Luvvin the Flog at Lytham

[Benchwayze]

Luvin' the golf.
Dreadin' the 'Limp-ics (BTW, let's have an unknown light the flame. Supposed to be the 'Peoples' Games'!)
Bored with F1.
Cricket's another waste of time and more changeable than the weather;
Footie season's not here yet and already seen Tevez!

But at least Wimble-doom is done and dusted!

Bradley Wiggins for PM!

 

[Jonzjob]

I heard they are thinking about sanitising Wiggins and giving the world a live Saint Bradley :? :?

What a star init even !

 

[woodbloke]

Bradley Wiggins for PM!

You mean Sir Bradley Wiggins John? - Rob

 

[Jonzjob]

Or Lord Kinburn :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Benchwayze]

Bradley Wiggins for PM!

You mean Sir Bradley Wiggins John? - Rob

Rob and Jon,

Nothing would surprise me. and I don't have any objections to sports people being 'honoured'. But the process mystifies me. For instance, Tony Jacklin (Who first set Britain on the road for the 'Claret Jug'; and who has contributed a whole lot more since) is a CBE.
Faldo, whom I agree, has won the trophy more often, is now 'Sir' Nicholas, yet he is a comparatively young man.

Chris Hoy, Kelly Holmes etc. They deserve their medals, and the other accolades. But it would make more sense if these accolades were given them much later in life. Assuming, after retirement, they go on from winning, to working for the benefit of others in their sports; thus giving much more back. Then I'd say they earned their 'Dubbing'. Just a personal point of view.

But as ,long as they are British, and whatever their sport, I'm happy enough for them and us.

 

[woodbloke]

I think the the thing with 'le Tour' John, is the sheer gruelling nature of the thing. Two things come to mind as as example, one was a snippet in the press yesterday about some of the ascents that the riders go through...one commentator compared just one of the ascents to going up Ben Nevis three times in one day :shock: and in the same piece said that the level of fitness required is equivalent to running 20 consecutive marathons, one after another (if I read it right, which I probably didn't) Other journalists (two I've read thus far) have put forward the notion that BW is probably the greatest British athlete of all time, so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him in an Honours List very shortly - Rob

 

[Jonzjob]

I think that we watched about every minute that Euro Sport broadcast. We have been to some of the places Le Tour went and in the heat that they do it some of those climbs must be like going up Ben Nevis 3 times in a frogmans outfit!

We reckon that it has to be THE hardest sport in the world and the level of fitness is astounding! Someone asked Jenson Button if he could have done it and he said no way. He probably couldn't complete one day in the time limit. He loves doing Triathalons, but that would be too much for him.

Everyone of those guys who crossed the finish line yesterday is a true star, not least of all Thomas Voeckler in his spotty kit.

 

[Benchwayze]

No argument at all on the gruelling trial that this tour is.
Now in the UK, maybe we might get more focus on cycling; not only as a sport, but in making it a safe option for running around on errands, as opposed to using petrol all the time. There are plenty of cycle paths/trails/old rail lines, near my home, but not close enough that I could safely cycle to them. They all require me to take my bike to them in the car. Mind you; I don't know if my metal knee precludes cycling now! I might have to sell my Major Nichols!
>>>

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bu ... chols.html

Those were the days!

 

[woodbloke]

No argument at all on the gruelling trial that this tour is.
Now in the UK, maybe we might get more focus on cycling; not only as a sport, but in making it a safe option for running around on errands, as opposed to using petrol all the time.
Those were the days!

Amen to that John, I sincerely hope that one of the spin-offs of Le Wiggo's TdF win is that it will raise the profile of cycling in all it's forms in the UK...at the moment, cycling in cities is a pretty lamentable affair - Rob

 

[Benchwayze]

No argument at all on the gruelling trial that this tour is.
Now in the UK, maybe we might get more focus on cycling; not only as a sport, but in making it a safe option for running around on errands, as opposed to using petrol all the time.
Those were the days!

Amen to that John,...at the moment, cycling in cities is a pretty lamentable affair - Rob

Not to mention that it's almost like committing suicide! What I fail to understand is that most motorists must, at some time or another, have ridden a cycle! Just as they are pedestrians from time to time! :?

 

[Benchwayze]

Everyone of those guys who crossed the finish line yesterday is a true star, not least of all Thomas Voeckler in his spotty kit.

Where do they carry the wine Jon? 8)

 

[JakeS]

.at the moment, cycling in cities is a pretty lamentable affair - Rob

Depends a fair bit on the city - I used to live in Peterborough, which has a pretty good network of cyclepaths; I could get from where I lived on one side of the city to where I worked eight miles away on the other side of the city and only spend about 10% of my time on roads - which was pretty much all getting out of the residential area I lived in. I could cycle into the centre of town and probably only spend 20% of my time on the road, and that was a wide and slow enough road to not be a problem.

Now we've moved to Grantham, and it feels a bit risky cycling to the nearest shop. Not to say that people drive more badly in Grantham, but the roads don't even seem to be set up for the amount of traffic they see, let alone cyclists. I don't recall seeing a dedicated cyclepath or a footbridge over a road since I moved here.

What I fail to understand is that most motorists must, at some time or another, have ridden a cycle!

I figure it's the same thing as how some people get upset by some characteristic of their parents and think "I'll never do that to my children" and others are hated by their own children for exactly the same thing. Maybe drivers think "I nearly got run over once when I was sixteen so now I have a right to drive like a knob, the roads owe me!"?

 

[woodbloke]

.at the moment, cycling in cities is a pretty lamentable affair - Rob

Depends a fair bit on the city - I used to live in Peterborough, which has a pretty good network of cyclepaths; I could get from where I lived on one side of the city to where I worked eight miles away on the other side of the city and only spend about 10% of my time on roads - which was pretty much all getting out of the residential area I lived in. I could cycle into the centre of town and probably only spend 20% of my time on the road, and that was a wide and slow enough road to not be a problem.

Now we've moved to Grantham, and it feels a bit risky cycling to the nearest shop. Not to say that people drive more badly in Grantham, but the roads don't even seem to be set up for the amount of traffic they see, let alone cyclists. I don't recall seeing a dedicated cyclepath or a footbridge over a road since I moved here.

Fair comment, but I think generally the situation in the UK has a vast way to go to catch up on the cycling ethos on the Continent, although we do seem to be prepared to wear hi-viz gear and helmets far more than riders abroad (excluding 'roadies')
Salisbury is gradually getting better, but the new designated 'cycle route' into town from where we live just uses a lot of quieter roads. Compare that to Japan where everyone rides on the pavement...very few on the main roads at all in the large cities - Rob