All roads lead to Harrogate: Pro cycling 2019

[longeared]

Tour of Britain route out.



Seems a bit weird on the face of it to base it entirely in the north and midlands when there's a big event in Yorkshire a couple of weeks later, but maybe the organisers are hoping to attract riders with the geographical convenience of being able to go and see the Worlds course before or after. No London stage either, that's been bypassed by both the men's and women's races this year. All that said, it's previously been announced that next year's edition will start in Penzance and it's easy to see that route not even reaching the most southerly point of this year's race.

That Manchester stage on the final Saturday looks excellent from a spectating perspective. Think that should be FA Vase day so if anyone at the FA is reading I would particularly appreciate it if you could give Parkgate or Maltby a tie conveniently close to the course.

[Kevin S]

Scarponi tribute?

[longeared]

Alberto Contador meets a macaw at the Tour de l'Ain.

[Me Old Flower]

I suppose that explains why Postobon withdrew from the Tour de Yorkshire at late notice.

[ursus arctos]

[URL]https://twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed/status/1132380317480886272?s=21[/URL]

[Incandenza]

Ugh

[URL]https://twitter.com/cyclingreporter/status/1129518356447543296[/URL]

[Incandenza]

[URL]https://twitter.com/cyclingreporter/status/1129519394890162176[/URL]

[longeared]

Oh, Sergio.

[Incandenza]

Higuita went waaaaaaaay too wide on the last switchback and Pogacar sprints up the inside! The 20-year old is now in the lead and will be the youngest winner of the ToC!

[Incandenza]

Now caught by Tadej Pogacar, the young Slovenian! And Bob Roll has pronounced his name about 4 different ways!

[Incandenza]

Sergio Higuita is putting in some great work climbing up Mount Baldy in the Tour of California. Tejay Van Garderen was leading the race but has cracked, we'll see if Higuita can jump up in the standings and still keep EF in the race lead. Richie Porte not looking great going up the climb.

[ursus arctos]

Tour de France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Maillot Jaune by using a different design for each stage.

[Me Old Flower]

Huge slice of fortune for Roglic today. Most of his rivals caught up in a crash whilst he finishes in the front group.

[ursus arctos]

Viviani relegated for cutting off Moschetti 100 metres before the line. Gaviria gets the stage win.

Though there still hasn't been a podium ceremony, as Gaviria is in the UCI can with the commissaires.

[longeared]

British champion Connor Swift has signed for Arkea - Samsic and will make his team debut in Quatre Jours de Dunkerque tomorrow.

[longeared]

Marcel Kittel has left Katusha with immediate effect - they've agreed a "mutual termination" of his contract. Crikey.

[longeared]

Excellent final 25k in the Tour de Yorkshire (including some fantastically baffling tactics from Cofidis) sees van Avermaet win the stage and Chris Lawless the GC. First British winner of this race.

[ursus arctos]

Not only did Roglič win Romandie, but he won the final (relatively short) time trial by 13 seconds over Campanaerts (and 46 over Thomas).

Potentially interesting result in Remco Evenepoel finishing only seven seconds down on Thomas and ahead of Kruijswijk and Zakarin, among others.

[longeared]

If they're serious about winning the Giro they should put Thomas in. They won't though because that might detract from their prime objective of winning the Tour, and as we've seen down the years nothing will be compromised in search of that goal. They've got TGH and Sivakov on the provisional start list so presumably hope they can reprise their Tour of the Alps form, maybe they'll shove someone else (de la Cruz?) across from the planned Tour team as a further option.

[ursus arctos]

PCS currently listing their leaders for the Giro as Knees and Moscon.

Ouch.

[longeared]

A splendidly bad couple of minutes for INEOS there as Lawless is outsprinted by my unambitious friend Alexander Kamp for the stage win in Scarborough and it is simultaneously announced that Bernal has broken his collarbone and is out of the Giro. (Probably means he'll win the Tour now)

[ursus arctos]

Roglič wins an unfortunately curtailed queen stage (high winds and rain left only the summit finish above Aigle) and should wrap up his third one week tour victory of the season in tomorrow's time trial in Genève. He has 12 seconds on Rui Costa, 16 on Gaudu and 26 on Thomas.

If Kirby is doing the Giro, I may need to watch in Italian. At least their chauvinism is a bit better informed.

[longeared]

Marianne Vos won the women's race overall, which is very pleasing. Hope that's not her last win in Yorkshire this year.

The men's race has ripped in the wind, a little earlier they got signalled to keep away from some heavy waves on a seafront. A couple of riders have just crashed on what looks like the same corner Ben Swift crashed on in the inaugural edition (Phil Deignan makes the same point as I type). Ooh, now there's kettles and a nice class 25 at Grosmont.

[Capybara]

Having cycling back on normal telly has reminded me that that Sun Life bloke still exists. He's grown too many parsnips again, the idiot.

[longeared]

Incredibly the break sticks and Jesper Asselman of Roompot just manages to hold off the peloton having caught a spectator's Yorkshire flag on his handlebars. Happens again on the opening day. Blimey.