Just been watching highlights of the first day's stage of this year's Tour Of Britain. Wout van Aert won comfortably in an uphill sprint in Bodmin. There are numerous top riders in the field, not only van Aert, but also Alaphillippe, Cavendish, Greipel, Porte and more.
The race passes through the Scottish Borders on Saturday, but bowling commitments mean I'll miss it. It also misses out Yorkshire, the closest being Poynton near Stockport.
If I can catch the highlights, I will give a brief report of the day's main talking points.
Missed this. Is it on Eurosport?
On ITV 4, Snooty. Live stages from mid-morning each day and highlights at 8pm each night, repeated each morning just before the live races.
That's why I missed it then. Always forget ITV4 when searching for sport.
Ineos Grenadiers dominated the Team Time Trial today to thrust (just love that word) Ethan Hayter into the overall lead - 4th, 2nd and 1st in the three stages so far. Mind you he was helped by a really strong team including top guns Kwiatowski, Porte and Dennis. Deceunick and Jumbo Visma were the closest to Ineos.
Tomorrow has a 210km ride to Llandudno, comprising of about everything from dead flat to mountainous, following the West Coast through Snowdonia to the finish at the top of the Great Orme.
The second stage into Exeter was epic breakaway rider held on to win, today they are on teh Great Orme in Dudno should be fun, scenery has been ace and Adam Blythe as co commentator is extremely funny
Managed to watch the whole stage today and am still amazed by the energy shown right up to the line by both Alaphillippe and van Aert, with the latter winning by inches with Michael Woods in 3rd. Van Aert now takes the overall lead, but only by 2 seconds from Hayter.
Tomorrow sees the race move on to Alderley Park, then 152 km to Warrington. It goes over many of the roads I've travelled on from the M6 to Chapel - Macclesfield, Rainow, etc. - spireitematt will know them too. An easy start, then very hilly for about 45km after Congleton, then a placid finish into Warrington - made for sprinters like van Aert, but has he taken too much out of himself today?
Jacob Scott is today's star man, having won the 2 KOMs and the 3 sprints. And Chapel-en-le-Frith got a mention in commentary at approx. 1.30pm. Got to go bowling now but I'll be back on tonight, when I expect one of the serious sprinters to have won the stage. Cavendish has had a few mentions in commentary, so it jusy might be his day.
PS - themaclad is right about Adam Blythe - full of quips and very funny.
Believe me Ritchie that drag up the Great Orme is a killer, did the walk round were they went yesterday however used the tram to get to the top
The new star man is Ethan Hayter - another stage win thrusts him back into the overall lead, 8 seconds ahead of van Aert with Alaphillippe a further 11 seconds behind. Hayter's been 4th, 2nd, 1st, 5th and 1st over the first 5 days, giving him a lead of 11 in the Points competition.
Jacob Scott has a huge lead in both the Sprints competition and the KOM competition and might well have done enough already to win them on Sunday.
Three Category 1 climbs await the riders in their 198km route from Carlisle to Gateshead, probably a tough day in the saddle for most, but with potential for a brave team to catapult their GC riders into a strong position with 13 riders still within the leader's time.