# Tour de Romandie - may be Spoilers



## dragon72 (22 Apr 2013)

With the smoke from the classics still lingering in the air, we're on to some more stage racing now with the Tours of Turkey and Romandie running in parallel.
A few big names in the mix: Valverde, Basso, Gesink, Talansky...
Sky have Froome and Porte to corporately bully up the mountains. And Cavendish will be itching to bag a sprint victory or deux which have not been as abundant as his move to OPQS was meant to produce. Goss will, no doubt, be ever the bridesmaid... Or will he?


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## dragon72 (22 Apr 2013)

Oh nuts. I should have said *SPOILER ALERT*, but honestly, really?


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## rich p (23 Apr 2013)

Froome should win this given Sky's strategy. Valverde may push him hardest but I think it's Froomedog's to lose.
Barring mechanicals


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## beastie (23 Apr 2013)

No Eurosport, but live on Sky 2. Graham Little presenting, Roger Hammond analyst. Production a fair bit more stylish than Eurosport. It looks great on my new TV. Please God don't let Carlton Kirby be the 
commentator......


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## beastie (23 Apr 2013)

Brian Smith and Anthony Maccrossan? sp?


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## dragon72 (23 Apr 2013)

beastie said:


> No Eurosport, but live on Sky 2. Graham Little presenting, Roger Hammond analyst. Production a fair bit more stylish than Eurosport. It looks great on my new TV. Please God don't let Carlton Kirby be the
> commentator......


Dave Harmon's looking for work now he's quit Eurosport


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## raindog (23 Apr 2013)

dragon72 said:


> Dave Harmon's looking for work now he's quit Eurosport


Didn't know about that - why did he leave? He used to get a lot of stick on a bike forum I used to post on, but I always thought he was pretty good. Not an easy job imo.


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## beastie (23 Apr 2013)

dragon72 said:


> Dave Harmon's looking for work now he's quit Eurosport


According to him he is taking a couple of months off and will be for le tour. Moving house etc.


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## beastie (23 Apr 2013)

I thought Ryder would be closer to the lead than that.


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## raindog (23 Apr 2013)

Amazing ride from Talansky, but he's completely wasted after the finish. I find that quite reassuring.


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## beastie (23 Apr 2013)

Catweasel kills it.


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## raindog (23 Apr 2013)

He needed a sit down too though.


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## Hont (23 Apr 2013)

beastie said:


> According to him he is taking a couple of months off and will be for le tour. Moving house etc.


He's gone freelance apparently, so will still be working for Eurosport - just not quite as much.


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## hobbitonabike (23 Apr 2013)

Are there any highlights anywhere not on Sky sports as I refuse to pay for it lol. As an aside, I like Carleton Kirby


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## dragon72 (23 Apr 2013)

Kirby is definitely a "marmite·" presenter


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## raindog (23 Apr 2013)

EbonyWillow said:


> Are there any highlights anywhere not on Sky sports as I refuse to pay for it lol. As an aside, I like Carleton Kirby


Highlights? Good grief man, it was live on here
http://www.procyclinglive.com/livestream/
got to get organised for this kind of thing


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## hobbitonabike (23 Apr 2013)

raindog said:


> Highlights? Good grief man, it was live on here
> http://www.procyclinglive.com/livestream/
> got to get organised for this kind of thing



Man??? I am a lady!! Well...not according to some but I am technically a lady lol. Aww bugger...missed it!!! Know for next time though hey!! Gratitude


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## hobbitonabike (23 Apr 2013)

dragon72 said:


> Kirby is definitely a "marmite·" presenter



I can see why he would be...he makes me laugh


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## raindog (23 Apr 2013)

EbonyWillow said:


> Man??? I am a lady!!


oops! apologies Ebony 
most races are covered by that link - it's a life-saver for me - couldn't live without it now.


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## Flying_Monkey (23 Apr 2013)

The surprise was Tony Martin managing only 16th.


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## beastie (23 Apr 2013)

Flying_Monkey said:


> The surprise was Tony Martin managing only 16th.


Not that much of a surprise when the 2nd half was a steady climb which steepened to the finish. I bet he ablsolutely marmelises the field on the flat TT though.


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## hobbitonabike (23 Apr 2013)

raindog said:


> oops! apologies Ebony
> most races are covered by that link - it's a life-saver for me - couldn't live without it now.



No worries lol...I have been called worse!!  I have bookmarked the link. Many thanks!!


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## Noodley (23 Apr 2013)

Great ride by Pinot for 6th


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## Strathlubnaig (23 Apr 2013)

Flying_Monkey said:


> The surprise was Tony Martin managing only 16th.


dang right, he let me down on my fantasy cycle picks !


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## deptfordmarmoset (23 Apr 2013)

EbonyWillow said:


> Are there any highlights anywhere not on Sky sports as I refuse to pay for it lol. As an aside, I like Carleton Kirby


I refuse to pay for Sky sports, too, but if you click into ''cycling on tv'' in my signature, it will show you what coverage there is on Sky (7 day tab works best). Myiplayer.com will nearly always get you a link to the right channel Sky live stream. There's also a sticky at the top of the pro-cycling forum and the first post links to the calendar as well (so you can always find it). If I've got time, I'm also nicking procyclinglive.com links closer to the time and adding them to the calendar, but you can get those links direct from them shortly before the race anyway.


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## Buddfox (24 Apr 2013)

Is Noodley watching the break for glory from Roy...?


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## raindog (24 Apr 2013)

split's coming down fast


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## smutchin (24 Apr 2013)

Nice finish by Meersman - almost looked like Cav from the overhead shot, the way he dodged through the gaps to emerge from the peloton with 250m to go.


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## rich p (24 Apr 2013)

What happened to Cav? He lost 11 minutes.


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## dragon72 (24 Apr 2013)

He couldn't hack the first big hill he came across.


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## rich p (24 Apr 2013)

dragon72 said:


> He couldn't hack the first big hill he came across.


Hmmm, he's in this race to train for the lumps in the Giro.
I wonder if there's more to this than meets the eye and the OPQS honeymoon is over already. I may be entirely wrong but all the talk of poor lead-outs so far, Lefevre's tough talking about the team, and the rumours about getting Renshaw next year are odd.


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## raindog (24 Apr 2013)

I don't think anyone was expecting the heavier sprinters to be there today. Tomorrow's stage should suit Cav though.

today's BMC/Blythe challenge just....well, fizzled out really.


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## rich p (24 Apr 2013)

raindog said:


> I don't think anyone was expecting the heavier sprinters to be there today. Tomorrow's stage should suit Cav though.
> 
> today's BMC/Blythe challenge just....well, fizzled out really.


I've just seen the profiles. Tomorrow has a cat3 in the last 20km.


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## oldroadman (24 Apr 2013)

raindog said:


> I don't think anyone was expecting the heavier sprinters to be there today. Tomorrow's stage should suit Cav though.
> 
> today's BMC/Blythe challenge just....well, fizzled out really.


 
No big guys there today - Sky took no prisoners on the last cat 2 climb, a high tempo that sorted out all the pure sprinters. The BMC effort was pathetic, one rider there for Blythe who pulled away miles too far out, and left him with zero chance. If you want to be serious about a lead out, then three or four in the train are needed. As demonstrated by HTC when Cav simply slaughtered finishes and got them loads of wins. I wait to see what happens tomorrow, cat 3 are usually no problem for the bigger sprinters, but then again Sky and Astana may blast it to stop another OPQS win.


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## rich p (24 Apr 2013)

The BBC are reporting that Cav had mechanical problems in the middle of the stage.


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## Noodley (25 Apr 2013)

rich p said:


> The BBC are reporting that Cav had mechanical problems in the middle of the stage.


 
The beeb would.


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## raindog (25 Apr 2013)

The beeb actually report on bike racing?


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## Strathlubnaig (25 Apr 2013)

raindog said:


> The beeb actually report on bike racing?


only ever mention it if it is either cavendish or wiggins, and in passing really.


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## rich p (25 Apr 2013)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22287135
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22284782
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22276536
To be fair to the BBC, that's 3 stories from yesterday


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## Crackle (25 Apr 2013)

rich p said:


> http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22287135
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22284782
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22276536
> To be fair to the BBC, that's 3 stories from yesterday


It now gets an update on the tv news too, which never used to happen, except for the TdF and of recent years, the track.


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## smutchin (25 Apr 2013)

Johnny Hoogerland in the break! This is very encouraging to see after his various problems last year.

(Andy Schleck, take note.)


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## Herzog (25 Apr 2013)

smutchin said:


> Johnny Hoogerland in the break! This is very encouraging to see after his various problems last year.
> 
> (Andy Schleck, take note.)


It's a good climb for Hoogerland (I know it well), though perhaps to far from the finish to keep the sprint trains at bay...


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## raindog (25 Apr 2013)

Big licks from Rolland - go on lad!


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## smutchin (25 Apr 2013)

Lots of attacks coming now. Pinot having a stab!


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## raindog (26 Apr 2013)

Gutted for Malori


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## smutchin (26 Apr 2013)

Meersman again. At least OPQS have one sprinter who can get over the lumps.


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## Flying_Monkey (26 Apr 2013)

Perfect job by OPQS. Ironically, they seem to be doing a better job leading out Meersman than they had been doing for Cav.


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## dragon72 (26 Apr 2013)

Oh yeah, I remember that Cav guy. Used to win races with Sky, I believe.


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## smutchin (26 Apr 2013)

dragon72 said:


> Oh yeah, I remember that Cav guy. Used to win races with Sky, I believe.


 
Number of races Cav has won this year so far: 6 (plus one GC)
Number of races Cav had won by this point last year: 3 4 [edit: sorry, miscounted]

The defence rests, m'lud.


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## dragon72 (26 Apr 2013)

Touché! I stand very much corrected. Chapeau to your research skills.
It just seems a bit crap that with such a big bunch today contesting the sprint that Cav couldn't be there in that big bunch too. Yes, I know it's been hilly stages on a hilly tour (not his forte) so far and that he's just getting used to lumps before the Giro, but still...


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## smutchin (26 Apr 2013)

On the other hand, in 2011 (the year he won Green in the TdF), he'd won only two races by this stage of the season, and he won three Giro stages last year compared to two in 2011, so he was actually doing better with Sky until the TdF...

Perceptions of his performance so far this year have been skewed by the fact that he heightened expectations by getting off to such a blistering start with his new team in Qatar. And it's not unfair to criticise the team's performances in the one-day classics. But hopefully that's just teething troubles - the Giro should be a better indicator of where things stand with the team, although it doesn't look like there's an awful lot on offer for the pure sprinters (stage 5, for example, which is billed as "flat", has a nasty kick before the finish which will probably rule Cav out of the reckoning - I'd say there are probably no more than three stages where Cav will be in contention: stages 1 and 6, and the final stage).


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## raindog (26 Apr 2013)

Mat Goss hasn't done any better than Cav in Romandie, in fact I think they've been riding in the same group every day.


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## rich p (26 Apr 2013)

It's a moot point whether Cav or the pure sprinters will get over all the hills to make it to Brescia for the last stage although Cav did so last year IIRC.


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## raindog (27 Apr 2013)

Col de la Croix cancelled today - snow on the summit and -2° 

WTF's happening? - cold, rain and wind down here - more like february than april


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## Twizit (27 Apr 2013)

Froome pulling a stormer at the end it seems.


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## raindog (27 Apr 2013)

The stage is over - presumably Spilak will take it, and Froome will be happy with the time. Gap still going up


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## fossyant (27 Apr 2013)

Good attack that.


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## Flying_Monkey (27 Apr 2013)

Very well played by Froome and Spilak. I think Spilak is also 2nd overall now. So, the rest really messed that one up.


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## deptfordmarmoset (27 Apr 2013)

raindog said:


> Col de la Croix cancelled today - snow on the summit and -2°
> 
> WTF's happening? - cold, rain and wind down here - more like february than april


Yep, a Swiss relative says snow forecast above 600 metres, 6 degrees for the TdR. Northerly winds...


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## Slaav (27 Apr 2013)

Flying_Monkey said:


> Very well played by Froome and Spilak. I think Spilak is also 2nd overall now. So, the rest really messed that one up.


 
Working on the basis that I am still only now starting to realise quite how many different sets of tactics etc there are, who on Earth in the chasing group thought it was a good idea to let Froome go and catch Spilak? In doing so, did they think he would blow up and they would simply catch him?

Or did Froome play a blinder? He has got some legs to catch Spilak and then work with him to INCREASE the gap so much. The chasers were almost squabbling amongst themselves.... or we they simply shot to bits?


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## Twizit (27 Apr 2013)

Suspect a bit of both. Did seem to be a lot of arm waving and general unwillingness to work with each other though. All played into Froome's hands.


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## raindog (27 Apr 2013)

Slaav said:


> ........ who on Earth in the chasing group thought it was a good idea to let Froome go and catch Spilak?


I doubt if anyone in that chasing group thought it was "good idea" to let Froome go. The conditions were terrible today, and Froome and Spilak were the strongest - end of. "Tactics" have their limits, and it usually comes down to "the best man wins".


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## Slaav (27 Apr 2013)

Twizit said:


> Suspect a bit of both. Did seem to be a lot of arm waving and general unwillingness to work with each other though. All played into Froome's hands.


 
Just thinking about it, (and despite just having watched it) did Spilak shoot off first and Froome caught him or was it the other way around?


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## raindog (27 Apr 2013)

Slaav said:


> Just thinking about it, (and despite just having watched it) did Spilak shoot off first and Froome caught him or was it the other way around?


Spilak went first and Froome bridged the gap.


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## smutchin (27 Apr 2013)

Arsebiscuits. Remembered to tune in quite late but thought I'd catch the final few km at least. Couldn't work out why they were showing the end of yesterday's race... Sounds like I've missed an interesting stage too.


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## deptfordmarmoset (27 Apr 2013)

smutchin said:


> Arsebiscuits. Remembered to tune in quite late but thought I'd catch the final few km at least. Couldn't work out why they were showing the end of yesterday's race... Sounds like I've missed an interesting stage too.


Sky sports 4 at 1am or 9am tomorrow.


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## raindog (27 Apr 2013)

smutchin said:


> Arsebiscuits.


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## Slaav (27 Apr 2013)

raindog said:


> Spilak went first and Froome bridged the gap.


 
TG - I wasn't going mad then.....


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## Herzog (27 Apr 2013)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Yep, a Swiss relative says snow forecast above 600 metres, 6 degrees for the TdR. Northerly winds...


 
I can confirm it was pretty nasty today!


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## dragon72 (27 Apr 2013)

Still at a loss to know why Cavendish entered Romandie. He didn't contest anything at all. I get that he needed to get some mountains under his wheels before the Giro, but you can train in mountains without being in a race that you're not contesting or supporting in. Personally I'd have spent the time reccying the Giro routes. But what do I know? Two thirds of Diddly squat.


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## jdtate101 (27 Apr 2013)

dragon72 said:


> Still at a loss to know why Cavendish entered Romandie. He didn't contest anything at all. I get that he needed to get some mountains under his wheels before the Giro, but you can train in mountains without being in a race that you're not contesting or supporting in. Personally I'd have spent the time reccying the Giro routes. But what do I know? Two thirds of Diddly squat.


 
Partly contractual obligation I think. They do say the best practice for doing races is to race lots..."race into form" as the demands of racing cannot be truly simulated in training sessions.


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## andrew_s (27 Apr 2013)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Sky sports 4 at 1am or 9am tomorrow.


last 18km 
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaHfn7nD34A


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## Beebo (28 Apr 2013)

Anyone know why neither Spilak and froome were wearing gloves, not even mits, seems odd in that weather.


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## 400bhp (28 Apr 2013)

I think Spilak is an excellent bike rider-one to watch for the future.

I found Costa's race interesting. He didn't help Valverde near the end (I think Movistar were the only ones with 2 riders in the group?), he then sprinted to take 3rd on the stage and is now 3rd overall, with valverde about 5s back.

Who's the team leader (I don't like valverde so this amuses me).


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## jifdave (28 Apr 2013)

Have sky bumped the tt today?


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## PpPete (28 Apr 2013)

jifdave said:


> Have sky bumped the tt today?


looks like it, bar stewards.


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## PpPete (28 Apr 2013)

PpPete said:


> looks like it, bar stewards.


 
No english language live coverage that I can find at all. Or French for that matter.


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## deptfordmarmoset (28 Apr 2013)

At the split Froome was 3 seconds* up on Spilac so barring mechanicals....

*If I managed to understand the Dutch.


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## Flying_Monkey (28 Apr 2013)

1. Martin (Omega) 21:07 
2. Malori (Lampre-Merida) @15 
3. Froome (Sky) 33 
4. Westra (Vacansoleil) 36 
5. Spilak (Katusha) 41 
6. Clement (White) 50 
7. Porte (Sky) to 52 
8. Christensen (Saxo-Tinkoff) 55 
9. Dennis (Garmin) 56 
10. Ludvigsson (Argos) 1:01


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## Flying_Monkey (28 Apr 2013)

Froome wins the overall, with Spilak second and Costa third.


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## Slaav (28 Apr 2013)

Such a shame there was not an easy option to watch this live....

I would have hoped that with the massive growth in cycling and also the interest pre TdF/Giro, it would have been a no brainer showing a British rider, in a clean British team winning - or at least in with one hell of a chance!

Opportunity missed whilst SKy worships at the great Football altar?


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## kedab (28 Apr 2013)

hmmm, froomedog is going well - i do wonder how it's all going to shake out in the tour...i think team sky are going to have a major problem trying to keep sir bradders from another proper go at it, no matter what they've said. it's all shaping up rather nicely


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## kedab (28 Apr 2013)

Slaav said:


> Such a shame there was not an easy option to watch this live....
> 
> I would have hoped that with the massive growth in cycling and also the interest pre TdF/Giro, it would have been a no brainer showing a British rider, in a clean British team winning - or at least in with one hell of a chance!
> 
> Opportunity missed whilst SKy worships at the great Football altar?


 
i am in complete agreement - trouble is, even with the surge in popularity cycling has seen, it would take money out of the pocket of our beloved terrestrial broadcasters to get a slice of it and they're more interested in shows that cost nothing to produce.


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## kedab (28 Apr 2013)

that's a fair point irish - it still irks me that they'd rather spend money on mindless drivel than actually put their 'main' channel behind the sport (itv i mean) but they at least try with the grand tours on itv4 and i love to watch it, i just want more is all i'm saying. the beeb wouldn't even consider it because, as you say, it's still a minority sport but they'll happily jump on the bandwagon once a year if a 'brit' does particularly well and make like they've been behind them the whole way. still, they've got the money to follow F1 around the world and show extended highlight shows as well as full races and that cannot be cheap!


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## raindog (29 Apr 2013)




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## smutchin (29 Apr 2013)

Wow. Amazing pic. Great to see Siutsou just churning away on the front regardless of the conditions. Awesome rider.


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## Hont (29 Apr 2013)

User said:


> to cover a cycle race let alone a tour is incredibly expensive


 
Indeed, but only if you're the host broadcaster. If you're buying just the feed, as Eurosport always do and Sky did for Romandie, it should be quite cheap.

Sky had the TT on the red button btw. Mike Atherton confidently asserting that Romandie was in France before being corrected with some derision from the back of the box.


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## Hont (29 Apr 2013)

raindog said:


>


Good pic for a caption competition.

Siutsou "Cold? Hah. Leg warmers are only because they mek me shave legs like girl."


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