Recent comments

Purist, aiming for 1234 is.

Peter Sagan (LIQ)
Mark Cavendish (OPQ)
Edvald Boasson Hagen (SKY)
John Degenkolb (ARG)
William Bonnet (FDJ)
Gabriel Rasch (SKY)
Paolo Longho (LIQ)
Matthieu Sprick (ARG)
Martin Velits (OPQ)

Standard assumes lots of successful breaks in the peloton due to blizzards, and a rapid descent by Nibali...

Vicenzo Nibali (AST)
Thor Hushovd (BMC)
Philippe Gilbert (BMC)
Bernhard Eisel (SKY)
Gorka Izagirre (EUS)
Geraint Thomas (SKY)
Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQ)
Jens Keukeleire (GRE)
Maciej Bodnar (LIQ)

I was tempted by Ciolek but when it came to it I didn't feel he was up to 300km, despite form. Bet I'm wrong.

As someone who lives in Dorset I can believe that the Bournemouth Echo's is trying to sensationalise the story, as they have the habit of creating of making a mountain out of a molehill.
Having said that it does not surprise me that Bournemouth is dangerous for cyclists, driving standards in Poole and Bournemouth are atrocious, I have had lost count of the amount of times that I have nearly been hit whilst driving in a Freelander, so a fairly sizeable car around the town , even with headlights on. It is as if some drivers have the mentality that they have sole right to use the road, they have no concept of the Highway Code, forcing there way in when traffic is merging, on mobiles and doing everything apart from concentrating on their driving. Despite Dorset Police running it's "No Excuses" campaign.
Thankfully I do not have to cycle around there, living about 20 miles away and choose to go to Salisbury if I need to go to any major shops.

UPDATE: http://road.cc/content/blog/78612-season-proper

Blog update is up and my MSR team pretty much picks itself:

Cancellara
Boonen
Gilbert
Cavendish
Demare
Nordhaug

that's it, only 6 of my guys are racing, but they cover a few scenarios so fingers crossed I can do something.

My team for Catalunya isn't finalised as the start lists are being particularly flaky but it looks something like this:

Wiggins (hurrah!)
Quintana
Roche
Betancurt

Not the strongest squad but the potential for three top 10 finishers. Hopefully it'll be low on fantasy points, high on World Tour points.

haven't read the doc yet but no policy will work until local politicians have the vision and the ability to sell to voters that taking road space away from vehicles and reducing speed limits is a way forward that will give a better quality of life for everyone.

ps in the uk i walked to school with kids whatever the weather - found it amusing that got offered lifts places as other parents assumed didn't own a car (or 2)

now in Aus and oldest gest tram to school youngest cycles and cycle path network means that i can get to good quality shops without being cut up by 60mph traffic
- nit perfect but possible - yes still own a car but often don't use

Re the spines!!! Maybe they've been reading too much C Plus?? Vertical compliance & lateral stiffness, almost as much of an overused (FALSE) mantra as the dreaded 'Aero' section or "huge & therefore stiff bottom bracket area". I could go on, mumble, mumble mumble. The Rove looks fab in both Ti & steel, btw, but another category?? Puh-lease!!! MTB with drop bars, didn't John Tomac try that out a very, very long time ago?

I have no "Green PC's" in my team.

Latest on the weather. Start in Milan in heavy rain. A mixture of heavy rain and heavy snow all the way to Genoa, then heavy rain to the finish. Want to reconsider your team again?

Stage 1 has four categorised climbs, one of which is cat 1 (6km at up to 8%), stage 6 has two climbs which are cat 1 (10km long, tops out at over 1000m, ramps of up to 6%) and cat 2.

I make medium mountains as generally cat 3 or cat 2 at a push. Anything category 1 in my book is a proper mountain and with multiple other climbs I think that deserves high mountain status but I'm happy to be overruled.

The changes can be made but as values are set changing the stage status will alter little.

Yup stage one should be medium along with stage 6

There is nothing between Medium and Flat, so stage 7 is right

I rode the Vuelta last year - err, that is, I rode most of it, and pushed my bike up some of it. Mind you, my bike was loaded up with all of my touring gear, but it was also running MTB gearing. I felt a bit better though when saw pros pushing on at least two of the climbs (I'm thinking stages 12 and 16, but would have to look it up to be sure...). Was the guys at the back though, and they had already done a solid day's work!