Done many of these, my cupboard is full of Dyfi enduro mugs

See you sunday, I can’t think of any better way of spending my birthday.

Not quite so fit as previous years, but it will be nice to do it this year with big wheels & bounce. Might stop for a tipple at the disco bar this time too.

+1 for Bridges, sometimes live music on too.

Crown Inn at Wentnor for traditional pub fayre, quiet & off beaten track

Yyyyyyeeeeeeeessssssss

WATCH BBC2 NOW.
GB JENNY JONES CURRENTLY GOLD POSITION.

Took my kids to see The Moshi Movie recently. Thank god it was discounted tickets and I fell asleep for 45 mins.

Men’s slopestyle was amazing. The British lads did themselves proud, especially their qualification runs. For brit (male) snowboarders to be mixing it with the best in the world is incredible. A few years ago, the Scandis and co were streets ahead of the brits. The lads have demonstrated that they have the talent and the tricks, and on a good day could have been on the podium.

Looking forward to Jenny Jones in the womens slopestyle on sunday.

It’s not bombfire FFS

Nor is it skellington

Over-biked people. i.e.

Folk who drop >£2k on a roadie only to walk uphill on anything over 1 in 100.

Folk who drop >£2k on an ‘all mountain’ mtb only to walk downhill on the tricky stuff.

Personal reg plates.

And breathe…

Crikey Julian. You should open a national bird reserve. We had a flock of about 10 long tailed tits, a magpie, a wood pigeon a crow and a few blue tits. Bit rubbish really, poor weather prob at fault.

I genuinely have a Tunnocks Caramel Wafer addiction. Think I must be responsible for over 4 million of the 5 million bars sold every week. They must put MSG in them or something. I currently have 8-bar multipacks in my drawer at work and the cupboard at home. Thank god for cycling as I would be massive otherwise.

Hadn’t considered the effects of Scottish independence on availability of Tunnocks products in Englandshire. Hope it wouldn’t end up with the Scots keeping all their A1 premium quality Tunnocks for themselves, while we only get the Friday afternoon end of shift rejects south of the border (bit like the French and their wine). Scotland can keep the Tennants Super, I want the Tunnocks Super. or is that Tunnocks Supper?

JTL’s agent is Pat McQuaid’s son. Story broke the day McQuaid got dethroned from UCI. Nice mess for Brian Cookson to sort on his first day with feet under the UCI desk. Where did that story leak from then? Sour grapes?

Intriguing.

From Cycling news:-
Andrew McQuaid, son of former UCI President Pat McQuaid, and Tiernan-Locke’s agent, told Cyclingnews that his rider was concentrating on his response for the UCI.

“We are currently preparing the answers to the questions raised by the UCI, and we are extremely confident once we present our answers the matter will be closed. As this should be a confidential process we are not prepared to comment any further at this time,” McQuaid told Cyclingnews.

Right, I’m just starting to pack my bags for next year’s tour.

Bike – check
Helmet – check
Part of a duck – check
Stuffed Wild Boar – check

Many thanks Realman. Great posts.
It’s been a magical few weeks. Great too see another Sky/ ‘British winner’. Froome’s dominant display on Ax 3 domaines was similar to last year at Planches des belles filles where they destroyed everyone early doors and then held on to the jersey for the remainder of the race.
Was great to have 5 stage wins by Brits this year.
We want six.
We want six.
We want six.
(Don’t even care if stannard/ millar/ thomas/ kenneugh gets it in a break).

Congrats to Chris Froome.Awesome display of climbing ability. I just knew Richie Porte had been playing poker the last few days, he blew the elite group to bits. The race for 2nd will be interesting.

Today was quite possibly the best ‘boring flat, not worth watching until last 3km’ stage I have ever seen.

What the hell has happened to Porte or is he playing poker, saving himself for some heroics on Ventoux?

(My rcuk fantasy team was dynamite today, I had Cav, Sagan, Chavanel, Fuglsang, Ten Dam, all of whom made the selection, and even Bonnet got a look in, my lot were 4th overall on stage!!. Shame my Velogames STW squad may as well withdraw already.)

Cheshire cat on sunday. Gonna be a warm one.

Spanish alliance to attack attack attack on last climb. Should be exciting to watch.
My relentless slide down the fantasy league continues. It’s a kiss of death for any rider to be in my team. On that basis froome and porte will blow big style, and ultimately get dropped by the Cavendish group, losing 15mins on the stage.

Why oh why did I not put Cavendish in my Fantasy team? Numpty. I’m sliding down the fantasy league quicker than a Sagan alpine descent. I give up, what’s the PIN for the loser league, I’m on a roll.
My prediction of an Orica win via Matt Goss yesterday was way off the mark – he even got dropped on the final climb. Shame transfers aren’t allowed.

Why oh why did I not go for Simon Gerrans in my Fantasy team? My lot are still languishing in the lower half of the STW league.

Matt Goss for the win today, as the Orica Green Hedge is on fire. Goss has come a long way since his 80s pop career finished.

The bus incident has really got OGE revved up. Hopefully the Sky team bus will have an embarrasing ‘Italian Job’ style incident up Alpe Duez to fire the Sky riders up a bit. I can see it now, as the Pinarellos are sliding out down the bus towards the back doors.

Why oh why did I not put Millar in my squad, or that fellow from Slovakia, and the bloke who was 3rd in the Belgian National Champs. My team is currently embedded in the bottom half of the STW velogames league.

Garmin for the win today.

Sky won’t want yellow this early in the race surely…

Went lots from 1989 to around mid 90s. (but avoided all the muddy ones fortunately).

I genuinely have no idea who played in 1989, despite being encamped somewhere at the back of the pyramid stage field for 4 days. Possibly Suzanne Vega? and maybe the Waterboys? It was very hot is all I remember, and hell getting my mate’s car out at the end as it was surrounded by tents.

Once hitched down from Nottingham, got a lift with two nutters drinking tenants super/S brew equivalent all the way down. They abandoned their (wrecked) car at the gate in the queue. I had planned on scaling the fence, but just walked straight in.

LEJOG

Had my honeymoon nr Propriano 10yrs ago. Corsica is one of the most beautiful and spectacular places in europe. I’d advise watching a bit of tdf on the telly at the weekend for the 3 Corsican stages. Think roadie not mtb would be best bet although its some time since I was there.

Looking forward to the RealMan daily threads already, Bring it on.

Is there a Fantasy ‘Sagan Stage win Celebration’? I’m going for the 360 with tail whip, whilst pinching a few pretty spectator girly bits on the way round.

Just go out on a windy day, you’ll get that elusive 5th fastest time with that raging Force 8 tailwind.

We all love one-way wind assisted time trials dont we? A real measure of personal fitness/skills progress, eh?

Only 75 sleeps until St Anton

Yeah baby!!!

Thoroughly magnificent tour for the brits.

Well done Sky & dave millar.

It’s not over until the fat lady sings……ah, she did…

Here’s hoping for a Wiggo GC win this weekend.

Next Spring could be the Golden Age for second hand carbon road bling.

Rode last year and loved it. Lap 1 was a bit slippy as I recall, but least it was all perfectly rideable. thank god we didnt enter this year. I only live an hour away, where can I get a box of 1000 mechs at short notice?

Cheers to the organisers, nice one. Done about 8 of these.

Bring back banjo man – that was genius last year.

I’d forgotten about the vertical slate knives of death corner on the last(?) descent too, always makes me slightly apprehensive that one. I see that corner had a warning marshall this time. Always nice to finish in one piece.

Thankfully no flats this year, got round in about 3 hrs (or thats what my gadget said), although I can’t recall when I switched it on, was somewhere between Mach and slatey gnarliness.

And keep the dogs out of the start area for a few days beforehand, eh?

B’lox, was putting the kids to bed and thoughout it wouldnt sell out in an hour. Done loads of dyfis over the years.

If anyone has accidentally entered twice, then drop me a line. Otherwise I’ll have to wait for the fatties to bail out when they realise they are woefully short on fitness.

Digby – Cheers for response, much appreciated.

afrothunder 88 – that off piste at La Masse is v good, bit steep at the top mind.

Any Chamonix Experts in da house?

I’m booked for a 4 day trip and want to get the most out of it.**

Do you have to book the top lift at Grand Montets in advance and is it worth the extra cost?

Is there anywhere worth a look that’s not tracked out within nanoseconds of the first flake falling?

Is it possible to rack up, assess the next day’s weather forecast and book a guide or join guided groups?

Is Vallee Blanche worth it (on a snowboard for a proficient snowboarder)?

Best place to look to grab spare places on helis?

Whats the stuff like next to the town (Flegere-Brevant)?

** (possible risk of whiteout the whole time as there for only 4 days).

Spot on Piston Broke. The GB squad at the world RR champs should have won the team award, as Cav ‘just’ had to finish it off (being the fastest bloke on a bike in a sprint helps a bit though.) To be fair, he always makes a point of thanking HTC/GB team mates for their help in getting him to the start of the sprint with fresher legs than all his fellow sprinters.

Wiggo should have won for his final lap haul on the front of the World champs race to stop folk like Gilbert attacking.

or Danny Hart should have won for his DH run at the world champs.

Not everyone’s cup of tea, but it does have some slide guitar in.

Depends where the Heli’s are I guess. I’ve never been to Cham so quite fancy that, but thought that the French dont like doing helidrops.

I’m feeling slightly extravagant this winter.

Can anyone recommend some Heliboarding operators in the alps for 1 day.

Ive done seasons in NZ, weeks and weeks in europe and loads of scottish stuff, I’m getting old (I’m 41 ye know) so want to have a final ‘big push’ before my body gives up on me.

Oh yeah, needs to be cheap…….

they didn’t have the arrogant little tosspot that eldritch was.

Fair point.

Felt nostalgic so you tubed SOM at Albert Hall. Quality viewing.

Faileds of the Nephilim were poor mans Sisters I’m afraid.

They were good at what they did but it was basically a sisters tribute band doing original material.

Sisters of Mercy around 1984- 87 (Albert Hall?) Eldrich,Adams, Marx, Hussey era) was unsurpassed. Every song on First & last & Always was a gem.

Shame I never got my act together to see them live (although I did see the Nephilim, lorries, and offshets the mission, ghostdance a fair bit and virtually lived in Rock City, Notts for a while)

Lets be honest, there were a few teething troubles. If you’ve not organised one before, enlist the help of experienced sportive organisers. I’ve never organised one and I’m sure its tough. I struggle to organise a couple of mates to go riding.

Downers
– Never sure if roads were shut or not.
– Route started out on virtual farm tracks, something wider to split the field would be wiser.
– 6 bogs at start for >1000 punters
– registering the day before- too much hassle, do it online or something please. Yes, I know its designed to provide a tourism boost to Wrexham with folk staying in hotels, but for those who dont live that far away (<1hr), I dont want to stay over in wrexham thanks(I’m sure you understand)
– Pi55 Poor (missing) signage
– Stolen/abducted marshalls (damn those aliens)
– No Gillet (actually, not bovvered, the zip would have broken in seconds anyway if it was made for a fiver)

Uppers
+ killer route
+ it didnt rain
+ support en-route
+ 25% discount to 2012 event.

Hope the crash victims are OK, didn’t look good.

jimrh

Cant see any email address in your profile.

Can you email rich – duderich at hotmail dot com

He is racing the gravity enduro if you are at eastridge this w/e.