Anyone interested in cycling round here? Apparently there was some sort of race thingy ended yesterday, and a British guy ignored centuries of tradition of being a "plucky loser" a la Tim Henman, and had a fantastic success!!!
Wonder if he will make Sportsman of the Year.
Don't we all have to vote for him?
Dude, he didn't win the tour...
Wonder if he will make Sportsman of the Year.
No chance.
Clarke and McIlroy leading the charge IMO.
Dude, he didn't win the tour...
Aaah ... OK ... to hell with him then.
was listening to radio 1 when he won his first stage and they were getting excited as this year mark cavendish was going to win the tour de france ...........
the cynic in me says no chance ... how ever cadel will be aussie sports man of the year !
Clarke and McIlroy leading the charge IMO.
Who are they? Darts players? (Dartists ???)
It does confuse people that he wins and also is in 142nd place ( or whatever it is)
Who are they? Darts players? (Dartists ???)
Golfists 
Lots of coverage in the media, TV/radio/newspapers.
my wife has decided that Mark Cavendish is just a bit lazy.
He gets all his team to do all the hard work then just sprints past them all when they are knackered to get all the glory. Plus he is rubbish in the mountains and is near the back on time.
So the green jersey is now the lazy persons jersey.
To be honest I was just proud she knew all this as it has took many years of explaining and cajoling to get the wife interested in the tour.
Yeah I know, riding nearly 200km and then having to suddenly ride your bike faster than anyone else in the world, and you get a special jersey for that!
*tsk*
To be honest I was just proud she knew all this as it has took many years of explaining and cajoling to get the wife interested in the tour.
+1 because on Sat night my missus said something like "... So one of them has won it today?"
Me: "Kind of."
Her: "Which one?"
Me: "Oh, you wouldn't know him."
Her: "Is it that Australian?"
Me: "Yes."
Her: "Evans? What's his first name ... Cairo? The one they were chasing for an interview yesterday?"
Me: "I'm impressed ... BTW it's Cadel ..."
R - E - S - P - E - C - T
Dude, he didn't win the tour...
and in track and field marathon runners never win the 100 metres either, doesn't make them less significant athletes. One of the beautiful aspects of a grand tour is that the different categories are all wrapped up within the one race.
A stage win in the tour can be enough to make a cyclists career, consistently winning a handful is exceptional, he and his team make it look easy at times but if it were that easy other people would have done it over the years.
As for SPOTY It does make you think that maybe they should have a separate category for athlete of the year so that proper sports don't have to mix with the ones that don't require the participants to be fit.
I asked my GF when a Frenchman last won the TDF. "Fignon, 1984" she said. Wrong - but not by much and a better answer than I could have given without Sean Kelly telling me the answer. (it was Hinault in '85)
The Cav done good - been an absolute pleasure to watch such a well organised team in action, and he's well on the road to being a genuine all time great.
As for SPOTY It does make you think that maybe they should have a separate category for athlete of the year so that proper sports don't have to mix with the ones that don't require the participants to be fit.
I agree, golf is a game not a sport.
+1 because on Sat night my missus said something like "... So one of them has won it today?"
Keep at it. It will pay dividends in the end. We are going to watch the tour in a camper van for 2013. Couple of mountain stages and hopefully either time trial or the final in Paris.
She is looking forward to the tour the wine and cheese.
The Cav done good - been an absolute pleasure to watch such a well organised team in action, and he's well on the road to being a genuine all time great.
tis a great one to watch, although I think last years lead outs were a bit neater as it seems other teams are trying to disrupt even more with butting into the train or trying breaks off the front a la gilbert to aid gripal (spelt wrong I am guessing)
Millar is pretty much saying he is there now.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/mattslater/2011/07/mark_cavendish_is_david_beckha.html
I think David Millar's description of him yesterday is pretty much bang on.
"He's a charismatic little bastard!"
He won't win sports personality because he actually appears to be in possession of one
Peta Todd was waiting for him on the line.
Get finished, try jumper on, thanks but got to be getting back to the hotel now guys, see you next year.
the manx missile in action.
I think the sport personality of the year will be a tough on this year. Clarke and McIlroy winning majors this year, Cavendish winning the green jersy, Murray reached the finals of the Australian then semis of Wimbledon with the US masters still to come.
Not wanting to take anything away from a outstanding performance by Mark, but there are other sports persons who have had big results this year as well, I jst hope it doesn't go to a footballist or a boxer again.
I've always (cynically) thought that SPOTY is largely dependent upon which sports the BBC have TV rights too.
Cav has the stand out performance as it's a 'first' for a UK sportsman, but Clarke will get the sympathy vote I reckon.....
To be honest I was just proud she knew all this as it has took many years of explaining and cajoling to get the wife interested in the tour.
Mrs North is a massive armchair sports fan, and has gone into a massive withdrawal that the Tour isn't happening for another 49 weeks.
The look on Cavendish's face when the fat darts player beat him in SPOTY last year was a picture though, proper pissed off and making no attempt to hide it.
if you look at the web address on the bbc sports page, cycling is listed under 'other sports'
i don't think he's particularly good at hiding his true feelings......
he's ridden an amazing tour this year, the rule changes made it all the more impressive and he's shut a few of his critics up with his efforts in the mountains. and he's young, hopefully he won't burn out and has a sparkling career ahead of him.
I've always (cynically) thought that SPOTY is largely dependent upon which sports the BBC have TV rights too.
IIRC - the shortlist is drawn up by a panel of sports journos from national newspapers rather than any BBC bods
Mrs North is a massive armchair sports fan, and has gone into a massive withdrawal that the Tour isn't happening for another 49 weeks
Only 4 weeks till the Vuelta though!
have never considered golf or darts a true sport (as in doing exercise during the sport) waiting to be flamed now 
Keep at it. It will pay dividends in the end. We are going to watch the tour in a camper van for 2013. Couple of mountain stages and hopefully either time trial or the final in Paris.
Nice one. The missus even said herself that "it would be awesome to watch that ... we'll have to do it one day ..." So we'll be looking at something similar in a year or two.
Speaking of which, the 'hilly' section (it is after all just a zig-zaggy hill, not a mountain) of next year's Olympic race passes 5 mins from home. Am on the volunteer shortlist but can't get any commitment or ideas out of the organisers - so if I don't get confirmation then we'll just grab a spot up in the trees
I never really understood the whole Sports personality of the year thing, but if it's for outstanding sporting acheivement of the year, I'm voting for Chrissie Wellington breaking her own Ironman world record ...again!
She is the first British athlete to hold the Ironman Triathlon World Championship, and is undefeated over the Ironman distance.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/triathlon/9535327.stm
Mrs lunge has been even more into Le Tour than I have this year. Yes, she has bad taste as she picked Schlek (smiles when he is blowing, that attack on the Galibier) over Cuddles (looks like crazy frog, no big attacks) and doesn't like Voekler or Voigt. However, she does like Rolland as apparently he does all the hard work for Voekler and she is a big Cav fan. She also raved about Hushovd's stage 13 win.
But, yes, back to subject, Cav is brilliant at his sport and has a personality. Becuase of this he has no chance in SPOTY.
Becuase of this he has no chance in SPOTY.
i doubt that there will be another cyclist in the shortlist (unless Wiggins goes and wins the Vuelta) so he may get a big block of cyclist votes whereas golfists may split the vote between multiple candidates.
I did like the fact the news had loads of stuff about Cav and Evans got a brief mention at the end "Oh, and some Australian bloke called Evans won the whole thing".
so if I don't get confirmation then we'll just grab a spot up in the trees
only if you are one of the 3000 or so allocated wristbands, Box Hill is closed to the general public
if you look at the web address on the bbc sports page, cycling is listed under 'other sports'
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