Giro d'Italia

[reohn2]

I love to watch this race,the country and the size of the race itself is a great spectical to watch and better than the T de F IMO.
But three stages in Israel

[thirdcrank]

Bearing in mind that these big races frequently have stages outside their homeland - TdeF came to Yorkshire - what have you in mind here? I can see there's probably no Buttertubs but what's your point?

[rjb]

For those Freeview viewers it will be on Quest Channel37 every evening at 7.00pm and an hour later on +1. Starts Friday, clear your schedules now.
No Buttertubs but perhaps we will have a sermon on the mount.

No shark to spice it up this year. Looks like the top grand tour contenders are holding back for Letour in anticipation of Froomedogs imminent ban.

[mjr]

For those Freeview viewers it will be on Quest Channel37 every evening at 7.00pm and an hour later on +1. Starts Friday, clear your schedules now.
No Buttertubs but perhaps we will have a sermon on the mount.

No shark to spice it up this year. Looks like the top grand tour contenders are holding back for Letour in anticipation of Froomedogs imminent ban.

But there's the great French hope of Pinot who hasn't done a public time trial since last year's Tour so will surely surprise everyone with a stunning result!

In a rare fit of scheduling brilliance instead of facing off, Giro highlights are on Quest at 7, then the TdY on itv4 at 8.

[reohn2]

Bearing in mind that these big races frequently have stages outside their homeland - TdeF came to Yorkshire - what have you in mind here? I can see there's probably no Buttertubs but what's your point?

Well Israel isn't exactly the centre of the cycling universe
It's a bit Tour of Oman,etc,from a scenic perspective compared to Italy.

TBH it's all getting a bit money centric IMO,if Iceland could put up the right money and thought it would gain from having a couple of stages around Reykjavik,any major tour would gladly oblige I dare say........

[ianrobo]

awful stages in Israel, so back to proper racing and great to see yesterday's stage, not really controlled and oh look Chris Froome struggling ....

[cycleruk]

awful stages in Israel, so back to proper racing and great to see yesterday's stage, not really controlled and oh look Chris Froome struggling ....

+1 - a much better stage to watch yesterday.
I don't see Froome being a contender for the TdF if current form is to go by.

[ianrobo]

if allowed to ride !

I said somewhere else I expect him to pull out of the Giro and will either cite the nasty press for the pressure tr that he is 'ill' and afraid to take the meds because he can not trust the test ha ha

For me this is Dumoulin's again all the way ...

[Debs]

For those Freeview viewers it will be on Quest Channel37 every evening at 7.00pm and an hour later on +1. Starts Friday, clear your schedules now.

Thanks for that, i didn't know the Giro had started due to the freeview's blanket secrecy on the matter.
In fact i've only just realised that Eurosport is no longer on my freeview.
I can only suspect it's yet another cash-grab mugging victim of BREXIT

Does this also mean we no longer get to see TdF live on freeview either?

[Si]

I think that the Quest show is just a rebadged eurosport as the presenters had eurosport T shirts on...never seen the opening or closing titles to check.

I'm assuming tdf will be on itv4 as usual, least ways I hope it is!

[ianrobo]

I think that the Quest show is just a rebadged eurosport as the presenters had eurosport T shirts on...never seen the opening or closing titles to check.

I'm assuming tdf will be on itv4 as usual, least ways I hope it is!

Correct Quest is owned by discovery who on Eurosport and correct ITV4 have their usual coverage for TDF as they do a deal with ASO as we saw with ToY

[Postboxer]

Don't know how he did that, or why they let him, or why they let his friend either. Amazing rides.

I don't know about Froome, didn't he have a rather slow start to last year's Tour when planning on doing the Tour-Vuelta double? I don't know if he's planning on improving through the race but he may have already left himself too much to do.

[reohn2]

Do we think Yatesy can win it?

[ianrobo]

Do we think Yatesy can win it?

yes if he gets enough time on Tom D before the TT as he looks so damn good yesterday

[Brucey]

at last the GC race begins; I wish Yates well but attacking is one thing and defending is quite another. It may well be that over the next couple of weeks his team exhaust themselves in defending; at this stage in the race no-one is going to settle for a placing, so allies in other teams are going to be few and far between.

Sprinter's stage today....

cheers