Cycling - Back from Tour of Britain...

[Stat Brother]

...now that's how to interact with the fans.

We had a fantastic day watching the cycling, and between events being in the 'pit' area.

No matter which team we went to everybody connected to them couldn't have been more fan friendly.

Jnr got 5 of the 6 Sky riders autographs, photos with them all, as well as the winner Lars Boom, and current world Champion Thor Hushovd.
Plus countless others, all this within half an hour of the final race.

There wasn't a single ego, headphone, or 'minder' on show.

A great day was had by all.

 

[parf]

Saw the somerset stage - managed to see them 3 times - amazing athletes and it appears have feet on the ground

 

[Was not Was]

...now that's how to interact with the fans.

We had a fantastic day watching the cycling, and between events being in the 'pit' area.

No matter which team we went to everybody connected to them couldn't have been more fan friendly.

Jnr got 5 of the 6 Sky riders autographs, photos with them all, as well as the winner Lars Boom, and current world Champion Thor Hushovd.
Plus countless others, all this within half an hour of the final race.

There wasn't a single ego, headphone, or 'minder' on show.

A great day was had by all.

That's great to hear. Wish I could have made it. Highlights tonight made it look a real occasion, better than last time I went, a couple of years ago.

Onwards and upwards for cycling in the UK.

They do need to find ways to get a higher profile though. Most people didn't know about today in advance even now EVERYONE now has heard of Cavendish.

 

[Was not Was]

On a related matter (but without starting new cycling threads and annoying the uninterested): if Cav wins the Worlds next week, would he be a shoe-in for Sports Personality of the year? I think Tommy Simpson won it in '65 after he'd won the World Championship. Would be fitting.

 

[Stat Brother]

We went past the Rapha team, and I saw the Yetti KoM's prize rammed in the front of a van.

I asked a member of staff if jnr could have his pic with the cuddly toy, the bloke replied, 'it's not mine'.

He then shouted the question and I saw Jon Tiernan-Locke the winner of the KoM stop what he was doing walk round get his prize and posse for a photo.

Top top work

 

[Stat Brother]

On a related matter (but without starting new cycling threads and annoying the uninterested): if Cav wins the Worlds next week, would he be a shoe-in for Sports Personality of the year? I think Tommy Simpson won it in '65 after he'd won the World Championship. Would be fitting.

I’m not liking the look of the GB team, again!.

Millar Wiggins & Froome aren’t going to want to, or be able to ride solely for Cav.
G has to be the ‘other’ option for the win.
Cumming Hunt and Stannard aren’t exactly world beaters.

I don’t see Cav pulling this off, Theo Bos, for an outsiders win

 

[Was not Was]

I’m not liking the look of the GB team, again!.

Millar Wiggins & Froome aren’t going to want to, or be able to ride solely for Cav.

I don’t see Cav pulling this off

Not exactly Goss & Renshaw, is it? And Renshaw hasn't even made the Aussie team.

Agree it's not where the smart money is, but yesterday's last ToB stage shows Cav can win even without a great leadout.

 

[Stat Brother]

Yeah but the extra distance required to win the Worlds, means you need protection for ALL of the race not just three quarters of it.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

It was a great day. The teams were so accessible. In the day Sky put security around their coach - which did not seem in the spirit of the day. However Geraint Thomas was signing away. We saw Cav throw a strop which was amusing.

It really was a great day.

 

[teaboy]

I’m not liking the look of the GB team, again!.

Millar Wiggins & Froome aren’t going to want to, or be able to ride solely for Cav.
G has to be the ‘other’ option for the win.
Cumming Hunt and Stannard aren’t exactly world beaters.

I don’t see Cav pulling this off, Theo Bos, for an outsiders win

If Millar, Wiggins and Froome don't want to ride for Cav then they wouldn't be in the team. It WILL finish in a bunch sprint, and Mark Cavendish is the only rider in the GB squad capable of winning it. Personally I can't think of a much better lead-out than Millar-Wiggins-Thomas.

Who WOULD be in your team?

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm absolutely not disputing their credentials, but:-

Millar is lightly raced since Le Tour new baby etc, and I doubt he sees his TT podium days, as a thing of the past.
So therefore won't be going full pelt for the race.

Wiggins/Frome went and raced a brutal Vuelta for 3 full weeks, plus Wiggins is in the TT.

G will need to be the 'backup plan', so won't go balls out for Cav.

There's no guarantee it will be a bunch sprint, and even if that's a possibility someone will have to cancel out Gilbert, from 5k out.
Nobody else will do it, why created a bunch sprint that you'll lose to Cav, instead.
I don't see the rest of the team being able to control the field enough, a la HTC, to get Cav to a bunch sprint.

A select group in single figures will fight out the win, in the last 5k

 

[ManxSeagull]

The possibility is the Manx Missile has signed for Sky next season, so will have several future team mates around him

 

[Stat Brother]

Plenty more where they came from!.