look to have the personnel for a good lead-out this time - Martin, Renshaw, Petacchi, Terpstra - which will help Cav. Kittel's just a beast though. Head says Kittel, everything else says Cav.
Stage 2. Wide, wide open. Quite fancy Kristoff for it, but good shout on Gerrans. Too lumpy for Sagan and that haul up the Jenkin Road will break a few. Only short, but 33% ffs! It'd be great to have that stage as a Classic rather than the 2.1 Tour Of Yorkshire 3-dayer they're mooting.

Re: Grande Depart : Sat Jul 05, 2014 11:18 pm  

Amazing day today, rode into Harrogate, never seen so many bikes in my life and also coming out as well, it was like taking over the streets.

Loved Voigts madness, thought Spartacus had pulled a genius stroke and then disaster.

Hard to look past Bertie for GC but Nibbles may have a say.

Top Yorkshire day today though and best of all, get to do it all again tomorrow on Holme Moss!

Re: Grande Depart : Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:21 am  

I enjoyed the experience on the A65 although I thought the caravan was a waste of time. Whoever planned the route deserves a pat on the back. Yorkshire looked grand

Re: Grande Depart : Sun Jul 06, 2014 5:14 pm  

Cibaman wrote:

I enjoyed the experience on the A65 although I thought the caravan was a waste of time. Whoever planned the route deserves a pat on the back. Yorkshire looked grand

The old girl looked great didn't she!

Re: Grande Depart : Wed Jul 09, 2014 12:40 pm  

Froome on his back again looking at the sky. Nice moment for the sponsors.

Re: Grande Depart : Wed Jul 09, 2014 1:52 pm  

Froome out.

Sky have dropped a reet clanger not selecting Bradley Wiggins who could have given them a great option over the cobbles today.

Re: Grande Depart : Wed Jul 09, 2014 1:59 pm  

And I've been saying that all along.

Froome and Sky are in bits this year. Too many accidents, too many illnesses and not enough results. This could be their worst year so far in the cycling world.

The fall yesterday was just one of those 'things' that happen in racing. You can't be at the front of the peloton all day every day after all.

Brailford should have had the foresight to select a plan B. Wiggins (top 10 in this years Paris Roubaix) would have provided that plan B. I'm not watching the live coverage so not sure where Porte is right now (the new Plan A) or indeed Thomas (who could have won the stage today given some freedom).