An alternative preview of the Abu Dhabi tour 2018.

There are previews of races, and who you might want to watch and see win out there, I have no wish to tread on anyone’s toes with this. That is not the intention, it is simply my thoughts as to what I would like to see happen, of course, it is unlikely to pan out like this, but there is always hope. More of this later. After all, we have all watched a breakaway and willed them to stay away to the finish line, such as with Brandon McNulty at the recent Tour of Dubai.

Getting there

Although this is the third race in the Arabian Peninsular in as many weeks, many of the riders have not been involved in all three races. Those who took part in Dubai, but not Oman, having returned to their usual base or a training block in the intervening period. Some riders are based in Girona in Spain, and flew back. There are also several riders who train in Catalonia and are also going to the race. I so wish I was a fly on the flight from Barcelona to Abu Dhabi, possibly via Dubai, as team support have been there for the 3 weeks. That would happily fill my smartphone with thousands of selfies and pictures of riders.

Hotel

With the race being 5 stages, all in the emirate, transfers between stages to a new hotel each day are not necessary. The opportunity exists to remain in the same hotel, in familiar surroundings, for the entire race. This must be a real boon for the riders and teams something that rarely happens later on in the season. The other races in Middle East are the same in this respect, as is the Tour Down Under. A chance to get to talk with other riders from other teams without the pressure of being in a race over an extended period.

Race

So, to the race itself, there are 5 stages, first 3 have flat profiles, which should end in sprints. The fourth stage is an ITT and the stage 5 concludes on Jebel Mountain; not a dam as the other two races are here, but a proper mountain. The classifications in the race that are available are GC, Points, Youth and Teams. The stages are 189,154,133,11 and 199km in length during the week.

Those who know me will already know who I will be cheering on for all five stages, it wont come as a surprise to them that I will be shouting loudly for Sam Brand of Team Novo Nordisk and Toms Skujiņš from Trek. Sam as today is the first official pro race he has undertaken after being a stagiaire last year; and Toms because its Toms! I had no idea earlier this year that these two would be racing against each other so early in the season. I’m sort of really pleased but also thinking who do I want to win? As long as both enjoy the race, get through safely and have benefitted from the experience I will be happy. I think it will be a real learning curve for Sam.

Ideally for me would be to see Toms and Sam in the break every day(apart from Thursday, S2) as I have an appointment and may not be able to watch. My voicebox will be working overtime, I will be totally hoarse and might even get somewhere close to as big a smile as Toms always has, but probably not! Most people who play #FantasyFives and have looked at the startlist, will know what at least 60% of my team will be for the race, and with a bit of thought, could probably calculate the whole team!

On a slightly different slant, head over to Sams Twitter page and enter his competition to get your names designed and printed on #SamsShoes for the Commonwealth Games!

https://twitter.com/SamNBrand/status/961877992195665920

I hope you have enjoyed this totally “tongue in cheek” look at the race and enjoy watching it as it unfolds, I last thing:

Good luck both!

Tongue in cheek look at Latvia for World Road Race, Bergen 2017

Having commented on the efforts of @InsidePeleton96 and @JustProCycling for their previews of the World Championships in Bergen over the next week, I feel compelled to undertake a preview of the Latvian team, as promised! In a tongue-in-cheek way.

Teams are awarded places in the races based on rankings over the year in races that have been completed. This leads to a bias in favour of those countries who have the most successful riders, which by a process of predictability are those with more riders (I await to be shot down in flames)

In the Mens road race, this representation results in some teams having 9 riders and others down as few as 1. According to the UCI quota on their website, http://uci.ch/road/ucievents/2017-road-uci-road-world-championships/111129017/ Latvia have only 1 rider in the race. Whilst in their rider registration and accreditation, Latvia have 4.

I should query Brian Cookson about that, but he is busy in a dog-fight for the Presidential election, I know Trump won that one before anyone says! When I messaged Toms earlier this week, he did say he was done with racing so either the UCI are wrong or Toms is. If i was a betting man, I know who my money would be on!

In my totally, unbiased, opinion the Latvian Cycling Federation http://www.lrf.lv/ have totally failed to build on the ground swell of opinion for one of their riders who competed in the Vuelta this year. Toms Skujins (@Tomashuuns) spent the entire three weeks of the race smiling, if there had been a prize for that, he would have walked away with it hands down!

Given the accident that he suffered in the Tour of California, even to get back racing shows grit and determination. If you haven’t watched the crash, and want to, here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2OnYxaEtD4 and that incident was the very first time I think I noticed Toms. Though I may have followed him closely since.

Admittedly, on form from this year, http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/Toms_Skujins it would be unlikely that Toms came away with the rainbow jersey. But that’s what nearly ever pundit/expert/fan/uninterested person said about Leicester City and the Premiership!

So, onto the race, it takes place around Bergen in Norway on September 24. Starting in Rong before heading south and then east to enter Bergen and complete 11 circuits of the city. I have no idea who will win! For that information I rely on Will and Mike, they are far better at it than me. I just hope all the races are enjoyable, exciting and unpredictable, not to unpredictable that it becomes a lottery.

Thanks for reading, and hope it brought a smile to your face. Now head over to Will and Mike’s twitter feeds for constructive analysis of the UCI World Road Championships, and dont forget to follow Toms if you aren’t already doing so.

Tour of Britain Stage 8, Cardiff

The day began every cloudy in Bristol with more rain and winds forecast for the day, with Cardiff not escaping the weather being only across the Severn Estuary. We decided that we would still go, but to take wet weather gear as one does in the UK, whatever the season!

Headed over the Second Severn Crossing and into Wales. The rain began, but only light drizzle. We got to Cardiff and my intention had been to use an open air car park that was close to the racing circuit. There were road closures. as you would expect on holding a road race in the city centre. This meant that there were queues to get near the race course, so a quick recalculation and headed back out from the north of city and headed to the west and the other side of the River Taff. Having parked the car, we headed to cross the river near the Principality Stadium, only to get caught up in some fun run thing, didn’t these runners KNOW there was an important road race taking place later? Or did they take advantage of the road closures?

Cardiff Castle and Castle Street closed as part of circuit.

With weather not that great, we headed for some food first and then a wander up to the race village, there was the usual stalls selling wares from the different sponsors.. only one that I was tempted with, maybe two. A new Skoda Superb and a Skoda race bike- neither had any realistic chance of finding their way back home later in the day!

So, we arrived in the technical area, and here on Museum Avenue, the team vehicles were beginning to line up on both sides of the road. This is always a great opportunity to have a nose and look round.

Team Lotto Jumbo

CannondaleDrapac

It was clear the difference in budgets of those teams from the World Tour and those from lower levels in the pecking order.

AnPost Chain Reaction

We decided to head towards the finishing line to watch the activities and prepare for the arrival of the race.. The closest that we could get was about 100m past the finish line, what a difference from the Tour de France in Harrogate where we we on the line. Here, it was cordoned off for hospitality on one side and media centre on the other. There is a huge open green space to the rear of the line that they could have happily put hospitality and knocked up some big screens in case any actually wanted to watch the race. But I’m not the organiser…

While we waited the weather did its best to disrupt the day, with a sudden heavy shower of rain. This lasted about 10 mins and within another 10 the sun was out, doing its best to dry the roads before the race arrived. Umbrellas up, and down. Race jackets for the riders out and then put away again.

The race was to cross the finishing line 3 times, with the second crossing being the last intermediate sprint of this years OVO Tour of Britain. Out on the course from the start in Worcester, the race had fractured, with the peleton in two complete separate groups. If the second group were more than 7.30 minutes down on entry to the course they would be stopped so as not to inhibit the race.

The first crossing of the line saw the escape cross a few seconds ahead of the peleton, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ6golvZ2Yw but by the sprint, on the second crossing it was all back together. Along with the bell to signify the race was entering the last lap of 7km for the entire race. The sprint was won by Michal Kwiatkowski of Team Sky.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA6VrUHXQVk

The team cars followed the riders around the streets of Cardiff for the last time.

 

The riders went back out onto the course, and the next time we saw them would be the finish. The big screen was showing the action as it happened out on the circuit. Edwald Bosen Hagan made a dash for it and powered away from the peleton with about 3km to go. It seemed a forlone hope, but as is the way with EBH he perservied. Under the Flamme Rouge with a slender margin, there were two 90 degree right hand bends to contend with before the finishing straight. Still ahead. The crowd began banging on the boards again, as he came down the straight, they were almost on him. He held them off for a well deserved win.

Finish of Stage 8, Tour of Britain 2017 in Cardiff

EBH crosses the finishing line with win for DimensionData, ahead of Ariel Richeze of QuickStepFloors and Alexander Kristoff of KatushaAlpecin in third

Had EBH not been penalised early in the race for a deviation in the sprint and lost his bonification seconds, he would have won the overall by 2 seconds, as it was the overall went to Lars Boom.

The rush was on to get in front of the stage to see the presentations of the winners. we weren’t quick enough! so headed back to the technical area. Here the teams were already washing down the bikes after the days racing in assorted weather. Some were more though than others, and while some were still cleaning, other teams were nearly all packed and ready to leave! We headed back to the carpark where the car was parked and began out journey home. Again in pouring rain. While travelling along the M4 we overtook and couple of team vehicles, thou with the weather, pictures through the windscreen were not practical so quickly opened side window but pictures werent great due to close proximity. Notice to traffic control, let us have the motorway to ourselves to get decent pictures of the vehicles on the move!

New season will require a new approach to Fantasy Fives

For the past season, our first in Fantasy Fives of cycling, the management took the approach that the team should be build around Celtic riders. This is for numerous reasons, not least the whole ethos of the team was a Celtic one.

With results being all important for placings within the fraternity it has become necessary to rethink a plan of attack for next season. As a result of deep and complex thoughts, it has been decided that we will keep our core base of Celtic riders, but will compliment them with other riders that will gain points for the Fantasy table. The decision was a complex one to reach, but I cant continue to allow Benni and Keiran free reign in the chasing down of the ever presents on the podium! The riders that we have used this year have all performed well in the tasks alloted to them by their race teams, this however, hasn’t reflected in the overall standings and therefore Fantasy points.

It is hoped that the bulk of the teams put out will be in line with the overall aims and aspirations of the team. The support, even ridicule (in good spirits) from some over selections for races has made the team even more determined to continue to compete.

We look forward to re-engaging with everyone in the new season.

A Day in the Mountains

Nothing to do with cycling! Today we decided to head up into the mountains to the North West of Alicant, to a place called Gaudalest. The village is famous for having eagles roosting in the cliffs opposite the village. When we got there, the queue for the carpark to see them and also to walk up to the Castle was out onto the road! We decided to head straight down to the reservoir for a spot of lunch. We headed down the road that we thought was right, but it was steep and narrow, we perserved and got to the road that we should have been on anyway!
We got to the dam and went over, the road we thought we could use alongside the reservoir was intact a private road, so we headed over the dam and stopped the other side. The path down to the water was steep and so we then thought to drive on a little and find somewhere else.
That didn’t work out so headed back and stopped where we had originally been.
After food and water, we headed along to try and get to the highest point in the mountains in the area. When we got to the crossroads with the road to the summit, it is a Spanish Army base, with communication masts at the top.
We then started to head back to Alicant and passing through 2 villages where there were diversions. A Friday afternoon and the locals were having festivals in both!
Drove back to Alicant, and stopped at Carrefour for some food to make sandwiches for tomorrow and Sunday, after a long walk round and filling a basket, we headed back home. For evening meal and catch up on the exploits today in the Vuelta! And a few beers!!

Military C70 aircraft at Cardiff Wales airport

Military aircraft made 3 passes of the runway at Rhoose while we were waiting for the flight to Alicant.

I only noticed it as we were expecting the A320 that we were due on to arrive.

I decided to take a video!

 

Military aircraft at Cardiff Wales airport

While we were waiting on departure lounge of the airport, a military aircraft possibly a C70 came into view. I decided to take a video which is on my Twitter page.  I then received a couple of requests from various news organisations wanting to use it!

It seemed fair to allow them, so I agreed.

Here is the link to my original tweet https://twitter.com/bristolbike/status/900303903442554881

What to do on the Monday after the end of the tour?

Rather than get the blues with the end of the tour, this year have done something vastly different to normal!

My intention when I woke this morning was to at least catch some of the Tour of Wallonie on Eurosport this afternoon…

I could tell when I looked at the programme guide this morning and studied what was on Eurosport that all was not well!

When I commented that the cycling was on, and a different race to the last 3 weeks, was on. The look of what could be called disbelief suggested that I was not going to see any Belgian scenery this afternoon!

This lead almost directly to the idea of this blog! Now I just have to keep it up!!

Musings of a cyclist

OK, so I spend most of July 2017 either watching the Tour de France, reading about the said TdF, or on holiday!

Most of what I read was from blogs of people I have got to know from Twitter and this new attempt is entirely down to them! Partly @Benni1000 @InsidePeleton96 @JustProCycling and others that I will try and remember as I go along!

As a result I have sort of got the bug to begin a blog about cycling and other related / unrelated subjects which I will post here as and when…

I have spend most of today looking at reviews of the Tour, so I am not going to rehash (probably badly) there views. Go and read them for yourselves..

I will hopefully post stuff here from when go to Spain from the Vuelta