[scatterbug]

While it hasn't been the most exciting of races to watch, this could usher in a golden age of cycling in the uk. Maybe it can spur a cultural change and prompt some sort of respect from car users, instead of hurling abuse at us.

[bobflunkit]

A combination of threads for me:-

Tour de France

More emotional as you get older

I don't mind admitting more than a tear was shed by me.

Well done Cav.

And well done Bradley wiggins.

Well done team sky.

[Sandman]

Cav once again showing the rest how to sprint.

[hallanthony]

An amazing finish on the Champs Elysee with Brad and then Bosen-Hagen leading out Cav. A great tour from team Sky, well deserved 1,2 for Wiggo and Frome. What an amazing tour, the best for years, 7 stage wins for the brits!

[HMHB]

What a great tour for GB, I never thought I'd ever see anything like this. I too have been watching for years (I think 83 was the first year I watched it) and whilst I don't watch as much these days I still take an interest in it. One of the most memorable moments for me was watching a live mountain stage when Stephen Roche appeared through the mist and then went on to win the tour that year.

What's the odds that Sky now try and take over the coverage of it and ruin it for everyone in the UK who doesn't have Sky Sports!!

[MedMick]

Bring on the Olympic road race and individual time trial.
Just got to get Cav over Box Hill 9 times, at least it's not pebble hill.
Froome to win vuelta.
Come Sept, we could have the winner of the tour de France, road race world and Olympic champion, and winner of Vuelta!

[Gizbert]

Brilliant display from the lads yesterday. Well done Brad and well done the whole team. Icing on the cake to get Cav his 4th win on the trot in Paris.

Roll on the Olympics and hopefully another couple of golds for Cav & Brad.

Not sure Froome will be going to the Vuelta. It will probably be Uran/Henao as Sky's team leaders, but we'll see. If Froome does go, it will be interesting to see how he gets on against Contador, Schleck (A) & Rodriguez.

[scatterbug]

Originally Posted by JohnG

What's the odds that Sky now try and take over the coverage of it and ruin it for everyone in the UK who doesn't have Sky Sports!!

Being sponsored by Sky is a bit like dancing with the devil but the amount of money they put into the team, the support they give BC and the Go-Ride initiatives to get ordinary folk onto bikes - I'd forgive them anything. Including having a monopoly on coverage.

But don't worry, it won't happen.

[scatterbug]

Originally Posted by Gizbert

Not sure Froome will be going to the Vuelta. It will probably be Uran/Henao as Sky's team leaders, but we'll see.

Apparently he is all set to go but having done the Olympics how long will he have had off - a week? The guy will be a wreck at the end.

[inzaman]

What an amazing tour and one i will never forget and yesterday was emotional and i loved it.

A British team with a British 1 & 2 on the podium and a Brit winning on the champs élysées I never thought I would see this in my life time.

How amazing was it with the yellow jersey leading out the world champion jersey for the stage win, I don't think we will ever see that again as normally the yellow jersey treats the champs élysées as a parade - and rightly so.

I cannot wait for the vuelta (which I normally try and watch anyway) and the tour next year - oh yeah the Olympics as well

Finally all the Brits that are in the Olympics and raced in the tour won at least a stage and team sky won the last three stages of the tour, could have been four had froome been allowed to go on thursday.

[ldoodle]

I'm not taking anything away from Bradley Wiggins or Team Sky, but on the MSN home page there is a poll asking what his next 'reward' should be;

Knighthood
Sports Personality
Lighting the Olympic Flame
Dinner at No. 10

Come on. He's only achieved what he's paid to do at the end of the day. Hasn't done anything above and beyond that, and the 27% who voted for a Knighthood need their heads tested! Just like when people mooted the England team being Knighted if they won the World Cup.

Of those 4, maybe Sports Personality is the most sufficient.

[Gizbert]

Originally Posted by scatterbug

Apparently he is all set to go but having done the Olympics how long will he have had off - a week? The guy will be a wreck at the end.

Yeah, read that after I posted. Only just over a couple of weeks after the Olympic TT and the start of the Vuelta, so I agree, thats not a great amount of time to recover fully.

Will be interesting to see who Sky select to support him and whether Cav goes or if they go with one of their other sprinters, Swift, Appollonio or Sutton.

[hdsport]

Originally Posted by JohnG

What's the odds that Sky now try and take over the coverage of it and ruin it for everyone in the UK who doesn't have Sky Sports!!

Well ITV have their rights until 2015 and to be honest I don't see as a huge subscriber driver at the moment (this may change).

The current deal means they get bucket loads of free advertising and positive PR. They have also been showing highlights on Sky Sports News from Eurosport anyway (which is a relatively new thing as SSN isn't classed as a news channel so can't just use sports footage like BBC News etc. can so have to make individual agreements).

[scatterbug]

Originally Posted by ldoodle

I'm not taking anything away from Bradley Wiggins or Team Sky, but on the MSN home page there is a poll asking what his next 'reward' should be;

Knighthood
Sports Personality
Lighting the Olympic Flame
Dinner at No. 10

Come on. He's only achieved what he's paid to do at the end of the day. Hasn't done anything above and beyond that, and the 27% who voted for a Knighthood need their heads tested! Just like when people mooted the England team being Knighted if they won the World Cup.

Of those 4, maybe Sports Personality is the most sufficient.

He has achieved more than Hoy and other sporting Sirs and Dames, so in that respect he deserves it. And would be a far more valid knighthood than some scum banker. Not that I have any respect for the monarchy mind.

[davidegee]

Originally Posted by ldoodle

I'm not taking anything away from Bradley Wiggins or Team Sky, but on the MSN home page there is a poll asking what his next 'reward' should be;

Knighthood
Sports Personality
Lighting the Olympic Flame
Dinner at No. 10

Come on. He's only achieved what he's paid to do at the end of the day. Hasn't done anything above and beyond that, and the 27% who voted for a Knighthood need their heads tested! Just like when people mooted the England team being Knighted if they won the World Cup.

Of those 4, maybe Sports Personality is the most sufficient.

Hoy was knighted after one successful Olympics. Wiggins has had 3 successful Olympics and this year has broken all sorts of records for road cycling, including both firsts for an Englishman and firsts for anyone, from any country.

He fully deserves all the accolades he gets, IMO!

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by inzaman

What an amazing tour and one i will never forget and yesterday was emotional and i loved it.

A British team with a British 1 & 2 on the podium and a Brit winning on the champs élysées I never thought I would see this in my life time.

I am not a big cycling watcher, but occasionally would watch the TDF, and am curious about the surprise there seems to be about a British winner.

Why is it so unbelieveable?

Surely if a country as small as Ireland could have a winner, a UK winner isn't such a big thing to happen?

[TheRobotman]

Originally Posted by RMCF

I am not a big cycling watcher, but occasionally would watch the TDF, and am curious about the surprise there seems to be about a British winner.

Why is it so unbelieveable?

Surely if a country as small as Ireland could have a winner, a UK winner isn't such a big thing to happen?

It's just not our sport, although it's grown in popularity in recent years it's always been the domain of the French, Dutch, Belgian, Italian and in later years American riders. In a place like Belgium a guy like Tom Boonen is like Beckham here, Mercxx is like god. It was hard for most people to see where a good British rider would come from considering our attitude towards the sport. we had a few over the years, Tom Simpson and Robert Miller being stand outs but i think most people considered them to be one offs.

To have a group of riders like we have now was a surprise, even watching Cav coming through with T-Mobile and Wiggo with Garmin you hoped they could be great but you never really believed it. Nature of the beast i suppose? maybe it's just the way we are here? who knows?

[Dony]

Originally Posted by RMCF

I am not a big cycling watcher, but occasionally would watch the TDF, and am curious about the surprise there seems to be about a British winner.

Why is it so unbelieveable?

Surely if a country as small as Ireland could have a winner, a UK winner isn't such a big thing to happen?

And what did we reward Stephen Roche with....a starring role in a Galtee cheese advert.