New Cycling season

[Rich Taff]

ITV4 said yesterday it was a done deal!

Here Taff, give up the name dropping, that is the only thing I am good at!!

And yet you still won 'Sportsman of the Year'. I think my 'most underrated poster' win is looking better all the time!

 

[Tony Manx]

Good day for Doumoulin but silly mistake from Cav!!

 

[Tony Manx]

All gone very quiet here?!!

Great, great ride from Aru to be only 3 seconds behind Doumoulin after the time trial is a brilliant result!

Aru will be looking to the final climb on Saturday and he looks to me like the favourite now!!

 

[Rich Taff]

Yeah, shocked by Aru's time in the TT.
Been doing silly hours lately, so not caught much of anything, or would comment a bit more (as usual).

 

[Tony Manx]

As expected really a nothing day but there will be fun to come on Saturday!!!

 

[Rich Taff]

Tour of Britain has been highly entertaining. They've done a good job with the climbs. They're not very high at their peak, but damn they're long.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Tom Dumoulin is close to winning the Vuelta. If he does, he'll be the 3rd Dutchman to win one of the 3 big Tours. The last time was Joop Zoetemelk in 1980.

This is a great year for Dutch sports. Max Verstappen in the Formula 1 having a great debut season, Dafne Schippers winning gold at the IAAF World Championships on the 200m sprint and now Dumoulin so close to winning the Vuelta!

 

[Tony Manx]

Do not count your chickens!! Today is a very hard day for him with three big climbs and no support team against the might of Astana and Moviestar!

I hope he does do it but he is going to have to be at his best today!!!

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Watching it right now. It will be difficult, but yesterday he did not struggle a lot to stay with Aru. And to be fair, these climbs aren't the same level as the ones in week 2 of the Vuelta.

 

[Tony Manx]

Sorry for Tom but he really did not stand a chance!!

Great performance and with some decent support he will win big one of these tours!

Well done Aru!!

Ps.....I suppose we must wait for the blood tests?!!!!

 

[Rich Taff]

I expect a few the 'elite' teams stood up and took notice, looking at him. If he can repeat the climbing skills, I can see him replacing Porte at Sky.

 

[Horacito]

It was glorious, the best GT this year along Giro by a laaarge margin.

Sorry I disappeared.

Rich Taff, here I tell you why Alejandro Valverde won UCI world champion:

Races won:

Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana
La Flèche Wallonne
Liège - Bastogne - Liège
National Championships Spain - Road Race

Along with top threes/stages in the:

Trofeo Andratx-Mirador d'Es Colomer
Dubai Tour
Tour of Oman
Strade Bianche
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
Amstel Gold Race
Critérium du Dauphiné
Tour de France
Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian
Vuelta a España

Cycling legend, the only rider able to compete from february to october. That while being 2 to Nairo.

 

[Rich Taff]

@Tony Manx

Kennaugh getting some nice results, sKY looking crazy strong early season.

 

[Tony Manx]

@Rich Taff

Yeah, as one Manxie slips gently over the hill (Cav) another one (Kennaugh) pulls Froomie up it twice but keeps him seven seconds behind!!

Has to be said that Cav is recovering after three months off following shoulder injury in Tour of England. However, think Kittel showed he had his measure last year when it counted and is continuing that form this year!!

Ben Swift, who also lives over here, is showing his stuff as support rider and there is a young upcoming Manx rider in Mark Christian who is riding in Wiggin's team to keep an eye on!!

Reckon a Manx Team could give an English or Welsh one a good fight nowadays......only sport we could!!

 

[Tony Manx]

Predictably, Froome galloped up the final stage climb to overtake Kennaugh and win the Herald Tour in Aus this am!!

Peter, who finished second, was involved in an altercation with an Aussie called Shaw over a misunderstanding over tactics resulting in verbal abuse and a stand off at the end!!

 

[Rich Taff]

I couldn't find any coverage of the race, so only heard Froome stepped up a gear.

 

[Tony Manx]

Valverde had fantastic last 8 Km to take a minute out of the chasers when he only needed 22seconds!!

After late charge by Teejay, it was all too late in Andalusia despite getting the gap back to 35 sec, Van Garderen could not catch him!!

 

[Rich Taff]

Yeah, hell of an attack. Sky had exhausted themselves on the front and TJ/Pules just didn't have the gas to go after him.

 

[Tony Manx]

Looking forward to his progress through the year......could be exciting season!!

 

[Rich Taff]

World Championships have been amazing.
Laura Trott is a little missile!
Incredible mens points race as well.