RTE had live TV coverage last year. Might have the same this year (prticularly for the internet...)
Deignan and Roche are both missing it due to riding in the Vuelta I think. (Roche definitely is).
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RTE had live TV coverage last year. Might have the same this year (prticularly for the internet...)
Deignan and Roche are both missing it due to riding in the Vuelta I think. (Roche definitely is).
Roche is down for Credit Agricole, but unfortunately, Deignan doesn't seem to be listed for AG2R's outline squad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Any word on Roche's chances on a contract for next year? CA are leaving cycling, and the way things are, with possibly Gerolsteiner going out of business, and the Protour's minimum 25 rider clause likely to go with the Protour, it is going to be tight for places on a competitive team next year.
The flipside of that is that with no limit on top division teams, riding for so called second tier teams like Slipstream, Tinkoff (I know they're stepping up but...) isn't seen as a step back nowQuote:
Originally Posted by Bluebeard
True with that. Maybe he'll join one of the Irish teams.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Like LPR Brakes of CSF Navigiare;)
Speak of the devil, Nicolas Roche won the first stage of the Tour du Limousin today with a break finishing just 3 seconds ahead of a bunch including Feillu and teammate Seb Hinault. He now figuratively wears the Yellow jersey, the Youths jersey and the combined jersey, with an 11 second lead thanks to time bonuses. He rated it as the finest win of his career.
Results on Cyclingnews.
Report on Irishcycling.com.
He's certainly beat a good few previous race/stage winners there. Very promising. Looks like he was going for everything today too judging by sprints and mountians classifications
Father in law had the flyer/ leaflet last night for the Tour. Only mention of RTE coverage was an hours highlights starting after 11 each night, mainly at 11.20. LoI style sure we'll put it on really late and it'll prove no one wants to watch it :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Drat...
Roche second on the stage this evening - seemed to be a bunch sprint, based on the brief results on Cyclingnews.
Meanwhile some comment from him on yesterday's result (second section), also from Cyclingnews.
i hear Roche agreed a two year contract with AG2r yesterday ... joining up with deignanQuote:
Originally Posted by Bluebeard
Good news! It's up on Cycling News now. Is Deignan contracted to AG2R for next year too? Hopefully so, and it'll be an advantage when they come to race in the World's next year.Quote:
Originally Posted by deadman
On the downside, it really does seem that after years as various Peugeot teams, then GAN, and recently Credit Agricole, that venerable old team is going out of existence. I feel particularly sorry for Roger Legeay who's run them since 1996.
Meanwhile Dan Martin seems to be riding well in Portugal and only 5m38 down: with a small uphill finish today, hopefully he might put in a few seconds and scrape into the top ten.
Not forgetting "Z" one of the classic garish tops. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Bluebeard
Good news about Roche getting a decent team for the next couple of years.
Aren't Ag2r won of the teams planning on scaling back next year. I think they said their sponsors won't to conctrate on French races. Roche has already said his main aim is to amke the tour (and compleete his grand tour set)
Cofidis were the team that announced during the tour they were going back to being a continental team from ProTour because of the sponsors, but Ag2r could've been the same as it seemed to be an issue in several teams. I would've thought they'd be okay for the Tour though?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Oh yeh, they definitely should be OK for the tour. And I'd imagine they'd still have a fairly full European schedule. Teh fact they don't have a superstar would help Roche too, as if he's finishing races as strongly as he is now, he'd have enough chances to win.
Roche had a bad day today. Ending up 30 minutes behind leading group. He's still 6th in points competition
Martin finished 7th on another mountain stage in Portugal. He's still 11th overall
AG2R have provisionally named Deignan in their lineup for the Deutschland Tour.
http://www.volta-portugal.com/classifica.html
Tour of Portugal results above if you can't wait for cyclingnews.
Martin 10th in another mountain stage, still 11th overall though. Still leading the young rider classification
Tiago Machado managed to evade Dan Martin today and got up enough time to pip him to 9th on GC and the Youth Jersey by 7 seconds.
10th in Portugal is a great result for him all the same, he was the top rider for Garmin, the only non-Iberian in the top 10, and managed to keep with it in a fairly tough 10 stage race. This, coupled with him completing the Tours of Ireland and Britain, which he should do, will give him 23 stages racing in just over a month, so he should be considerable as a potential starter for a Grand tour with Garmin next year, should they get an invite. Vaughters rates him, but didn't think he was ready yet for the Tour. Fingers crossed for 2009!
Martin was still 18th in today's time trial though, so he can definitely take away a lot from this
Didn't realise it was a TT - I'm very impressed with that performance, as I would not have put him down for one!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
One of the big boys at British Cycling sees him as a potential TDF winner, and "The one that they let get away". He will improve and that is a good place to start improving from.
The Tour Of Ireland starts tomorrow. Anyone going to be able to catch it live?
I'm off to Waterford for tomorrow and Cork for Patrick's Hill on Sunday
Hoping to get to see the start of it in town. Depends on work though. Other than that it'll be nightly updates on RTE
First stage over. Cavendish winning. Time bonuses mean he's GC leader too
Didn't ever think I'd be in a position to hear myself say this but "Damn football coverage!" Liverpool's inability to score has led the coverage to be half an hour late, having been an hour and a quarter late into Waterford. And I'm meant to be up early tomorrow:rolleyes:
Good buzz down on the quay in Waterford today. I was talking to a bloke from Wiltshire who booked his family holiday to Ireland around coming to the Waterford stage - let the family know last night:D
Also talking to two boys who cycled down from Dublin this morning. Seven hours cycling, two hours waiting and all over in 15 seconds. Back on the train back to Dublin after, but they are threatening to cycle to Cork too for Sunday:eek:
Any good a buzz at the, eh, Grand depart?
Is it getting anywhere near yourself Macy?
BTW for those who are in work (or whatever) IrishCycling.com is doing live updates for every stage
Nice diary thing from Dan martin on the Garmin team site too http://www.slipstreamsports.com/
I was in Roundwood for the first sprint to see Cav take it (and I have the crap An Post T shirt). They were late even at that stage. David Duffield there doing a bit of commentary as we were waiting - way younger than I thought he'd be! Although he was talking up Dan Martin as going for the King of the Mountains points as he was getting dropped off the back on the Long Hill (Sugarloaf). Not a bad crowd considering, and decent enough buzz around the place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluebeard
Did you make it to the Depart Dodge? Going from the RTE coverage not many about, looked like it would've been easy enough to meet the pro's? Probably would've headed there if that was the case.
I assume the RTE Coverage is just the same as the ITV coverage, or rather the Tour of Ireland is producing the programme and selling it? I didn't really need Imlach to tell me, unconvincingly, how great Dublin Docklands are! Recorded the ITV coverage as we were out last night, but saw the start of the RTE highlights....
Reading the report Cav didn't take the first sprint apparently, looked like he had at the time, and I thought it was on the highlights he had!
Missed the start. I hate having responsibilities...
Didn't see the ITV programme but I'd imagine it was the same. Imlach wearing a Tour of Ireland polo and no TV station logos anywhere. Apparently its been sold to a good few territories. Sherwin seemed to think (or know...) that he was commentating for a new audience. he explained about drating and the lead out for sprinters. Interview with Martin Cullen at the end, just for you macy ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
Was it as bad as the awful one with Pat Carey at the start?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Probably. Missed it though
12.43: Daniel Martin (Garmin Chipotle) has unfortunately had to retire from the race. He has been unwell since the start; that’s disappointing for the Irish champion, who has been flying this year and wanted to perform well here.
Ah nuts...
Cavendish again. It will be interesting to see if he can manage Connemara tomorrow. According to Cycling Weekly he's pulled out of the Tour of Britain, replaced by Kim Kirchen - that will disappoint an awful lot of folk, especially on the London stage.
Shame about Dan Martin pulling out. The interview on the highlights show was clearly uncharted territory for him - he'll need to practice! Ciaran Power making the top ten on the stage was good news though.
Much as I am no fan of the man, even Cullen wasn't as bad as Carey.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
Team Columbia ended up winning 4 of 5 stages and the overall.
In the Vuelta Roche was 11th in today's stage. He was involved in a breakaway earlier too. He seems to be finishing the season well.
Deignan is 33rd overall in the Tour of Germany
They just played the last stage perfectly - one up the road so Dowling's team had to at least keep it close enough, then the one two on the last lap.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Actually turned out to be a very good route - first three stages for the sprinters, but only really the last day tough enough to make people bail out.
Decent route, but they could've dine without going up hills with moss in the middle of them. Few too many accidents IMO
I thought the worst bit was that ford on Saturday - you could see Cavendish going "wtf".Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Didn't see any of saturday's stuff...
Thank god
Only saw a bit on TV but that production seemed to be very good. Are they selling that package to other stations? Only saw a few minutes last night but circuit in Cork city looked well & crowds fairly good.
Really shows up Irish roads for the sub standard they are. Nothing Irish cycling can do about that but does look very poor on TV.
TV package was outsourced. Sold to a good few countries (Britain, Germany and France anyway)
What dodge said. I think ESPN as well, but not 100%. I suppose it makes sense when it's sponsored by Discover Ireland, and the tour organiser was saying they punch above their weight in terms of international TV coverage and that's important for the future. Can hardly go wrong with the team they had though.
As for the roads, it's either go for flat stages or go over back roads for hills/mountains. The fact is most of the roads up our big hills are nothing more than local access or to TV masts.