Author: Alex
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Philippe Gilbert stays in the big ring for the Cauberg
This year’s World Championships finished just over the top of the Cauberg, the hill used at the end of The Amstel Gold Race. Philippe Gilbert won that race in 2010 and 2011. He also won the World Championships today. Apparently, he didn’t drop out of the big ring at the finish. The burning in his…
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Jonathan Tiernan-Locke – a punchy climber and could he ride the Classics?
Britain has produced a ridiculous number of top cyclists in recent years. The track cyclists are untouchable and we’ve most bases covered on the road. We’ve Bradley Wiggins, time trialist and Tour de France winner; Chris Froome, climber and time trialist; and Mark Cavendish, the supreme sprinter of his era. But if there’s one thing…
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Stoke stage of Tour of Britain sees riders going backwards
Literally in Bradley Wiggins’ case. He turned round and went back to try and find Mark Cavendish who was suffering long before his nemesis, Gun Hill. He found him and then they both concluded that all was lost and dawdled to the finish. I sometimes think about what it would be like to ride with…
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Jonathan Tiernan-Locke is still poised in the Tour of Britain
I’ve not written about the first three stages of the Tour of Britain because there hasn’t been too much going on with the general classification. That changed a little bit today on stage four, as a lot of riders lost time. My man Jonathan Tiernan-Locke is one who’s still in contention, however. Team Sky took…
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Gun Hill – Tour of Britain hill climb preview
Gun Hill appears during stage 5 of the Tour of Britain and apparently it’s a popular highlight. It’s famous for once having made Mark Cavendish cry on a training ride, but he must have been having a really bad day because it’s nowt special really. I speak with some authority, because it’s a hill I’m…
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Tour of Britain preview – route and riders to watch
The Tour of Britain started today. There are eight stages. Ipswich to Norfolk Showground (199.6km) Nottingham to Knowsley (177.8km) Jedburgh to Dumfries (161.4km) Carlisle to Blackpool (156km) Stoke (146.9km) Welshpool to Caerphilly (189.8km) Barnstaple to Dartmouth (170.7km) Reigate to Guildford (147.7km) Highlights Stage 2 has three first category climbs, but they’re early on and the…
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Joaquim Rodriguez and glorious failure
The three leaders finished stage 20 in reverse order, but it didn’t affect the standings. Joaquim Rodriguez made a valiant attempt to snatch back the red jersey, but couldn’t recoup the time he lost when the Great God Numb-Nuts visited him on stage 17 and demanded that he do His bidding. One dosy moment and…
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Denis Menchov reveals himself
Not like that. Although even if that did happen, you wonder whether anyone would notice. Denis Menchov’s season has reminded me of that bit in Back To The Future where Marty McFly starts fading from existence. He started the Tour de France as a contender, but slowly receded from view and, if I’m honest, I’d…
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Alberto Contador finally shakes Joaquim Rodriguez
The 2012 Vuelta a Espana has featured a lot of Alberto Contador attacks. In pretty much all of them, he has appeared to tow Joaquim Rodriguez along behind him like a little Spanish caravan in a red jersey. However, today, on stage 17, Contador finally uncoupled his unwanted cargo – but how did he manage…
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How steep is the Puerto de Pajares near the finish?
Lungs of Indurain! Who put tarmac on that wall? The end of stage 16 was not all that friendly to a bunch of cyclists who’d already cycled 170km over several mountains and who were into the third week of a Grand Tour. The pace slowed to a degree that would have been comical if it…