Tour of Britain Stage 5 and Sportif

MarkA · Post by **MarkA** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:55 pm

Anyone heard anything about this

I believe departs Hull and ends up in Dalby having visited Scarborough

And there may be a sportif type event on same route?

AndrewM · Post by **AndrewM** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:37 am

Stage 5 route is here, it's pancake flat until the end, and sadly on a Thursday as well.

http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/therace_ ... _index.asp

Can't help thinking they've missed a chance here to give it some proper climbing in the middle section as well, taking them up to Dalby via the wolds rather than up the coast.

willhub · Post by **willhub** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:50 pm

Is the tour of britain ever on TV? Would be interesting to watch it, would be good to ride that hull to dalby route too sounds good maybe it can be put into a club rin sometime?

Jon G · Post by **Jon G** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:20 pm

willhub wrote:Is the tour of britain ever on TV? Would be interesting to watch it, would be good to ride that hull to dalby route too sounds good maybe it can be put into a club rin sometime?

The BBC usually have highlights on the weekend it finishes. They have the last couple of years anyway. Have not found anyway you can see it live. Probably becuase it doesnt attract the media interest unlike the TdF. Give it a few more years if it lasts, that might change. I just hop it doesnt disappear altogether like it did a few years ago. I think the problem it has is it struggles to fit into the high profile professionals calendars and clashes with the likes of the Tour of Spain etc.

PhilBixby · Post by **PhilBixby** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:02 pm

Perhaps our one hope here is that the Vuelta seems to be on the way down, with falling support by the roadsides, the usual high-profile drugs scandals etc. However.. ..attitudes in the UK will need to shift a long way; last year's debacle with NY police was an embarrassment. Public acceptance of closed roads for big races would be needed. And I think Andrew's right - the route looks terribly dull in comparison with the possible routes over the Wolds. Just easier to marshal and police, I suppose.

Incidentally, I noticed the traffic yesterday was wonderfully well-behaved around the Tom Simpson vets race - none of the usual hand-on-horn oncoming idiots. Could it have been to do with the "Warning - charity cycle event" signs the organisers had thoughtfully made use of, instead of the usual "cycle race" signage?

Dave B · Post by **Dave B** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:06 pm

PhilBixby wrote: Incidentally, I noticed the traffic yesterday was wonderfully well-behaved around the Tom Simpson vets race - none of the usual hand-on-horn oncoming idiots. Could it have been to do with the "Warning - charity cycle event" signs the organisers had thoughtfully made use of, instead of the usual "cycle race" signage?

Could be - all the races I've ridden this year seem to use signage of the "cycle event" rather than "cycle race" variety (no doubt the sign-makers are keen to cash in on the rising popularity of sportives!) and no grief has been reported from motorists. Could just be coincidence, who knows?

Dave

willhub · Post by **willhub** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:08 pm

I guess if the rides for charity drivers dont care but if the race is not and it actually says race or something then the drivers are on the warpath, all races, TT's everything just be disguised as charity rides.