Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

[Felicity, I guess so]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Yes, as Ms Felicity has just reminded me- she doesn't like me riding back into the city from long country rides...

[Kevin S]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Have only just come across this now via Toro's FB. Awful news, leaves behind a family and a big hole in the Giro peloton.

[Gawpus]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Horrible news. A nice tribute to Scarponi on Velonews, including a couple of Twitter clips of his adventures with his neighbour's parrot.

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

My pic of Scarponi, Nibali and the rest of Astana heading to sign on at the 2014 Tour de France in Leeds.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Not much happening so far in L-B-L. The Astana line-up in tears at the start was moving.

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Trying not to be snide about LBL in the circumstances, but let's just say that I'm watching the snooker still.

Anna van der Breggen won the women's race, podium exactly the same as at Fleche.

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

The number of motorbikes following the Cofidis riders just then was an absolute disgrace. What are they all doing?

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Some splendidly wasteful attacking from Henao here.

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Valverde's gonna win, isn't he?

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

And he did. Dan Martin went in the final k, Valverde overhauled him and won what passed for the sprint comfortably. That's the Ardennes stuff over, thank fuck, now for stage racing.

[ursus arctos]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

In tears, Valverde pays tribute to Scarponi and say he will donate his prize money to the Italian's family

[Ray de Galles]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Come on Dani, move over from the dark side.

Dani King considering Wales switch for 2018 Commonwealth Games

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

So according to that article you qualify for Wales by living in Cardiff and having a Welsh fiancee? Did they learn nothing from Grannygate?

Assume she's got an eye on a return to the track, as she'd probably be team leader for England if the road race course has any hills in it - can't see Lizzie Deignan bothering with the Commonwealths next year given the scheduling and location.

The Tour of Britain route is being announced later, rumoured to include visits to Edinburgh, Cardiff and a time trial in Essex.

[Kevin S]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Also a Suffolk stage on the Friday, and the rumours of that Essex stage were a Tendring ITT on the Saturday. Both of these would please me greatly.

Gutted to see Dan Martin miss out to Valverde yet again - the Ardennes races are somewhat more predictable than the Flandrian ones.

Prologue in the Romandie today. Lake Geneva probably not a bad place to spend a week this time of year. Or any time of year for that matter.

[Ray de Galles]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

longeared wrote: So according to that article you qualify for Wales by living in Cardiff and having a Welsh fiancee? Did they learn nothing from Grannygate?

I did wonder about that but clearly qualification rules for the Commonwealths are more elastic than in rugby (which are pretty bloody malleable themselves, as England's multinational squad illustrates), especially as King previously rode for England at the 2014 Games.

Then again, as The Telegraph points out in their piece on the story :

"It is not unusual for athletes to switch allegiance at Commonwealth Games. For example, cyclist Wendy Houvenaghel rode for England in 2006 and Northern Ireland in 2010."

[ursus arctos]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Fabio Felline wins the Romandie prologue on a very grey and wet day in Aigle.

Froome, Porte and van Garderen are already a half minute or more off the pace.

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Tour of Britain route out.



First impression is that it'll be much more geared to time triallists than climbers - there's no summit finish and most of the big climby areas are bypassed. Even someone like Cavendish might fancy his chances with that. Remains to be seen how riveting it is on telly though.

Also notable is that the London stage has gone, presumably there are only a finite number of times the city can be closed down for a bike race given that the Women's Tour is using the circuit for their finale.

Personally I'm amused to see that the race comes closer to me than this weekend's Tour de Yorkshire does.

[Hot Orange]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Stage 6 uses about eight miles of my commuting route. Won't do much for my Strava rankings, but maybe we'll get some potholes fixed.

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Tour de Yorkshire underway, whole lot is live on ITV4, assuming the planes work this year.

Fascinating start to this opening stage, no breakaway has gone yet - there was a move of five that looked like it might get away, but Raleigh chased, a few individuals came across and the peloton decided it was getting too big and shut the whole thing down. We've had the best part of 15k like this. Crowds look impressive again.

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Eight man break has formed, main names Quemeneur and Brammeier. The main sprinters teams have all put a man on the front of the peloton and have pegged the gap at four and a half minutes.

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Turned out to be Connor Dunne rather than Brammeier - I blame the graphics, which have been a bit shonky today. They've just been the last riders to be caught from the break. Heading for a sprint in Scarborough, there was a split over the climb coming out of Robin Hood's Bay, though it came back together as most of the sprinters got dropped.

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Groenewegen outsprints Ewan for the first stage - exactly the same as last year. Huge crash in the finish straight, about twenty riders came down after a touch of wheels.

[delicatemoth]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Allegations of racial abuse by a Sky rider or riders at Romandie

[ursus arctos]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Sky confirm that Gianni Moscon racially abused Kevin Reza of FDJ, say that the matter will be handled "internally"

[longeared]

Every day is a Peter Sagan day: Pro Cycling 2017

Not good enough.

Terrific womens race at the Tour de Yorkshire, won solo by Deignan. Made for quite an atmosphere in a big crowd in Harrogate. Heard Dani King after bemoaning "what did they expect me to do, there were two of them and they know I'm less experienced".

Now I'm in Knaresborough, quick pint in a Guide pub then watch the men's race zip through before returning to Harrogate.