VeloResults

Le Tour de France, Stage 19: Bordeaux – Pauillac 52km ITT; Schleck Surprises, But It’s Bert(0)

“Sea, sex and sun,” sings Serge Gainsbourg on Radio Nostalgi – all very well, but the boys have 640 K to drive, this Sunday morning.

But that’s today, let’s get back to Saturday . . .

Today’s chrono is 52 kilometres, but Saturday’s L’Equipe glossy magazine takes us back 30 years to a much shorter effort against the watch – the Olympic one kilometre championship in ‘Moscou.’

Le Tour de France, Stage 18: Salies-de-Bearn – Bordeaux; Cav’s Fourth(0)

Cav: he really is impressive – we were at five K to go when Oss passed on his death or glory bid out of the break; he was flying.

The bunch? Like some high speed linear motored Japanese train – whhoooooooossssshhhhh! Those carbon rims slice the air.

We dashed back in to the chipper to watch the finale on the tele, respect to Sky, they were in the race – but Cav really is a cut above.

Le Tour de France, Stage 17: Pau – Col du Tourmalet; Top Two Ahead, Big Gaps Behind(0)

‘Andy talks tough !’ say the headlines, he did try his best yesterday, his men used whatever was left to drive up the lower part of the Tourmalet – then he went for it.

However, not for one moment did it look like Alberto Contador was under pressure.

Le Tour de France, Second Rest Day(0)

‘How’s it goin’ Shane?’ we ask Skyman Shane Sutton as we cross the car park in search of Michael Barry for a rest day interview.

‘Been better, mate!’ he fires back between hard draws on his fag – it’s difficult for a man who wears his heart on his sleeve to ‘spin.’

Inside, Michael Barry, who’s an eloquent, polite, sound guy tells us that morale is good – he best get out and tell Shane that, then.

Le Tour de France, Stage 16: Bagneres-de-Luchon – Pau; Bbox 2 In A Row(0)

Today was a good day, we took in all five cols of the stage – it only adds to your respect for the pros when you see what they have to deal with.

The gruppo was travelling at funereal speed, 30 minutes down when it passed us near the top of the Aubisque.

Cav was surrounded by ‘minders’ near the back whilst Ale Jet was just off the back, but he looked OK, probably just back at the car.

Le Tour de France, Stage 15: Pamiers – Bagneres-de-Luchon; Tommy Gun(1)

Voeckler, you have to admire him, he’s a racer.

Whatever happens, it’s been a good Tour for Bbox, Charteau in polka dots for a good stretch and now Tommy takes a big one.

Going down to Pro Continental doesn’t seem to have affected them one bit – and it’s saved them a fortune.

It was a tad mad up on the Port de Bales today but great to be there – Monday afternoon, high in the Pyrenees under a clear blue sky with the world’s best cyclists just inches away.

Le Tour de France, Stage 14: Revel – Ax3 Domaines; Playing Poker(0)

Lourdes is a strange place, like a religiously themed Blackpool; only it’s not little replicas of the tower they’re selling, rather all manner of tat plastered with religious images.

The last time I was there was with Martin, we sat, stunned in a late night pizza place – yellow jerseyed Rasmussen had just been sent home from le Tour by Rabobank.

I’m hoping for no scandals this time.

Le Tour de France, Stage 13: Rodez – Revel; Vino’s Day(0)

Bonjour! Vino – he’s a boy.

Born 16:09:1973 in Petropavlosk, he was a stagiere with Casino in 1997; he won the Dunkirk Four Day in his first full season and finished that year with six wins – an impressive debut.

He left Casino at the end of ’99 with another seven wins under his belt to go to Telekom where he stayed until 2005 after notching wins that year in Liege-Bastogne-Liege and two Tour stages. He went south in 2006 to Liberty Seguros and a win in the Vuelta.

Le Tour de France, Stage 12: Bourg-de-Peage – Mende; Bert’s Back!(0)

Bert’s back!

And we were there to see it, a privilege.

L’Equipe today says ‘Fin de la Trêve’ – that’s ‘end of the truce, (or respite)’. That’s how it looked to us, Contador letting Schleck know that he’s just fine.

Bert had his ‘pedalling back from the paper shop’ look on his face – but many riders didn’t.

Giro d’Italia – Day Seven, Thoughts on That Break(0)

We miss the turn for Rimini airport, the signage is dire, we’re late already, off at Rimini Nord, through the tolls, U turn and back down the other side of the autostrada, there it is, dump the car, limp to the terminal.

‘You’re baggage is overweight sir,’ abandon my shorts, T-shirts, carry my sweat shirt and jacket – still over, even though I can tell the bag weighs nothing like the 13 kilos they say it does.

Eventually, they relent and I’m through, I come through security looking like Harold Steptoe just finished his round…

Giro d’Italia – Day Six, Simply Surreal(0)

We made sure we were in plenty time for the stage start today – our mission was to get pics of Diquigiovanni’s Cameron Wurf for Jered at Pez, but Cam didn’t arrive at the sign on before our appointed time of bolting.

We did get some pics of the lovelies that accompany the race – I’m not sure what they do, but who cares ?

Last night was a little bit of a culinary disaster; we had our hearts set on pasta but ended up with pizza – again…

Giro d’Italia – Day Five, Tyler Again(0)

The Italians are like any other race, there’s nice folks and not so nice folks – but in the main they’re friendly and helpful.

Until, that is, you stick them behind the wheel of a car – any car will do, doesn’t have to be an Audi or a Jag, a clapped out Fiat is fine for acting like a juvenile, aggressive, ignorant, petulant twat.

Stop at the lights and if you haven’t pulled a wheely within 2/1000 second of the lights going green, the guy behind will have an epi…

Giro d’Italia – Day Four, Nae Middle(1)

Ciao, amici!

I was saying to Martin that I’m a bit worried, I’ve been wakening up feeling great – always a bad sign.

The trouble with my usual Giro partner in crime, Dave being back in Scotia and suffering from Giro withdrawal symptoms (he’s coming to le Tour, though) is that everything we write and photograph is subject to close scrutiny…

Giro d’Italia – Day Three, Riders in the Mist(1)

When I read folks saying that the Giro is better than the Tour, I have to shake my head.

Better, how?

The scenery in Italy can be stunning, sure – but like yesterday, it can be ghastly, too.

The Tour is exactly the same, for every Riviera, there’s a retail park…

Giro d’Italia – Day Two, Strada Bianchi(0)

Once you have your creds, you feel better, despite the fact that Gord Cameron has sussed them out for you a week ago, it’s still a relief to hang that pink lanyard round your neck and stick those big lumps of sticky back plastic on the wind screen.

The Giro and the Tour are so different; creds at the Tour is a big, officious production but at the Giro, it’s so much more laid back – and the guy on the PC likes us, so we get free Giro laptop cases.

It was a red letter day, today; we met Richard Pestes – your actual Pez – for the first time, along with the wife and children…

Giro d’Italia – Day One, Arrivo!(0)

Come sta ?

Viareggio on the west coast of Italy, 06:30 Saturday May 15 and VeloResults is on the Giro – well, not quite, we have our credentials to collect from the Gazzetta camper van, this morning at the stage start in Carrara.

The trip down wasn’t too bad, Edinburgh to Luton, then Luton to Pisa – there was an hour’s delay at Luton, but we were on Easyjet, so no one gets too stressed.

Albeit there was a nasty moment at the security check in Luton – “the transparent plastic bag you have your toiletries in is too big, sir’ said the official…

Trinidad & Tobago – Day Thirteen, the Last Day, Palo Seco Track Meet(0)

It was Martha and the Vandellas who sang about, “Dancin’ in the Street” – it happens for real in Port of Spain.

Outside the Coco Lounge the guys go into clinches with their girls on the pavement, one even has his black beauty do a couple of twirls.

“I did OK there, man?” he asks me as he looks up to where I’m leaning over the balcony.

I give him the thumbs up.

Pete takes it further, he goes down to dance with one of the TV’s who are cruising the strip.

Trinidad & Tobago – Day Twelve, Criterium Racing and Doubles(0)

Fort William could be somewhere I saw in a movie; once you’re in the Tropics it seems to affect your perceptions of time and place.

But it’s where the Scottish 10 mile time trial championship is taking place, today – under the shadow of mighty Ben Nevis.

Martin, our editor and web-guy is riding it and – strange though it may seem – I’d like to have been there.

Despite the total absence of non-cycling fraternity spectators and the fact that a high percentage of the field will be veterans, it’s a Scottish Championship and deserves a little bit of attention…

Meanwhile, just off the coast of Venezuela, the sun splits the sky and it’s only that glorious wind from the ocean that makes life bearable.

Trinidad & Tobago – Day Eleven, a Lap of Tobago(1)

‘Mad man’s rant’ is blasting from the Colt’s stereo, we have the windows down to let the cool air rush in, Pete’s at the wheel and Andreas Muller sits smiling contentedly in the back – all’s well in Tobago.

Much of the T & T ‘Soca’ music is topical, dealing with social issues like drugs and gang violence; political, blaming the politicians for high prices and squandering public funds or be-rating certain ethnic groups – I’m not sure a lot of it would get played in the UK.

Our morning mission was to take Leif to the supermarket and pick up his bikes ready for them to go on the ferry to Trinidad.

Trinidad & Tobago – Day Ten, Dwight Yorke Stadium Criterium(0)

“Abraham takes on the world,” said the headline in Thursday’s paper; USA, Canada, Jamaica, Argentina, Germany, Austria, Switzerland – that’s not a bad cross section.

But did he beat the world? All will be revealed.

“Stop playin’ de ass hole an’ listen!’ Dem Trini shop manager girls don’t put up with no nonsense from their staff.