ITT arrives. Weather looks set to play a major role today in terms of who wins the stage. I always feel like I have a major edge on these then proceed to do my bollocks.
Any views?

[Surely we don't have to win trophies to enjoy football, do we?]

Just something else in reply to Keith.

Surely we don't have to win trophies to enjoy football, do we? If that is the sole criteria, then 95% of all football fans must be unhappy. How can that ever make sense?

Definitely not.

I prefer QPR playing in the Championship. Because we can win games, hopefully have an exciting season.

Getting beaten every week is boring.

The celebrations at Sunderland for finishing fourth bottom were pathetic.

I can understand the money men being happy, but supporters celebrating like they won the cup? Ugh.

Were you saying that about Leicester last season as well?

Haven't looked at the course but love Chaves. What a character. Possible reason punt if doesn't lose too much on the TT.

He did reasonably well in the short ITT at the beginning. Interesting to see how it goes over much further.

[GC]

An interesting first week of the Giro is about to come to a conclusion.

GC

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Kittel has suddenly become an old fashioned sprinter again. Absolutely crushing these sprint/rouleur hybrids that have sprung up in recent years. As soon as the road heads upwards he is dropped like a particularly ugly one night stand's phone number the moment you leave her house.
Fantastic stuff.
Griepel won a non event uphill drag that nobody else seemed to care about.
Yesterday stage 6 was the first real test of the GC contenders and it ended like this...



A scarcely believeable quintet of Fuglsang, Zakarin, Dumoulin, Pozzovivo  and Sioutsou finished clear of the 'main' contenders.

Click to see full-size image.

Ante post favs Nibali and Landa finished a few seconds further behind.
So does all this mean we have a changing of the guard and a new race on our hands? Probably, possibly, maybe and who knows.
Of the five that broke clear yesterday
Dumoulin - Apparently no altitude training this year
Zakarin - Untested over three weeks
Fuglsang - Working for Nibali
Sioutsou - Not good enough and allowed to go by the peloton yesterday
Pozzovivo - Perennial loser, weakened team.

In my opinion Nibali and Landa don't have it at the moment. Nobali's weird attack yesterday stunk of over confidence or desperation and judging how quickly he was brought back it seems like the latter.
Landa has looked awful, hanging on for dear life with barely a teammate around him.
Obviously both of these guys can and probably will grow into the race but their prices will almost certainly increase before they shrink.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

A flat stage today followed by a big ITT.

Any ideas on who wins the bloody thing?
I'm desperate to back Fuglsang. Looks amazingly strong but would take a lot for him to take over leadership.

Click to see full-size image.

http://www.oddschecker.com/cycling/giro-ditalia/giro-ditalia-stage-4/winner

Interesting stage, bumpy, & in the final 10 km the route takes in the very steep Via del Fortino climb (with ramps up to 18%). Likely not to be a full peloton, can Kittel get over this in the front group?

This is a brilliantly designed stage in that nobody and I mean nobody has any idea what will happen. No certainty from any press or fans. Superb.
I've done...
Nizzolo 18/1
Sbaragli 22/1
Coral 4 places.

Boylesports paying 5 places but horrific prices.

If anyone has Sky then there is some value for the Giro D'Italia cycling stage 1 tomorrow.
It's a short prologue of 9.8kms and it looked a two horse race on paper between Fabian Cancellara and Tom Domoulin.
News has just broken that Cancellara is laid in bed with a fever. Awful preparation for this kind of test.
Dumoulin is 2/1 with Sky when he is more like an even money shot.

https://m.oddschecker.com/m/cycling/giro-ditalia/giro-ditalia-stage-1/winner

Job done by Tom D, but where the F did Primož Roglič find a ride like that?

Asthma inhaler?

If anyone has Sky then there is some value for the Giro D'Italia cycling stage 1 tomorrow.
It's a short prologue of 9.8kms and it looked a two horse race on paper between Fabian Cancellara and Tom Domoulin.
News has just broken that Cancellara is laid in bed with a fever. Awful preparation for this kind of test.
Dumoulin is 2/1 with Sky when he is more like an even money shot.

https://m.oddschecker.com/m/cycling/giro-ditalia/giro-ditalia-stage-1/winner

Fever link...
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/fabian-cancellaras-hopes-wearing-pink-giro-ditalia-suffer-setback-223881

Not one for this thread but if anyone has Sky then there is some value for the Giro D'Italia cycling stage 1 tomorrow.
It's a short prologue of 9.8kms and it looked a two horse race on paper between Fabian Cancellara and Tom Domoulin.
News has just broken that Cancellara is laid in bed with a fever. Awful preparation for this kind of test.
Dumoulin is 2/1 with Sky when he is more like an even money shot.

https://m.oddschecker.com/m/cycling/giro-ditalia/giro-ditalia-stage-1/winner

[26 games]

i wanted to quickly come back on a previous theory, the county championship no toss

this theory has been discarded in a wastepaper bin

what has happened is that fearful of being inserted by visiting captains and losing the game on the first morning, home clubs have prepared pitches resembling the M25.

the result has been in div one that through three rounds on 2 of 26 games have seen a positive result

run fests galore, pitches haven't deteriorated much and would last 5 days plus

as a spectacle, pretty dull and likely to remain so unless the weather is bad, spicing some pitches up.

here are the early tables. we are on warwickshire in 1

Click to see full-size image.

Your point stands pal and I agree 100% but it's 2 positive results from 13 games.

Cyclist Simon Yates has not been provisionally suspended despite failing a drugs test.

 http://bbc.in/26zVpa8

Awful news. If you're guilty of taking drugs then you're guilty. Regardless of who's fault it was. Bans need to be served.

Evening all. Brilliant weather. Backed some bad weather appreciaters.
Wellens
Costa
Gasparotto

Myself and my mate will be in the Shakespeare pub for the football this Saturday. I hear it does remarkably good Indian food?
What's a fair price for a pint? And a fair price for a decent meal?

Wish I'd seen this earlier. I was in that very pub on Saturday night celebrating my wedding anniversary. Would definitely have bought you a pint. How was the food? Do us a review. The curries are top notch in my opinion.
I recommend you also try a shashlik restaurant close by. Let me know if you'd like the address.

Blah. Totally neglecting this at the moment. So busy with work.

Hello pal. Interest bet on Jan Bakelants at 125/1 for me. Climbed well up the Cauberg on Sunday. Maybe looks can be deceiving but with Vuillemoz out, he will probably be the team leader. 125/1 surely too big for any world tour team leader.
Sergio Henao DNS after a dodgy look biological passport was discovered. Hmmm.